paul torch Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Sorry for my early morning rant, but this is something that has bugged me for years. Is anyone here familiar with the appalling sound at the Kentish Town Forum? Every band that I have seen there for at least the past 10 years has suffered from a terrible sound. Last night I went to see White Denim. Four incredibly tight and competent musicians who I first saw sometime last year (or early this year) at the Electric Ballroom in Camden. The sound at the Camden gig was fantastic, crystal clear allowing me to listen to each individual instrument and then the band as a whole enabling me to then come to the conclusion that they were god-like geniuses and start purchasing their back catalogue to study them further. Had last night been my first introduction to them I would have come away thinking - yeah, ok I suppose. This has been the case at the Forum for years now, with bands sounding like they are playing through several sweaty socks placed inside a biscuit tin. Surely it is the primary function of a venue to achieve the best possible sound. I don't care about the decor and I can live with the fact that they sell overpriced crap alcohol. What are they spending they're profits on? Surely they are doing the bands and punters a disservice. The bands must want to show their material in the best possible light, so why do they keep playing there. Ok, you could suggest that with a relatively newish overseas band like White Denim they are not familiar with the sound limitations but there are plenty of establish bands that I have seen there (Gong, Killing Joke, Sparks, etc) which have suffered the same fate. Why do these bands keep playing there? It particularly winds me up as we have in recent years lost one of the best venues in London (IMO) that being the Astoria on Charing Cross Road and I find myself having to go to Forum more and more to catch bands that I want to see. I know I am my own worst enemy and complain after every gig there, but I still keep going. Serves me right for being a sucker I suppose. I don't think it has always been this way at the Forum. I remember in the late 80's when I first moved to London going to see bands like Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets and the La's at the then named Town and Country and the sound was great. Have they just become lazy and complacent over the years? I keep saying that I should vote with my feet, but I guess I am week. Maybe I should drop a line to the band's fan site or something to let them know how badly the venue has let them down. As you can tell I have not had my Ready Brek, normal service will be resumed shortly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Rather than ranting here or voting with your feet. Your best course of action would be to tell the venue what you think. That way another venue doesn't go down without knowing why people aren't going. Is it the venue? Or do they have an in house engineer who is no good? Or maybe they don't and should have an in house engineer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul torch Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1337764012' post='1664964'] Rather than ranting here or voting with your feet. Your best course of action would be to tell the venue what you think. That way another venue doesn't go down without knowing why people aren't going. Is it the venue? Or do they have an in house engineer who is no good? Or maybe they don't and should have an in house engineer? [/quote] Good point. I'll have try and get some contact details together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Yes! I've only been there once, and that was enough. I had been to see Amp Fiddler at the Jazz Cafe and it was fantastic, so I brought a few mates to see them at their next London gig, which happened to be the Forum. Awful, boomy, muddy. My mates were wondering what I had been raving about. Never again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Fair play, lah, if the sound is killing it for you, then let them know. Always good to feedback Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul torch Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Have just e-mailed the venue with a slightly more toned-down message (had my Ready Brek). Wonder if I'll get a response? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 [quote name='paul torch' timestamp='1337763713' post='1664953']Surely it is the primary function of a venue to achieve the best possible sound.[/quote] The primary function of any venue is almost certainly to make the owner of that venue as much money as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul torch Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 [quote name='Toasted' timestamp='1337767455' post='1665030'] The primary function of any venue is almost certainly to make the owner of that venue as much money as possible. [/quote] I think you've just hit the nail on the head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisyjon Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 FWIW I've been to a couple of gigs there that sounded great. That said I've had similar grumbles about SheBu Empire & Brixton Academy on occasions but also been to some good sounding gigs at those venues too! Guess alot of it is down to the PA rental company and the Sound Engineer employed to do the tour, if there is one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul torch Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 [quote name='jonthebass' timestamp='1337769021' post='1665060'] FWIW I've been to a couple of gigs there that sounded great. That said I've had similar grumbles about SheBu Empire & Brixton Academy on occasions but also been to some good sounding gigs at those venues too! Guess alot of it is down to the PA rental company and the Sound Engineer employed to do the tour, if there is one. [/quote] There has been one gig I went to there in recent years that sounded ok. Not really my bag, but Friendly Fires' sound was good though I think they used their own PA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monckyman Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Firstly, the Forum is a difficult place to mix, it`s domed roof causing no end of difficulties. The crew that work there is made up of a lot of ex Astoria crew, who know what they are about. Secondly,any house engineer would not be responsible for most touring acts sound, they would bring their own man. Thirdly, £ rules Fourthly, it doesn`t stink of piss and gay sex like the Astoria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul torch Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 [quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1337769157' post='1665064'] Firstly, the Forum is a difficult place to mix, it`s domed roof causing no end of difficulties. The crew that work there is made up of a lot of ex Astoria crew, who know what they are about. Secondly,any house engineer would not be responsible for most touring acts sound, they would bring their own man. Thirdly, £ rules Fourthly, it doesn`t stink of piss and gay sex like the Astoria. [/quote] I'm not saying that they don't know what they are on about, just that the sound is awful. It hasn't always been the case so it is possible to get a decent sound there. If they bring their own sound guys then should know even more when something is wrong. Iy probably depends on the nights you attended at the Astoria in regard to the odours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I haven't been to the Forum in years but most venues of that size seem to be getting worse sound-wise - I saw Killing Joke at the Roundhouse a couple of months ago and the sound was horrific for the first half, then seemed to get a little better. I saw Mastodon at the Islington Academy a couple of years ago and one of the guitarists was inaudible for the ENTIRE SET. Brixton Academy I've pretty much given up on. When a band you know well starts playing and you can't make out what song it is... This has happened several times there. I miss the Astoria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul torch Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 [quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1337947268' post='1667823'] I haven't been to the Forum in years but most venues of that size seem to be getting worse sound-wise - I saw Killing Joke at the Roundhouse a couple of months ago and the sound was horrific for the first half, then seemed to get a little better. I saw Mastodon at the Islington Academy a couple of years ago and one of the guitarists was inaudible for the ENTIRE SET. Brixton Academy I've pretty much given up on. When a band you know well starts playing and you can't make out what song it is... This has happened several times there. I miss the Astoria [/quote] I don't think that the Forum is the only offender but IMO the consistently worse. I remember seeing Kraftwerk at Brixton, down at the front and the people behind me were having a nice little chat that actually drowned out the band. A total travesty that the Astoria is no longer with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbird13 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 SHOCK NEWS - Bassist tells guitarist to turn up [quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1337947268' post='1667823'] I saw Mastodon at the Islington Academy a couple of years ago and one of the guitarists was inaudible for the ENTIRE SET. [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbird13 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Actually I was never that fond of The Astoria with its early closing policy. I must have lost a fortune with all the drinks that I had to leave behind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul torch Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 [quote name='thunderbird13' timestamp='1337952602' post='1667962'] Actually I was never that fond of The Astoria with its early closing policy. I must have lost a fortune with all the drinks that I had to leave behind [/quote] I have to agree. I was shocked the first time I went there (808 State) and it put me off for a few years. I don't think it was any worse than other venues in it's last few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMech Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I went to one gig at The Astoria. Was disgustingly hot, made the whole experience more horribly unpleasant then shoddy mixing could possibly make a gig. I shan't miss it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinynorman Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I don't know any of these venues, but I had similar experiences at Wolverhampton Civic Hall. For example, Black Crowes, which just seemed to be 2 guitarists fighting each other to be heard over a muddy mess. They weren't the only ones, just the worst. I suppose the house sound team, who presumably know how to overcome the problems, would want to be paid to give advice to the touring team, which is fair enough, but I don't suppose many would want to pay for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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