Shropshire singer Carol Decker has joined in the debate over Shrewsbury’s “too quiet” pop concerts – but said “don’t blame us, blame the council”.
She was speaking after more than 10,000 people saw her perform at last Saturday’s Back to the 80s gig in the Quarry.
But while there was lots of praise for the show, which included Go West, Belinda Carlisle and The Human League, many concert-goers have complained on Shropshirestar.com that the sound levels were too low and it was hard to hear.
Similar complaints were made after Jools Holland’s performance the previous night
Carol, who topped the charts in Britain and had big hits in America with her band T’Pau, said it had been wonderful to return to Shrewsbury and see old friends.
But she said the sound restriction imposed on the concert was “really annoying”.
“We were made aware of it when we arrived,” said the singer, who grew up in Shropshire and co-wrote two hit albums while living above Shrewsbury’s Pengwern Boat club.
“But I cannot see the point of granting a licence and then restricting what you can do with it.”
A spokeswoman for Shropshire Council said this week that the licence had been 10 decibels louder than previous years and was set at 75 decibels for Friday and Saturday.
But according to sound charts, 75 decibels falls between the level of conversational speech and a busy residential road.
Carol Decker said music had to be loud to have any impact on the audience.
“I’m sorry that people were not happy, but it’s nothing to do with us or the promoter, complain to the council.”
The singer said that when she lived and studied in Shrewsbury in the 1980s it was “rocking little town” with plenty of venues for bands like hers.
“There were pubs and clubs and lots of live music as well. There was a healthy band scene. We used to play in Shrewsbury and further afield.
“Twenty to twenty-five years ago Shrewsbury was on the map, it was on the circuit for bands to come to.
“We had really good venues.”
Earlier this year live music venue The B-side, above the Albert pub in the town centre, was forced to shut after noise complaints.
Carol Decker criticised unelected organisations for limiting other people’s enjoyment of events.
“”They do make me mad, these people. They’re just self-appointed busybodies.”
Miss Decker said towns should be “nurturing their musical community, not trying to neuter it”, and should be proud of their musicians.
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10 Comments
Personally I think it should be turned down unless they get better, more talented people to sing.
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Carol Decker’s comments are selfish and poorly informed. Life is already too noisy, and anything that can be done to reduce public sound levels is commendable.
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Yeah! Those people who live on the other side of the river (for example) should put up with any noise as decreed by unelected people, busybodies who don’t live in the town. Step forward Carol Decker. Oops!
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It’s an absolute joke. Do the counsil still want Shrewsbury to have city status??
If the people in kingsland dont like the so called noise a few times a year then its too bad. The quarry is greatly under used, and is a perfect venue for outdoor concerts. People need to get a grip on reality. Turn it up and enjoy. Life is too short.
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Professor Day – How can Carol Deckers comments be selfish and uninformed? I paid £37 to attend the concert. I could not hear her.
Actually on second thoughts, it was only the council listening to the killjoys who want Shrewsbury to continue to be a sleepy backwater having no tourism, no football team, no commerce and be forgotten on the map – so if the star are reporting that carol said it was the councils fault then I accept in an argument she is wrong as the core of the decision comes from those complaining, moaning and whinging about everything and everybody.
Lets have the Gloal Miming Championships held in the quarry – though I guess someone would still find something to moan about then.
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Do people want Shrewsbury to have a tourism industry or not? Why were people complaining about the noise? Apart from the rain, the concert was a brilliant night out. If people were living next to the O2 stadium where there are concerts night after night I could understand, but the quarry has noise omitting from it on only a few days a year. As I was leaving the quarry on Saturday night I walked past several pubs and clubs where there was loud music, drunken revellers and party goers who were all making loud noise and this happens every weekend of the year. Shrewsbury is a great town and we should be proud that it’s drawing in big names to concerts. And why were people booing Carol Decker? Heaven forbid that she might have done something with her life!
Come on Shrewsbury, we should be proud of our town for drawing in 10,000 people to a concert!
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For just a small number of days in the year you have a small number of residents complaining and they spoil it for 10,000 people. Get yourself double glazing. If you’ve got that get some ear plugs.
If the council want to generate revenue and keep Shrewsbury on the map then they are going to have to make a small number of residents unhappy i’m affraid. Council get some backbone and stand up for the Town.
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Im for concerts in the quarry, however last year the concerts were due to finish at 10:30pm and they didnt, I live in Sutton Farm and could clearly hear the concerts if I was trying to settle a baby off to sleep I wouldnt have been happy, I suspect that this restriction was due to the lack of adhering to the finish time – its the organisers fault !
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Far too many Professors in this world and thank God for the doers.I was working in London about the time T,PAU were top dogs and if it wasn,t for her band and the FOOTBALL Team none of my fellow Southerness had a clue where Shrewsbury was on the map
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I am amused at the concept of the sounds of a concert preventing getting a baby to sleep! That sort of background noise would be very soothing and babys are not likely to discriminate about pop v classical ! You can get a baby used to sleeping through most noise if they are used to it.
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