Poor Sound Quantity @ The Point Depot

Timarida · 10-11-2006 11:27AM #1

It's no secret that the sound quality of music gigs held at the Point Depot is not very good.

The last two gigs I have been at the sound quality has been terrible. I will say one thing, a couple of gigs ago I was sitting up on the balcony and the sound quality wasn't too bad there. But it appears that on the ground level, it's very poor.

I am sick of paying to see good band sounds terrible when they play this venue.

What can we do? Is there anything we can do?

BTW I'm new to boards, so forgive me if this subject has already been covered. I did do a search for a duplicate thread. Also the Point was not on the MCD banned list!

garthv · 10-11-2006 11:31AM

I agree, theyve had the same speaker system there for as long as I can remember, with the amount of cash they are raking in, youd think theyd be able to buy a new system.

Its ridiculous that The Point is Dublin's largest venue and anyone I know shudders when they hear theres a gig playing there.

Theres not much we can do about it though as they are tearing the place down in a while to make way for the Point Village, heres hoping that venture will be a bit better.

Setun · 10-11-2006 11:34AM

True, sound is terrible there imo. Went to see Paul Simon the other night, and the horns sounded like they were playing from somewhere down the port tunnel, and it was very diificult, if not impossible at times, to tell who was making what sounds. Also, a definite echo could be heard from the drums occasionally, something which I presume shouldn't happen.

The Point gets a lot of great acts, which is quite annoying. It's like going to see a Caravaggio, but being told you have to look at it through tracing paper.
Vicar St ftw.

kippy · 10-11-2006 11:38AM

I think the point is to undergo a massive redevelopment in the next few years. I spotted a story about it recently but dont know what stage its at(planning permission me thinks)
Lets hope the venue is improved for sound as I know capacity is due to be doubled.
I've seen a few acts there with varying sound quality.
Kippy

Timarida · 10-11-2006 11:50AM

I didn't know the place was being overhauled, good to hear. Lets hope they do a proper job of it.

Typical though, using the current speakers until then, like flogging a dead horse to me.

I do try to avoid the place as much as I can.

Thanks for all your responses!

Motley Crue · 10-11-2006 12:16PM

Timarida wrote:

I didn't know the place was being overhauled, good to hear. Lets hope they do a proper job of it.

The project has already been delayed. I was working security there this time last year and they told us the project would be delayed, they said that there was severe problems and we'd have to wait at least another year. most of the supervisors in my firm were quite suprised, as they told me that the Pogues gig in the Point last Dec 20th was supposed to be one of the last for the time being.

I hear a hotel is also being built adjoining?

Its also a shambles when I go to the UK and step into the Birmingham Academey or Wembley Arena etc and see the amount of care, detail, and good speaker systems they have and wonder why we are CONTINUOUSLY cutting corners in this country and getting the cheapest labour and equitment just to bleed more and more of a profit out of the events

Is it tax, the governments fault?
Is it greed, the promoters fault?
Is it fees, the artists fault?

Who the hell is to blame!:mad:

Toast · 10-11-2006 12:16PM

It really depends on where you are, how many people are there, what sort of music is playing and how much effort the bands sound people put into making it sound good.

Near the back and the front is grand. The middle is terrible. However if its a loud band your pretty much in for bad sound all around. The sound 9000 people make in a big room doesnt help most of the time either so sold out gigs and ones with lots of people shouting or screaming are messy too. The prodigy on the singles tour had dreadful sound there.

Ill just mention though that David Bowie a few years ago had fantastic sound there and the visual setup was amazing as well. They put the effort in because they were recording for the DVD.

kippy · 10-11-2006 12:23PM

Good post Motley Crue, as I said I have no linkage to any article outlining the dates of the upgrade but thanks for the clarification.

In reponse to "who is to blame" well that'd be each and every one of us who continues to go to these gigs and spend the money on tickets when some of us are clearly not happy.

tj-music.com · 10-11-2006 01:05PM

I agree with the OP - sound isn´t great. Saw quite a few bands there and soundwise the worst was Depeche Mode - just this summer.

Motley Crue · 10-11-2006 01:49PM

kippy wrote:

Good post Motley Crue, as I said I have no linkage to any article outlining the dates of the upgrade but thanks for the clarification.

Thanks Kippy. This is one thing I found outlining the Redevelopment. Its a Market Study done by the Government, thanks to the FOI act I can just post this right here; http://www.arts-sport-tourism.gov.ie/pdfs/feasibility/campus6.pdf

Doctor J · 10-11-2006 01:52PM

Motley Crue wrote:

Who the hell is to blame!:mad:

It's the fault of everyone who continues to pay over the odds for substandard venues and security. If a restaurant had **** service, **** food, no heating and was hughely overpriced people wouldn't return and things would change swiftly but for reasons that mystify me Irish people just can't seem to get enough of being treated like crap and paying for the privilege.

When you buy a ticket to a gig you're saying "Yes, what I am about to be subjected to is worth this amount of money, I agree with the promoters level of service and think it is worth it" and they see it as what they can get away with, so will no doubt push the price up a smidge next time because they know the sheep will continue to flock to their sub-standard events.

Let them know your dissatisfaction by not going. It's very simple.

Just write to whatever band you don't go to see (and their management and the promoter here) explaining why you won't be attending their gig and how it pains you not to attend but you simply cannot justify the ludicrous price being asked for a sub-standard venue, sub-standard PA and resulting crap sound and your welfare being in the hands of the sub-standard and often far too aggressive security.

You have the power.

Yes, I accept people will never do this and it will never happen but still, it's nice to vent

ferdi · 10-11-2006 02:01PM

any time i see a band i like is playing there it upsets me greatly

i think the last gig i was at there would have been offspring, sound was ok for that.

Timarida · 10-11-2006 04:02PM

Doctor J wrote:

Just write to whatever band you don't go to see (and their management and the promoter here) explaining why you won't be attending their gig and how it pains you not to attend but you simply cannot justify the ludicrous price being asked for a sub-standard venue, sub-standard PA and resulting crap sound and your welfare being in the hands of the sub-standard and often far too aggressive security

I like that idea. I do avoid the Point as much as I can, but sometimes I cannot help myself

Mushy · 10-11-2006 05:39PM

the Pogues gig in the Point last Dec 20th was supposed to be one of the last for the time being.

Foo Fighters was that day. I remember that bein one of the better sound days at the Point. It varies from band to band I think. The last two Iv been at there have been quite good, but some others aer very dodgy. Its kinda touch-and-go on where your standing(or seated) if ya get good sound. Lets hope it gets taken down soon nough and a proper venue put back in its place. Where will bands play when it is knocked down?

Motley Crue · 10-11-2006 08:16PM

Mushy wrote:

Where will bands play when it is knocked down?

[Insert banned topical venues here], the RDS (both indoors and out), the Tripod, Spirit, Slane, Punchestown etc etc. Venues will spring from nowhere to fill that void if needs be. And although its capcity is somewhat miniscule compared to the Point, theres a certain MCD owned building at the top of the most recognized street in this country thats empty most weekends.

timeofourlife · 25-11-2006 11:40PM

GaRtH_V wrote:

I agree, theyve had the same speaker system there for as long as I can remember, with the amount of cash they are raking in, youd think theyd be able to buy a new system.

Its ridiculous that The Point is Dublin's largest venue and anyone I know shudders when they hear theres a gig playing there.

Theres not much we can do about it though as they are tearing the place down in a while to make way for the Point Village, heres hoping that venture will be a bit better.

They don't have a sound system at the Point - mainly the bands bring their own sound and lights with them, occasionally they may use a local company

OFDM · 26-11-2006 07:35PM

I went to a "banned" gig there recently, the sound for the support band was terrible, but it was fairly good for the main band.

The security were like the Gestapo though...

And what's up with venues/bands banning photographs lately?

markyedison · 27-11-2006 02:20AM

the point is by a long shot the worst venue in dublin.

i haven't been since the chemical brothers two years ago and even then i dreaded the prospect.

every time a band plays there that i want to see, i choose not to go and also send an e mail to the band in question telling them that i would have gone if it was somewhere else.

this has no effect i'm sure and the gigs inevitably sell out anyway.

if you want to test how bad the point is, nevermind the sound, try going for a smoke,a pint and piss. see how long it takes.

**** the point.

feylya · 27-11-2006 02:24AM

OFDM, the sound is usually ****e for support bands anyway. It makes it easier for the main band to "look" better. And yes, the security were ridiculous and the photos thing was just plain stupid.

aphex™ · 27-11-2006 02:41AM

I heard they had sound engineers in the point to sort it all out once. They do measurements and calculations to get the sound right and set up the pa accordingly.

Only problem was afterwards they realised they didn't take into account the water contained in the bodies of the people in the crowd.

Thats what I heard anyway. At the end of the day it is a converted bus shelter. :rolleyes:

feylya · 27-11-2006 02:42AM

Eh, wasn't it a train depot? It wouldn't surprise me if they forgot to include the crowd.

aphex™ · 27-11-2006 11:28AM

feylya wrote:

Eh, wasn't it a train depot?

Just checked, seems you are right, my mistake.

Prezatch · 29-11-2006 11:52AM

OFDM wrote:

I went to a "banned" gig there recently, the sound for the support band was terrible, but it was fairly good for the main band

I think this gig proveed that good sound can be achieved in the venue, I think it really just depends on the act putting in the effort to get it right.

Scoops · 30-11-2006 10:18AM

I saw <SNIP> there a few weeks ago and the sound quality was amazing, I was shocked at how good it was as I have been to some dodgy sounding gigs there before. If <SNIP> can achieve such a good sound there then I don't see why other bands can't do the same.

Ernesto · 01-12-2006 11:50AM

the sound can be fine in the point. just depends on the effort put in. obviously there's going to be 'sweet spots' and places where its unavoidably sh1te. cant believe no-one has mentioned 'the village'. terrible terrible sound. only sounds good if youre in the front bit downstairs in front of the blacony. once youre anywhere else it sounds horrendous.

Fraggle Rocks · 01-12-2006 06:53PM

Motley Crue wrote:

[Insert banned topical venues here], the RDS (both indoors and out), the Tripod, Spirit, Slane, Punchestown etc etc. Venues will spring from nowhere to fill that void if needs be. And although its capcity is somewhat miniscule compared to the Point, theres a certain MCD owned building at the top of the most recognized street in this country thats empty most weekends.

That's a great venue.

The Walsho · 01-12-2006 07:43PM

OFDM wrote:

I went to a "banned" gig there recently, the sound for the support band was terrible, but it was fairly good for the main band.

The security were like the Gestapo though...

And what's up with venues/bands banning photographs lately?

Yeah I know what you're talking about, and it was on request of that band that we weren't allowed take pictures.

Poor Sound Quantity @ The Point Depot

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