Categories
Generalisations about beer culture pubs

Piped Doom and Gloom

Miserable man with pint (illustration).

‘Piped music’ irritates lovers of the traditional pub, but there is something far worse.

A quiet lunchtime. The barmaid reads a magazine while a solitary bloke at the bar stares into his lager. The only sound is the radio, but it’s not playing Classic Gold or Top 40 R&B.

“This afternoon, we’re speaking to people who’ve attempted suicide as a result of low self-esteem brought on by prolonged unemployment. Give us a call if you’ve got a story to share. Next, we’ve got Mary on the line, who recently tried to overdose on painkillers…”

You don’t get that at Costa Coffee.

Categories
opinion pubs

Get down on it

I’ve always  been a bit baffled by all the moaning about “piped music” in real ale circles, but I had a little glimpse into the mindset behind that last night.

After a pint in the Old Mitre off Hatton Garden (ancient and wonky, with brilliant beer) I walked through the City with my mates. There was an autumnal bite in the air, maybe a hint of mist; passing through the little Dickensian back streets around Watling Street, near St Pauls, we all agreed  it felt we’d stepped back in time.

We approached a cosy, Victorian-looking pub and stepped inside to be greeted by…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0EYpjMkgmU&w=425&h=344]

And the atmosphere was gone.

Bailey