There has been a lot of talk about clubs cracking down on volume and usually it's that "asshole" bouncer or manager that takes the fun out of rocking the house.

Well I have kinda changed my view on this. Since clubs have so much competition for their customers, they usually try to have bands or dj's that seem to bring in the most people. We all know that surf does not draw like a DJ or a well known cover band. So when a club gives us a date, we work hard to bring in a crowd. WE are also very insistant that our guest surf bands not blow the audience away with db's.

For one thing, there is nothing heroic about ear damage.

Two, if these guys are great musicians, they will be just as good at a slightly lower volume.

Ultimately we are supposed to be entertaining people. If we bring in new customers that are willing to give surf a try and they feel like they have ice-picks in their ears, they won't be back. So we are ambassadors for surf in a sense.

On the other hand, if my amp is small, and the sound guy asks me to turn down just so he can use a mike, I tell them just to let us deal with the stage volume and give us mikes to address the audience. But that is a different issue.

I guess I am saying, let's try not to spoil it for other surf bands by going off the handle over a volume request.

my two cents.

tom

THe NEpTuNeS

Seeing DD live definitely gives new meaning to the word 'loud'.

I just posted a new topic on the general discussion regarding this... but I will add to this one anyway...

I just heard from Lewis from The NovaRays... apparently they got fired last night from their show at Fish On Fire in Orlando after playing just a couple of songs... because they were too loud...

A similar thing happened to The Intoxicators! when we played in Orlando once... we got paid for our show though... and had already played 2 hour long sets...

Anyway, here's his blog from The NovaRays' MySpace that tells their story from last night...

Are We PUNK ROCK or something?
Current mood: pissed off

Well, The Novarays got booted out of a gig last night. Seems that we where booked early for a dinner crowd (8pm) and the booker was freakin' cuz we were too loud.

Mine you we were playing "Baja" by Lee Hazelwood and had other slow, relaxing tunes ready like "Theme for Young Lovers" and our version of "Turn to Stone" ready to go...in fact, "Baja" was the song that got us booted. Lee Hazelwood Punk Rock!?!? hmmm....

Being seasoned pros, we are used to catering to a clubs needs...turning down is the most common, followed by..."could you play one more short set"...these things don't really bug me anymore, but, last night was different. We got the shaft from the get-go. We are a Surf Rock band....we are not Punk Rock or metal, but, we do rock. I truely don't think this fellow who booked us understood the type of music we play or did he even visit our website to check us out...to top it off, WE'VE PLAYED THIS CLUB BEFORE and had a great reaction from everyone who was there! (the booker showed up after we finished so he totally missed the show)

I play a 25 watt Fender Deluxe Reverb. Pete plays thru a 100 watt Ampeg Bass combo. Most car stereos are louder. I feel the table in front of us was just too close, and in direct line of my guitar speaker...so they politely asked to be seated at another table. Apparently that was all the booker needed to justify giving us the boot after only two songs...WITHOUT PAY.

When hired by a club, you do your best to make the club happy...that's what The NovaRays try to do each and every time we play out. The people who book us know that and expect us to put on a entertaining and professional show.

We deliver.

I've learned a couple of things from this experiance, get a signed contract outlining what you expect from the gig and what the club will get from you...like a cancelation fee...works for both sides. AND, if you get a bad vibe from the place or booker, don't do the gig. Listen to your gut, people, it's usually right.

I think the band may have an action in small claims court. You dont have to hire an attorney.

Wow... they did yank that quick...
The video showed the Novarays being asked to leave the club (Fish on Fire) by the manager for being too loud...
It also shows the manager refusing to pay the band... Lewis trying to work something out so that they could continue... The manager called him a smart ass at one point... but that wasn't on the video...
It also shows the drummer getting pissed off and telling the manager "What the hell... This isn't Carnegie Hall!"
Then there was short bit filmed outside the club where Lewis was explaining his version of what happened...
Lewis told me that the drummer had switched to brushes after the first volume complaint... and that he could hear conversations at the tables more than what was coming out of his amp...

He did say that the people that complained took them out for drinks afterwards because they felt guilty that they got them kicked out of the club...
Pretty crazy eh...

I think that a lot of people think that guitar with a reverb tank is too loud no matter how quiet it is being played. Those ice pick in the ear tones are present at any volume when using the tank.

That just reminded me of the first surf gig that I ever played (I think)...
oddly enough I was in a band with Lewis Bailey of The Novarays...
We were calling ourselves either The DougTones... or Ernest T & The MG's at that point...
It was a Christmas party for a the tv station that Lewis was working at... Held in a barn on a horse farm just over the state line in Georgia...
There were 2 bands that played... a blues band... and us...
I remember starting out with a Ventures style version of Slieghride (like on their Christmas album)...
There was kid that couldn't have been more that 8 that stood about two feet from in front of my drums with his fingers in his ears... He didn't move... he just stood there watching...
Somewhere I have video of it... quite a hoot...
Everyone complained that we were too loud then too...
and Lewis did get laid off the day after the party.... At the time I thought that it was completely unrelated to the volume though...
but... now I'm thinking that maybe it wasn't... Ha!

Cheers!
Fez

I totally agree with surfneptune. In SoCal these days, Noise Ordinances are rigidly enforced in many communities, and many of the venues we play, both indoor and outdoor have db meters that actually measure the decibel level the bands are putting out. We've been asked to turn down several times at such events, and our attitude has always been that the venue management, who booked us, have the final word when it comes to noise levels.

If a band is exceeding the legal noise level, it does nobody any good to cause confrontations between a club manager and local law enforcement -that's a sure method of assuring a band won't be invited back again.

With smaller audiences and fewer venues for surf music in recent years, ALL surf bands need to be appreciative and venue-friendly, or ultimately we'll all lose the forums that allow us to perform our music, in public, for others.

I think it boils down to the perception of what the band is there for. A lot of bar and club owners want background music, while a lot of bands want to give a performance that will grab the attention of the crowd. I don't think surf music should be background music, and if I'm going to see a surf band I'm going to give them my full attention (if they're good). So, in that situation I expect it to be loud (well, not Dick Dale loud, but for that I have ear plugs).
As a band member, I like to play loud, but wish all of us could turn down if needed. Unfortunately, this is not the case in our band, so we have to be loud, or not play. This is why I'm never gonna try to play the Pitcher House, Baja Cantina, Continental Room, Doll HUt, or any other place that has volume police, or potential problems. But I do it for fun, and we don't go "on tour", so I don't mind playing every few months in a place that won't have problems with our volume.

Regarding other bands - if you can turn down, and your drummer can play lighter without loosing his energy, that's the ideal situation. But if you agree to play at lower than conversation level, I think that I, personally, will lose interest. Exotica can be really quiet, surf - not in my opinion.

Ran

The Scimitars

my problem usually isn't the band playing too loud, unless my ears start bleeding. i usually carry earplugs to all shows.

my problem is with the venue playing music so loud between acts that you are screaming at the person(s) you are trying to talk to.

after all, i'm there to see the show, not socialize while the band plays. the time to talk is between acts.

www.surfintheeye.com