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GET UP, STAND UP! THE BOB MARLEY MUSICAL Sound Designer, Tony Gayle puts his faith in JBL VTX A8 to replicate iconic tracks from the world’s most famous reggae singer. Key members of the audio team share their thoughts on the system.
Words: Stew Hume Photos: Craig Sugden
With a back catalogue that virtually defines a genre, replicating the songs of the late Bob Marley was no small undertaking for the audio team behind the latest West End production, which looks to tell the real-life story of the singer. Originally planned to open in February 2020 to coincide with Marley’s birthday, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical eventually opened in October 2021 at London’s Lyric Theatre. Having been at the helm of the audio solution for the project for almost two-anda-half years, Sound Designer, Tony Gayle discussed the journey he and his team had been on for this show. “I already knew which PA I wanted for the show,” asserted Gayle, as he discussed the choice of the JBL VTX A8. “It was just a case of working out how we could get hold of it.” Gayle had already had some hands-on experience working with the system on Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which allowed him to give the PA a true road test before taking it out on the road to soundtrack the iconic back catalogue of Bob Marley. “JBL is one of the few brands that is just as recognisable in both the professional and consumer markets,” he explained. “I grew up seeing the JBL logo on speakers all over the place in clubs and bars, so I really associate the brand with reggae music.” The system installed in the Lyric Theatre comprised 24 boxes of VTX A8, which are arranged in three sets of hangs across three of the levels of the theatre, with an additional ground stack on the fourth level, along with a ground-stacked B18 sub. The main low end for
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