On the Loose: Pipe Down

Who has ever heard of a bar without music? It would be an arbitrary, killjoy move, by people sitting in high office, that makes no sense because no thought was given to what the customer actually wanted, or how a business was supposed to sustain itself. The argument could be made that with recorded music at least there is quality control and the most crucial option remains: the volume button. While, a live band, if they’re not good or simply average, can empty out a restaurant in mere minutes. Because if there’s one thing worse than loud recorded music, it’s lousy, loud, live, music. Besides, not everyone wants to spend an evening listening to a crooner or a band, being forced to clap every time there is a lull. That’s a different kind of evening, for serious patrons of music who are looking to discover and encourage new talent. Most restobar goers just want unobtrusive music to play in the background, to add some buzz to the ambience.

By banning recorded music the excise department hadn’t considered the reasons why, at bars and restaurants, the music gets progressively louder into the night. People lose interest in talking since they can’t be heard anyway, and concentrate on drinking. Alcohol loosens inhibitions—and wallets. Music is good for business, better for tips. The DJs hired at the nightclubs in Ibiza earn hundreds of thousands of dollars because of their unique ability to engage the crowd, ensuring no one leaves before dawn. The correlation between good music and increased alcohol consumption is an established one, and a crucial component of the restaurant business. From the perspective of a bar owner, people sitting around nursing their drinks, immersed in an animated conversation, isn’t good for profits.

Having said that, there are enough people cheered at the prospect of being able to go out without having to endure headache inducing, throbbing music. Urban life is noisy enough as it is. Most bars, especially those frequented by 20-somethings, feel frustratingly loud. It’s impossible to have a meaningful conversation. Since commercial and residential zoning has been so lax in Delhi, bars, cafes and restaurants have popped up with impunity in any and every area. Life becomes hell if your immediate neighbour turns his house into a jazz venue as has happened to some residents of Safdarjung Enclave. Overnight, your parking space is gone, there’s honking outside at 2 am, and your property value has fallen because absolutely nobody wants to live there. The solution, however, isn’t live music. It’s setting volume limits for playing any kind of music. And, introducing new rules for restaurants to invest in acoustics technology so their noise doesn’t aggravate anybody. Let’s drink to that.