The 2015 instalment of the Listen Out dance festival kicked off over the weekend, bringing a jam-packed lineup featuring Childish Gambino, SBTRKT, and Alison Wonderland to Melbourne’s Catani Gardens and Ozone Reserve in Perth.
While Perth had an unfortunate run-in with some fence-jumpers, things pretty much went off without a hitch. In Melbourne, however, it was a different story, with punters flooding Listen Out’s social media channels with complaints.
Specifically, Melbourne revellers are expressing anger and disappointment with the sound quality during Saturday’s Melbourne leg. Dozens of irate punters have taken to the official Listen Out Facebook page, with some demanding refunds.
“The sound quality was putrid,” 26-year-old Aaron Kiegaldie told The New Daily. “It didn’t matter how good the line-up was because you could almost hear a pin drop, it was that quiet.” Kiegaldie said he would not be seeking a refund.
“I can’t be bothered trying to get a refund because it’s normally a lot of hassle. And because it’s Grand Final week, my mood is too good. Go Hawks.” But not everyone feels like Kiegaldie, with most of the criticism centring on the festival’s ‘Atari Stage’.
“My Macbook plays music louder than this festival, did you use a potato for the speakers?” one comment read. “Idk if you’re worried about a dynamic range or something but you are festival organisers, get more speakers. Make it louder,” wrote another reveller.
The volume of criticism aimed at what one commenter described as “officially the worlds [sic] quietest music festival” has prompted a response from Listen Out organisers, who insist their sound systems were up to scratch.
“There weren’t power issues and the sound systems we use could launch a space shuttle,” organisers wrote in response to one commenter. According to organisers, the blame lies with sound restrictions placed on them by local council.
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“All outdoor events are required to comply with EPA sound rules about how loud it can be at nearby residences, and this is affected by complaints, wind direction, traffic and other noise, atmospheric conditions, topography of the surrounding area and so on.”
“At Listen Out yesterday we kept the sound at the maximum it could be within all those constraints, which ended up between 98 & 110 dB at the mixing desks and louder in the dance floor areas close to the stages. We’re confident that the sound at Listen Out Melbourne 2016 will be a lot louder.”
If the hands of event organisers were indeed tied by government noise restrictions it wouldn’t be the first time that an Australian music festival has landed in hot water because of such matters. It’s not known if Listen Out 2016 will take place in a new venue.
