I went to town the other day for a concert in the Old Market. It was really nice - people filled the square and the atmosphere was great. The acoustics in the Old Market in Leuven are unbelievably good. What makes it the concert goer's place of choice are the 36 bars and cafés all round the side of it. However, attention was soon brought on one particular café which likes to label itself as a rock venue. They decided to have their own little music in there, despite it being no less than 100 metres from the stage. Those standing near the place kept complaining about the lack of respect, the high level of noise and the blablabla, but to no avail. When the police came along, they said they could do nothing because it was within the decibel limits of the centre of town.
Do what???
In the end the people standing round that area moved to the other side of the square and the concert carried on regardless. At the end I decided to go inside. I was offered to buy a drink. I declined. When they asked me why, and paying customers alone were allowed in, I said that as they had penetrated the concert without being invited, so I had entered their café in the same manner. I went to the bathroom while in there and took a beer mat. They felt rather indignant. It also meant that the following concert the day after was actually a much more audible affair.
But it is a wider thing than just that - the emoes who choose to stand in a night club listening to deafening music and shouting at people they barely know seem to have all missed the point. Firstly listening to music is about enjoying it. Dancing is supposed to be a healthy activity. And finally, attitudes of people in there extend outside, to buses, High Streets and even homes.
These individuals try to look and act "cool".
I'll tell you how cool these people are: apart from being the perfect adverts for bringing back social skills classes in school, these badly developed neo-embryos have very difficult lives ahead of them. Those who go deaf from the over-exposure to many decibels of bass will undoubtedly find it difficult to interact in the future. Those who have to shout over the noise will take their habits out with them, especially as they also will be talking to deaf people. The testosterone and adrenaline built up in there will become an addiction leading to greater levels of thrill requirements. As these people are generally parked by their parents at an early age in front of the television or Playstation in order for their co-creators (parents is too strong a word) to have a quiet life, these devices take over their roles. Their friends become role-models and performers their idols. Imagine Snoop Dogg is your son's ideal dinner companion... Or worse, your daughter's.
If I really wanted the experience of a night club without going, I could always take the following steps:
- Lick out an ashtray - has the effect of French kissing someone in there but doesn't give you any sores on the lips afterwards.
- Picnic beside runway 2 at Heathrow Airport - the noise level should be fairly comparable to a night club, but I don't have to listen to awful "music".
- Give your favourite charity 50 euro - that's how much you'd lose, but in this case it'll go towards something beneficial, not the mafioso who runs the joint.
Besides, what can a night club give me that will improve my life? Please answer, I'd love to know!
