Production manager Martin Lewis talks ‘musical feat’ at Intimate
Estimates 20,000 patrons; says Beres refused to move until Marcia Griffiths ‘feel all right’
Published:Tuesday | January 10, 2023 | 12:36 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
Production manager and audio consultant Martin Lewis estimates that 20,000 reggae-loving fans descended on Grizzly’s Plantation Cove in St Ann on New Year’s Day to witness firsthand the fantastic showcase featuring headliners Beres Hammond and Buju Banton, supported by Marcia Griffiths, LUST and Tarrus Riley.
As the man in charge of stage production at ‘Intimate’, Lewis was justifiably triumphant at the success of the event — “I can’t tell the last time I have seen a crowd like that at a concert in Jamaica” — which delivered what it promised.
“We wanted to present Buju and Beres a little differently. They had their own creative ideas that we put into a pot with ours ... the one main thing is that they wanted to present their sets as one long set, and that was a technical challenge,” Lewis explained.
Eagle-eyed patrons at Intimate would have noticed that at one point, there were two bands on stage simultaneously — Beres’ Harmony House and Buju’s Til Shiloh — and it was a ‘wow’ moment to watch the synchronicity of the two drummers and experience live music at its finest. Interestingly, at the end of the night, some patrons queried what was so special about this presentation, and although that may sound negative, for Lewis it was the real compliment.
“When Beres finished his set and left the stage, the transition from his band to Buju’s band was seamless. A whole different set of musicians took over without anybody even really noticing. That was what we wanted so as not to spoil the vibe...and it worked. A good production is where you experience it and think about nothing. It doesn’t have to be a big bang, once you walk away satidfied, that’s the main thing,” a satisfied Lewis said.
He was eager to share the commendations, stressing that it was certinly not a one-man band that could pull off this feat, which totally eradicated — without the use of a revolving stage — the long and oftentimes tedious band change, which can sap the energy of patrons and snuff out a vibe..
“It was an entire team effort on many levels...from sound design to everything else...which ensured that there was no void at any time. Everything went smoothly, and nobody complained. Big up the sound team, led by Steve Locke, and the lighting team, led by John DaCosta,” Lewis said.
It was a night of fist-bumping for Lewis and his team, but there was one moment which, had things unfolded differntly, could have seen the entire trajectory of Intimate become lopsided. Lewis shared that that was what Intimate was all about.
“When Tarrus was finished performing and I ran around to get Beres, I saw him and Buju in Marcia Griffiths’ tent. Beres looked at me and said, ‘Martin, yuh know mi not moving until Sister Marcia is all right.’ To me, that is what Intimate is all about. Marcia wasn’t feeling well after she performed and Buju and Beres were sitting beside her, both of them hugging her. I went and got her a cup of soup, and when she said she felt better, that was when Beres moved,” Lewis shared.
Describing himself as a person who is “driven by challenges”, Lewis, who was asked to score his team out of 10, admitted that he has never given himself 10 out of 10 for any production, but this time it was close.
“Technically and musically, Intimate was a feat,” Lews said.