Simon Rushworth
Following a short summer break our resident classic rock columnist is back!
And Self Made Man is firing on all cylinders as he tackles the issue of one man’s rock coming across as another man’s unwelcome noise (yes, those people do exist).
Read his views right here exclusively every week.
Rock N’ Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution screamed Brian Johnson on AC/DC’s legendary Back In Black album.
Well, the great man isn’t quite right, is he?
Let’s face it, we all love listening to our own music but when it’s someone else’s impinging on your own lugs, it’s not funny at all.
There’s nothing I enjoy more than driving down the motorway with rock music blasting out of my car speakers.
And at the opposite end of the scale, there’s nothing I hate more than hearing music from other cars, especially if its rap or drum and bass.
Now that is what you call noise pollution!
It’s selfish, inconsiderate and rude.
And it’s the same if you’re having a BBQ in your back garden and conversation is drowned out by some prat nearby deciding to give the neighbours loud, demonstrative evidence that he or she has just as bad taste in music as they do in clothes and curtains.
Before I go any further, I’ll like to stress that I haven’t returned from my summer break as some sort of Mr Angry.
Far from it in fact. To tell you the truth, during a family holiday in Italy, all of us broke our own rules by playing music very loudly outdoors and singing very badly under a setting Adriatic sun, the red wine no doubt adding to the raucous atmosphere.
And do you know something? We didn’t receive one complaint because there was no living thing within a mile of us.
We were living in a beautiful villa in the region of Le Marche, eight miles inland and with respect to the lizards scampering around our feet, there was no-one to disturb us and no-one for us to disturb.
It got me thinking. How often in life are we able to play music as loud as we want without risk of upsetting someone else?
And how many times do we listen to our favourite tracks with the volume cranked up to 11?
Outside of a concert environment or a night club, very few I’d imagine.
In the car maybe? Or on headphones but other than that, basic human courtesy provides restrictive parameters that we set ourselves.
Rock N’ Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution in rural Italy, on headphones or in a car with windows firmly shut.
On most occasions, however, it is.
Ian Murtagh