i mean why can't the bars keep their decibels low?
Over the past few months, I have frequented a few bars here and there in Bangalore for social occasions. Thrust in every nook and cranny of the city, big flashy neon lights dancing to a techno tune of their own - the bars look promising from outside. That hey - something interesting is going on inside and you can probably have a good time.
However, once you’re inside - a wall of sound hits you in the face. Speakers embedded in the walls everywhere you look - playing the same playlist from 2014 at decibels so high that you can’t hear yourself.
I mean if you’re paying over the top for some ethanol and a mediocre version of paneer tikka, it’s not too much to ask for to let me hear.
Why can’t the bars allow people to talk? Isn’t that one of the primary things one goes to a bar for? Something called *social interaction*?
If people have braved the infamous Bangalore traffic, paid a bounty and more to the auto rickshaw - to finally sit on a greasy blue bench with a western name, letting people talk is a basic etiquette. The neon lights, the good vibes signage, random posters highlighting rock music stars and overpriced food menu is all fine. But how about allowing some space to let people talk?
I mean if you can’t innovate with the food or the drinks, at least keep the playlist eclectic. And slightly quieter too. But no, you gotta hear the same playlist from 2014. One song from Ariana Grande, Cheap Thrills by Sia, Animals by Maroon 5 - interspersed with some Cardi B and Charlie Puth. That too at a decibel where we want to transmit our sound to Martians so that they can also groove with a Rajesh Gupta at a bar in Koramangala.
Seems like all the bars across the city run a common WhatsApp group where they share the playlists and have some twisted mutual agreement to play the same music at a volume just under the hearing limit. And one wonders why would bars do this - because it sure as hell is a shitty experience.
So as any well intentioned, trying-to-be-know-it-all-guy, I went to the altar of scientific research - Reddit. Checked a few threads to understand the reasons behind head-splitting-volume in the bars. I don’t think there’s a lot of convincing evidence towards the reasons mentioned below but hey - here they are:
Loud music can increase energy levels. When people are exposed to loud music, their heart rate and blood pressure increase, and they may feel more energized and excited. This can lead to increased social interaction and drinking - basically more moolah for the shitty bar and acidity for you.
That’s one way to think about it. Another one is that your heart rate and blood pressure increases because you’re frustrated with the loud noise so much that you can’t wait to get out to brave the traffic noise. That sounds like meditation in comparison to the shit that goes inside.
Loud music can reduce inhibitions. Loud music can also make people feel less inhibited, such as drinking more alcohol and potentially more interesting social interactions.
That’s one way to think about it. Another is that you give up on trying to have a conversation and fend away the time munching on mediocre, overpriced food.
So to the folks running these bars - please know that not everyone reacts to loud music in the same way. Some people may find it stimulating and enjoyable, while others may find it overwhelming and stressful.
And if you have leads on a good bar that offers peace and quiet for you to enjoy a drink with friends without someone shouting in your ear - please send them my way.
For the folks building another sales engagement app, here’s a decacorn idea. A chain of cafes to have good food and alcohol - quietly. I am happy with 1% advisory shares.