I agree about turning up. A group of us formed an impromptu band for a St. Pat's Day. We were covering for a fellow performer who couldn't make the gig due to a sudden serious health issue. We started at what we deemed was average volume via the PA and what amps we used. As an experiment, I decided to turn us up to better compete with the volume of the alcohol fueled crowd. They just got louder. I did this several times over the course of the evening. They just kept getting louder each time I turned up the volume.

However, turning down, as I've been asked to do in some restaurants and coffeehouses, seems to be a signal that the managers/owners merely want sonic wallpaper. Personally, I'm not interested in that kind of role.