Steve's Place
Tour 2005 November Page
Even thought I was not there I feel I know enough about Robin that if there was any way that he could have performed he would have. Being a guitarist I also completely understand that limitations on the sound level can have a dramatic and drastic effect on the total sound that Robin needs to present the music the way it is supposed to be. You can not turn down "feel" ... you have to experience it physically as well as just hearing it.
The venue should know who they are booking. If they had any clue as to who Robin Trower is they may have alerted Robin's management well before the show date.
I know that this subject was discussed between the venue and management and that the venue, with the sound proofing improvements being done, assured them all would be fine.
I also know that the rest of the band were very excited, Davey, almost nervous, wanting to perform in his hometown in front of his friends.
The venue handled this very poorly ..... the band, as well as the fans were just victims.
Here is the day after article
Pop star pulls
out of Ferry gig
after noise row
Blow for hundreds of music fans
By Jonathan Paisley
Glasgow Evening Times
(Thanks to Ian Harvey for sending this article)
Hundreds of angry fans were locked out of a Glasgow music venue after 1960s pop legend Robin Trower cancelled a gig following a row over noise.
The Procol Harum guitarist, who played on the classic track ' Whiter Shade Of Pale', scrapped a Renfrew Ferry date after he was warned to keep the noise down.
Venue bosses told the star his band could not exceed 100 decibels because of noise restrictions enforced by the city council.
But trower insisted he had to play at 116 decibels and scrapped the show on Thursday night.
Up to 300 fans had paid 15 (pounds) a ticket and dozens more were expected to turn up and pay at the door.
Alan Robinson, Trower's manager, said: " Robin felt it was impossible to perform because of the conditions enforced by the venue ."
"He is deeply disappointed and was looking forward to playing Glasgow. He wants to return to the city soon and we are on the look-out for a more rock and roll venue."
Earlier this year Glasgow City Council lent 500,000 pounds to the Ferry to enable it to be relaunched as an all day attraction.
The vessel moved to the north bank of the Clyde as part of the revamp, but since then there have been complaints about the noise from residents on the Broomielaw.
In June, the Ferry was ordered to shut down after concerns were raised about noise levels.
It reopened a month later after bosses agreed to monitor noise levels until new soundproofing work could be carried out.
Frank Taylor, a director of Clyde Assets, which runs the Ferry, said: " We have had 100 acts play here since the restrictions were put in place, and Robin Trower is only the second person to complain."
Fans can claim refunds from the same outlets where they bought their tickets.
I have added another bit of news from the same paper from June of this year because I did not like the comment from Frank Taylor at the end of the article as it makes it sound like Robin is some prima dona complaining about every little thing.
While I do not pretend to know how the venues are run and how they interact with booking agents or management of the acts they do book, it seems to me that the facility is ultimately responsible for who they book. And in turn , should know something about the act itself. In my opinion the venue management failed in this way and were assuming that Robin would just turn the volume down.... Steve
Glasgow Evening Times
Publication date 17/06/05
Renfrew Ferry to re-open . . . but only if the gigs are quiet
Exerpts from the article
A floating music venue forced to close amid noise complaints is to re-open but only for quiet gigs.
Heavy metal, rock and blues outfits have been banned from the Renfrew Ferry until soundproofing improvements are made but more mellow performers will be allowed to take to the stage.
The ferry recently moved to the north bank of the Clyde from its home on the south side of the river but the Evening Times revealed it was ordered to shut down after complaints about late night noise from residents on the Broomielaw.
Now the venue has been given permission to re-open for shows which it pledges won't be too noisy.
Ferry bosses said they will re-open on June 25 for kitsch club night Vegas and for other quieter live music shows which should not upset residents.
"I can assure residents the sound levels will be a lot lower than at rock or blues gigs at the ferry and the show will be over well before midnight."
The ferry, which has just completed a £500,000 refit in Greenock, was forced to move from its mooring on the south side of the river because of the construction of a new pedestrian bridge linking Tradeston with the Broomielaw.
Glasgow City Council arranged for it to be moved to its new berth and agreed a 10-year loan to enable it to be relaunched as an all-day attraction.
But its new base prompted complaints from residents, and an enforcement notice from council chiefs warning venue bosses they would take action if noise levels were not reduced.
Frank Taylor, manager of Clydeway Assets which owns the 53-year-old ferry, said: "We have cancelled gigs which we know are going to be too noisy.
"We have had to have acoustic experts analysing the sound levels and they will then report back to us.
"Club nights are things which we have better control over because there is one sound source which can be controlled.
"But with live music it is more difficult and there are certain types of music which are louder than others."
And some comments from people at the show.................
The sweet taste of Robin’s momentous return to the great city of Glasgow turned sour tonight. You will no doubt have read the excellent statement posted promptly by Derek Sutton on trowerpower.com. However, this full and frank apology was a million miles away from the explanation given to us and the hundreds of other fans standing in the queue along the quayside.
Security staff employed by the Ferry were given the awkward job of informing and dispersing us. However, what should have been a statement of facts turned rather unexpectedly into a total fabrication.
Seeking to placate the crowds anger and frustration on getting the news, we overheard several security guards telling disgruntled punters that the cancellation “was entirely Robin Trower’s fault” and having failed to meet the sound limit requirements of the venue “he (Robin Trower) had just walked out refusing to play a note.”
We, like the band, had spent most of the day travelling to Scotland to get to the show. Like the band, we had been very much been looking forward to Robin’s first show in Jimmy and Davey’s home town in 25 years. No band in their right mind would travel that sort of distance simply to turn up and throw the gig.
Completely shell-shocked we talked to fellow fans. A couple laid the blame entirely at the hands of the local authority imposing unreasonable and totally unrealistic noise restrictions on the Ferry business. These fans said that they felt the venue’s days as a live rock venue were numbered unless noise restrictions were relaxed soon.
Once the majority of the crowd had moved off the site we were refused entry onto the Ferry and were not offered a refund.
When we met up with the band the next day, Robin expressed his bitter disappointment but was deeply concerned that fans didn’t get the whole truth as to why the show couldn’t go on.
The band were gutted not only that the show didn’t take place but that they had had to leave fans standing in the lurch.
Of course, refunds for this show are available on request.
If you were there on Thursday I hope you will do what you can to spread the word to others who may not have seen the various statements on the show.
You’ll know Robin was not the cause of the cancellation.
