Help! Drums & Noise Pollution???

markthedrum1

Basically I went out to play the drums last night from half 5. At half 6 the gardai were called to my door. Now they can't do anything, they said it themselves and they said it's not like it was 4 in the morning.

Now I don't practice on the kit that often as we received a forged letter from the council saying I could no longer play the drums in the estate a couple of years ago. Since then my parents are very strict on when I can and can't play the kit. I only ever do an hour, but to be honest, it's become so much bother now, that I don't play it very often. I sit up in my bedroom mostly with a practice pad on a snare drum. A clap would be louder than me.

Last night was the first time in a month that I played the kit and before that I may have played it twice a week.

Does anyone know anything about noise pollution or how I can apply for anything to give me the written right to play at a certain time or anything?

Wormking2002

I don't know to be honest but you may find that you'll have to invest in an electronic drumkit..pity that your neighbours are acting that way seeing as it's so early..

Welease

My suggestions would be ...

a) Be nice to your neighbours and see if you can come to a compromise with them.. Maybe 1 hour per week on certain days, then they at least know when you are starting and finishing.. or
b) Get a full set of practice dampners for the kit.. I have a set (cost about 40 Euro) and they will seriously drop the volume levels to an acceptable amount, or
c) Hire a room for practice, or
d) Get an electric kit.

I overheard the radio yesterday, and looks like new sound pollution laws will be coming in soon which allow on the spot fines etc.. So ignoring the problem won't be possible for very long.

Eoin Madsen

Welease wrote: »

I overheard the radio yesterday, and looks like new sound pollution laws will be coming in soon which allow on the spot fines etc.. So ignoring the problem won't be possible for very long.

Yeah, but work place noise pollution regulations already exist in health and safety code and they aren't enforced. I'd be surprised if wider laws fared much better. Noise levels are very difficult to measure objectively, so fining someone for it would be very open to legal contest. At best, you're going to get a situation where you can be fined if you don't respond to a warning.

Welease

Eoin Madsen wrote: »

Yeah, but work place noise pollution regulations already exist in health and safety code and they aren't enforced. I'd be surprised if wider laws fared much better. Noise levels are very difficult to measure objectively, so fining someone for it would be very open to legal contest. At best, you're going to get a situation where you can be fined if you don't respond to a warning.

Yeah i didnt catch the specific details.. but they did mention this is to address that the current laws don't get enforced because its costly and difficult to bring people to court.. They felt that the on the spot fines by environmental health and apparently the Garda (he did specifically mention the Garda) would be the solution to the problem of enforcement (was a Green party announcement)..

I have no idea if it will work or not.. just seemed relevant

seaner

that sounds like its really frustrating. But I'd agree with the other posters, try a digital drum kit or if you can't stretch that far maybe a set of dampners is what you need.

Doesn't really sound fair, but they might have the law on their side. Try chatting to your neighbours see if you can work out a time when they definitely won't mind you being on the drums (if they're out of the house etc).

Good luck!

Voodu Child

pity that your neighbours are acting that way seeing as it's so early..

At 5.30pm yesterday, for all you know someone was sitting down for the evening to study for leaving cert or college exams. Or working night-shifts, or have a young baby, or any number of circumstances. In a perfect world you could drum away to your hearts content, but unfortunately its not a perfect world, and if your neighbours have a problem with the noise, you just have to respect that.

eoin5

I'm in the electronic kit camp, youll be able to play for hours without bothering anyone. You'll get a very cheap TD-3 these days, absolutely perfect for practicing. A forged letter though, thats bloody horrible. That would really drive me up the wall.

Quattroste

Voodu Child wrote: »

At 5.30pm yesterday, for all you know someone was sitting down for the evening to study for leaving cert or college exams. Or working night-shifts, or have a young baby, or any number of circumstances. In a perfect world you could drum away to your hearts content, but unfortunately its not a perfect world, and if your neighbours have a problem with the noise, you just have to respect that.

It's a bitter pill to swallow but that does make perfect sense. It would be nice if the complainee had come to you first before getting the Guards, and that alone would get me a bit p1ssed off, but Voodoo is right. Try to find the person/people with the issue and have a grown up chat with them. They're probably pricks anyway

Glassheart

Why couldn't they come to the door themselves and make the complaint?

Are your neighbours so bad that they are unwilling to reach some sort of compromise?
Fair enough if they have a young child or if somebody is trying to study but the least they could do is come to the door and explain their situation and then maybe you could work something out.Instead they expect you to completely give up the thing you love by calling the guards.:rolleyes:

markthedrum1

They have none of the above, the youngest is 9 and the oldest is in transition year. No name was given as the complainent but I went to him anyways to work a compromise and he just kindly asked me to leave.

I have considered an electrionic kit, but I'm stone broke, losing my job on friday. So annoying, wouldn't mind it I play on a practice in my bedroom most of the time and every so often I go to the kit.

The Gardai said they have no power over this and the same was said from the council environmental department. Very frustrasting. thanks for the comments anyways, I'll have a look for a td 3 so love the acoustic though:(:mad: Was hopin to record videos at home of me playing the drums to advertise through youtube. Keep an eye out for me though www.myspace.com/markthedrum

Glassheart

markthedrum1 wrote: »

They have none of the above, the youngest is 9 and the oldest is in transition year. No name was given as the complainent but I went to him anyways to work a compromise and he just kindly asked me to leave.

That's terrible.

If he doen't want to talk then write him a polite letter explaining that you will be playing your kit once a week for an hour on whatever day is suitable for you.

If these news laws are introduced later in the year then buy those dampers that were recommended by a previous poster.

Welease

markthedrum1 wrote: »

They have none of the above, the youngest is 9 and the oldest is in transition year. No name was given as the complainent but I went to him anyways to work a compromise and he just kindly asked me to leave.

Thats a good first step from you.. I would write him a polite letter explaining that you would like to reach some form of compromise, maybe offer suggested days/times for you to play (and stick to those).. Post it through his letter box.. and see what happens.

Some people don't like any form of confrontation etc.. and he may believe that you were going to argue or whatever.. A polite simple letter, with explanation that you understand the drums are loud, but would like to reach a compromise that suits everyone may help him see that you are trying to remedy the situation...

It sounds like this has been going on for a couple of years or so.. so at this stage he may be well p**sed of with you..

Last Angry Man

Well it seems that the complainant is supposed to ask you to stop before it can go anywhere so seeing as they won't even talk to you I don't see the problem.

Besides, I would imagine the forging of an official government document is a much more serious offence so your neighbour sounds like an imbecile.

The procedure for making a complaint involves the district court and the worst they can do is ask you to limit the noise. I wouldn't worry about it tbh

See here:

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/environment/environmental-protection/noise_regulations

-=al=-

i got a laugh at the forged council letter bit

Seziertisch

If you still have the forged letter, I would show it to the guards and/or council. Whatever their reasons for doing it, that is against the law.

CianRyan

It actually does work, my mate just covered his walls with this stuff and it made a big diference.
Not as good as propper sound prooffing, but it's a lot cheaper.

-=al=-

it will help, lost fo good solutions here mentioned, sound prove the room a bit, consider an electric kit or those dampener things


and yes if u have the letter photocopy it and have it at hand incase they come over again, that will surely win those lovely gards over

Demeyes

I've had a few complaints myself. My neighbour came over to my house before and was full of abuse after I was playing drums one day. I wouldn't mind but I live in the countryside. Had the police over before where my band was playing. They were very decent about it and just asked us to turn down.
It's really annoying because I can't afford an electric kit myself but I have seen a friend of mine put mesh heads on his kit and it brought the volume way way down and it played a bit nicer than rubber pads. Maybe you could re-skin your kit with mesh heads?
Sound proofing would be good but to be honest you need to spend big money and have a good bit of space to get the volume much with it.

Glico Man

At least you're considerate enough to play yours at a reasonable time of the day. I live in student accommodation and my neighbours have a kit but they play at the most ungodly hours, sometimes until 3 in the morning.

I have my own kit at home and just sound proofed my room to stop my neighbours making complaints. Then, even when it's impossible to hear anything from my room they still say there's noise. Some people are just looking for confrontation.

thethedev

Voodu Child wrote: »

At 5.30pm yesterday, for all you know someone was sitting down for the evening to study for leaving cert or college exams. Or working night-shifts, or have a young baby, or any number of circumstances. In a perfect world you could drum away to your hearts content, but unfortunately its not a perfect world, and if your neighbours have a problem with the noise, you just have to respect that.

TS

If you dont want to hear noise dont live in a built up area!!:rolleyes:

And eggboxes are **** for soundproofing! Its all in peoples heads THEY DONT WORK!! Use rockwool instead

Glassheart

Demeyes wrote: »

I've had a few complaints myself. My neighbour came over to my house before and was full of abuse after I was playing drums one day.

It's funny how people completely lose their marbles over it.

I have a friend who lives in the country just outside Maynooth.He has 3 or 4 neighbours all within a few hundred yards of his house.

One evening at around 6pm he was playing away when some absolute lunatic with a baliclava and a baseball bat stormed into his shed and trashed his kit and then calmly walked back out without saying a word.

Obviously he wasn't happy with the noise but whats wrong with a polite knock on the door?!!

CianRyan

thethedev wrote: »

TS

If you dont want to hear noise dont live in a built up area!!:rolleyes:

And eggboxes are **** for soundproofing! Its all in peoples heads THEY DONT WORK!! Use rockwool instead

Isn't that stuff dangerous? Like to breath it in?
I thought it had to put inside your walls to use it.

Mattress' work wonders if you have any old ones around, just throw them up at the doors/windows.

These all worked to get arsey neighbours off my old bands backs.

Glassheart wrote: »

One evening at around 6pm he was playing away when some absolute lunatic with a baliclava and a baseball bat stormed into his shed and trashed his kit and then calmly walked back out without saying a word.

Wow.

Quattroste

Glassheart wrote: »

One evening at around 6pm he was playing away when some absolute lunatic with a baliclava and a baseball bat stormed into his shed and trashed his kit and then calmly walked back out without saying a word.!

One evening at around 6pm he was playing away when some absolute lunatic with a baliclava and a baseball bat stormed into his shed and trashed his kit. He's dead now.!

That's how my version of that story would go.

Glassheart

Quattroste wrote: »

One evening at around 6pm he was playing away when some absolute lunatic with a baliclava and a baseball bat stormed into his shed and trashed his kit. He's dead now.!

That's how my version of that story would go.

I like yours better actually.:pac:

Welease

Quattroste wrote: »

One evening at around 6pm he was playing away when some absolute lunatic with a baliclava and a baseball bat stormed into his shed and trashed his kit. He's dead now.!

That's how my version of that story would go.

I heard about that.. I didn't make the news, cos it's not like an actual musician died....

Eoin Madsen

CianRyan wrote: »

Isn't that stuff dangerous? Like to breath it in?
I thought it had to put inside your walls to use it.

Yep, it's basically wall insulation. People put it into panels and stuff as well.

DrumSteve

what kit do you have?

you'd probably be able to trade considering V-drums are going relatively cheap(-ish).

spoonbadger

markthedrum1 wrote: »

Basically I went out to play the drums last night from half 5. At half 6 the gardai were called to my door.

?

markthedrum1 wrote: »

Now I don't practice on the kit that often as we received a forged letter from the council saying I could no longer play the drums in the estate a couple of years ago

?!!

markthedrum1 wrote: »

No name was given as the complainent but I went to him anyways to work a compromise and he just kindly asked me to leave.

:mad:!!!!

What a prick!!!. If i were you, i'd be playing dragonforce drum covers at 3am just to piss him off. The weasel-ass-bastard wouldn't say it to your face before calling the gaurds, and didn't have the balls to discuss it afterwards!!. And the forged council letter is a whole other kettle of shite! :mad:.

Ignore him. Play whenever the **** you want. Talk to all your other neighbours, ask them if they mind your playing at normal hours and ask if they'd be willing to say they dont mind to the gaurds. Then next time the lads in blue come around, show them the council letter and point out that only one of your neighbours objects to your drums. Once Mr. Nark hears about it, he wont be complaining in future.

/angry rant.