I am one of the 'no amplification in smaller venues' people (very much so) so it seems funny to tell you what happened last night. I was playing for a birthday party ceilidh with Mo the Caller, just the two of us with me on the melodeon and Mo calling. The party was in a private house with the dancing in the sitting room. The room was big but not huge and there were about 18/20 people. Both Mo and I thought there would probably be no need for amplification but Mo took her amps and mics anyway, just in case. It was a good job she did! Now my melodeon is not quiet (the words melodeon and quiet don't normally go together), I can make a lot of noise but, with out the amplification, I simply wouldn't have been audible to the dancers. The whoops and shouts of the dancers and the very poor acoustics in the room meant that, without the PA, I couldn't be heard even a couple of feet away. I'm now eating my slice of humble pie.
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