Bon Jovi to play Hyde Park in July … but will it be loud enough?

Rockers will headline Barclaycard British Summer Time, a 10-day event featuring six concerts in Hyde Park, with promoters promising an increase in sound of around 3dB. Bon Jovi have been announced as the first headliners of this summer’s series of live events in London’s Hyde Park. The band will play on 5 July as part of Barclaycard British Summer Time, a 10-day event featuring six concerts across two weekends, from 28 June to 7 July.
The shows will be the first in Hyde Park since AEG Live took over from Live Nation, following complaints last year about noise restrictions and curfew times. Concerts last year by Paul Simon and Blur were both marred by low volume levels, and Bruce Springsteen was hit by a curfew that caused his performance with Paul McCartney to be cut off midway through a song.

The new promoters promised to bring the expertise that has helped make the O2 Arena one of the world’s leading venues, although they seemed anxious not to focus too much on the sound issues that plagued the space last year. The main stage will, however, now face across the park, away from residential areas and Park Lane. AEG Live and Event director Jim King said this should provide an increase of around 3dB from last year’s limit of 73dB.

“With the new plans we’ve put in, we think it’s going to be louder while still respecting what’s going on in the community,” he said, during a press conference in London “I’ve absolutely no doubt that Bon Jovi will be exactly the same if not louder than last time they played. We’ve had independent reports on this, and the new orientation of the stage gives us at least 3dB onsite increase. For those who know about sound that’s a significant increase.”

As with the O2, AEG’s focus will be on delivering great hospitality, providing a gentrified rock’n’roll experience that involves artisan food markets, micro breweries and a selection of organic wine. The main stage will now feature fake plastic trees that aim to “blend into the background” of the park, whereas other areas around the site were described as “Rio meets Havana” with the promise of carnival music and dancers.

Earlier this week, Hyde Park’s former promoter Live Nation announced it would be promoting gigs at the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, bringing the Wireless and Hard Rock Calling festivals there from Hyde Park. Jon Bon Jovi said his band had been offered to headline shows there but had declined.

“We love Hyde Park for nostalgia and loyalty reasons,” he said, citing the famous Rolling Stones concert in 1969 as his original inspiration for playing there. He added: “We’ll make sure we play as loud as 11, we’ll turn it right up and let them deal with that.”

Certainly King wasn’t worried about the competition from Live Nation. Looking over at Bon Jovi beside him, he said: “We have the biggest rock band in the world sitting next to us so I think it compares pretty well.”

Source: The Guardian