posted February 04, 2003 05:49
Has anyone here worn earplugs at a gig?
Only I nicked some off the bouncers at Reading when Alec Empire was on, and it made what would have been a brain-meltingly loud gig quietly sublime. He was fucking LOUD, mind, which we in Britain are not used to since they changed the law on noise levels.
posted February 04, 2003 06:18
Fuck yeah, I've worn them. It would kind of be a bummer if I couldn't listen to music anymore. I was immensely glad I wore them to a Roni Size(bet a lot of you didn't know I was so hip)show a two years ago. Man, I was so glad I did. His music has a great deal of high pitched, tinny drum tones which would have been murder the next day. And he was louder than shit. Mastadon, who I saw in a small club, actually wasn't that loud and I didn't wear anything. But for these large venues, hell yeah!!!
I'm sure Layla's Dad could contribute a lot to this thread.
posted February 04, 2003 06:30
I think the wax build up in my ears from all those trips to see motorhead as a young man have provided me with nature's own noise filering system! My ears rarely end up ringing after gigs these days. I think if I put earplugs in I wouldn't hear a damn thing. Either bands are quieter these days or maybe it's just that I don't go and ram my head in the bass cones of the pa system any more. "The only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud..."
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Delightful Little Capuchin Monkey
VoivodFan
Member # 65
posted February 04, 2003 07:46
I've worn earplugs to shows almost all my life, depending on how loud the PA is. I had hearing probs when I was a kid, so I figured I wouldn't risk not being able to hear ANYTHING when I was older, you know? I tried to tough it out at an Overkill / Motorhead / Slayer show back in 1988, and when Overkill came on, it took roughly 10 seconds for my left ear to go completely deaf with a high-pitched 'PING' sound ringing off. Not very nice. I ended up heading for the bathroom and jamming a wad of toilet paper in my ears, all classy-like. I thought my hearing would be shot after that incident, but it came back okay. I actually find that a good earplug actually filters alot of the distortion out of the mix and lets you hear more of the notes.
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Slaytanic
VoivodFan
Member # 28
posted February 04, 2003 08:42
quote:Originally posted by h: I think the wax build up in my ears from all those trips to see motorhead as a young man have provided me with nature's own noise filering system!
posted February 04, 2003 09:25
I've never worn them to a gig I went to see, only to gigs I've played at. When on stage I need to wear them or else my ears hurt for days. Plus when singing (if you can call it that) I needed to wear 'em to really "hear" my voice.
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nia
VoivodFan
Member # 9
posted February 04, 2003 12:31
I've worn earplugs and not worn them. It depends on the size of the venue, the noise level, blah blah blah. When I was seeing bands five or six nights a week in small clubs my ears would ring a lot so I found earplugs helped.
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Väinämöinen
VoivodFan
Member # 27
posted February 05, 2003 06:33
quote:Originally posted by Kane: I actually find that a good earplug actually filters alot of the distortion out of the mix and lets you hear more of the notes.
I agree with that. Especially when the mix is a bit too loud (is that possible?) for the venue plugs are essential. For example Testament sounded like a wall of noise on their "Gathering" gig in Helsinki, but when I put plugs on I could actually hear all the riffs, solos and Steve DiGiorgio's excellent basswork quite clearly. Plugs are a must-have for me, although I'll probably leave those if I get to see VV live before I die...
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Emlyn K Helicopter
VoivodFan
Member # 44
posted February 05, 2003 11:01
h, gigs HAVE got quieter over the years, its not just your ears. Its down to those banana-straightening bastards in the EU with maximum noise levels and local councils worrying about residents (who the fuck lives next to The Astoria?!).
I remember Motorhead in '89 and they were pant-soilingly loud. And at Wembley last year I could actually hear people breathing in and out when I was in the pit. Too bloody quiet, that was. But Motorhead were far better than they were in 89, and they were stunning then.
I certainly agree that you can hear a better mix with earplugs for loud music. It does depend though on what material they are made from.
posted February 06, 2003 18:01
You're right Mez. This is a topic I am well-familiar with. I have never wore earplugs to a gig. I've been to a couple hundred probably with 95% of them being metal shows. Couple that with many, many hours of listening to stereos at home and on the road and you have at least the beginning of a hearing problem. My problems began when I was 12 or so and my left ear was left ringing (like crickets chirping) after getting a virus or flu or something. It hasn't stopped yet. I'm 39 now. For years my friends would just get on the right side of me 'cause it was easier for me to hear them. I always used my right ear for the phone and everything. That is, until my right "good" ear became my right "bad" ear. At about age 25, my right ear started noticeably ringing, cat- ching up in volume with the left then passing it. Today my right ear is useless, except for one thing and that's to hear my alarm clock (on loud) which I cannot hear with my left ear up while asleep. It's weird because I use my left ear on the phone now and the right ear is no good (caller sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher : WOH, WOH ,WOH). There's a million stories related to my sorry hearing but I think I'm more a defective human with tinnitis than a deaf guy because of rock n roll. Maybe I should stick a pair of plugs in my pocket for Nile next week.
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Gorf
VoivodFan
Member # 119
posted February 06, 2003 19:16
If its too loud its either cookie monster metal or the band thinks they're AC/DC. Either way, earplugs suck !!!!
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Skul
VoivodFan
Member # 19
posted February 06, 2003 19:24
The only time i wish i had brought earplugs was at the King Diamond show (Voodoo tour) in Montreal in '98, at the Foufounes Electriques. Fuckin' hell... they blasted the PA as if they'd play the Olympic Stadium! It was ridiculously loud and distorted, and my hearing was shot for 2 days.
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El Indio
VoivodFan
Member # 18
posted February 06, 2003 20:37
I always make a point of bringing along a pack of earplugs whenever I go to checkout a show. I always have to laugh to myself when I can literally walk right up to the stage and stand next to the speakers while others are recoiling from the pain! Not only that but earplugs allow me to tune out people who I do not want to hear/talk to...
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posted February 04, 2003 05:49
My ears rarely end up ringing after gigs these days. I think if I put earplugs in I wouldn't hear a damn thing. Either bands are quieter these days or maybe it's just that I don't go and ram my head in the bass cones of the pa system any more.
posted February 04, 2003 08:42
posted February 06, 2003 19:16
posted February 06, 2003 20:37
Not only that but earplugs allow me to tune out people who I do not want to hear/talk to...
