Played a gig last night and the cops came..

[Robert Hendrix]

Ok, I'm just going to rant a bit.. Playeda gig last night at a bar that we've played at several times with great response from their clientel. It's a small club, mostly a biker bar, and it's alot of fun to play. The story is that there is a new subdivision that has gone in behind this place. Well, right after we finished our second set, the cops came and shut us down because the people in the subdivision complained abpout the noise. We were very careful to keep the volume down as much as possible because we knew the owner was already having issues with the new uptight preppie bullshit that moved into the nieghborhood. I even went outside, about halfway to the closest house while the rest of the band played on and, aside from a slight bass rumble, it was not bad.. But they still complained..

My question... If you move into a house that was build next to a rock and roll club, what the F**k are you going to expect???

The owner was very cool and payed us anyway and even took care of our bar tabs. He said he was probably just going to stick with acoustic shows from now on but you know, he should not have to change his business model just because some preppie noballs f**kin piece of s**t decides it would be cool to live next to a bar...

We're pretty lucky in this area, there are other places to play, but that's not the point. F**king urban sprawl!!!!!

ok.. Rant mode off........ for now...

[MikeStrat]

This use to happen to my band all the time "back in the day". I always got a kick out of it because I felt like we were really doing something if the cops were called. We got a lot of gigs out of it. As long as your good and not just loud.

[Robert Hendrix]

This use to happen to my band all the time "back in the day". I always got a kick out of it because I felt like we were really doing something if the cops were called. We got a lot of gigs out of it. As long as your good and not just loud.

That's the point, we weren't loud. in fact, aside from playing guitar I also run the sound for the band and it was probably the best mix we've had in awhile at a low volume like that, it sounded really good. I've been shut down a bunch of times in my earlier more metal years, and yeah, in those days volume was probably a big factor. I'm not so pissed off about us getting shut down as I am the matter of a small bar that was there before the homes were, that is getting screwed by urban sprawl.

[Ben...]

I always get lost when I go to the suburbs. Everything looks identical. It's madness.

[RobRR]

Similar to whats going on with the 1/4 mile racetracks. Take Englishtown for example, that track has been there for ever, pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Then someone got the bright idea to build brand new $400k+ houses all over there, and guess what? The owners bitch. They KNEW there was a track nearby, but they bought anyway.

[Carbuff]

Maybe you guys should have played some Coldplay to make the Yuppie shits happy.

[Endrik]

nah.... they are going to win no matter what... my uncle had a gas station for many years and then people suddenly built shit loads of houses across the street... and then complained that why the fuck is a gas station there and disturbing their life... my uncle had to get rid of it. Luckly he got to do a motorcycle shop there.

[Robert Hendrix]

Similar to whats going on with the 1/4 mile racetracks. Take Englishtown for example, that track has been there for ever, pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Then someone got the bright idea to build brand new $400k+ houses all over there, and guess what? The owners bitch. They KNEW there was a track nearby, but they bought anyway.

Exactly, If you build/buy a home near a bar, airport,racetrack, or other similar business/activity, guess what! There's going to be noise!! GTF OVER IT!

Maybe you guys should have played some Coldplay to make the Yuppie shits happy.

Naah, I do have my standards...

nah.... they are going to win no matter what... my uncle had a gas station for many years and then people suddenly built shit loads of houses across the street... and then complained that why the fuck is a gas station there and disturbing their life... my uncle had to get rid of it. Luckly he got to do a motorcycle shop there.

Yes indeed. That happens alot here. Despite the property values dropping like a brick, subdivisions are still being built all over forcing small mom and pop businesses in the areas to either relocate, change thier business practices, or close down entirely. They were there first, why should they have to conform??

I think what happens in alot of cases is that these big contractors go in and petition to get locations otherwise zoned for business to be re-zoned for residential use which gives the small business owners no leg to stand on. Kind of the reverse Wal-Mart strategy..

[joelayres]

My question... If you move into a house that was build next to a rock and roll club, what the F**k are you going to expect???

It really doesn't matter who was there first - most places have some kind of noise ordinances in place, so you are fighting a losing battle. People have the right to the peaceful enjoyment of their home and property - and sadly the bottom line is that the municipality makes more money in taxes from the homes than they do from the bar, so guess who will win every time and twice on Sunday?

[Ben...]

Maybe you guys should have played some Coldplay to make the Yuppie shits happy.

Or James Blunt.

Note to self: Kill James Blunt next time he's in town.

[lerxstcat]

Fight fire with facts. Find out if there is a specific decibel level trigger and if so, have the bar owner get a meter and measure it. He could have acoustic acts or no live music at all and the neighbors will call because they see bikers going in and out of the place.

If he just wants to close down and move on, that's understandable, though he can't sell his business for shit if he's leaving because the neighbors are shutting him down.
If he doesn't just want to lie down and die he has to find the angle to fight back.

Or, get the bikers to load up and go through the neighborhood shooting up the houses. Maybe the property values will drop and everyone will move out!

[Rsmacker]

Or, get the bikers to load up and go through the neighborhood shooting up the houses. Maybe the property values will drop and everyone will move out!

Get them to pool their cash and buy one of the new places as their club-house. Hells Angels, England, bought a really posh place in well-to-do Windsor a few years back and it really pissed everyone off, there was nothing anyone could do to stop them because it was a legal, legit sale.

[SEEGERMANY]

Fight fire with facts. Find out if there is a specific decibel level trigger and if so, have the bar owner get a meter and measure it.

I have a friend who tried exactly what you described. He bought the meter, took sound levels, presented the numbers to the police, and he still got the shaft. It seems that one of the homeowners was an attorney and he showed up at the bar with the police. The first thing out of the attorney's mouth was "is that decibel meter calibrated and if so, by whom and are they licensed to do such work? Are you an expert in taking sound level measurements? Are you an audiologist?" The bar was closed.

[Vass]

Sadly the bar is going to lose every time. This has been happening to a gun club I used to be a member of- People moved into the area & complained about the sound of gunfire. The club's been there for decades.

It's just people trying to pimp their property values- If they bought the lot for $200k with gunfire, they probably could get $300k without. It's at least worth a try for them.

Still shitty & dishonorable. I'd also bet that for every complainer (and they don't have to be yuppies!) there are 30 people in the neighborhood who hear the pumping bass & drums on a Saturday after mowing the lawn and go, "Now THAT sounds like a bunch of folks having a good time!" and just move on.

I grew up a couple miles from a race track. In the summer you could hear them screamin' & roaring. That's the sound of summer & my youth to me now.

For people who just moved into the area, it's a property-value killer.

Vass

[Spivonious]

What's next, people moving into a house next to an airport and complaining about airplanes flying over their houses?