This and nothing has come close. Zeppelin in the ****ty Seattle Kindome in 77 was a distant second. Saw Clapton roughly 10 years ago and people were yelling at him to turn it up.
I'd have to add Blue Oyster Cult (as Soft White Underbelly) at The Bottom Line. Arena level amplification in a 300 seat club.
I've already mentioned Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (on the 2nd page) but I'd forgot about Swans. Saw them support The Fall at Heaven nightclub in London in summer 1984. I didn't watch Swans, I was there for The Fall, I was in the bar and couldn't hear anything that my friends were saying.
Yes on June 30th, 1979 at the Hollywood Sportatorium in Florida. They had the revolving circular stage and I was in the front row tripping on blotter acid.
I second that. Saw them in Vancouver, 1992. Stoooopidly loud. Even louder than the music was when Kevin Shields would kick his guitar amp (w. built-in spring reverb) in between songs and it sounded like bombs going off. Gave my earplugs to my girlfriend and watched the show with my hands over my ears, teeth clenched
Probably the Ox in a club 20 years or so ago. Incredibly loud but worth it to stand at the feet of the greatest rock bassist as he thundered though The Real Me.
Probably Crazy Horse and opener Sonic Youth at the L.A. Sports Arena, 1991. Second place a tie, X and Calexico about 10 years ago (Wiltern, L.A.) and Warren Zevon of all people (also at the Wiltern) in the late 80's.
SWANS 1987 tour. i had to step out of the venue mid gig to recover. the sheer physicallity of the noise was insane.
This has been talked about before. For those who want to read up on it, here are some threads about it. Loudest concert you ever attended Loudest show you ever saw The Loudest Band in the World? - The Loudest Performance You've Been To?
I was going to say Sunn O))) at the Royal Festival Hall in 2015 but although that was relentlessly loud from beginning to end it wasn't painfully so - but I could still feel my trousers shaking as I could when I saw them at the Roundhouse last year. But the most painfully loud was Glenn Branca who was supporting Sonic Youth also at the RFH in 2001 - ouch! I couldn't wait for it to end.
Living Color played a local small club right before 'Vivid' was released. I was standing right up against the stage. I'm hoping my hearing comes back to normal soon. Napalm Death could only dream of being as loud as they were.
That Neil Young tour was the first one that came to mind for me as well. The Stones 75 tour is another I remember.
Prong! opening for Ozzy, but at least I had earplugs. It made my chest cavity move. The most damage was The Georgia Satellites in a club. Of recent vintage, Foster the People at Floydfest with their digitally generated bass frequencies.
Kiss with Cheap Trick, Regina Agridome 1977. The building is a cement structure used for livestock shows. The acoustics were awful and the amps were distorting, couldn't make out the songs for the first few bars. My ears rang for a week.
Deep Purple-pretty much every time I've seen them Metallica-Justice Tour Rush-Snakes & Arrows-I'd seen Rush a few times before but for this concert, they were painfully loud. The venue's sucky acoustics didn't help either. Judas Priest-the 2005 reunion with Queensryche opening But probably *the* single most painfully loud show I ever saw was an AC/DC tribute band in western Massachusetts in the early 90s. It was in a small club, I was pretty blitzed and standing too close to the PA. I'm sure I damaged my hearing that night. Now that I'm an old fart, I bring ear plugs.
Deep Purple at the Orpheum in Vancouver. The tour where they played Machine Head in its entirety, Mid 2000’s IIRC. Painfully which was too bad, a good show otherwise
Dick Dale at a small club near Boston (Johnny D's). Ca. 1993. The only concert I can remember that was literally painful to listen to (I stuffed some napkins in my ears during the first song).
Just been reading the wikipedia page. Loudest band - Wikipedia My father is the reason I got into music. I say this with view to the following. The wiki page mentions The Who at Charlton 1976. My father was there and I can recall him speaking about how loud it was. I would of been 9 at this time. The wiki page also mentions Manowar. My father saw them in the same year as the gig mentioned on wiki. 1984. Hammersmith Odeon. Same European tour I take it. He's never mentioned it being loud. We both saw Motorhead at the Marquee around 1983/84. All I can remember is that the sound was naff. Not even loud. Just naff. By the way, isn't it true that there are limits these days? Or at least more limits than the years I just mentioned.
