An Aberdeen band today said they were made to “feel like criminals” after being visited by cops over noise complaints sparked by their fundraising front garden gigs.
Andy and Ingrid Machell, who make up band Big Mountain, fear their gigs could be shut down and say police threatened to confiscate their equipment during the visit.
The pair ended up calling off their popular event on Saturday.
Police say they provided “advice” to the pair after receiving complaints from neighbours over the noise and potential breaches of Covid guidelines.
The husband and wife duo have raised around £3,000 for charity Cash for Kids since the start of the pandemic by putting on 15 musical performances in their garden on Burns Road in Aberdeen to entertain their neighbours and people watching online.
But recently guitarist Andy and saxophonist Ingrid have had a number of visits from police, firstly warning them to ensure people watching adhered to social distancing, and then warning them over noise complaints.
Ingrid, 54, a health care support worker, told how she was left in tears after the visit on Saturday, in which officers said they could even confiscate their equipment if they carried on and complaints were received.
‘I was really upset’
She said: “Embarrassingly, I was in tears in the street.
“That was the third visit we’d had from them in three weeks. They’re making us feel like criminals.
“I was really upset.
“It seems to me like somebody’s gone after us using the Covid thing, but when they saw we were still going to play they’ve gone after us using the noise thing.
“We’d played for a year with no complaints.
“The worst thing is letting people down in the neighbourhood and we have people watching all over the world from Australia, America, friends in Canada and France and Sweden, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Shetland.
“We’ve had messages of support from all these people.”
Ingrid said the mini garden gigs had been hugely popular and had helped people cope with the coronavirus lockdown and difficulties which have come with it.
‘A little something to look forward to’
She said: “There was a message on Facebook from somebody who said they moved 400 miles into the street six weeks before lockdown and they didn’t know anybody so they felt very isolated and they had no friends.
“And because of the music, they said they met some fabulous neighbours through what we’d been doing.
“It’s for the mental health of a lot of people. People say that we’ve kept them sane because they’ve had something to look forward to.
“We can’t do very much, so even to have a little something to look forward to, our neighbours get all dressed up.
“We were absolutely gutted because we felt like we’d let people down.
“We just want to play and entertain people and give people a lift, which I think everybody needs.”
‘I think we can’t play anymore’
Andy, 63, an engineer, said: “When we were setting up to play on Saturday, the police turned up and told me if they received more noise complaints they would confiscate our equipment.
“I’m not risking all our equipment.
“The police are being very, very vague about it. They won’t tell us who’s complained or what the complaint’s about. They just say they received a complaint and under such and such a law about noise they can seize our equipment.
“I’m not blaming the police at all, all they’re doing is what they’ve been told.
“I actually said to them, do you want to go and ring a few doorbells and explain to our neighbours that it can’t happen.
“The policeman kept repeating over and over ‘we’re not stopping you from doing this’. Well, you threatening to take my gear away is stopping me from doing it.
“I think we can’t play anymore.”
‘Complaints regarding noise levels’
A Police Scotland spokesman confirmed officers had attended after receiving complaints and had given “suitable advice”.
He said: “Officers attended an address in Burns Road, Aberdeen during the afternoon of Saturday, 20 March in response to complaints made by neighbours regarding noise levels of music being played and potential breaches of Covid guidelines.
“The householders were provided with suitable advice.”
As well as performing at venues across the city, the band typically spend five months of the year over in the French resort of Val d’Isere performing for skiers holidaying in the region before heading back to work in Aberdeen.
The duo, who have been playing together for 12 years, cover all genres, with set lists including the likes of the Beatles, Johnny Cash, Jessie J and Gerry Cinnamon.
Andy, who is originally from Yorkshire, added: “We were disappointed mostly. We enjoy doing it. It’s another opportunity to try and get some money in the Cash for Kids kitty, which we’ve been doing. We’re nearly at £3,000 for that.
Gigs were a ‘means of escape’
“We’re unhappy but mostly we’re unhappy for the neighbours, for the people that enjoy it.
“We’ve had lots of people saying what a shame it is.
“There’s a lad with Down’s Syndrome down the street and it’s the high spot of his year.
“There’s a lady two or three doors away who’s been working part-time through all this with three kids at home and homeschooling, and it’s her means of escape when we play in the garden every couple of weeks.
‘It’s so sad and confusing’
Gillian Riddell, one of their neighbours on Burns Road, said the cancellation was “sad and confusing”.
She said: “I am so grateful to Big Mountain for keeping our spirits up in lockdown. We really look forward to their front garden performances which are usually the highlight of our week.
“As well as entertaining us, and raising money for charity, they give us an opportunity to catch up with our next-door neighbours which we haven’t really had since the Thursday clapping stopped.
“They ask for nothing in return except song requests and they always remind us to keep our distance, which we and our neighbours are happy to do and enjoy the music from camp chairs in our front gardens.
“It is so disappointing that Big Mountain have been cancelled and in such a heavy-handed way.
“It’s so sad and confusing.”