Residents of Romsey were left disappointed after a Lionel Richie concert at Broadlands Estate on Tuesday, June 27th, with one woman raising concerns
Key Highlights :
Hilary Piper, 66, who attended the concert with her daughter, said that due to the way the sound system had been set up for the show, she was unable to hear what the performer was saying or singing during the event. Ms Piper, who lives in Fishlake Meadows, said: “It was disappointing to be honest – nothing to do with Lionel, he was very good – but the sound system was just atrocious, it was so bad. “We were up near the front to the left-hand side of the stage, and we were there when the support act was on, and we couldn’t hear one word he was saying.”
Ms Piper said that when she raised the issue with security guards at the festival, she was told that the sound engineers had already left the venue and nothing could be done about it. She continued: “This was not long into Lionel’s set, and they said ‘Oh, the sound engineers have gone home’, so I said, ‘What would happen if there were a black-out or something, surely the sound engineers would be remaining for the whole concert?’ So, we then moved from where we were, we moved further back, right down to near the back, and when you moved more into the middle, it was clearer, definitely. ”
Hilary said that the sound system seemed to be facing forwards and that there was no improvement in sound quality even when they moved further back. She said: “I still wouldn’t have said it was the best sound system in the world and it seemed to me that all of the speakers were facing forwards and I would have thought why that was so bad at the side, the sound was going past you almost.”
Ms Piper said that she felt sorry for her daughter who had bought her the ticket as a gift, and that she was disappointed with the experience. The Broadlands Estate and concert organisers have been contacted for comment.
Residents of Romsey have a right to expect a high-quality sound system when attending a concert, and it is understandable that Hilary Piper and her daughter were disappointed with their experience. It is concerning that the sound engineers had already left the venue when the issue was raised, and this highlights the importance of ensuring that sound technicians are available throughout the duration of the event to ensure that the sound quality is always up to standard.
