That’s probably true. I was also at that show, and was surprised by how clean the sound was for the volume they were playing at.
Metallica in Melbourne. They brought in their own 360 speaker rig and sat it in the middle of the Tennis Centre. The difference in sound level between the support band and them was 1-11 haha. The first note blew everyone off their chairs. It was however also the cleanest sound I've ever heard.
I'd agree with this. The loudest show I've seen was Dickey Betts solo band at a casino showroom. People were stuffing napkins in their ears. No idea why anyone thought that was a good idea!
Agree. 2 of the loudest shows I ever saw were Stones Atlantic City 1989 and Prince Warner Theater 1993. Stones had been all stadiums and then they went into a relatively small arena. Prince had been all arenas and then he went into the 2000-seat Warner. Neither seemed to understand they needed to turn down the volume!
I once observed a Concert from a Thai band in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. It was an outdoor concert and everybody was pretty close to the stage. There was a tower of speakers about 30 feet high either side of the stage and a row of subbies at ground level the full width of the stage! I was about 100 feet back from the stage and the sound pressure from the subbies near blew me into the people behind me. I didn't really care for the music so much, however the goosebumps, neck sweats and shivers overawed me. The decibels were 747 level PLUS but weren't ear splitting as they blended perfectly with the vibes coming from the speakers. At the end of it.. you walked away into the silence feeling satisfied but empty, like something is missing... (besides part of your hearing!). Loved it!
Back in the early 90s, my sister took me to a concert to see a female metal band, 'Ice age.' Horrendous.
Worst might've been the all-day long indoor metal festivals played in small rooms with concrete floors and walls. I was young and dumb, so I didn't have earplugs and also stood right next to the speakers. No one was standing next to them and as a naive teen I didn't realize why since it was close enough to the stage to get a good view. Otherwise the rooms were pretty packed, but I should've just stood in the back, far away from the speakers and stage. But I was clearly an idiot. Those fests were like 12+ hours per day and I remember yelling and not being able to hear much at all in a quiet room afterwards.
Johnny Winter,85, beacon theater. It was so loud I was afraid to take my fingers out of my ears. Great show, though. Jorma opened. He Closed with Junkies..... Jack Bruce October 88, Bayshore li. He came on at 3:30 a m. After, my ear drums were popping. Pat Thrall was his guitarist that tour.. EC guested a week later at the bottom line. Mick Taylor guested the next night. He opened up Bayshore with First time I met the blues. It no wonder I have a raging tinitus... I read Pete Townshend saying how he feels guilty about helping create a genre that destroying people hearing.
The 2nd show that GN'R played at Hammerstein Ballroom in 2006. GN'R with 3 guitars in a small theater. It was ridiculously loud. So much energy and fun though. Played from 11:15pm or so til 2am. I didn't care - loved Axl for it. Took almost a week for my ears to feel normal again though.
This. I knew the reputation, so came prepared with plugs and really enjoyed the show. A friend of mine saw them a year later at the same venue and didn’t heed my warnings. He had to leave early on in their set.
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. If I remember correctly, it was their first US tour after opening for Sabbath, and so they were primed for playing much bigger outdoor spots. In 30-some yesrs of punk, hardcore, and metal shows small and large, I never experienced anything so punishingly loud.
ELO at the forum during the New World Records tour. So loud my ears were hurting. Never expected it from them. Was praying for softer tune like “Strange Magic” or “Telephone Line”. But those were incredibly loud as well. Couldn’t believe it. Great concert, volume aside.
Zappa plays Zappa, about 10 years ago in Melbourne. I was right at the back of the auditorium, but I wished I had bought ear plugs. And I'm sure that while they were loud, there are a lot of bands that would be louder. I understand why loud volume is attractive. However, I don't get why they need to go to the vert extreme levels beyond very loud, it's only damaging the ears of the very people who sustain the artist's careers.
I see Living Colour have had a few mentions. I saw them at Colston Hall in Bristol and had to leave! It was unbearably loud. Had been looking forward to seeing them too.
Ramones. I love their records but live it was just painfully loud. They were playing in a gymnasium with cinder block walls. The cacophony was bouncing and echoing from all directions.
My mate Dave who I see down the pub every couple of weeks claimed that when he saw Motorhead in the 80's he was totally deaf for 3 whole weeks after the gig. He also claimed that the guy he went with, Tony, his right ear was actually totally blown off by the volume and he never found it in the mosh pit so he lost his right ear forever.
