A letter to Trixie Whitley back from the Divan du monde - Paris, 27/06/2013

Paris, 06.28.2013,

Dear Trixie,

Last year already in La Cigale, your two fans who spoke to you just before I at the artist-exit, had, like me, been forced to tap their ears with their hands, compelled by the violence of deafening decibels (certainly far over 100) while they were – hopelessly – waiting for you inside the venue at the door leading to the backstage. As I'd gone outside where I had a long friendly talk with your so nice uncle (please give him my best souvenir), I found out that you wouldn't come out through the public door. So, since they seemed so anxious to talk to you, I went back to say it to them. They spoke to you first and I could hardly tell you what I needed to, as we were all, and you particularly (having to go back to Gent the very evening), tired out.

In La Cigale, it seems that the sound engineer spared you and during your own performance, the volume was bearable, hardly though. But last night in Le Divan, it was hopelessly violent. Only decibel addicts can stand that and you certainly lose a lot of audience that never comes in those venues. Since I'm not a masochist, I first asked the sound engineer to put it down a little. He roughly answered: "No!" and I had to yell: "It's too loud!" at you, far less loudly than what the stunning loudspeakers do with your own pleasant yells (it's likely that your own back-speakers don't give you the same horrible sound as the one we get on the other side of the stage). I acknowledge that my own shout was likely unpleasant; I was feeling very uncomfortable, suffering.

The issue is that you did not answer anything and did not do anything, probably because you may not ask requests to the people of the venue. Besides, a young woman next to me very unpleasantly said: "You're making her feel ill at ease." Therefore, all I could do was to put on "Quies balls" in my ears during the whole show, which was half spoilt! Thanks anyway, for all your good words: "We're in this together..." :-)

I passed a hearing test 2 years ago; my hearing is just normal, not hypersensitive. I've tested that suffering begins at 84db. Now, if you do not give me the insurance that you will make a maximum 83db a bottom line of the contract between you and your future venues, in spite of my great admiration and fondness for the one who immediately accepted to give a free concert against FGM, I will not come to your concerts any more. Or maybe just for a little chat at the artist-exit...

Love, Hervé

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- http://mutil-abolition-droit-au-corps.blogspot.fr/2012/10/cest-la-chanson-que-la-sono-assassine.html