Wearing Earplugs to Rock and Metal Gigs

Motley Crue

I've started wearing ear plugs to the odd gig, especially when I go and see new bands in small clubs, I've found with meetings the following morning and everything else life throws at you that it's wise not to have a ringing in your ears for 2 days due to a bad sound-man.

Does anyone else follow this practice, out of curiosity, and try some ear plugs during a concert....and if so, does it help?

Karl Hungus

Yep, ear plugs are generally a good idea. Sometimes I'm lazy and forget them though.

lord lucan

Never used them.

I'm hardcore!:D

Motley Crue

lord lucan wrote: »

I'm hardcore!:D

....and Deaf perhaps lol

Max Power1

Never once done it.

Ive been at a couple ('tallica marlay pk in 09 for instance) where the sound was so bad I wished I had though

Why pay to hear a gig through earplugs?

Catari Jaguar

I find the best viewing spot (that's also safest for a titch like me) is left or right of the stage at the front barrier. Though, this is usually where a huge speaker is, and though the vibrations do feel lovely, it can be a bit much on the ear drums. So ear plugs would be a good idea.... My inner ears were itching like crazy at that little Kyuss gig! :rolleyes:

tailgunner

I wear ear plugs to gigs all the time. I get the occasional strange look, which I naturally assume is due to jealousy.

Max Power1 wrote: »

Why pay to hear a gig through earplugs?

If you wear decent ones, it can sound a lot better.

lord lucan

Motley Crue wrote: »

....and Deaf perhaps lol

Speak up,i can't hear you!:pac:

DazMarz

WHAT?!?!



Nope, never used them, and I listen to my iPod at full blast constantly... yet during check-ups my hearing is a-ok.... No idea how!!!

hellyeah

wear them to most indoor gigs, especially when support acts are on and im not to bothered about them. had a medical a few years back and the doc went mad about the loss i have suffered as a result of going to gigs.
dont notice much day to day but in a busy pub or canteen it can be hard to filter some noise out. enjoy gigs more with the plugs to be honest.:D

ride-the-spiral

Due to Machine Head I'm going to start, haven't been to a gig since then though so I haven't tried.

scudzilla

Don't normally bother but will start, depending on Band and size of venue.

Won't bother for Maiden at The Point in 2 weeks but i will for Limp Bizkit at the Olympia

Pauleta

I always forget. I have a lot of deafness in my family so its something i need to get in the habit off for indoor gigs in smaller venues. The quality of the music is actually better with plugs in. If im going to a gig for a band i really like then im not bothered. Put the volume up to 11

Angron

Never bothered, I had no need to. Only gig that really affected my hearing, though it was just short term, was Machine Head back in February. Damn that was loud.

lord lucan

Denny M wrote: »

Never bothered, I had no need to. Only gig that really affected my hearing, though it was just short term, was Machine Head back in February. Damn that was loud.

I think everyone in the Olympia that night had their ears blown out!!

Pyr0

earplugs mainly reduce a lot of the excess treble from the sound afaik, I haven't worn them myself but I'm sure its similar to covering your ears.

Nightwish

Its the done thing on the continent, and if you dont wear them you get funny looks. That said, I never wear them.

Angron

Curse the continent, and their trends. I'll just never be hip to their groove

Oral Slang

Have been wearing them for a good few years to most gigs.

My mam is partially deaf in both ears & while its not directly related to listening to loud music (even though she goes to more gigs than me), I really don't want to lose my hearing over something that can be avoided!

Mr. CooL ICE

/looks at Nightwish funny

Sometimes it improves the sound of a gig. At Slayer in the marquee, the sound was ****e and I was actually more able to hear what was being played by putting my hands over my ears. If I had earplugs for that gig, it would have been much better.

That said, I've never worn them, but wouldn't rule out the possibility of bringing them along in ther future

Mushy

I've crap hearing as it is, and keep meaning to bring them to gigs. Like others I can imagine it being like covering your ears, where it can actually sound much better. Would also depend on the band. When I see Porcupine Tree, I won't use them. If its much heavier, I easily will.

Motley Crue

Denny M wrote: »

Never bothered, I had no need to. Only gig that really affected my hearing, though it was just short term, was Machine Head back in February. Damn that was loud.

You might not believe it but the sound in Newcastle was louder...that was what prompted me to start wearing them

Sepultura in Newcastle last night was so much better as a result

Hockney

Denny M wrote: »

Never bothered, I had no need to. Only gig that really affected my hearing, though it was just short term, was Machine Head back in February. Damn that was loud.

Yeah it was bordering on criminal that night in fairness. You shouldn't have to bring fvcking PPE to a music gig. Cabbages.

I'm convinced it's done me permanent damage, I still hear a high pitched ringing in a quiet room, had a hearing test just before it so I must get it redone and see.

Anyway I'll be packing them from now on, anyone got any recommendations on decent earplugs with filter out the bad stuff (like Rob Flynns pointless feedback), and don't take from the overall sound much?

hellyeah

^ i use the throw away yellow sponge ones if that makes sense.
you can pick up a pack of 20 on amazon for about a fiver.:D
loudest gig i was at was def lepard at the olympia about 10 years ago.
serious damage done there.:mad: one of the first gigs i ever went to.
cant understand why bands have to play so loud that its un-comfortable.

ozzy jr

If it's too loud, you're too old.

Ear plugs :rolleyes: ffs lads, get a grip will ya. You'll be wearing shades next because of those bright lights they sometimes have at gigs.

blastman

Nightwish wrote: »

Its the done thing on the continent, and if you dont wear them you get funny looks. That said, I never wear them.

True, I saw AC/DC in Germany a couple of weeks ago and I was surprised at how many people were wearing them.

I have a pair but I've yet to bring them to a gig. Might start bringing them just in case. I think the damage has already been done though, pretty much since Motorhead in '83

Zombienosh

After said machine head gig i always make sure to have a pair in my pocket incase theyre stupidly loud.

How much money would people make if they had a stand selling disposable ones for a few quid?

Einstein

all you peeps that don't wear ear plugs at gigs and say its better...well ye know that ringing that lasts till the next morning?..thats the onset of tinnitus due to the exposure to frequencies that aren't meant to be exposed to us at that kind of volume.

Your damaging your hearing...simple as....

I've often worn earplugs to nightclubs...more subtle white silicone ones though...I'm also a drummer to a little more wary of my hearing...and I have no doubt htat I've done my ears damage over the years...

Its just not worth it...

nacho libre

I'll have you know I still have the hearing of an owl and the reflexes of a mongoose after years of going to gigs and listening to music at a loud volume:p

Zombienosh

nacho libre wrote: »

I'll have you know I still have the hearing of an owl and the reflexes of a mongoose after years of going to gigs and listening to music at a loud volume:p

what was that?:pac:

Irish Halo

Not wearing ear plugs at a gig? You are doing it wrong. They improve the sound and mean you will be going to gigs and listening to music for a lot longer. This idea it is metal and/or hard to go deaf as early as possible is retarded. To be fair I don't really care what others do but jaysus get proper headphones for your digital music player, tinny versions of all types of music are ****

Also these?
http://www.safewearuk.com/big_pics%5Cfoam_ear_plugs.jpg
Crap, they just reduce the noise and muffle the sound, don't bother

A pair of these (or similar) are worth their weight in gold:
http://thereisnobox.scullionsoftware.com/shops/productimages/1/5e811d2b-00d0-4c9c-99ee-e2a232bbf25e.jpg

I buy them from http://www.allearplugs.com but I know HMV do branded versions here in the UK for £10 if you want to get 'em in a shop but have no idea how good they are or if Irish HMV's do 'em.

entropi

Never used them myself, hearing is pretty alright and the only time I've had any hearing problems were after Muse in Marlay '08 (in that sweet spot where the subs blow your ears off) and at Metallica in Marlay '09...same crowd spot actually lol, 4 rows from centre stage:pac:

I wonder how the ears will be after Sepultura on Sunday:D

Padraig Mor

Had ringing ears for about a week after Napalm Death in the red Box in 2000-ish.

TangyZizzle

Master of Nothing wrote: »

I wonder how the ears will be after Sepultura on Sunday:D

Im using this gig as a test actually, I remember comin out of the Kyuss gig for a smoke and barely hearing a girl say "My ears havent even popped yet!," ... "bollocks," I thought..

My ears were ringin for a good three days after that one, althought I did spend the whole of the Howlin Widow set, standing right in front of the bass drum.. So yeah, lets see how it goes

deman

I wore them for the first time when I went to see ACDC in Tampere last month. Was surprised at how well and clearly I could hear the music. And it also blocked out the noise of people standing around me trying to sing. And the BIG plus was no ringing in the ears afterwards.

bnt

ozzy jr wrote: »

If it's too loud, you're too old.

Ear plugs :rolleyes: ffs lads, get a grip will ya. You'll be wearing shades next because of those bright lights they sometimes have at gigs.

If these gigs sound normal to you, you must be as deaf as the bloke behind the mixing desk. It's a vicious circle that explains why the sound is so crap these days. I learned my lesson with Black Sabbath at Sun City in 1987, so earplugs it is. They're my ears, and if anyone want to laugh at me, at least I'll be able to hear them laugh.

inkyglide

I think one of the loudest bands I ever saw was Motorhead. I was deaf for like 2 weeks after that gig lol.

stateofflux

about a third of the gigs i go to in dublin are well over legal decibel levels, the other third are too low.and the rest are just right...e.g. soulfly in academy was perfect...

im in a band so i got the silcone moulded plugs (e150) in bonovox....they are good cos they lower vol rather than muffle (like the foam ones) it and they have saved my hearing a couple of times....

entropi

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Im using this gig as a test actually, I remember comin out of the Kyuss gig for a smoke and barely hearing a girl say "My ears havent even popped yet!," ... "bollocks," I thought..

My ears were ringin for a good three days after that one, althought I did spend the whole of the Howlin Widow set, standing right in front of the bass drum.. So yeah, lets see how it goes

So how are the ears today then? Mine are grand lol! It was a good test for ya anyway:pac:

Pittens

If you suffer from tinnitus you are suffering ear damage.

Anyone use these earpugs ( the high fidelity ones) in loud pubs - does it make it easier, or harder, to hear people talk.

TangyZizzle

Master of Nothing wrote: »

So how are the ears today then? Mine are grand lol! It was a good test for ya anyway:pac:

I was grand after that night, the lad behind the sound table got it spot on :cool:

Useful.Idiot

my tinnitus is fairly bad, practice drumming all the time in a small room and listen to music at fairly high volumes. when i go to sleep all i can hear is EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...all the time.

so yes ear plugs are most definitely on the agenda!

grimm2005

I've been going to more and more concerts over the past couple of years, and particularly this summer, in fairly close proximity (Airbourne, Dropkicks, KISS, Pearl Jam, Slash, Maiden) and am always very close to the front or at the front. Before I've always treated the ringing as a temporary problem that lasts a day but ever since maybe PJ, when I go to bed and all is quiet I can hear a light ringing from my left ear and so I've become pretty concerned about it and will definitly be picking up a pair before the next concert.
The worst thing is about maybe 2 months earlier I had a saftey training day for work (stage crew stuff) and the guy giving the talk mentioned the ringing and said it can become permanent and that with some people it became so bad that there have been suicides over it, just not being able to cope with the constant ringing but of course I didn't listen.

I always assumed wearing plugs would defeat the point of the gig altogether but reading peoples' posts here it seems I'm wrong and then you can still have a quality experience with them.

I don't have anything coming up till October now but where would you get a decent pair (online or off) and how much would they set you back?

itarumaa

My brother has a band and I was visiting their place to hear some live music, and they do play quite loud.

I put the yellow, cheap plugs in my ears and yes, they do work but they also cut quite much of the sounds away, I was about 1 meter from my brother, who played guitar and I did not hear anything what he was playing,

so between the songs I took them away and was able to hear properly, but the power of the sound did not do any good to my ears tough, good thing is that no permanent damage.

However I have heard that proper earplugs do wonders and for instance Iron Maiden at 02 arena was a bit too loud for me, so ear plugs would be nice.

If I would visit gigs more often, I would definitely get a proper ear plugs, damaging your hearing for some band is not really worth of doing.

Motley Crue

grimm2005 wrote: »

I don't have anything coming up till October now but where would you get a decent pair (online or off) and how much would they set you back?

You could get a pair of disposable ear plugs for pocket money, and provided your not using them for swimming, you can probably use them for 4 or 5 gigs each...maybe more...you get about 3 in a pack. Check Boots, standard Orange ear plugs, would be your best bet and do actually work. You don't need to go into debt for this

Zombienosh

yeah for about a fiver i get a pack of 3 in the chemist.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quies-Protection-Auditive-Earplugs-35dB-3/dp/B001E5CF3K

Those ones there, they work grand.

K.Flyer

Useful.Idiot wrote: »

my tinnitus is fairly bad, practice drumming all the time in a small room and listen to music at fairly high volumes. when i go to sleep all i can hear is EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...all the time.

so yes ear plugs are most definitely on the agenda!

It never seemed to be a problem for me when I was young, now that I'm a bit older I wish I had used earplugs more often as I have that high pitched noise permanantly going on, even if I haven't been to a gig in a while.

grimm2005

Motley Crue wrote: »

You could get a pair of disposable ear plugs for pocket money, and provided your not using them for swimming, you can probably use them for 4 or 5 gigs each...maybe more...you get about 3 in a pack. Check Boots, standard Orange ear plugs, would be your best bet and do actually work. You don't need to go into debt for this

ah ok, are they the sort of squishy ones? I thought they would have been too cheap and would distort the sound too much but I guess not. I've seen them backstage at a few gigs i've worked but never bothered to try them.

Thanks!

Diabhal_Glas

ride-the-spiral wrote: »

Due to Machine Head I'm going to start, haven't been to a gig since then though so I haven't tried.

That was one if not the loudest gig i was ever at (great acoustics IMO), I saw them in Belfast the following night and and it wasn't that loud.

bigbadbear

Loud gigs killed my hearing. Im young free and sin......SORRY WHAT DID
YOU SAY??? I wear them and so should everyone. you can get special gig ones made for bout €100

CMpunked

Anyone got any recommendations for where to buy some good gig earplugs in Dublin?
I would pick up ones in a local chemist but they look like glorified cotton buds without the plastic stick.