Over The Weekend I went to Halifax for a bit of a Staycation and thought what better way to start off the week than a concert! Over the years I have been to probably hundreds of concerts thanks to previous jobs and an early interest in the many musical scenes where I grew up.
Throughout those years, I’ve seen some very memorable small shows and some more than forgettable big shows (and Vise Versa.) Fridays show was a mix of both, two great bands that, to their credit put on quite the show but unfortunately due to sound limitations fell quite short of my expectations.
Sound is a finicky thing to work with, you don’t want too much, or in Fridays case too little of it, and you want the people in the back corner to be enjoying the same quality of sound as the person in the front row.
Take for example, your car. Most modern vehicles come equipped with a modern sound system where you can tune not only the base, treble and mid levels, but also where the sound is focused. Drive with the car full of family or friends often? you probably want sound directed to the middle of the vehicle so everyone can enjoy the music, Drive alone 9 times out of 10? you probably aim it directly at the drivers seat for your own personal enjoyment!
Concerts are no different. Depending on the acoustics of the venue, you may need more than just the speakers on the stage. Most arenas of any size will have speakers up above for this reason, as sound can only travel so far from the stage before it looses volume and quality. These extra speakers are aimed at the crowd in the stands and down below in the pit, offering as rich an experience for the person sitting in the back as the person giving their favourite artist a high-five.
For me that is what soured the concert experience, although who knows what was going on in the background, as I no longer see behind the scenes like I used to, I’m more than willing to see the bands again another day. Have you ever had a bad Concert Experience? did you give the bands a second chance?
