Who controls the gig volume in bars/pubs?

[BrettFuzz]

This one is mostly for gigging musicians out there but, of course, anyone is welcome to chime in.

Just got back from Savannah where I visited several bars in which the live music was so loud that there is no way anyone could have any sort of conversation in there. In fact, some of them had the music so loud that you could barely have any conversation standing outside the bar. That got me wondering what the appeal of that kind of volume is in places like those. It's not a concert, it's a bar where you drink/eat and there happens to be live music there. You (normally) don't go to places like that to jump up an down to the music all night or get your teeth knocked out in a mosh pit or rock out in any other way.
What is the appeal of eating dinner with friends and not be able to talk to them at all the whole time you are there? Isn't that what concerts are for?
Who has the final say in the overall volume/loudness of such gigs? Is is the performer/band? The bar manager? Owner? Customers?
Not complaining; there are plenty of places that don't do that so I could just go there instead (and I did). Just genuinely curious.

 

[beyer160]

Whoever's in charge of the venue, usually the bar manager. Some managers ride bands pretty hard about volume, some let them do whatever they want. Ultimately, whoever signs the check at the end of the night has final say... other than the cops, anyway.

My advice is always to vote with your dollars (and your feet).

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

At the places I play, the bartender.

 

[ClashCityTele]

Where we play there is always a sound engineer.
At a recent gig I used my decibel phone app. It was a steady 90 dB every time I checked.

 

[Killing Floor]

Not me. If it’s up to me nobody’s having a conversation about work until we’re done.

 

[Powdog]

I think it’s this gal.

 

[blowtorch]

the drummer


it's always the drummer

 

[Telenator]

No one controls it.
This is one of the many reasons live music is in such a sad state these days. Really unfortunate.

 

[drlucky]

the drummer


it's always the drummer

Yep. End of thread.

 

[Kandinskyesque]

Usually it's been the band or just myself if playing solo, up until the bar manager says to turn it down.
I willingly oblige in full knowledge that as the night goes on and the audience gets drunker, the volume will incrementally creep back up again.

 

[Dismalhead]

My only gigging band back in the '90s you couldn't have talked. We were loud as heck. Now that I look back at it we were just immature idiots who couldn't figure out how to turn down.

 

[ClashCityTele]

the drummer


it's always the drummer

True, true very true!!!

 

[Mike Eskimo]

No one controls it.
This is one of the many reasons live music is in such a sad state these days. Really unfortunate.

Well that, and kids 26-36 don’t frequent bars nearly as much as we used to and bar owners (not music halls/music venues) are way more inclined to have a dj/someone with a laptop then they are a loud band that doesn’t know current tunes/tunes from the last 15 years.

Just because something used to exist , doesn’t mean it still needs to exist .

 

[blowtorch]

it oughta, though

 

[Chicago Matt]

Hopefully the musicians are more or less grown-ups living in Realville. They actually understand that they're not playing at Bonnaroo.

 

[notmyusualuserid]

Hopefully the musicians are more or less grown-ups living in Realville. They actually understand that they're not playing at Bonnaroo.

And sometimes less is more

 

[Milspec]

Things have really changed as the house sound systems improved. Prior to that, the stage set the volume and it was always LOUD to the point that you couldn't hear and had ringing in your ears on the drive home. With the current PA systems, the house has control and the venues I have been in keep it level at 90 db...nice being able to walk out without feeling like you are underwater.

 

[schmee]

The drummer. Albeit not on purpose.
Some traditional music bars seem to let it go as loud as they want. To me, it shows inexperience usually. I was in a well known small bar in Austin once and the guy was playing a Super Reverb at excruciating high volume. I just moved down the street...

 

[Mjark]

Were we usually play they installed a decibel meter facing the stage. I think it’s a county thing now and they want 100 max.

I didn’t notice it until the last set but we got up to maybe 110.

There’s no reason for music to be overly loud.

 

[beyer160]

There’s no reason for music to be overly loud.

Well...