Jobs go as Brighton venue bows to noise pressure (From The Argus)
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Jobs go as Brighton venue bows to noise pressure
4:30pm Tuesday 13th July 2010 in
More than a dozen people have lost their jobs after a music venue fell out with council officials over noise.
A total of 14 jobs have gone at the Freebutt in Brighton after its owners said they can no longer host live performances because of a row with Brighton and Hove City Council.
The venue in Phoenix Place has been placed under tougher sound restrictions because of complaints from residents.
Almost all forthcoming acts have had their shows rescheduled for different venues.
The management says that following a meeting with environmental health officers from the council it was established that there was a continuing problem with noise in an adjoining home.
To resolve the problem the council has said the venue must reduce its maximum sound levels by 10% to 94 decibels - a noise equivalent to that of a tractor.
Geoffrey Theobald, the council's cabinet member for environment, said it was up to the owners of the premises to reduce the level of noise.
Comments(49)
ronrostog
says...
4:46pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Interociter
says...
4:57pm Tue 13 Jul 10
mark by the sea
says...
5:10pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Interociter wrote:but cars are as quiet as they can be, the pub built its trade on fact it was away from houses and people. the owners of the building can put sound proofing in, but they probably want it empty so they can build some flats.. i agree about the council though.. they want to be artistic , but live music carries no interest for them.
This council seems determined go turn Brighton into some sleepy retirment village. Lost jobs, lost revenue from people travelling into town to see bands - all because people who bought houses that they knew were next to a pub famous for its live music complained. They knew what they were getting. Maybe I'll complain about the noise from the cars outside my house - shut down London Road!
rosiedoes
says...
5:23pm Tue 13 Jul 10
The owners of the Freebutt tried everything possible to ease the problem, but the council couldn't be bothered to come back to them for months at a time, even with deadlines approaching.
What a disgraceful farce on the part of the council. Truly sickening.
As for the residents whinging - I hope you're happy now that you've left fourteen more under-30s jobless.
Bennn
says...
5:23pm Tue 13 Jul 10
quedula
says...
5:26pm Tue 13 Jul 10
rosiedoes
says...
5:32pm Tue 13 Jul 10
quedula wrote:It's because live drums are inherently louder than that and amplifiers need to balance the sound with other instruments.
I can't see why they need to have the "music" so loud anyway. 94 decibels seem plenty. You can't hear it anyway because everyone is talking, sorry, shouting above it, to make themselves heard.
Automatic limiters are used, so that if they register a sound above a certain volume they cut the music, but at 94d they would be cutting out continuously, making a full concert impossible.
Rocker
says...
5:42pm Tue 13 Jul 10
As to fourteen lost jobs....blame the venue.They have elected not to change or adapt. Anyway,good barstaff always get re-employed.
And venues are always closing down. It is a fact of life. No big deal....some close,new ones re-open...everything keeps changing.Always has,always will.
Of course,someone will profit if and when the site is turned into yuppie flatlets,but they aren't gonna step forward and say they want to cash in when the council can be used as a convenient scapegoat.
movingon
says...
5:58pm Tue 13 Jul 10
The Freebutt is a proper Brighotn institution providing a platform for up and coming bands and musicians to cut their teeth. It is hugely popular and has the most diverse music policy of any Brighton venue. Coupled with the fact that the Engine Rooms and Hanbury have closed in recent weeks means Brighton is going to lose a lot of the creativity so touted by the council.
Freebutt's blog is worth a read for the facts.
http://savethefreebu
tt.blogspot.com/
Christophe Hawtree
says...
7:52pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Will the level of this row be subject to a study by environmental health officers?
Crunchie
says...
8:16pm Tue 13 Jul 10
LarryTaylor
says...
9:41pm Tue 13 Jul 10
TheInsider
says...
11:37pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Brighton's scene seems to be awash with middle class white boys from the Shires with skinny jeans, guitar on back, amp in dad's old clapped out estate car, donkey jacket and beany hat thrashing guitars and banging on a few drums.
Considering this town is absolutely saturated with young musicians and even has a rock college, very little big talent or individual creativity has come out of the city.
Brighton certainly fails to even register as a music town in guides for overseas visitors.
I thought at least with its flambouyant reputation we would have generated something on the scale of the Scissor Sisters or a new Pussycat Dolls....instead we get the insipid Kooks who are representative of Brighton's music scene - posh and boring.
Now back to my ELO...a Birmingham band who played some cracking instruments and very well.
Le Chiffre
says...
11:47pm Tue 13 Jul 10
TheInsider wrote:Insider, ELO were alright, but not great. The Move were great!
What on earth is a diverse music policy? That is a hilarious statement which suggests that there is actually no freedom of music style in the city which is probably true. Brighton's scene seems to be awash with middle class white boys from the Shires with skinny jeans, guitar on back, amp in dad's old clapped out estate car, donkey jacket and beany hat thrashing guitars and banging on a few drums. Considering this town is absolutely saturated with young musicians and even has a rock college, very little big talent or individual creativity has come out of the city. Brighton certainly fails to even register as a music town in guides for overseas visitors. I thought at least with its flambouyant reputation we would have generated something on the scale of the Scissor Sisters or a new Pussycat Dolls....instead we get the insipid Kooks who are representative of Brighton's music scene - posh and boring. Now back to my ELO...a Birmingham band who played some cracking instruments and very well.
I take your point, though.
Brighton, with all it's 'music credentials' has produced nothing worthy of comment over the last 40 years.
The Piranhas - do me a favour.
The Levellers - do me a favour.
Can't think of anyone else.....
I'm sorry to see this venue close, though.
Gazza
says...
11:48pm Tue 13 Jul 10
I decided to quit when doing a wedding in a north Horsham hall near a pub cut the power supply of when someone knocked a table over and the sound from the table cut the power supply of and this db metre was set at around 94 db its not just the sound you create but all sounds created at the venue.
I wonder how loud dust carts are can we ban them until 8 am in the morning and not 6am there must be a law on what time plant machinery can start in a residential area. Surely it must be 8am or later.
Yours faithfully
Mr Bang a ding dong
TheInsider
says...
11:55pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Maybe that's the problem, too posh and safe to have feelings and no tuneful birds.
A good recession usually brings out some talent.
LimpWristed
says...
2:27am Wed 14 Jul 10
prof
says...
8:55am Wed 14 Jul 10
Two key words here folks-Smoking Ban.Venues managed before this came in and since made law noise complaints have risen by 300%.Anyone agree?
HJG
says...
9:05am Wed 14 Jul 10
Le Chiffre
says...
9:06am Wed 14 Jul 10
TheInsider wrote:Years ago, I was lucky enough to see Marvin Gaye at a rehearsal. Very tortured soul. But what a singer!
LeChiffre, another problem seems to be the lack of musical totty...Motown produced some very hot totty and the 70s weren't bad either, but you rarely see any musical totty in Brighton, just posh lads with nothing much to write a tune about. There aren't even many good buskers in the city considering these people keep telling us this is a musical city. A bloke banging a wheelie bin and blowing a whistle is the extent of the musical offerings. It's shameful really. Maybe that's the problem, too posh and safe to have feelings and no tuneful birds. A good recession usually brings out some talent.
The music business as it is right now, is chock full of utter mediocrity.
I watched a lot of the Glastonbury tv coverage this year, and I couldn't believe the ineptness of most of the so called musicians. I can't believe that people actually paid a lot of money to it in a field and listen to that dross.
I would rather have watched paint drying.
Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit
says...
10:02am Wed 14 Jul 10
*puts tongue in cheek* Once again immigrants have destroyed local culture.
Bartram
says...
10:28am Wed 14 Jul 10
If this is the way things are going I dont give live music in pubs much of a future!
Gubbins
says...
10:33am Wed 14 Jul 10
cheezburger
says...
12:20pm Wed 14 Jul 10
David523
says...
12:46pm Wed 14 Jul 10
Alternative...? Management actually takes a risk like rest of us and invest for decent soundproofing cost rather than only relying on bloated profits from previous boom years, and blaming everyone but themselves.
No tears will be shed for them.
notaconspiracy
says...
2:21pm Wed 14 Jul 10
Carmine
says...
3:14pm Wed 14 Jul 10
When Brighton becomes as dull, safe and devoid of bonkers talent as every other identikit clone town, maybe everyone will be satisfied. Several thousand people signed the petition to save the Freebutt but no doubt Brighton & Hove Council consider that the view of one household who won't even let the noise experts in is more important. Well done, give yourselves a medal.
Oh, and carry on bashing your bin, Mr busker.
cheezburger
says...
3:31pm Wed 14 Jul 10
Carmine wrote:The council didnt tell them to close, just to be reasonable. The Freebutt sacked the staff, nobody else.
People seem to have conveniently have forgotten about the successes of British Sea Power, The Maccabees & the sadly underrated yet great Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, all of whom performed at the Freebutt, the Eighties Matchbox gig I went to being one of the best small gigs I've been to in many years of gig going
When Brighton becomes as dull, safe and devoid of bonkers talent as every other identikit clone town, maybe everyone will be satisfied. Several thousand people signed the petition to save the Freebutt but no doubt Brighton & Hove Council consider that the view of one household who won't even let the noise experts in is more important. Well done, give yourselves a medal.
Oh, and carry on bashing your bin, Mr busker.
Andy R
says...
3:51pm Wed 14 Jul 10
movingon
says...
4:05pm Wed 14 Jul 10
As Carmine mentioned above there are other Brighton bands made good, some with the support of the Freebutt, it doesn't matter if you don't consider British Sea Power a good band, some folks do. It's all about personal preference right?
Regardless of whether Brighton has a wealth of home grown talent, the Freebutt does not limit itself to putting on local acts, it puts on great acts from around the world and people love it. I don't think anyone would argue Marvin Gaye had a little talent but I don't see what that has to do with this situation.
Again, the Freebutt hasn't closed, it's been forced into a corner and not given a reasonable amount of time to respond to the order.
cheezburger
says...
5:13pm Wed 14 Jul 10
movingon wrote:Not CANT put on gigs, just wont. You can still host gigs with the sound reduced. Your choice. Your sackings. Playing the victim card is a bit lame when no one forced you to close or stop gigs.
The Freebutt had no choice to let the staff go, they were not just bar staff, a lot of them were sound engineers etc involved specifically with the live music. If they can't put on gigs then there isn't much sound to engineer eh?
As Carmine mentioned above there are other Brighton bands made good, some with the support of the Freebutt, it doesn't matter if you don't consider British Sea Power a good band, some folks do. It's all about personal preference right?
Regardless of whether Brighton has a wealth of home grown talent, the Freebutt does not limit itself to putting on local acts, it puts on great acts from around the world and people love it. I don't think anyone would argue Marvin Gaye had a little talent but I don't see what that has to do with this situation.
Again, the Freebutt hasn't closed, it's been forced into a corner and not given a reasonable amount of time to respond to the order.
movingon
says...
5:31pm Wed 14 Jul 10
I would assume the percentage of bands who play without a drumkit is very low compared to those that do.
I don't think anyone at the Freebutt is playing the victim card, but they are being level headed about how the decible limit will hinder 90% of the bands they have booked.
southcoasting
says...
6:30pm Wed 14 Jul 10
TheInsider
says...
8:02pm Wed 14 Jul 10
Perhaps its time we looked up the accounts on Company House to see what was really going on.
As a businessman, I would suggest removing two staff (contractors) and using saved salaries to improve soundproofing. Once the money is re-couped, increase staffing levels if necessary or set up the venue as a co-operative or charity.
There are plenty of options available if the venue is viable, but The Argus should make a trip to the Company House website.
Georgy Edgson
says...
8:50pm Wed 14 Jul 10
Georgy Edgson
says...
8:52pm Wed 14 Jul 10
TheInsider
says...
9:24pm Wed 14 Jul 10
In Brighton? Are you sure? Most places in Brighton are filth holes where the staff think a cocktail is an exotic bird and urinal cake a tea time savoury.
lilleveller
says...
8:08am Thu 15 Jul 10
So all it takes is one resident to complain eh?
WakeUpYouFreaks!
says...
2:26pm Thu 15 Jul 10
TheInsider wrote:As a businessman, I would suggest that some people spend far to much time here spouting their rather naive opinions on things that they rather obviously know very little about.
Twelve staff for a venue this size is huge. Were they full-time? I would have thought contractors would have been a bter option. Perhaps its time we looked up the accounts on Company House to see what was really going on. As a businessman, I would suggest removing two staff (contractors) and using saved salaries to improve soundproofing. Once the money is re-couped, increase staffing levels if necessary or set up the venue as a co-operative or charity. There are plenty of options available if the venue is viable, but The Argus should make a trip to the Company House website.
Not a story goes by without them setting out to argue with every sensible comment and dishing out ridiculous advice based on total speculation.
Personally, i can't see how anyone who spends so long in a forum (that has no relevance to their personal life or career) can get much work done.
Another Seagulls fan wishing away the minutes in his bedroom office whilst pining for the football season to start?
Very likely...
TheInsider
says...
3:49pm Thu 15 Jul 10
It's madness to turn down free advice which has worked for other venues across the UK. Clearly the venue isn't interested in real help. The website, which seems to fail regularly, has a save the Freebutt campaign but it has no real goals or objectives which will help to resolve the situation and therefore it is unlikely to have no positive outcome.
The venue can only resolve its situation if it complies with the noise requirements and a petition or website campaign wont acheive this. It could launch an appeal for cash to make the improvements, or take free business advice.
Otherwise it could choose to ignore both and just close.
Perhaps you didn't like the suggestion that The Argus check out the company on Companies House to see if the company is viable. Any potential backer will do this anyway.
The only way an outcome will be positive, is to meet the requested noise requirements.
PS, I much prefer cycling and rugby to football which is not a great business opntion.
WakeUpYouFreaks!
says...
12:31pm Fri 16 Jul 10
TheInsider wrote:Hilarious. You really don't get it at all do you?! I suggest that it is perhaps you who should stop pretending that you are Alan Sugar, spouting ridiculously outdated 'Carry-On' style comments about 'tuneful birds' and get with the times.
The reason some of us can spend time on forums, is that we have been so successful in business our mortgages are paid off and we work as consultants when we like. We also use smart phones so can keep updating on the move. Get with the times WakeUpYour Freaks. It's madness to turn down free advice which has worked for other venues across the UK. Clearly the venue isn't interested in real help. The website, which seems to fail regularly, has a save the Freebutt campaign but it has no real goals or objectives which will help to resolve the situation and therefore it is unlikely to have no positive outcome. The venue can only resolve its situation if it complies with the noise requirements and a petition or website campaign wont acheive this. It could launch an appeal for cash to make the improvements, or take free business advice. Otherwise it could choose to ignore both and just close. Perhaps you didn't like the suggestion that The Argus check out the company on Companies House to see if the company is viable. Any potential backer will do this anyway. The only way an outcome will be positive, is to meet the requested noise requirements. PS, I much prefer cycling and rugby to football which is not a great business opntion.
The music scene in Brighton spans every genre and style, and it certainly isn't restricted by sex, age, race or culture.
People travel from all over the world to attend well organised and critically acclaimed music events such as 'The Great Escape Festival', and the local scene is celebrated across the city every year at a series of free 'Brighton Live' events. There are an estimated 2,000 musical projects happening in the city at any given time, and the amount of amateur musicians who live or study here probably exceeds 20,000.
There have been many successful rock/ dance/ punk/ folk/ jazz and pop acts that have emerged from the melting pot of talent in Brighton, and the fact that you can only name The Kooks (who attended BIMM together and didn't even play a gig in ther city before getting signed at a Freebutt industry showcase) shows that you don't know that much about modern music outside of the Radio1/2 daytime playlists.
To fail to notice that Brighton is at the forefront of the UKs musical cities, one would either have to a) walk around with their eyes and ears shut, or b) spend all their time at home posting comments on a forum.
The Freebutt is a venue that the city cannot afford to lose. Even ELO had to start out playing their 'cracking instruments' somewhere... and i'll wager that the pub-rock scene in 1970s Birmingham played a big part in their ascent to popularity.
Why not try being supportive and constructive rather than going straight for the slating and 'dig up some dirt' option? Would you honestly be happier if Brighton turned into Croydon-by-sea?
troubles
says...
5:16pm Fri 16 Jul 10
Grizzly Bear are just one of the bands that have previously played at the Freebut which are now attracting thousands of fans to festivals. Anyone suggesting the Brighton has a poor music scene is completely out of touch. The Freebutt's closure is really sad.
TheInsider
says...
7:12pm Fri 16 Jul 10
Julie Burchill said: "Brighton is a place to come and rest and retire. If you want to be successful and plug your career, you have to live in London."
Look at artists and musicians who have done this...even Oasis left their home town to get into London.
We are too close to London to be taken seriously.
I know you are angry and upset, but if the place was viable and successful it could afford to comply to the requirements.
Why doesn't it buy up the lease on the Ocean rooms or the Gloucester which are up for grabs and ready to go for music?
seade
says...
7:59am Sat 17 Jul 10
Brighton's buskers may not all be world stoppers but they also add to what makes this city so special.
Music Lover
says...
10:42am Sun 18 Jul 10
They are not remotely interested in anything other than dealing with ONE complainant of noise from the venue and the fact that this complainant wouldnt let an acoustics company to carry out a report from his/her property speaks volumes.
The council have a lot to worry about at the moment. If all of the remaining venues were to publish their dealings with them there would be an outcry - and show what was really to blame for the closure of the Freebutt.
Love to be able to say more - but the council have just enough rope to hang themseves with at the moment!
ghonda
says...
10:21am Mon 19 Jul 10
timestoms
says...
9:13pm Mon 19 Jul 10
TheInsider wrote:I can't quite make out if this is meant to be a joke or not? If it's not then out of touch may be an understatement.
Anyone involved in serious culture (whether that be art, film, music or media)moves to London. Brighton is not taken seriously in anything but homosexuality.
Julie Burchill said: "Brighton is a place to come and rest and retire. If you want to be successful and plug your career, you have to live in London."
Look at artists and musicians who have done this...even Oasis left their home town to get into London.
We are too close to London to be taken seriously.
I know you are angry and upset, but if the place was viable and successful it could afford to comply to the requirements.
Why doesn't it buy up the lease on the Ocean rooms or the Gloucester which are up for grabs and ready to go for music?
Tally Ho!
says...
1:21am Tue 20 Jul 10
southcoasting wrote:This is the mecca of the South..A toursim hotspot.....So!...Cl
This is appalling news. The Council should be ashamed. The Freebutt was a good venue that attracted a terrific range of middle-ranging bands to our city. I went many times and they always took great care not to disturb their neighbours and were a very well-run venue, particularly more recently since they had their revamp. I hope the Council can reconsider its stance, as there is no justification for slashing a piece of vibrant Brighton culture and putting people out of jobs on such a flimsy basis.
ose down lap dancing clubs, ban BBQ's on the lawns...Close venues like Freebutts, Speed Camera's everywhere, car parking at extortionate rates. A green MP... Bull and Tits come to mind... and a Council and joke Police Force that are quite frankly atrocious. And the Argus haha!... Skidrow by sea... truly
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rayellerton says...
4:37pm Tue 13 Jul 10