I noticed something important about playing shows in a pub and I wanted to share it with you. This insight doesn’t derive from my own experience playing out. This brilliance hit my hard while I was working as a bartender in a pub and a local act was making the room electric.
The music must be loud for people to feel comfortable singing along. I typically try to keep my volume at a sweet spot where it is still possible to have conversations despite all of my racket. I fully understand that my role in that moment is to be background music while people enjoy their dinner and have a drink. I don’t want to be intrusive.
But there is a fine line. People will enjoy the evening more and remember the experience, if they are singing along to familiar songs. They will feel more comfortable enjoying the music, if it is loud enough to hide their insecurities. I tested this observation and I found the results encouraging. It only required a small bump in volume to drown out some inhibitions… or they were drunker than the average audience.