[Music] Clapham Common Music Events

clapham_gull · Aug 30, 2021

Anyone attend any of these over the weekend (or before) ?

Very controversial locally although they don't bother me at all. Lambeth just spent £200,000 repairing the grass from previous events. Luckily I don't live in Lambeth.

The reason I ask is that this year they are very loud and apparently have been receiving a number of complaints. I've never been able to hear an event at the Common before, but can hear it load and clear a few miles away tonight.

However those attending have been complaining that the sound inside the venue is terrible :lolol:

I might rent out my garden next year.

What is an event there like ? I've never been.

jackalbion · Aug 30, 2021

clapham_gull said:
Anyone attend any of these over the weekend (or before) ?

Very controversial locally although they don't bother me at all. Lambeth just spent £200,000 repairing the grass from previous events. Luckily I don't live in Lambeth.

The reason I ask is that this year they are very loud and apparently have been receiving a number of complaints. I've never been able to hear an event at the Common before, but can hear it load and clear a few miles away tonight.

However those attending have been complaining that the sound inside the venue is terrible I might rent out my garden next year.

What is an event there like ? I've never been.

I don’t think it’s Clapham Common but I’m going to Brockwell Park on Friday, should be a decent do, for Wide Awake festival. Is this a similar area, I’ve found the sound at inner city park festivals pretty poor, thinking they turn it down slightly for the residents.

Billy the Fish · Aug 30, 2021

I used to go to SW4 when it first started. 1st year was good, the year after all the music was barely above talking volume. Apparently there was loads of complaints after the first one so the council place staff with noise monitors and the organisers get a big fine for going over a certain db.

I vowed never to go again when I could have a conversation without shouting while stood in front of the speaker.

clapham_gull · Aug 30, 2021

No idea what's happened, but there has been much gnashing of teeth round here. Doesn't bother me in terms of the noise (police helicopters, random shouting, planes coming into Heathrow), but blimey that was loud.

TV on but could still hear it outside and I'm almost a couple of miles away.

The events are very controversial since they are held on a "common". They've walled off a vast area, much bigger this year.

I think locals are mostly upset because the whole area has been walled off during most of the pandemic to re-grow the grass and sort out the drainage.

As soon as they sort that out (£200,000), they rent it out again. Doesn't particular annoy me, but if I was paying my council tax to Lambeth I would be.

My understanding is they are a very legal grey area, they manage the common but don't own it.

SAC · Aug 31, 2021

jackalbion said:
I don’t think it’s Clapham Common but I’m going to Brockwell Park on Friday, should be a decent do, for Wide Awake festival. Is this a similar area, I’ve found the sound at inner city park festivals pretty poor, thinking they turn it down slightly for the residents.

Slightly off topic but I saw The Damned (only the end of the set), The Style Council and Madness at Brockwell Park in 1983 and I saw The Style Council and Elvis Costello on Clapham Common a year or two later. I think the acoustics were ok! Both were free, from memory, but I think we had to march from somewhere to get there only to find that the non marchers had nabbed all the best spots!

Herr Tubthumper · Aug 31, 2021

I went to a festival there, that Groove Amanda thing. Was utter shite and full of city types just wanting to get shitted and take bugle all afternoon and couldn’t give a toss who was playing.

MJsGhost · Aug 31, 2021

clapham_gull said:
No idea what's happened, but there has been much gnashing of teeth round here. Doesn't bother me in terms of the noise (police helicopters, random shouting, planes coming into Heathrow), but blimey that was loud.

TV on but could still hear it outside and I'm almost a couple of miles away.

The events are very controversial since they are held on a "common". They've walled off a vast area, much bigger this year.

I think locals are mostly upset because the whole area has been walled off during most of the pandemic to re-grow the grass and sort out the drainage.

As soon as they sort that out (£200,000), they rent it out again. Doesn't particular annoy me, but if I was paying my council tax to Lambeth I would be.

My understanding is they are a very legal grey area, they manage the common but don't own it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43685240-plunder-of-the-commons

A good read on the subject of common land (and other 'common' resources), should you be interested.

Re events on Clapham Common, I went to the first couple of SW4 events and concur with Billy the Fish above.

Herr Tubthumper · Aug 31, 2021

Billy the Fish said:
I vowed never to go again when I could have a conversation without shouting while stood in front of the speaker.

People talking at gigs……..

Springal · Aug 31, 2021

Agreed, the volume restrictions on events there makes it pointless going.

Wind can do funny things with sound, not
Impossible for it to carry quite far and sound loud

jackalbion · Aug 31, 2021

SAC said:
Slightly off topic but I saw The Damned (only the end of the set), The Style Council and Madness at Brockwell Park in 1983 and I saw The Style Council and Elvis Costello on Clapham Common a year or two later. I think the acoustics were ok! Both were free, from memory, but I think we had to march from somewhere to get there only to find that the non marchers had nabbed all the best spots!

It will be interesting to hear the acoustics, went to all points east in Victoria Park to see the strokes a few years back and the sound was terrible. A couple of the bands I've seen before and they have very complicated mixes (Crack Cloud, Black Midi and Lazarus Kane to name a few) so will be interesting to see if they manage to get it sounding good.

1066familyman · Aug 31, 2021

Many years ago I went to Clapham Common for, what I think was, the last ever UK Reggae Sunsplash. My memory is of seeing some big name artists on the day, such as Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Frankie Paul. Was a loooong time ago though, and I went to so many reggae concerts back in the day that I couldn't tell you for sure who appeared that day.

I do remember it being a period when 'roughnecks' were about causing trouble at some gigs. For large events like these there were reports of roughnecks steaming into crowds to rob. I didn't encounter it there myself though, or anywhere else to be fair.

Wrong-Direction · Aug 31, 2021

I just got back from Shambino festival in Northampton, bloody great weekend!

Sent from my SM-A600FN using Tapatalk

Pogue Mahone · Aug 31, 2021

SAC said:
Slightly off topic but I saw The Damned (only the end of the set), The Style Council and Madness at Brockwell Park in 1983 and I saw The Style Council and Elvis Costello on Clapham Common a year or two later. I think the acoustics were ok! Both were free, from memory, but I think we had to march from somewhere to get there only to find that the non marchers had nabbed all the best spots!

I was at that first one - Rock against Racism, I think. I remember The Style Council walked off stage after being pelted with clods of mud. The same thing happened to Madness, but they headed them, or volleyed them. Paul Weller didn't want his Pringle jumper to get dirty.

Dave Fishwick · Aug 31, 2021

Never been to Clapham Common one but have walked about Clapham during one and you can hear it

I've been to Junction 2 (Brentford way) and they have to warn residents about the noise etc.

I live near Brockwell Park and they've had a few events where the noise doesn't get too loud but Wide Awake might be a different kettle of fish this weekend with it being electronic music, I imagine the yummy mummies round here might have a few choice words. Nothing will ever get done though as they are just odd one-offs and too much of a money spinner

Postman Pat · Aug 31, 2021

Went to one of the Madness ones there a few years ago. No issues with the sound whatsoever, a cracking day out.

brightn'ove · Aug 31, 2021

clapham_gull said:
Anyone attend any of these over the weekend (or before) ?

Very controversial locally although they don't bother me at all. Lambeth just spent £200,000 repairing the grass from previous events. Luckily I don't live in Lambeth.

The reason I ask is that this year they are very loud and apparently have been receiving a number of complaints. I've never been able to hear an event at the Common before, but can hear it load and clear a few miles away tonight.

However those attending have been complaining that the sound inside the venue is terrible I might rent out my garden next year.

What is an event there like ? I've never been.

Same complaints about All Points East at Victoria Park. I live about a mile away and can hear it during the evening, but those that are at the festival say the sound is poor and too quiet for a live concert. It's a shame because that means you have the worst of both worlds :lolol:

clapham_gull · Aug 31, 2021

Dave Fishwick said:
Nothing will ever get done though as they are just odd one-offs and too much of a money spinner

I think it's questionable how much money they are making the councils. Lambeth have put some figures out there, but they include vague notions about money into the local economy including hotels.

Really ? They are captive events.

They also didn't include the £200,000 it cost to reseed, fix the drainage on the common

However that was quite interesting at the time, the fenced off area turned into a temporary bird sanctuary.

jackalbion · Aug 31, 2021

Dave Fishwick said:
Never been to Clapham Common one but have walked about Clapham during one and you can hear it

I've been to Junction 2 (Brentford way) and they have to warn residents about the noise etc.

I live near Brockwell Park and they've had a few events where the noise doesn't get too loud but Wide Awake might be a different kettle of fish this weekend with it being electronic music, I imagine the yummy mummies round here might have a few choice words. Nothing will ever get done though as they are just odd one-offs and too much of a money spinner

Wide Awake isn't really electronic music, its the even more family friendly, Post-Punk music, so I can only imagine what the Yummy mummies will think of Idles, The Murder Capital and Shame.

Dave Fishwick · Aug 31, 2021

jackalbion said:
Wide Awake isn't really electronic music, its the even more family friendly, Post-Punk music, so I can only imagine what the Yummy mummies will think of Idles, The Murder Capital and Shame.

Fair enough, my friend is only going just to see Daniel Avery so thought it might all be that genre

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[Music] Clapham Common Music Events

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