NWB - Community Blog

If the paymaster thinks you're too loud, turn down, or at least make it look like you're turning down. Surprising how people suddenly think you have turned down just by seeing you twiddle those imginary knobs or faders.

However, as you rightly say, you can only turn down to the volume of the drummer, any lower and you wont hear yourself and neither will anybody else.

Lee :)

I usually take a walk to the other side of the room during sound check.To make sure everythings in line and at a decent level to match the drums.If they've still got a problem,then i use the invisible button.Most places like it loud and bouncing,which allows us to do our job to the fullest,but the ones who dont like the loudness or, have sound limiters, really shouldn't bother putting bands on.Or maybe should just have one of those f--kin restauraunt singers on,doin all the love songs and shit!

Often just that the bass is over-cooked - not everyone likes it thumping their lugholes - back it off a touch and the whole thing will seem quieter (not as much vibration around the room), though it will probably not be much lower on the decibels.

just nudge the desk's DFA fader down a bit... job done

We were asked once....... We don't mic everything as we see it unnecessary but some people don't understand that you have to compete with a drummer.

Everyone who books a band thinks they know allot about music unfortunately, one guy who booked us the other week said to us "You want to have your amp volume on about 3 in here" 3? Seeing as one of us uses a 50w marshall and one uses a 100w marshall 3 would be drastically different on each amp lol.

Sorry I digressed there....... But yeah, if you book a rock band or even a band with a drum kit for that matter there is a minimum volume that it HAS to be. If they don't like it then book a singer who has a backing track that he can turn down I say ;)

I agree that as musicians you know what equipment you have and what levels/volume you play at to sound what you feel to be at your best, but as a venue I feel bands should respect the fact we know the set up of the venue and whether to nudge the sound up or down. But most of all we as a venue know what is acceptable regarding the location, some venues cater just for the music like ourselves where as others have rooms off where the bands are performing/tap rooms or other reasons so possibly want the volume slightly lower.

My personal feelings though are if I ask a band to turn the volume down they do it, although not for along time we did have complaints regarding noise from one ignorant neighbour this was sorted short term by him texting if it got to loud which to an extent we were both happy with. Now we have good quality sound proofing so there's no problems with regards the neighbour but if there were more I'd expect the courtesy from the bands to except the problem of the complaint as we and our regulars have had to.

Iain

You can't turn down a drum kit at the end of the day and that's that haha

We are not that the loudest band around, infact we have played at some venues without a complaint over the volume level where other bands have struggled with keeping the volume down, and as Lee says the venue is the boss.

However we finally drew the line at one venue where the land lady went outside and put her ear against one of the windows and said I can hear you through the glass window (we were that quiet we could hear people talking at the bar while we were playing) , the drummer could`nt hit the drums any quieter, there`s not much you can do under those circumstances is there.

If a drummer cant play quieter,give him/her some brushes or better still get rid.....I wouldnt need me f******* earplugs then.....Tel

We played at The Thomas Egerton in Bolton just after they had a sound limiter installed after ONE person complained abut the noise. It had an amber light that came on if you were too loud and if it stayed on for 20 seconds then it cut the power off. It was a farce. It was set to a ridiculously sensitive level. We turned everything right down , any lower and it's off. I ended up playing quietly with brushes and it was still too loud. It's a bit bad when you are trying to play The Clash and you can hear people's conversations at the bar. We spent the majority of the gig staring at the amber light, stopping for a second when it had been on for a while just so it would go off. Now they've had to stop having bands on as the guy was still complaining. Another venue gone !!
As Smitten Kitten said, a band with an acoustic drum kit will have to play at a minimum volume and that's just the way it is.

@Wagontown, you joke but i did that once. Won't mention the venue as it was a few years ago and the management will no doubt have changed, but we were asked to play quieter. I'm quite a loud drummer and playing at a lower volume does have an effect of my playing.
We tried turning things down, but they kept asking to go lower. I got that tits off with them that i played with my brushes for a few songs. Completely unprofessional of me, but i really saw my arse. Then unexpectidley midway through a song i swapped to my thickest sticks and leathered the hell out of the kit!

Usually when asked to turn down our singer would often response with, "THERES ONLY ONE KNOB ON A DRUM KIT!!!" and he's right.

Boycott gigs with sound limiters...what's the point of playing them, if they book a live band then they should have thought it through first. Punters going out to see a live band should be there for 'just that' if it's too loud fuck off to the legion..

Respect the paymaster and do as he says or pack up and go home. That way there are no issues!

I generally do as the paymaster says, collect my fee.... and then decide whether to return or not.

If I am unsure about the overall volume then I usually ask the audience "can you hear us at the back?" followed by "are we too loud?"

Sound limiters that cut the power are ridiculous as it can damage your gear with sudden power cuts like that..... Probably unlikely but it's possible.

most people have no idea that's the problem.......

I heard a cracker from someone.... can't remember who but they said "Every loud sound should be as loud as the next" I said..... so you want the bass guitar to be as loud as the lead vocal? Ok.....

The damage to a valve amp caused by one of those limiters can be very expensive not to mention PA speaker drivers if the power comes back on suddenly. A long extention lead to a non limited socket normally does the trick. Or a set of great highland bagpipes. If venues have noise issues then best to be careful about which bands to book. Again venues that book bands on a first come first bOoked basis will end up at some point with bands innapropriate for that venue. I'm not a drummer but I'm sure there are ways of deadening the kit or the drummer adjusting his technique let's hear from the drummers.

"# Posted by The Cottonhouse Shakers - 21/05/2012, 01:46 (GMT)
Respect the paymaster and do as he says or pack up and go home. That way there are no issues!

I generally do as the paymaster says, collect my fee.... and then decide whether to return or not.

If I am unsure about the overall volume then I usually ask the audience "can you hear us at the back?" followed by "are we too loud?"

^^^^^^^^^The correct attitude^^^^^^^^^^^^

Someone mentioned the people at the back.Why do you think they're stood at the back?

Also ,if you know theres a limiter at a venue,then your responsible for any damage to your amps.Just do as the bossman says,play at the lowest possible volume and let the audience do the Whinging.If anyone ever told us to turn down, we'd just unplug everything,and play acoustic.The bloke with the dosh is king........Tel

Yeah.... there's always the option of. Do as you are told, with the option of not going back.