East Dulwich pubs ? intolerable music volume

[Fitzgeraldo]

Am I alone in occasionally wishing to indulge in conversation in a public house? Does anyone else ever arrange to meet someone in a local pub for a chat?

Last week I arranged to meet someone for an early evening drink in the ?Flying Pig? for an early evening drink. Within its mausoleum-like interior there were two other people. Suddenly, having been served our drinks and, within about 3 minutes of our arrival the volume of the music was increased by a factor of approximately ten. This act rendered conversation almost impossible. When I requested a slight diminution in the volume and pointed out that there were not too many listeners sitting in rapt appreciation, the volume, somewhat reluctantly, was reduced by a very small margin.

I have also tried to meet up with acquaintances in ?The Bishop?. A similar experience ensued. The volume of the ?music? again was approaching the intolerable and made conversation almost impossible.

I would very much appreciate some guidance as to somewhere that normal humans might go in the East Dulwich vicinity to drink reasonable beer and manage to hold a conversation with one?s friends without risking long-term damage to one?s auditory facilities.

[d.b]

I have bad news I'm afraid. I think you're just getting old.

[Peckhamrye]

Not East Dulwich but The White Horse and The Montpelier have music but it is usually kept down until later at night.

[sidebirds]

d.b Wrote:

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> I have bad news I'm afraid. I think you're just

> getting old.

I'm 19 and I agree with the original poster rather than the boring "d.b.". I don't know the Flying Pig but I found the same thing in The Bishop and won't be back. Try the Lord Palmerston, the next pub along from The Bishop (going away from Goose Green). Great food at the back as well.

[uncleglen]

Wetherspoon's

[dc]

sidebirds Wrote:

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> > d.b Wrote:

> > ---------------------------------------------------

> > I have bad news I'm afraid. I think you're just

> > getting old.

>

> I'm 19 and I agree with the original poster rather

> than the boring "d.b.". I don't know the Flying

> Pig but I found the same thing in The Bishop and

> won't be back. Try the Lord Palmerston, the next

> pub along from The Bishop (going away from Goose

> Green). Great food at the back as well.

Haha! And the front. Plus they play music at a ?reasonable? level. But then I really am an old fart.

Edited: to make it a bit tidier

[Mick Mac]

Have had the same experience at the Flying Pig. I think the music volume is purely for the benefit of the barstaff and not the customers.

[KidKruger]

Just tell them to turn it down, it's not the barstaff's own domain to do what they want. If they refuse, ask for manager, if that doesn't work ask the other 'couple' of customers if they'll support you and if the music is actually too loud those customers will agree too.

Failing that, go to Franklins.

[JohnL]

You notice this when rugby is on and they play music over the anthems - I ask why and am told its an obligation.

i.e. to me they imply it's part of the licensing agreement.

[BrandNewGuy]

The EDT's music is never too loud.

[Mick Mac]

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

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> The EDT's music is never too loud.

"Say again".... (cups hands round ears)

[pearl1]

Same at the Cherry Tree. Place can be almost empty but still you have to shout a conversation across the table.

..

[dirac]

Yea I don't go in the FP anymore due to their insistence that the music needs to be as loud as an angsty teen in their bedroom after being grounded or something.

It is also a tactic to reduce conversation and get you to neck drinks quicker; if you can't have a conversation you chug it down faster thereby spending more money at the bar. Maybe not all places are that cynical, but this is what I was told by a pal who worked in the Wetherspoons in Guildford when I asked why at precisely 8pm every night they cranked the music up to the point where you can't talk, even though hardly anyone was in there.

[JohnL]

They watched 40 men drinking :)

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/jul/19/medicalresearch.fooddrinks

"They found that with the music up high, the men drank on average 3.4 beers and took 11.5 minutes to knock each back. At the more mellow volume level, the men ordered 2.6 drinks on average and supped for a more leisurely 14.5 minutes. The results are reported in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research."

That's preposterous - must have been halves.

[rendelharris]

It was in a French bar so most likely they were drinking demis - 250ml which is 0.44 of a pint.

[Mick Mac]

You have to be at least tipsy to be willing to shout at each other across the table.

Franklins is the winner in all of this. Or places with nice outside spaces.

The population of ED is not particularly young - the bars should recognise that. I don't mind loud music post 9/10pm on Thursday to Saturday evenings.

[ianr]

JohnL Wrote:

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> They watched 40 men drinking :)

>

> https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/jul/19/me

> dicalresearch.fooddrinks

>

>

... from the author of "Bust size and hitchhiking: A field study" https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5472789_Bust_size_and_hitchhiking_A_field_study

[JimmyMc1311]

Loads of pubs now go for the wooden floors and few soft furnishings look so music, clanking cutlery, crying children (and adults!) can seem much louder than before. Apart from a couple of chesterfield sofas in The Cherry Tree masking the sound, I find that to be the loudest pub around. The Bishop comes at a close second, but I like the noisy atmosphere in both those pubs. Nothing worse than drinking in a morgue. But totally appreciate the OP's comments.

[Sue]

Franklins or Palmerston, I reckon, if we are talking SE22.

Both nice places to have a drink, too, even if you aren't eating.

[KidKruger]

Popped in to the Great Exhibition last night with missus and, unlike when the place first opened, the music was too loud to have a conversation - even when our heads were 6" apart. The place was moderately busy, but every single table except perhaps at the back was shouting which seemed bizarre. The policy at GE used to (seemed to) be that music was unobtrusive. DJ was playing a wide range of half-decent music - as if he had a full-on party, while punters all huddled across their tables, shouting "what ?". Even at the bar, sign language was required to support ordering what we needed. Only popped-in for one and some quick food, else would have asked WTF was going on !

[heartblock]

Living with a musician, I spend a lot of time listening to music both live and recorded. Music in pubs is often played through terrible sound systems and turned up so loud it becomes distorted. The music choice is often some cheap mix as well.

Personally I prefer a pub with no music so I can chat to my friends, but if there is music, if it starts to annoy me (too loud, awful distortion), then I'll ask them to turn it down, if they don't then I will go drink/eat somewhere else.

[DulwichFox]

EDT is OK for music.. Good selection of Music. Some Pop.. Rock.. Reggae... Blues .. Jazz.. Classical..

all played at reasonable level that does not stop one having a chat without having to shout.

Good selection of Ales too. and reasonably priced for East Dulwich.

The Bishop is NOISY .. Not Pleasant these days.

The Great Exhibition is just nasty, noisy.. Beer not kept well. Expensive

The Flying Pig.. has no 'Pub' atmosphere.. a Few ales.. Expensive.

Franklins is just too small. and Expensive. Staff very indifferent.

Foxy.

[Sue]

The staff in Franklins are lovely, in my experience, and the drinks are not expensive compared to other places round here.

The bar menu is also very reasonably priced. They have a fantastic Welsh Rarebit for about seven pounds.

The music is never too loud.

KK, we have gone into the Great Exhibition a few times lately and come straight out again because of the noise level.

At least in warm weather you can sit outside (and get smoke blown in your face, but that's for another thread ....)

[mancity68]

Not ED but the pub i like most for a good old natter with mates over a pint is The Hope, Peckham. They play excellent music but at a sensible level!

[monica]

The Palmerston is a nice quite pub, I would pop in during the week for a drink with friends, not the weekend though, way too busy for my sensitive ears