Piped music in pubs used to be a perennial source of complaint, but I don’t recall mentioning it once since the creation of this blog. However, the other day I was in quite a traditional pub where dance-style music (possibly Radio 1) was being played at considerable volume. The average age of the customers was well over 50, so I doubt whether that would be their favoured listening, but the bar staff were all, by the looks of it, under 25. So no prizes for guessing who chose the radio station. But surely, if there is to be piped music at all, it should match the preferences of the customers, not the bar staff. “AOR Hits of the 80s” will do me nicely, thank you very much. It was a frequent complaint in the days of jukeboxes, that the staff could override customer selections and impose their own choice of music.
One of the big plus points of the main Wetherspoons chain (although not Lloyds No.1 Bars) is that they don’t have any piped music.
Definitely not music to my ears, and one of my pet hates in pubs! Landlords who allow their bar staff to indulge in this sort of behaviour only have themselves to blame when they find the takings aren't all they should be.
ReplyDeletebtw. does the Daily Telegraph still publish their "Quiet Pub Guide!?