I saw the industrial band Whitehouse once, it was so loud the audience stood about 20 feet back from the stage, apart from three Japanese fans who were right at the front.
Please post this in the "Is Boston An AOR Band" thread so all the people who think they are a pop group can see it!
As much as I like the band, I just don't want to see them live because of the reputation. Apparently their gigs are so loud, you even can't decipher the music.
I saw of Montreal at a tiny venue on one of the backstreets on Dougenzaka in the middle of Shibuya, Tokyo, and the opening act was this absolutely dogshit local band that thought screaming and screeching guitar noise was good music. I remember just leaving and stepping outside to wait for the of Montreal show to start, and there were a few other middle-aged live show goers out there, too. We all looked at one another and laughed, instantly understanding that we were all outside for the same reason.
AC/DC - Audimax, Hamburg Oct. 1978 Motörhead - Markthalle, Hamburg Nov. 1980 Swans - Docks, Hamburg Sept. 1986 After Swans I had Tinitus for about 10 days and never went to another show without hearing protection.
Deftones - Memorial Coliseum, Portland 2009 Just ridiculously loud and distorted. So much so I almost felt their noise more than heard them.
Suicide supporting Iggy & the Stooges at Hammersmith Odeon in 2010. You wouldn't have thought it possible that two blokes and a keyboard could produced such an unholy racket, but I could feel my lungs caving in every time Martin Rev hit a note.
Loudness of concert doesn't = musical genre. One of the loudest shows I ever attended was RINGO STARR!
That is true of every Deftones show I've been to. It's more about the mood and the noise than actual "songs." Last time I saw them, I could not tell the songs apart until (some) choruses.
For me it was also Dinosaur Jr. Lee's Palace, Toronto, 2012. But the next time I saw them I just brought earplugs. And then realized I didn't need them. It actually depends on the venue and where you are within the venue. They are awesome live, so go see them if you can. Just bring earplugs and put them in if needed.
I'm a former working musician, and I've seen more concerts than I'll ever remember. I'm no stranger to the experience, and I'm sometimes the first person to complain when a band is too quiet and I can too easily hear people talking around me. But yeah, I've seen Dinosaur Jr seven or eight times, and they have always ranked among the loudest. The last time I saw them, in Oklahoma City, they were so loud it physically hurt. Seriously. My wife and I had to stand all the way back by the t-shirt booth just to tolerate the set. I'm a huge fan, so I've endured it over the years, but they play far above a defensible volume.
Ted Nugent at the Concert House in Stockholm 1976. Almost blew my head off. And my friend was squaling like a baby from pain.
I saw Dino Jr outdoors at a festival and didn't react at the volume. Every instrument came through clear.
My Bloody Valentine in Toronto, 2008. They gave away free earplugs and I recall someone saying the show's sound was presented with wearing those earplugs in mind.
Bruce Springsteen And the E Street Band Capitol Theatre NJ Second Night Sept of 1978. My friend and I had to scalp tix and got last row Orch for $25 each. Couldn't believe how loud it was...my ears joyously rang for 2 days afterward!! .......Never will forget it!!
Actually, the loudest show I ever attended was Parquet Courts at Atlanta’s Shaky Knees Festival back in 2018. The field they were in was surrounded by trees, which might’ve trapped the sound. We were midway towards the stage, but 20 seconds into the first song we headed towards the back.
Mentioned before but… The Swans at the Brixton academy Mogwai at the Brixton academy. The quietest. Queens of the Stone Age at Hyde park…
Aerosmith Rocks tour was possibly the loudest for me. Ted Nugent and Mahogany Rush opened so yeah, it was all loud but when Aerosmith came out it went to another level.
Motorhead / Alice Cooper Ottawa Feb. 14th 1988 We were right against the stage. My ears rang for 7 straight days. I definitely damaged my hearing. Great show! Bob Mould: Black Sheets of Rain tour Oct. 1990 Barrymore's in Ottawa Absolutely deafening. At the end of his set he placed his Strat on the speakers and it fed back for at least 5 minutes. My ears didn't ring as much Possibly the Ramones too!
Jack White Stage on Sixth 2012 or Jack White Bill Graham 2018. Both silly loud. More so than Tool, NiN, Maiden, Misfits, or White Zombie.
