Motorhead's Frontman Refuses To Turn It Down

Band Photo: Motorhead (?)

MOTÖRHEAD mainman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister has told Times Online that he would resist any attempt to force him to turn down the music as part of Scotland's new control of noise at work regulations, introduced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following a Brussels (European Union) directive.

"The essence of rock 'n' roll is loud music," he said. "How the hell can we be expected to enjoy ourselves if we’ve got to turn it down?"

The rules cap weekly average noise exposure at 85 decibels, meaning periods of loud play need to be cancelled out by quiet periods. The idea is not to protect audiences at concerts but performers and other staff.

The new directive also affects rock and classical musicians. Classical orchestras are considering whether they may have to hold quiet rehearsals for music by composers such as Wagner or Verdi to offset the loudness of their concerts.

The loudest rock bands have included THE WHO, who in 1976 reached 126 decibels. They were beaten last year, however, by the Watford punk band GALLOWS, who hit 132.5 decibels.

Source: Blabbermouth