Strictly speaking of course, my particular gripe isn't a sign of getting older as it's something which would equally have annoyed me 20 or 30 years ago.
Now, I love music, always have done, always will do. And lots of that music demands to be played loud (although as a long-time flat-dweller that also has to be balanced against respect for your neighbours and avoiding an ASBO).
Then there is the issue of personal music through headphones: when I'm out walking with the iPod on, the volume is only ever at background-music level and I'm always aware of the surrounding street noises. As I sit here typing this post, I am listening to a random set of tunes through a powerful, high-quality pair of headphones but at a lower and more bearable volume which allows me to think at the same time.
So what is all this leading to, I hear you ask? I refer, ladies and gentlemen, to the curse of noise. Specifically, the need for music to be played at as ear-shatteringly loud as possible within the most confined space in any social setting. That was probably one of the main reasons I quit the social scene - my hearing isn't great and I don't have a loud voice, so it's double-difficult to attempt a conversation or hear what someone else is saying as they try to compete with 10 million decibels. Some people seem to manage, but over the years I haven't yet mastered the art of conducting a conversation all night whilst being blissfully unaware of the racket. By the end of the evening your throat is wrecked by shouting and you end up with a voice as deep as Barry White's.
But what if the DJ turns it up even louder, the thumping hum starts to feel as if it's vibrating through your stomach, and unpleasantness turns to distress? Where's the fun in that? Call me a killjoy, but when that happens it stops being fun for me.
It's a shame really, as many a good night in good company is ruined by the volume being turned up to the max :(
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