Take Back The Shite…
Daragh | May 31, 2006Here’s a thought for pub owners across not only Dublin but the world based on my brief stint in one today. Lads, have a thought about the music you pump into your hostelries for the teeming masses.
The reason I say this is that today I was in a pub I’ve been in during the day before. I needed some quiet space to write for a while and this spot had proved to be just the ticket before. Today? Girls Aloud and the feckin’ Lighthouse Family-a-go-go. The level below? Sky News on full blast with a riveting piece on cohabiting couples in the UK.
The only reason I got ever so slightly agitated was that the last time I was there during the day there was no music, no tv and instead the quite restful sounds of the traffic and the canal and it made for a great spot to have a pint and think (one of the traditional pastimes indulged in when visiting Irish pubs in the olden times!)
It just seems to me that owners all too often these days confuse “ambience” and “atmosphere” with any old music (quite often a sticky copy of “Now 28″ under the bar) or the prattle prattle prattle of news or sports tv… Maybe we could have non-music areas in pubs just like the old non-smoking sections of restaurants?
Can we start a campaign?
R
Oh thank GOD someone else feels like this! I went for drinks a while back with work people at 5pm and I swear it was as loud as a disco…really really ear splittingly loud. We asked the bar staff to turn it down and were told it was policy ‘in the evening’ to have music.
Other times I’ve been in bars of a Sunday at 2pm and it’s been the same. Decibel levels to rival a nightclub’s, nightmare!
When will publican’s learn? Day time quiet, night time, if you must, a bit louder.
I second your call for a campaign and I’ll be the first signatory on the petition. All together now: Down with this sort of thing!!
My first signatory, yay! Worse still though? Went to my favourite Italian restaurant tonight (crap…. may as well out them – Pasta Fresca off Grafton Street) and they’ve installed a widescreen TV showing MTV….
Seriously…
R
Rick, try the Hard Rock Cafe in Temple Bar (actually, don’t try it if you can avoid it)…televisions EVERYWHERE pumping out high decibel rock. Don’t get me wrong, the songs are great, but not when you’re trying to eat your BLOODY DINNER!!!!!!
Last time I was there, my friend and I sat in the furthest table from the TVs and the speakers and still actually had to shout at the waitress to allow her to hear our orders. We also had to shout at each other to be heard, even though we were sitting like two feet apart. It was the most frustrating meal I’ve ever suffered through and there was nothing we could do about it, cos that was the volume that management set for the evening and that was that.
Sign me up – I am like a lunatic about this issue and I often ask sotto voce that the noise be turned down. After three “wha?”s from the serving staff the message usually lands…grrrr. Do you think you could start the campaign live on your show?
Agree with just about all of the sentiments above, bar the whiney genius complaining about the hard rock music in the HARD ROCK Cafe.
The clue’s in the name dear, the clue’s in the name…
If the music is that loud, it is most likely causing noise induced hearing loss. If your ears are ringing when you leave a place, your hearing has been damaged even though the loss may not be detectable for 10, 15 years. The incidence of noise induced hearing loss is going up because of this and how loud people play their CD, MP3 players. If you complain on the grounds of health and safety, you may get further. I’d be surprised if there isn’t a mandatory maximum sound level because this country is fairly “safety first” at the work place and these are work places for people.
[...] As an almost companion thought to the Take Back The Shite post I did recently here’s another, happier side of the story… [...]
Hear Hear,
So in the vein of “don’t just stand there, do something” I’ve set up quietpubs.com
Hopefully it might attract some attention and those more industrious pub owners might reconsider the non stop TVs and/or shite music on at volume 11.
Send loads of suggestions!
My local wetherspoons used to be a haven of peace and quiet. Now they’ve installed a dancefloor and play r&b at ear splittingly loud volume. Something should be done. Good to know that I’m not the only one who dislikes this trend.
Great info I love most of the articles that have been written, and especially the comments posted! I am going to definately be visiting again!