On Friday May 3, beloved Bedfordview venue Bailey’s Live welcomed the iconic South African rock band Clout. With the gig powered by a new Electro-Voice (EV) rig, the crowd were treated to a night of great music and top-quality sound.
Musician Gary van Zyl has played bass in some of South Africa’s most esteemed bands, including Juluka and now Clout, who are best known for their hit single, “Substitute.” He explains that Prosound have been sponsoring him since the 80s, though he has worked at the company – as repairs manager – for the last 11 years.
This relationship led to Prosound sponsoring the rig for the Clout show at Bailey’s. The rider featured new gear from US company Electro-Voice, including two EV ETX35P speakers and two ETX18sp subs for the main PA (left and right), solutions which have been praised around the world for their power and portability. This was complemented by a stage setup of one EV TourX TX 1122FM 12” monitor speaker; three EV Phoenix PX 1122M 12” monitor speakers; one ZLX 15p powered speaker and two EV Q1212 amplifiers, with EV PL series drum microphones to ensure fantastic low-end response and snappy snare drum sounds.
Murray Grassow, the full-time sound engineer at Bailey’s Live, says that he “likes the EV rig, because for its weight and size, it packed a hell of a punch.”
He also mentions the attractive look of cabs, and says that – in his experience – the company makes durable and reliable gear.
“For example, I have been working with a second-hand TourX single 15” tops and single 18” subs for many years, and they just keep pushing on like they’re brand-new.”
Reflecting on the show, Grassow says “it was great to work with Prosound and Clout are still some of the best musos I have worked with.”
From the band’s perspective, “We had a fantastic night and Lee Brune (of Prosound) did a great job as always,” van Zyl says. “Bailey’s is a beautiful venue and Murray, their sound technician, was very helpful. The EV rig kicked butt!”