The government of Antigua and Barbuda will look to invest in a modern, internationally standard audio system for major festivals and conferences, Prime Minister Gaston Browne confirmed following an intense discussion with owner of Stonewall Sound Whitney Williams on Saturday.

The discussion, which followed a Facebook post the Prime Minister made inviting Williams on his weekly show during the week, saw the two discuss how to “level up [Antigua] Festivals sound”.

Browne confronted Williams directly over what he described as repeated assessments from production professionals that the current sound infrastructure used at government events does not meet international standards.

In February, the government announced it planned purchase a national sound and lighting system to support major events, stating that the government was not looking to compete with small promoters or private service providers but to enhance the experience for both residents and visitors at flagship events.

“We have been advised that if the government invests in certain aspects of a system, they [the international sound teams] don’t have to be bringing in everything and charging you premium dollars,” the Prime Minister said. “It is far more cost effective for the government to own, if not a full system, at least a portion of a system.”

Stage purchased by Government of Antigua and Barbuda

Prime Minister Browne cited a post-production report compiled after last year’s One Nation Festival.
The report described the front-of-house speaker system as “outdated,” flagged a shortage of audio and power cables, and criticised local crew professionalism, including inconsistent reliability and unprofessional dress on site.

Williams said he had no objection to the government purchasing a stage or sound system but said his concern lay specifically in what should be purchased and the financial cost involved— a point he raised numerous times during the discussion without satisfaction.

He disclosed he had recently purchased two Yamaha DM7 mixing boards at $36,000 US each, four stage boxes at $11,000 US each, and eight Marshall amplifiers at $1,200 US each, and still could not afford everything on international artist riders.
He said a digital quantum console alone costs $98,000 US and a piano organ $21,000 US.

“I wrote a letter last year that I didn’t want to do carnival because I know the investment I’m going to have to do,” he said.

The discussion was joined by Jamaican audio engineers Shane Brown, a Grammy-winning engineer who toured exclusively with Shaggy for a decade, and Ricardo Aikman, a production manager with 25 to 30 years of international touring experience, who spoke to time alignment problems with the system used at One Nation, noting that the left and right speakers sounded different from each other and that physical restrictions in how the system was flown prevented a full correction.

In the end, Williams agreed in principle with the Prime Minister to a partnership arrangement in which the government would invest in a new system, with costs recovered through a reduction in government event fees paid to Stonewall over time.

The Prime Minister that Williams and his brother were the preferred operators of any new system purchased and said he would direct Minister of the Creative Industries Daryll Matthew to continue negotiations toward a formal agreement.

No specific system or dollar figure was committed to, with the Prime Minister indicating that Williams and the Ministry’s technical advisers would consult on the procurement process.

Browne also announced two scholarships from the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Fund for Antiguans to pursue degrees in sound engineering at any accredited institution, and said he intends to bring a cabinet proposal to waive import duties and taxes on musical instruments to make them more affordable.