What? I Can't Hear You!!!

[Trace Ekies]

We went to a club we frequent last night to see old friends and maybe meet some new.

A large part of the "meeting new friends" and "connecting with old friends" has to do with conversation. A conversation regarding something important to you and them or just idle chatter, but either way you have to be able to hear them.

As I sit here writing this and trying to not sound whiney my ears are ringing. The volume of the band's equipment, the barker with the microphone who was advertising drink specials and talking about the new Thursday Ladies Night and even the music when the previous two weren't on was way too loud.

Earsplitting to be exact...several made comments to me and I wondered how I was going to "chat up" the lovely woman that I'd had my eye on for a while. I made a good attempt but her and I just had to agree to make contact this week and her and her husband and Mrs. Ekies and I could meet for dinner.

No real question here, just an observation and complaint...

Thanks to those who took the time to read my bitching.

Trace

[JustMrJ]

This happens quite often when we go to any club, swing or dance. It seems that they turn the music up to compensate for the crowded room, BUT, they always seem to over do it.

I've actually gone to management on more than one occasion and expressed my pain. Usually, they say 'What?!'... then I shout louder that the music is just too damn loud and I can't even hear someone screaming in my ear most times.

I've gotten to the point that I usually pack ear plugs before we leave. I have had to use them on more than on occasion.

My hearing is bad enough in a crowded room from loud music and noises from an earlier time in my life and I don't need it damaged further.

I've been temped to get a pocket decibel meter and take it with me to these clubs just to see what the levels are. I suspect they are quite high and probably in the damaging range.

This page gives an excellent chart to go by if you happen to get a decibel reading yourself... Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart

I'm with you Trace Ekies... It's very annoying at the least and damaging at the worst.

[SW_PA_Couple]

What? I can't hear you.

[The Fuse]

Ha ha ha... this is so true.

I sometimes think club managers turn up the volume so high because somehow many customers think that if the music is loud, then they must be having a good time. It's loud, so it must be a great party. This goes for both vanilla and swing clubs.

I personally like when the volume is loud enough to foster the party atmosphere but not too loud to hear or be heard. I must be in a small minority though, because it's almost always too loud for me when we go out.

[spvcouple]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting into words what has been OUR major complaint for years!!
We do not go out to bars or clubs all that often. When we do, we are with friends (or those we might like to get friendly with...wink, wink) and we want to be able to have a good time. That means enjoying the atmosphere AND enjoying each other. It is all but impossible to converse in most places. You wind up nodding your head to whatever they have said...hoping that they didn't say that they enjoy the affections of barnyard animals.
To the bars owners; Turn it down. We like your place, or else we wouldn't be there. We NEVER pick where to go based upon a false perception gathered from how loud the speakers can go.
Thanks again Trace Ekies for bringing this up.

K and D

[VegasLee]

As a host, I totally agree here.

I warned, threatened, begged and fired DJ's and bands before.

Seems I can not get through their heads that they are there for atmosphere, not entertainment.

The louder they get, the louder the crowd gets, then they get louder and pretty soon most are yelling and no one can hear. IT SUCKS!

I have found it is not just our place though, we run into it when we travel and visit other parties/clubs all the time.

Starting telling the hosts about the noise level, over and over and over again and maybe something will be done about it if enough people bitch about it.

[exploringRM]

Several of the clubs we go to are loud, but they do have areas that are not in direct line with the music so there are opportunities to talk. And actually I'm on the fence about the music. There's a local M&G we go to, and it really is too loud to talk, but when you have 200+ people groovin to the music and interacting with each other it is a sexy scene!

[fun4Ds]

I like the music loud, when I'm at a concert.

Not quite that loud at a club.

You can tell them to turn it down if ya want too, either way, it doesn't matter to me.

As far as socializing, we could find a way

[JustAskJulie]

One of our local swinger groups meets at a vanilla club (they take it over). The last time we went to that particular place they had a live band. We had a great time up until the band started. Then it was just what you said, you couldn't talk to anyone or hear anyone. Everyone was complaining. The host made several attempts to get the band to "turn it down" to no avail. I don't know, but I think they might have given up on the band after that and gone back to the jukebox.

We've had a few other times at other clubs where for some reason or the other the music got turned up louder than normal and we couldn't hear the person sitting next to us, but most of the time it's at a decent decibel that is good to dance to but you can still hear. At our favorite on-premise it tends to be a bit louder, but there are at least other places you can go to talk and get away from the music.

[Voyeur_CPL]

There are many clubs and even resorts where the establishment/bands/entertainment seem to confuse loud with having a good time. We have been going to a lifestyle resort for the last couple of years and even though the majority of the people there asked for the music to be turned down, it never happened. Most of the people then leave, so establishments, remember it you want to keep the customers happy and get them to spend money, you need to take control of the entertainment, and make them turn it down.

[JustMrJ]

Julie,

Easy way to control the volume if your swing club takes over a place for vanilla fun.

"If it is not turned down, I'm taking my 40+ friends and going elsewhere."

[bbarnsworth]

We've run into this at our first outing to a swing club. The couple we ended up soft swapping suggested we go to a quieter section of the club. We happily agreed

If you have to yell at the person you're touching to be heard, it's too damn loud!

[vanillaknot]

At our local swinger club, on the stroke of 9:30pm, they always play Pink's "Let Get This Party Started." Up to that point, the music is a bit more subdued, in the interest of helping folks get through dinner more amiably. After the Playing Of The Pink, it's quite a bit louder for the rest of the night.

Fortunately, the layout is such that a bunch of tables are close to the dance floor and the music, but then there is the bar area, and another dining & high-table area behind that. By the time you get 50+ feet away from the dance floor, the music is somewhat dimmed, though not what I'd call muted. We generally migrate back to that quieter area for the remainder of the evening, whenever we're not actually in the rooms or hottub.

[CXXC]

Originally Posted by JustMrJ

Julie,

Easy way to control the volume if your swing club takes over a place for vanilla fun.

"If it is not turned down, I'm taking my 40+ friends and going elsewhere."

Mr. J
That has worked for me in the past. We had a group of 30+ people hit a small club for a going away party. They had a small band playing that thought volume would made up for lack of talent. The head of the party told the manager that the band needed to take it down a few notches. The band didnt do anything aobut the level.
After the head told the manager he had 5 minutes to drop the volume or the 30+ people were leaving (That was about 80% of his business on a wedneday evening) He spoke to the band again but nothing changed. When a few of us stood, gathered our coats to head to the door, the owner turned off the pwoer to the bands equipment.
EVERYONE CHEERED!!!!!
I have never seen a band pack up and leave a bar so quickly before.

[willyoats]

A place we used to go had a sign on the front of the DJ's table: "If it's too loud, you 're too old!" We learned to go outside of the dance floor if we wanted a quiet chat.