Alan
Shrewbury won't be a Folk Festival ultimately. We can read the sings.
It has been entertainment long since. The two are not mutually exclusive but they are in conflict.
When the distance between venues grows and there is still significant leakage - it is telling us something. We are reading the signs.
When people leave politely between songs complaining of the noise they are folkies telling someone something. The only people listening are those who agree. In the case of Paul Brady it was not insignificant.
You can blame the dynamic of the previous act, the serious nature of the songs. Or be honest - it was too loud. All I have to go on is the fact that polite conversation 150 yards away outside was more than difficult because of the intrusion. I can't wear earplugs to have a conversation.
The message is clear. Of the two obvious possibilities, a) reduce volume to match the act or b) discount the voice of the festival goer, we see which is the priority.
And yes - if you had worked in the weighing industry replete with it's banging of metal parts at high speed you would research the subject of hearing loss, or go deaf. Aural acuity diminishes with volume. No one is questioning the skill of the sound man - the preferrences of the audience are the arbiter. Of course it rather depends on who you ask, and the questions. We can all ignore the results we don't want to hear.
The new H&S noise laws are on the statute. They come into effect this year. The only uncertainty I see is whether they apply to volunteers who may or may not be termed "staff". Pick your lawyer for the answer you want.....................