Turning off the stereo
Maybe it was just because I was feeling fragile after my GBBF mission. Whatever the reason, when I made a snap decision to switch off the stereo, the pub became a much nicer place. In the lull between lunch service and evening trade, we're usually - but not always - very quiet. At 4pm yesterday, there were only three customers in the whole place. They didn't remark upon the silent speakers, nor did they get up and leave.
Our little Victorian pub, with its open and welcoming frontage, floral displays, tiny rooms and original wooden and flagstone floors, suddenly had the feel of somewhere far away from central London. When the place began to get busy a little later, no-one commented on the lack of tunes. We ended up having an unusually busy evening for mid-week. Groups that settled in for a drink or two stayed until late. More food was served than usual. The pub was far from silent - the chatter of voices, punctuated with laughter, is its own music.
15 comments:
Lovely post there.
I suppose I am not the only person to have left a pub unwillingly because I cannot chat to my friends over the music. Chased all around my area once to have a nice quiet pint; once I found one, I was there for the rest of the evening...
I don't drink in pubs with piped music unless I have no choice. Maybe turn it off for good Stonch ;)
Nine times out of ten, no music makes a pub a better place to drink. My favourite pub in the world, Odd One Out in Colchester, makes a point of having no music, mobile phones, or nuisance noises of that sort. Whenever you go in there (even alone) you are guaranteed a good conversation wth someone. When conversation flows, so does the drink. Good for you Stonch.
There was a recent study (French, I believe) that suggested the louder the music, the more customers drink. Presumably, they feel excited to drink more quickly and share in revelry.
I wonder if the reverse is true as it relates to food and music. Someone give me a $3 million grant and I'll find the answer.
Them Wetherspoons people know a thing or two about running pubs, don't they Stonch ;)
I prefer quiet pubs. But I'm an old fart. Three of my favourite Amsterdam pubs have no music.
Music I dislike just pisses me off. And I'm quite fussy. Rather none than crap.
I like quiet pubs too. Music makes it difficult to follow conversations. If I want loud music, I'll go to a concert... which I also like to do!!
Eric, that's the theory new pubs in Dublin tend to work on: the cost of set-up and overheads means they need people to drink as much as possible in a very short space of time, so conversation-destroying music and high-density standing areas instead of seats are the preferred business model.
Beer Nut, the pub culture seems to be a lost concept here in the States for the most part, so many restaurant-bar-clubs go all out. They'll serve food early, keep the drinks flowing, then crank up the music later in the evening to get people dancing.
One spot in particular here in Richmond serves some decent stuff (Brooklyn Brown, Pilsner Urquell, one or two local micros) but you have to scream at the people in your party to understand one another. The best strategy is to let the bass pump through your skull and pantomime your thoughts to the person next to you.
Stonch - Wonderful. Music - usually on to suit the barstaff not the customers, just pisses a lot of people off. Keep it up.
If you're playing music in a pub it has to be as carefully chosen as the beer in your casks. The wrong tunes at the wrong time at the wrong volume are as depressing as having the choice of just John Smiths or Fosters.
The only thing worse is the flickering television screen, which is watched by no-one but is a distraction to all.
I was one of those customers. And I agree, no one missed the tunes.
Postscript: the no-music policy has worked wonders at lunchtimes, but I was happy to turn it on again when Friday night came around.
Oh... I'm was planning to expose a few visiting muscovite friends to the social wonder that is the British Pub Crawl on the 22nd. We were going to be including your place...
I suppose we can always stand outside?
I don't particularly like piped music and i'm not an old fart.
I don't understand why people need back ground noise, I went to a very nice (empty) pub the other day to pass an hour or so before going on somewhere else and the landlord who was sat at the bar reading his paper quitely, dissapeared out the back and turned on the music when I sat down with my drink.
I would have been quite happy to read the paper in silence as i'm sure he was earlier, it was played quietly though and I liked the particular music being played so it wasn't the end of the world.
Pubs have a different atmosphere on Friday and Saturday evenings they are a mini end of week celebration, everyone is in a more upbeat mood and imo music is approriate. It helps get the party going so to speak although is by no means essential.
(Just my two penneth anyway).
Post a Comment