Rebellion Club, Manchester

A brick room shaped like a boot — now it sounds clear.

Rebellion Club is the largest independent metal, rock, and punk venue of its type in Greater Manchester, and for more than a decade it has hosted touring acts in a 520-capacity room. The building works against the PA — a brick shell with reflective walls and a low ceiling. The brief was simple to state and hard to meet: bring clarity to a space that fights sound.

Case Study

Cultural / Theater

Electro-Voice

Dynacord

Europe

Venue: Rebellion Club
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Install partner
Product highlights: Electro-Voice EVF-1152D, EVF-1122D, EVU-1062, MFX-15MC, X12-128 · Dynacord L3600FD · SONICUE

The venue

A 520-capacity room that fights the PA

Rebellion Club has been a mainstay of the UK metal, rock, and punk scene for over a decade, regularly hosting headline performances from international acts in a 520-person room in Greater Manchester.

The architecture is the problem. The brick building is shaped like a boot, so the wall in front of the PA throws reflections back, the wall behind the stage sends monitor slapback, and the ceiling is too low for a line array.

“It's a horrible space to put a PA into.”

Jason Hartley-SmithTechnical Director, Rebellion

The challenge

Bring clarity to a hard, reflective room

The old system left a clarity issue in a space already stacked against it. Reflective brick, monitor slapback, and a low ceiling all worked to muddy the sound before it reached the crowd.

A line array was off the table — there was not enough height for it — so the room called for a point-source approach that could be aimed tightly and kept clean.

A brick shell that throws reflections off the front wall
Monitor slapback from the wall behind the stage
A ceiling too low for a line array
A clarity issue carried over from the old system
A 520-capacity room of metal, rock, and punk audiences

The solution

A point-source system, tuned to the room

The answer was an Electro-Voice point-source rig built around EVF-1152D tops in clusters of two, with EVF-1122D rear fill and three EVU-1062 units for front fill. Six MFX-15MC wedges cover the stage, and four dual-18-inch X12-128 subwoofers run in cardioid mode to pull low end off the back wall.

Power comes from Dynacord L Series amplifiers — eight L3600FD dual-channel 1800 W DSP units — with SONICUE Sound System Software handling setup and tuning across the system.

Electro-Voice EVF-1152D tops in clusters of two
Electro-Voice EVF-1122D rear fill
Three Electro-Voice EVU-1062 front fill
Six Electro-Voice MFX-15MC stage wedges
Four Electro-Voice X12-128 dual-18-inch subwoofers in cardioid mode
Eight Dynacord L3600FD amplifiers with SONICUE

“I've always thought Electro-Voice was good quality.”

Jason Hartley-SmithTechnical Director, Rebellion

The result

Lightyears different — and clear at last

The point-source clusters, cardioid subs, and Dynacord power turned a hostile room into a clear one. The clarity issue that defined the old rig is gone, and the system holds up across a demanding program of touring bands.

The change registers with the visiting engineers too — a recognized EV point-source rig that crews trust the moment they walk in.

Clear, defined sound in a hard brick room
Cardioid subs that keep low end off the back wall
A point-source rig visiting engineers recognize and trust
A system that holds up across a heavy touring schedule

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For integrators & consultants

Start with a system design

Send your floor plan or project brief and get a tailored system recommendation, including key components, coverage guidance.

Download