Current Times and Loud Music

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 10 Feb 2022 10:20 am

Anyone notice how loud the country and western music is getting in local clubs and bars???
I am a full time musician playing mainly around the Spokane, Washington area, but sometimes further away.
Been playing full time since I was 8 years old starting in 1968. In those days my dad was a weekend musician and he would take me with him to play. Then in 1973 he got me my first gigs with other bands and off I went-been doing it full time since.
But in the last 10 years or so, the volume levels of bands around Spokane, even with regular traditional country music has increased to a hearing issue. I now wear ear plugs continuously in every band I play in. The levels are extreme, even at rehearsals. I just can't believe it! I still have to play as it is my only source of income, but wondering if anyone else notices the levels?

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 10 Feb 2022 11:53 am

When I started playing, a little over 50 years ago, had you said you were going to mike the drums through the PA on a casual country gig, you would have gotten a blank stare.

Everything has gotten unconscionably loud. Really unnecessary.

Andy Jones · Post by **Andy Jones** » 11 Feb 2022 10:58 am

I don't go to clubs anymore,but when I did,the music was always too loud.Didn't matter what kind of music it was.Now I go to Christian conferences with our senior group at church and the music is deafening.The bass is so loud it just ruins everything.I guess the sound people think that because everyone there is old,no one can hear.We went to the National Southern Gospel Quartet Convention at Pigeon Forge,TN last year.I was wearing ear plugs and it was still too loud.

It's not just clubs,it's everywhere.

Don R Brown · Post by **Don R Brown** » 11 Feb 2022 1:15 pm

And truth be told, there are a few steelers who are too heavy on the gas. At one jam I go to, I have learned NOT to sit in front of one person as it is literally painful sometimes. Excellent player, wonderful person, but just about blows over whoever is in front of the speakers.

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 12 Feb 2022 10:32 am

Thanks all for the comments. Played last night at the large Eagles FOE in Spokane. Still the same deal, extremely loud. Actually people were complaining too. But the band would not turn down. Funny when guy came up to me and more or less whispered in a quiet voice..."could you please turn the volume down, it is very, very loud, we can't even dance as the music is over powering." I told him to tell the guitar player next to me. He did, but in his quite whisper. I told the guy he better speak up. The guitar player said,...what?...

Also I do notice the current broadcast of the Olympics. Background music is really out there, so much so that I can't hear the announcers. This also happened last week at one of the NFL playoffs. Fox had the production and the half time analysis guys could not be heard over the loud band that was performing just in back of them during half time.
I think this is a trend with more to come.

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 13 Feb 2022 4:48 am

Everyone seems to play too loud. They are not considering the audience, who are the reason they're there. It should be possible to converse and enjoy the music at the same time. It should certainly not be uncomfortable.

Maybe the perpetrators are living some dream of playing to thousands in the open air, but in even in a large pub it's painful.

Sadly, modern PA systems mean the vocals don't get drowned so easily so there's no imperative to keep the back line civilised.

I know that guitar and bass amps can feel more satisfying if they're driven slightly, so use a smaller amp, not 200W of obliteration!

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 13 Feb 2022 9:14 am

Yeah, everything is loud. Even watching a movie at home, the dialogue is at a whisper compared to the music. And movie theaters...just forget it. Ear plug city.

Somebody mentioned that football halftime show where the big-name commentators’ voices were drowned out by the music in the background. I saw it and it was hilarious, but ridiculous too.

I just try to be the guy that band mates have to ask to turn up. If they don’t, I figure maybe I’m the loud one.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 14 Feb 2022 7:19 am

Funny thing but my son plays a duo act, just him on guitar & drums and a keyboard player. They are constantly told to turn down. I totally agree with the above statements, it's all, too loud. TV is horrible with background music, clubs are unbelievable. If the band was loud the jukeboxes were louder. Hard to enjoy any social venues with music.

Brooks Montgomery · Post by **Brooks Montgomery** » 14 Feb 2022 7:36 am

Funny, I don’t remember this ever not being a problem for as long as there has been electric guitars and amps and people in crowded in bars and concerts.

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 14 Feb 2022 7:55 am

I agree with everything here, however the people in some of the bars I play love the loud music. Several times we've been told to turn down, which I've mentioned in the post above, but there is a growing tendency of the public to except the loud music. And you really can't blame them. Go to a modern concert at your local arena. Whether it be a Blake Sheldon country concert or Foo Fighters the mix is blaring loud. Everyone from young kids to musicians come away from those concerts thinking that is the correct level to use. Not sure if my opinions are old or not, but for me, this loud music in bands that I play with has caused me hearing problems, including the constant ringing in ears-tinnitus.

ajm · Post by **ajm** » 14 Feb 2022 8:55 am

A local bar has a band playing on a Friday night.
There are lots of people there.
Drinks are flowing.
A guy and a girl somehow meet and start a conversation, but they need to yell because the band is so loud.

Their relationship starts off with them YELLING AT EACH OTHER.

Does anybody besides me see where this is going?

Samuel Phillippe · Post by **Samuel Phillippe** » 14 Feb 2022 9:15 am

Duane.....HUH? WHATCHA SAY

Brooks Montgomery · Post by **Brooks Montgomery** » 14 Feb 2022 1:11 pm

ajm wrote:A local bar has a band playing on a Friday night.
There are lots of people there.
Drinks are flowing.
A guy and a girl somehow meet and start a conversation, but they need to yell because the band is so loud.

Their relationship starts off with them YELLING AT EACH OTHER.

Does anybody besides me see where this is going?

Yes, I do. They end up yelling at each other at Irwindale Drag Races on a later date.
They probably should go to a nice quiet place sometime. But they might be too loud.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 14 Feb 2022 10:18 pm

It's mentioned above, but I have noticed that even the older folks tolerate the music much louder than they used to. At one venue that I play the band gets louder as the night goes on and nobody complains. We would have been shut down ten years ago with it at that level. I'm talking about a traditional country band and audience.

Allan Revich · Post by **Allan Revich** » 15 Feb 2022 9:09 am

Maybe there are too few good “sound guys” these days. At a lot of gigs & jams, it seems like everyone around me gets so loud that I can’t hear myself play, so I need to turn up just to hear myself play. If this happens to everyone on stage, then it’s pretty obvious what the outcome is going to be. A good sound engineer will keep total control of the front-of-house, AND give every musician the stage volume they need to be able to play.

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 16 Feb 2022 7:36 am

Allen I have the same problem with not being able to hear my own amp on stage. Everyone is so loud, and the drums are all mic'd as well. I've been around long enough and really at the age of 62 being the most experienced musician on stage. But instead of turning up, I immediately complain...
"you all are way too loud, I can't even hear my self!" Stuff like that. They then try to solve my problem, which of course they won't, as it means turning the whole band levels down. But even though I don't get results, I put on my ear plugs barrel through it and get the money in the end.
Still better than working a day job!

As far as the current sound guys, there are none except hard rock music lovers, and have been used to the high levels, they even want it loud.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 16 Feb 2022 9:30 am

The band volume is dictated by the lead guitar and the drums. If either of them doesn't know about dynamics, you're screwed. $:\$ There's a time to play loud, and a time to play normally, and the "normally" part should be about 90% of what you play. Show me a band that has a comfortable listening level, and I'll show you a group that has a professional lead player and drummer.

For years (decades, really), I tried to keep up. Anymore, if it gets too loud for me, I just take my picks off and go sit at the bar.