Amphitheater’s Manager Won’t Muffle the Melodies Just Now

A court order to “turn down the noise” at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa may hurt the facility’s ability to book rock and pop concerts in the future, but at present, amphitheater officials are not asking performers to reduce volume.

“I don’t anticipate any problems,” said general manager Steve Redfearn on Friday, before two weekend concerts by Huey Lewis & the News. Redfearn said he gave no instructions to the band’s sound crew to reduce volume because “I haven’t been asked to give any.”

“But I’m still a little confused on what the limits are,” Redfearn said. “I thought we did a pretty good job of compliance on the last two shows.”

On Thursday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Gary L. Taylor ordered amphitheater officials to reduce sound levels after reviewing measurements taken at concerts with the Kinks on June 3 and with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers on June 6. It was the latest development in the long-running feud between local residents and Costa Mesa and amphitheater operators over sound from the 18,700-seat facility.

“I don’t know what is going to happen,” said Deborah Nesset, attorney for Ned West Inc., which owns and operates the amphitheater. She added: “The judge did not tell Ned West what to do or how to come into compliance with the court order, just to take whatever steps that were necessary to do so. There were no specifics, and the order wasn’t put in writing. We will probably get it in writing on Monday or Tuesday.”

Because amphitheater operators could face contempt citations if future concerts are judged in violation of county noise laws, both Redfearn and Nesset hesitated to speculate on what sound-control measures might be instituted.

“That’s very difficult for me to answer,” Nesset said. “We’re dealing with something that is a criminal matter--potentially. People could go to jail.”

While Redfearn said that the ruling won’t adversely affect performances already booked at the amphitheater, Thursday’s order by Taylor could have a dramatic effect on future bookings.

At a May hearing over the noise, Taylor dismissed as “baloney” Ned West attorneys’ arguments that performers would shun the Pacific if sound restrictions were imposed.

But Pacific officials, some artists’ representatives and the amphitheater’s competition said Friday that the sound issue will be an important factor in future negotiations between performers and the county’s two outdoor concert arenas.

“From a business point of view, (the ruling) certainly works to our advantage,” said Jim Guerinot of Avalon Attractions, which books concerts at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, the Pacific’s biggest competitor.

“It’s a subject that comes up in every one of our discussions with a booking agency now, and they are the ones who are bringing it up,” Guerinot said.

“It’s a lot easier to turn up the music in the middle of Lion Country Safari (where Irvine Meadows is located) than in the middle of Costa Mesa. . . . When a fan is paying $20 for a ticket, you (are obligated to) turn on (all of the) speakers. And the first person who is going to complain is the performer.”

Los Angeles-based New Wave band Oingo Boingo, which has played both the Pacific and Irvine Meadows, “absolutely refuses to play anyplace where they would not have the sound quality they feel is necessary for everyone to have a good time,” a spokeswoman for the group said Friday.

“For Oingo Boingo, the No. 1 important thing at any concert is sound and quality of sound,” said Laura Engel, the group’s tour manager and assistant personal manager. “They like to be loud and like to rock and like you to feel it. You can’t do that if you have to keep the sound so low that it sounds wimpy.

“When I heard (about the judge’s order) I was relieved we were already booked at Irvine Meadows this year. The band has definitely made decisions (on where to perform) based on control of sound. It is something that directly affects Oingo Boingo and any band that cares about sound. If we thought (court ordered restrictions) would affect our sound, we would probably go somewhere else.”

A management representative for the Bangles, the four-woman rock band that will play the Pacific on July 4, said: “I wouldn’t foresee that being a major problem in the future unless there were major restrictions on it. We usually keep (sound) within a reasonable level. We’re not like (heavy metal bands) Deep Purple or Megadeath.”

Alex Hodges of ICM Talent--one of the largest booking agencies and one that represents dozens of rock acts--including Bob Seger, Boston, Culture Club, Def Leppard, Elvis Costello, Motley Crue, Neil Young, Ozzy Osbourne, REO Speedwagon and others--was quoted in the Los Angeles Herald Examiner in May as saying that the agency’s clients would not perform at the Pacific if they were forced to curtail sound. Hodges could not be reached for comment on Friday.

Redfearn said: “If we are trying to establish a relationship with an act, and that act, the manager and the booking agent are on East Coast and all they are doing is reading the papers, I would be nervous, too.”

But Redfearn added that the amphitheater would not hold performers liable for penalties that might be imposed if concerts are determined to violate noise ordinances. “This is something between the City of Costa Mesa and the Pacific Amphitheatre,” he said. “We are responsible.”