Who is asking for overly loud live music everywhere?

The BBQ Pit
1

Saw a clip recently of John Mulaney complaining about how much the live music ruined the SNL anniversary after parties.
I have to completely agree with him and pit amplified live music in environments that are not live music only events.
Had this happen on our last vacation at a beach resort with an outdoor bar/restaurant. Great place to have a drink, relax, and chat with friends. Yes, some nice live background music would add some atmosphere. But they had a gal singing covers and playing guitar with an amp and speaker so loudly nobody in the place could have a conversation. And we were on the opposite side of the seating from her.
Then a couple weeks ago we were at a local fair. Food stands surrounded a seating area. They had a small stage and a couple were playing and singing. But again, so damn loudly that conversation was impossible. Some of the food vendors looked annoyed since taking orders consisted of them having to lean into the face of customers and yell food orders back and forth.
Christ, learn the difference between playing some music to add to the atmosphere and making yourself the only thing anyone can hear.

2

As a professional musician who has played my share of venues, I can say that most of time, excessive volumes comes from two things - a lack of experience (in other words, amateurs), and bands trying to mix their own sound. They usually do this from the stage rather than going out and seeing what it actually sounds like to the audience. Some of these artists think that they are playing at an amphitheater, when they are actually at a 50 seat venue. In contrast, we bring our own sound engineer to every gig and we’ve never had a complaint.

3

I hate over loud music. Even as a teen I hated it.
I loved the idea of concerts and shows, I could’ve put in ear protection. But the thudding/vibration it causes always makes me uncomfortable.
Over loud theatres/movies, same.

Overstimulation, I guess.

Outdoor things are ok-ish because I can move away.

4

I carry a set of musicians earplugs with me all the time. I hate unnecessarily loud music/announcements. The one that drives me crazy is sporting events in Australia. It never used to be the way but now, presumably to create some “excitement”, many venues blast snippets of terrible music at every lull in play or have some idiot encourage mindless chants.

5

I dealt with excess loud just last night - it was a dance revue. I sat there literally with my fingers in my ears.

It reminded me of my niece’s wedding reception in a small setting where the DJ cranked it up loud enough for an open stadium. Even after my sister asked that it be taken down a few notches, it was still impossible to hear anything else.

Back a few more years to a high school reunion with a rock band in another smallish room… even stepping outside, it was a challenge to converse. I just don’t get it.

And if I hear your car stereo in my vehicle with my windows closed, how can you possibly hear sirens or horns or any other warnings?

6

I hate loud restaurants period. What’s the point of dining out with someone if you can’t have a conversation. What really gets me is when the entertainer is such a novice that you just know the place took them up on their offer to play for tips.

7

I suspect that musicians don’t want to add to the atmosphere: they want the audience to STFU and listen to them. If conversations are possible, they will compete with the band in volume until the engineers crank it to 11.

8

I hate this too. My friend and I use to go to a place called the d note. Real cool place IMHO. But one time the musicians had it cranked up to 11. We demanded our cover charge back and left. That’s just not like me, but this was rediculous.

9

Last year my wife and I visited a small brew pub in a city about 20 miles west of us. Walked in, and noticed a band was playing. It was ear-splittingly loud. People at the tables were literally screaming at each other in order to converse. Completely senseless. We were about to leave, but then I noticed there was outdoor seating, and went there. But even though we were outside, it was still very loud where we were sitting.

Went to Las Vegas a couple months ago. There were two stages on Freemont St., each with a way-too-loud band. We’re talking colosseum-level volume. It ruined much of the experience.

10

There is a good reason why sound techs get paid good money. Because they have to stand between the performer and the volume button.

When musicians aren’t getting the response they fancy they automatically assume, ‘They can’t hear it well!’ And they turn it up. Again and again.

The venue should ALWAYS control the volume, NEVER the performers.

11

Agreed. The intrinsic problem with live music is you’re dealing with the ego and ambition of the performers who feel the need to be heard. In general few live performers want to be just background. There are exceptions, like intentionally low-key piano bars, but bands in general tend to be LOUD even in small venues.

12

This.

Some restaurants try to maximize seating space by not having sound buffering partitions. Even without live music the din of hearing dozens of conversations all at once is mind numbing and destroys the experience. Was at the Cheesecake Factory a while back and this was the case. My head was hurting by the time we left and I couldn’t even remember what we were talking about during dinner.

Then there are those fuckers that have mega bass in their car so your car vibrates 7 car lengths away. :face_with_symbols_on_mouth:

13

As my ex-wife, the audiologist, used to say when one of those passed by, “There’s another future patient.”

There is a time and a place for loud. The Who’s, Supertramp’s, the Rolling Stones’, and others’ tours to arenas and stadiums are the place for loud. Hell, my ears were ringing for three days after a Who concert in Toronto, it was that loud. But it was a great concert.

But loud does not belong in a neighbourhood pub. Especially if it has regulars who will go on a Saturday night, no matter what. They’re not here to see the band; they’re here to talk. Live music is a plus; it is better than the jukebox, but fercryingoutloud (heh) they’re going to want to talk to each other. Bands, especially those who think they’re playing Madison Square Garden, tone it down and let them talk.

14

I just remembered that I left a review on Google Maps, and the owner responded:

Imgur

15

Yeah, agree with this, too. There’s a decent restaurant chain around here that I like that’s upscale enough to have good food and good service, but unfortunately not expensive enough to keep out occasional gatherings of 15 or 20 loud hooligans celebrating whatever the hell it is they’re celebrating, and that get even louder the more wine they consume. I’m sure the restaurant welcomes these fuckers because the bill for that table – generally a bunch of tables temporarily pushed together – would be well into the four figures in one fell swoop. But it’s hell having a table or booth anywhere near this bunch of screeching simians.

It doesn’t happen often but if it happens again I’m going to refuse that table or ask to be moved to some distant part of the restaurant. If the place is crowded and no such table is available, I’ll offer to sit at the bar until one is. I don’t pay good money for a meal to have to endure this crap. A truly good restaurant should have a special room for these jerks – many do – and it should be soundproofed.

16

I call that “Everyone shouting to be heard over the noise of all the other people shouting”. Makes me want to stand up, fire off a blast on an air horn to shock the crowd into silence, then announce “Inside voices please”, sit back down, and see what happens. Beside me being asked to leave of course :wink:

Pisses me off.

There seems to be a belief in the restaurant industry that sales go up if there’s a “party” atmosphere. Which they think loud conversation, possibly augmented by too-loud music, sports bar TVs, etc., encourages. Hence the hard decor, high density seating, etc. Make the place loud and the money will roll in.

I think that’s BS and any study showing otherwise was probably flawed; for sure an empty place with almost no customers won’t make money. But full and loud is IMO less likely to make money than full and tolerable volume.

Here’s a perverse counter thought:

If it’s loud, then I get in, order food and drink, eat quickly, and leave to escape the noise. Given enough waiting customers, they can turn the table more often than if I get in, have a slow drink, order & eat food, have an after dinner drik or dessert, then leave. The net result is less sales per seated group, but more total sales. That scenario I could believe for midmarket eating and for places like sports bars, brewpubs, etc.

With the result that management are deliberately trying to make it awful enough that I leave ASAP, while making it not quite awful enough that I don’t go there at all. Scary idea, but modern late-stage capitalism / commerce seems to have a lot of those.




Or maybe, just maybe, all of us posting here are fogeys and our complaints are mostly a sign of failing hearing and ever-increasing fogeyness.

Oh yeah, and stay off the lawn on your way out! :grin:

17

Or, in shorthand: The Lombard Effect.

18

I saw this in action once. Friend and I were having drinks after lunch at a bar / restaurant and some time in the afternoon they suddenly turned their ambient music up to 11. We couldn’t hear each other speak and I went to the manager, who was also the owner (and had himself turned up the volume). I pointed at our seats, which were near the speakers and somewhat politely conveyed, “What the hell?!”

His response was essentially a shrug and he said, “We have to or we’ll lose business.”

Not that it mattered to him probably, but I explained he was about to lose our business. We changed our plans, did not order any more drinks and have never been back.

19

This is why I hate what I call ULM (unexpected live music). You’ll be out with friends and then you realize a musician is setting up. Shit, now if I continue talking and enjoying myself, I seem like an asshole so I have to pretend that this asshole’s version of Peaceful Easy Feeling is amazing. After a few minutes’ of aggressive musical mediocrity (AMM), I go back to my conversation and give the artist a pity clap when he ends a song. Then, I revel in the small break before he plays another. Joy of joy! I think he’s taking a break, let’s try to quickly enjoy ourselves before he resumes entertaining us.

20

I had a conversation with the owner of one of the largest beer and wine distributors in our region. He said that a loud restaurant or bar was, indeed, good for business. They want people to use their mouths for drinking; not conversation.