How loud were they back then?

[drakula63]

Interesting.

I first saw the Shadows in 1980 at the Manchester Apollo. Blimey, that's a LONG time ago now! I remember the sound being just right. Not too loud. Not too quiet. I also remember that they had some fairly impressive PA stacks either side of the stage. Of course by this time, they had added keyboards to the mix and every single drum and cymbal was probably miked too. In all the years that I have been seeing various bands play live AND playing myself, I don't think that ANYONE ever got a better live sound than the Shadows.

I can only imagine that this was probably the case in the 1960s too. Volume ain't everything and I have always felt that the quality of the Shads sound was such that it didn't need to be too loud to appreciate it.

[geoff1711]

let's not forget that whilst a venue may have a 200K watt PA that doesn't mean it's running flat out and to double the percieved volume of a 50 watt amp would need closer to 500 watts so to double it again 5000.

Often it's about quality and the much richer (gut wobbling) bass you now hear and feel which needs a lot more power to shift the larger bass cones and the air they push.

Also guitars in the 60's tended to have full treble and zero bass, whereas these days we listen to much fuller sound spectrums

Geoff

[dave robinson]

I'm currently running Past Masters with un-miked backline (Voxes or Fender or 50w Boogie for lead & rhythm, with 2x10 Mark Bass) We use a kit miked overhead and bass drum through a 2k active Logic rig. Keyboards through the desk too.
Our theatres are 2/600 seaters and our kit seems to do the job. If reinforcements are needed, we can add extra active cabs. The punters like it the 'old way'..

[Paul Childs]

Even street buskers use amplification these days.

[drakula63]

Even street buskers use amplification these days.

True!!

I've played in places where we never seemed able to make quite enough noise and then other places where the only thing we put through the PA were the vocals and to have miked up the drums would have brought the house down, literally!!!!

Ah, those were the days!!!!!

[Iain Purdon]

I think the only problem is with not miking is that the bass amp needs to be reasonably powerful to compete with the more penetrating treble sounds.

Yes. With the sort of rig you're talking about, a 300W transistor bass combo is probably a minimum to shift the air.

[Fenderman]

When i saw the Shads on their reunion tour in 2004 in Glasgow i thought the sound was a bit quiet but maybe that was because i was away at the back of the hall!

[Uncleboko]

If you want to experience "loud", catch the Kenny Jones Gang next time they play in the club house at his polo club (Hurtwood Park). When we saw them the PA was 10k watts - now that really was deafening!!

[Fenderman]

That's nothing when you've been in the front row of an Iron Maiden gig, i was deaf for days after that one!

[ecca]

You lot should come to the Hankies and listen to Alan Bakewell then !
Blinkin loud.