(UNORIGINAL) OPINION

SYDNEY, I know you’re probably sick of hearing it, but you suck.

Like an old man who yells at clouds, I can’t help but say it after going to a concert last night at the city’s most iconic venue, the Sydney Opera House.

US band The National played on the venue’s forecourt at 8:30pm last night and what should have been a rip snorting event was a touch subdued thanks to the very civilised level of sound.

I cherish peace and quiet as much as the next guy but one thing — and maybe the only thing — in my life I need to be loud is a rock concert.

Sadly, complainy neighbours and litigious regulators have strangled any chance of that. As the gig kicked off last night I was almost immediately disappointed by the level of sound — leaving me with the same feeling you might get during an awkward break in conversation.

The worst part about the relatively quiet music means the atmosphere really suffers.

You couldn’t sing along properly because if you did, that’s about all anyone around would hear — leading my girlfriend to inform me I was getting a lot of the words wrong.

At one point during the concert a woman behind me said: “If you were sitting on the steps you wouldn’t be able to hear anything.”

While that was obviously an exaggeration, the sentiment is a telling indictment.

During one song I turned to my girlfriend and said, “I can’t wait to go home and put this on and turn it up.”

I was stewing.

There’s no doubt I was overly irritated by the lack of decibels but, for me, it was a real shame.

We were standing near the back of the mosh pit, next to the sound stage and no doubt it would’ve been a tad louder up the front but have you tried to push the way to the front of a Sydney music crowd — it’s not kosher.

I saw the same band perform on the exact same stage four years ago and it was great. From my recollection there was no complaints to be had about the performance not being loud enough. But in recent years the venue has had that charge levelled at it on more than one occasion.

I’m far from the first person to voice such a complaint, which begs the question: Why bother even holding concert events on the forecourt if you can’t turn the music up?

Calls and emails to the venue’s PR and media staff looking for an answer were not returned, but to be fair it’s not their fault — they’re just the ones charging $130 plus a booking fee for the experience.

The Opera House has to comply with noise restrictions placed on it by the council and NSW Planning and Environment. Last year it was fined $15,000 for exceeding those limits during a concert by English band Florence and the Machine back in 2015.

The fine came after a group of residents from the nearby “toaster” building (including Macquarie banker Bill Moss and radio broadcaster Alan Jones) campaigned against the venue, claiming it was in breach of restrictions placed on noise levels from forecourt activities.

In 2016, the NSW Department of Planning and Environment assessed and approved a modification application for temporary events at the Sydney Opera House allowing an increased noise limit of five decibels.

“This means occasional events lasting no longer than four hours and finishing no later than 10pm, are able to provide performances at this noise limit,” a department spokesperson told news.com.au.

The five decibels was a noteworthy increase but it still feels like it’s hardly enough.

I understand the plight of toaster residents but why do the rights of the few outweigh the rights of the many just because the few chose to live in the heart of the city? Besides, if it’s that bad there’s plenty of other housing in Sydney.

The gig was all wrapped up shortly after 10pm, so it’s not exactly like the quiet music was saving them from a sleepless night.

Sadly, this kind of story is all too familiar.

I used to work at the Annandale Hotel, which was once a renowned bastion of live music and helped foster a number of young Sydney bands. But after a few neighbours got their knickers in a twist it was ultimately brought down by backbreaking legal fees fighting the council over noise complaints.

Another great thing sacrificed on the altar of having a quiet city.

I know I’m just a cranky, bitter concertgoer complaining about people complaining but last night was almost wasted for me.

Maybe you were at the concert and thought the sound was fine. Maybe I’m going deaf. But just like Sydney’s controversial lockout laws, these things have real economic and cultural consequences.

I, for one, will probably keep my $130 next time.