The Dunedin City Council will attend a sound check at Forsyth Barr Stadium today after complaints about noise levels reverberating from a concert on Tuesday night.
Representatives of the council, Otago University Students' Association and Dunedin Venue Management Ltd will attend the 3.30pm sound check after numerous complaints about noise levels from the opening Orientation concert.
More than 2000 first-year students attended the "Orientadium" toga party to see DJ Dhalism, Bulletproof and Jessie G perform.
Dalmore resident Sandra Stevenson said the noise was "like a gang of Harley-Davidsons roaring down the street" until the concert finished at midnight.
"The sound went right through the house. It was like continuous thunder.
"The bass went right through the ground," she said yesterday.
DCC resource consents manager Alan Worthington confirmed yesterday nine noise complaints had been received, "mainly from the northwest Dunedin area, from Opoho to Ravensbourne".
"Clearly, the community at large had an issue with it and that's important for us to know.
We appreciate people's concerns and expectations and we have to balance that with these events," he said.
"We'll do what we can and learn from these early events.
We're going to go along to have a listen to see what it's like and we may be going in the evening, as well.
"The rules may, or may not, need to be adjusted. But, there are differences in musical events and we have to be mindful of that. It's variable and depends on the weather, the type of music and the configuration of the stage. Strangely, the Don McGlashan concert at Logan Park [Classic Hits Winery Tour on Sunday, attended by 2250 people] generated nothing," he said.
"But, it's a new venue, with a new set of rules, and it's important we get feedback from the public." OUSA events manager Kitty Brown said the stadium was a good fit with Orientation and it was hoped to develop that synergy.
"We want to comply with whatever the restrictions are, because we love the venue. It's great for Orientation, because it's providing a safe environment for the students. We're taking them into a controlled environment," she said.
"We're trying to configure, with the DCC and the stadium people, to make it a multi-functional centre. If the template doesn't work this year, then we'll change things around for next year."
Three more Orientation events are scheduled at the stadium this week. A hip hop party will be held tonight, with Shihad, Knives at Noon and Cairo Knife Fight tomorrow and Shapeshifter, Dave Boogie, Nightshade and Sunshine Soundsystem on Saturday.
All the concerts finish at midnight.
