Bigger Bang a little too big for some

Data from noise monitors at the Rolling Stones' concert is expected to be analysed today. Picture / Greg Bowker

The Auckland City Council should know today whether the Rolling Stones concert at Western Springs on Sunday night exceeded noise limits.

Four complaints were made after 9pm about noise levels at the "A Bigger Bang" concert, which wound up close to 11pm.

Some nearby residents claimed it was the loudest noise they had ever heard from the stadium. A northeasterly wind carried the music to suburbs not normally so exposed to noise from Western Springs.

A council spokesman said the noise levels were monitored and the data would be analysed today.

Springs Promotions manager Dave Stewart was confident the event complied with the regulations.

Mr Stewart said independent and council monitors had on the night shown that the concert noise was below the upper limit of 112 decibels. "It was some three to seven decibels under ... It was not a loud concert."

Mr Stewart acknowledged it was crowded, with 55,000 in the stadium, but he had not heard of any complaints about overcrowding.

He said Western Springs had catered to larger crowds in the past, including 75,000 for the Bee Gees in the late 1990s.

"People knew what to expect and the number of people [expected] had been in the media a lot. It's like Christmas in the Park. If you want a great seat, you need to get there early."

He said there was a problem getting people with general admission tickets to move further through the stadium rather than grabbing the nearest gaps on the hillside, which caused a bottleneck.

However, he agreed that maybe some of those who were bothered by the crowds had not been to a rock concert in some years and had forgotten what to expect.

"A few people found it too crowded, but you are going to get that. I think probably some of the people who are perhaps a little bit older nowadays are expecting something different. If you want to grab a 100 per cent good seat, then you've got to get a reserved ticket. With [general admission] it's always hard at the big rock concerts."

About 23,000 of the 55,000 tickets were for reserved seats, ranging in price from $55 for seats with a bad view of the stage to $350 for good seats. General admission tickets were all $100, and ticket holders were left to find their own patch of the stadium.

Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones had a quiet day yesterday and issued a "please do not disturb" message to the media. They perform in Wellington tonight.