Dear Editor,
In reply to last week’s comments on nightlife in Albufeira, or should we say the lack of nightlife, I would love someone from the Câmara to help me to understand the ridiculous rules regarding live music.
I myself play in the old town and surrounding areas and have also suffered at the hands of the municipal police I’d played for about one hour one night when told I had to move all my equipment approximately two metres. Now what overall difference to the sound in the bar, or indeed outside the bar, I just can’t understand.
It’s also hard to understand that at the interval the music coming from the bar is at least three times louder, if not more, which also applies after I’ve finished.
In the old town, also way after midnight, you can walk down what is referred to as the music street and at certain places you can feel the ground vibrating with the discos.
This, for some unknown reason, is acceptable. I really would invite someone from the Câmara to explain their reasoning for this.
There’s no doubt in my mind someone up there is anti music, which is a shame.
I have several friends who have lived here for much longer than I have and everyone seems adamant that the Câmara is killing the old town, which in the present financial climate seems nothing more than suicide.
I’m also aware that some, if not all, of the bars now have to install some sort of equipment for measuring the sound levels at a cost to the bar owner of around €2,000 at a time when some bars are struggling to stay open.
So is Portugal still saying its encouraging tourism? Not for the hundreds of people who enjoy live music.
I also wonder if this equipment to measure the sound levels will apply to the discos…
After my gig on Sunday, June 26, I was walking through the square in the old town and there was a fashion show on in the middle of the square and I have to say the music being played was also louder than any solo act or band playing in any of the bars in the old town.
There seems to be a lot of double standards going on.
Peter Bowie, by email
