Wise Observer

“Turn it down!”

How often have you heard that command in your musical lifetime? It’s a plain fact that old people just don’t like loud music. They should all be taken to soundproofed old people’s homes where they can live out the remainder of their lives complaining about each other, and let us get on with some fun.

OK, exaggerating a little. The real fact is that unless a live music venue is out in the desert somewhere, it is likely to annoy people if the music is too loud and goes on too long. That’s one reason why entertainment venues in most jurisdictions have to be licensed. If a venue causes annoyance and raises complaints, then the licence gets withdrawn. Suddenly the proprietor doesn’t have a business any more.

So the venue owner or manager needs a way to control the volume of sound produced by musical acts, including both bands and DJs. Standing by the mixing console or amplifier rack isn’t seen as a good option, and telling the performers to turn it down only works for about five minutes before they turn it up again.

So the only solution is to apply the ultimate sanction - cut the power. That gets the job done.

The problem with this is that cutting the power causes an immense amount of ill feeling. Would you play in a venue where the manager had cut the power on you?

So an intermediary is needed; an automatic intermediary that will give the band a warning, then cut the power if that warning is ignored. The performers won’t like it, but if they know that the system is installed and how it operates, then at least they know the rules they have to abide by.

One such system is the Castle Electronic Orange. The ‘orange’ is an orange globe that illuminates when the sound is too loud. This is pointed out to the performers before the gig by the venue manager. If it comes on during the performance, then that is a warning. If it stays on for more than a predetermined time interval, usually a few seconds, …

It cuts power to the stage.

This might seem like a drastic action, and it is. But it certainly gets the job done. For the DJ it isn’t too bad as he or she can set the level to the maximum that the Electronic Orange will let them get away with.

For a band it is more tricky. Chances are that the loudest parts of the performance are where the lead singer is singing together with backing vocals. When no-one is singing, the level will be much less.

So the light flickers on and off during the performance. The eyes of the band become fixated on the dreaded light. Every time it comes on, they back off from the microphones until it goes off again. If the sound mixer is on the ball, he will take care of this with the master output fader. But his attention is on the light and not on the band.

The result is an uncomfortable evening for the band, and a lackluster performance. Maybe the Electronic Orange gets the job done. But there is a cost for both band and audience, and for the venue owner because his customers are not as happy as they really should have been.

Probably this is something we will just have to put up with until quiet music comes back into fashion.

David Mellor, Record-Producer.com

SO YOU WANNA MAKE MUSIC TO CHANGE THE WORLD?

What do Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Mozart all
have in common? And what do they have in common with practically
every other artist who’s creativity has changed the world? They
are all unique. But there is something in common.

They each changed the popular music of their times by combining
already popular forms in a new way. Elvis - on that famous and
fateful day in Sun Studios in Memphis he let it all loose and
brought it all together again differently… the blues, country,
gospel and regional elements that were his influences in his
youth all came together into rockabilly, rock and roll,
something that had not been heard before. Elvis on Ed Sullivan
also brought together the new music form and the new medium -
television in a new way which has influenced generations of rock
icons to first pick up their guitar.

Bob Dylan… they pulled the plug on his concert when he dared
to bring out electric instruments, drums and a backbeat to his
folk and protest music. But Dylan had his own vision of his
music and it contained his influences from Woody Guthrie but
also the last decade of rock and roll and other influences..
again.. he combined popular music forms in a new way.

The Beatles… well they set the world on fire with their style
and their hair cuts and all that. The Beatles on Ed Sullivan -
still one of the great moments in rock and television history.
But do you know that in the mid 60’s they didnt release a CD for
almost two years and then came out with Sgt Pepper - the
orchestation, song structure and the bringing together of
elements in a completely new way is what made history.

Mozart? Well, see the great movie, Amadeus, and you will
understand better than I can illustrate here. But it is another
case in point.

Another one that could be mentioned here is Johnny Cash. As
Bruce Springsteen said (not an exact quote)… Johnny Cash broke
down barriers to communication and artistic styles and, not only
did he break those barriers down, but he showed why it is
important to do so. Cash’s music contains many elements brought
together for the first time in different parts of his career.

So the point…? If you want to make music that changes the
world, don’t just be the latest kid on the block, the latest
rapper in the hood, the latest rocker in the backstreet clubs.
Do something that has not been done before by combining elements
that are already popular in a new and creative way.

Perhaps this unique combining of other art forms is so impactful
because it aligns with the derivation of the word “art” itself.
The derivation of the word art basically means… to join
together.

The world needs great artists. Start!