Party town noise curbs decried as ‘lunacy’

New noise restrictions aimed at cleaning up the debauched image of a Spanish party town may have gone too far, critics say. “It’s lunacy,” musician Leapy Lee said of the bylaw in Magaluf that restricts music noise in bars and restaurants to under 60 decibels — less than a typical hair dryer. If the noise reaches 65 decibels, a sound limiter will be triggered that automatically mutes the volume. Lee, who performs in bars across Majorca, said customers in one venue have been complaining because they can’t hear the music. “Live bands can’t play at all because the volume trips the limiters straightaway,” he said. Officials are claiming victory in their bid to clean up the image of Magaluf, which is infamous for its under-30s partying and booze-fuelled mishaps. But Lee fears the moves will “kill the place dead.”