It's really a problem, especially in pubs and places where people are talking and food is being served, etc. I went to a place not too long ago that had a mediocre band (I guess it was mediocre since the sound was so distorted I'm not sure)- but they were playing mostly not very interesting (to me) pop cover songs. You couldn't really sit and just listen to the music - it was distorted and unintelligible. In order to talk with people at the table it was a shouting match. So you had the music up loud, people shouting conversations - I was so glad to leave. But say you have a pub setting where the music is pretty good and maybe half the patrons have come to see the musician or group and the other half to socialize. What should the sound level be so that those who want to can listen and will hear the music over the conversationists? That's a more difficult problem than, say a concert venue. And it isn't true that a good group/musician will have everybody listening. Some people have come to socialize and party, not hear music.