Wearing Earplugs to Rock and Metal Gigs

Coburger

tailgunner wrote: »

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



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

I've worn ear plugs to gigs for the last 10 years and it's so much better. The idea that you can't hear with ear plugs is completely wrong - the sound quality is just as good and you hear everything.

If you take the ear plugs out during a song it is suddenly deafening.

A fact I heard several years ago which I take to be true, if you are at an indoor rock gig, your hearing is never as good as what it was before after 1o minutes without ear plugs!!!! Why destroy your ears??

Is1ldur

Picked up a couple of pairs. Are you supposed to put the cover thing, with the string, over the ear plug? Or does it matter? Sorry if that is as stupid a question as it sounds!

Joe_Dull

I'll be wearing mine at Fighting With Wire tomorrow night! Anyone else heading down?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG7kU5J9oUQ

sxt

Is1ldur wrote: »

Picked up a couple of pairs. Are you supposed to put the cover thing, with the string, over the ear plug? Or does it matter? Sorry if that is as stupid a question as it sounds!

No, the string is just for putting around your neck and keeping them together after you have used them , or want to chat to someone

ThunderApple

I sometimes wear earplugs in small clubs with bad sound and I always take earplugs when I go the festivals. 3 days of mega loud music is not good for my ears nowdays. Hm... am I getting old?

CMpunked

ThunderApple wrote: »

I sometimes wear earplugs in small clubs with bad sound and I always take earplugs when I go the festivals. 3 days of mega loud music is not good for my ears nowdays. Hm... am I getting old?

Absolutely! :pac:

Nah, your just getting sensible.

Shtanto

Hi all,
Not unlike some folks, I get super dizzy in noisy environments. Cotton wool works well. Are there any places selling custom fit earplugs? Mastodon is coming up, and I quite like not-insanely-loud metal. Quite loud is quite enough for me :pac:

Joe_Dull

Nope, but I'd highly recommend these puppies. They're fairly cheap, lower the volume enough to avoid tinnitus and the best part is they're all but invisible.

(I was getting a lot of stick at gigs having ER-20s poking out of my head like antennae :pac:)

ride-the-spiral

I find it so irritating that we have to even have this thread... I went t Cynic back in December, and they were just the most perfectly volumed band I've ever seen. No need for ear plug and the sound was amazing. Alas, it's the only gig I can say that about. Stupid sound engineers...

Joe_Dull

ride-the-spiral wrote: »

I find it so irritating that we have to even have this thread... I went t Cynic back in December, and they were just the most perfectly volumed band I've ever seen. No need for ear plug and the sound was amazing. Alas, it's the only gig I can say that about. Stupid sound engineers...

Hear hear!

CMpunked

Joe_Dull wrote: »

Hear hear!

WHAT?!

Undergod

ride-the-spiral wrote: »

I find it so irritating that we have to even have this thread... I went t Cynic back in December, and they were just the most perfectly volumed band I've ever seen. No need for ear plug and the sound was amazing. Alas, it's the only gig I can say that about. Stupid sound engineers...

I found that gig a bit loud! I bring earplugs whenever I remember.

NIBBS

Joe_Dull wrote: »

Nope, but I'd highly recommend these puppies. They're fairly cheap, lower the volume enough to avoid tinnitus and the best part is they're all but invisible.

(I was getting a lot of stick at gigs having ER-20s poking out of my head like antennae :pac:)

does that site really do free shipping Joe ?

Joe_Dull

NIBBS wrote: »

does that site really do free shipping Joe ?

Hmm... no, shipping wasn't free now that I think about it. Still though, the lot came to around €15 including a spare third earplug. Not a bad deal I'd say?

CMpunked

Joe_Dull wrote: »

Hmm... no, shipping wasn't free now that I think about it. Still though, the lot came to around €15 including a spare third earplug. Not a bad deal I'd say?

How long does delivery take?
Also, how far into the ear canal to they push in to get the best use out of? I've a bit of a father jack situation at the moment with my earwax and docs wont syringe it out yet so dont want risk pushing it in with earplugs.

Joe_Dull

CMpunked wrote: »

How long does delivery take?
Also, how far into the ear canal to they push in to get the best use out of? I've a bit of a father jack situation at the moment with my earwax and docs wont syringe it out yet so dont want risk pushing it in with earplugs.

About a week if I remember correctly. Well, that's sort of up to you but I wouldn't really worry - they're quite small, so it's just a matter of pushing them in till it's comfortable. All I'll say is exercise restraint because if you go hell for leather they can brush off your eardrum which is pretty damn painful.

Moral of the story: be sensible and they'll work like a charm.

senordingdong

Agreed. Definitely makes the gig sound better..

Ian the bassist

I never have worn them myself. I have put the giant earmuffs over my ears to see what it sounds like during a band rehearsal, it cuts the bass volume and cymbal noise considerably. So I'm not a fan of them ;P But I would consider getting ones that protect your ears, but don't sacrifice the sound of the gig. They cost a bomb though. Few hundred quid. Permanent ear plugs. You keep them forever (or at least till they stop working) I know a guy who had them. Everyone thinks he's wearing a hearing aid. haha

acidskiffle

My right ear has been fecked since Smashing Pumpkins a few years back.
Constant tinnitus.
Would advise anyone going to a rock gig to bring a pair.

scudzilla

When i was younger i couldn't give a rats, stood by the speakers at a few gigs and the ringing died down after a day (Apart from Motorhead which lasted a week!!)

Nowadays i'll wear earplugs at a smaller gig where the PA could be a bit loud (A metal band at The Olympia), my hearing means more to me now than it did when i was a 20yr old metalhead who thought he was gonna live forever.

Also, i THINK it's a legal obligation for a venue to give out earplugs (just the cheap ones mind) at a gig, if you developed Tinitus and asked for, and were denied earplugs, then the promoter could be sued....for a lot

Cill94

No offense to anyone on here but you're a fool if you don't wear earplugs to gigs. Unless you don't mind going deaf of course. But going deaf is one thing. Getting tinnitus in even one ear means you have a ringing noise (sometimes permanent, I know 3 people with it who are under 25) in your ear that can drive you insane.

I think it's kind of a disgrace that venues here don't at least hand out cheap foam earplugs at the door. Like someone said at the start of this page, the majority of people on the continent wear them. You can get a good quality pair for 40 quid in shops, like Music Maker in town. And as has also been mentioned, earplugs usually improve the sound of the band as it cuts out any superfluous racket.

tomasdoyle

At the bigger gigs in Sweden there's lots of people selling them. Seems the norm there. Personally I don't wear them, but, then again I do notice I'm a lot more deaf than I once was.

Agree with previous poster,, sometimes it clarifies the sound if too close too speakers.

CMpunked

Heading to blink 182 tomorrow night and have a pair of the HMV er20s that i havent used yet.
Whenever i've used earplugs at gigs before they've been the foam ones that you just shove in and let expand in your ear. But these ones obviously arent inserted like that.

I put them in there a second ago but not sure if i have them in right. Anyone got any advice?

They look near exactly like these:

Cill94

CMpunked wrote: »

I put them in there a second ago but not sure if i have them in right. Anyone got any advice?

Twist and push slowly. It hurts at first but keep on pushing them slowly and steadily until they're all in the way in (should only be the plastic bit sticking out I believe).

old gregg

bedlam wrote: »

Instructions on how to use them here

To ease insertion, moisten the plug

senordingdong

Handles on them....tidy.

StaticAge11

Wore standard earplugs that I got from a music shop to Machine Head 2 weeks ago. Sound was perfect and my ears are eternally grateful as we were up the front right in front of the wall of speakers. Definitely going to bring earplugs to every Olympia gig from now on

RonyPonyBah

Had a pair of Er-20's in for Blink last night and i would advise them to anyone. Been using the Er-20's since muse back in 09 so they've seen a lot of gigs and my ears are thankful

Woodward

Ever since I went to a Dragonforce gig (cringe) a few years ago I have started wearing them. I have developed mild tinnitus so I'd rather be safe than sorry

Joe_Dull

Just back from Metaltown in Gothenburg this weekend. Roughly 60% of the crowd had ear protection of some kind in, and there were attendants all over the place selling plugs. It was refreshing to see so many people treating their hearing with respect (versus the tits at Irish gigs who give you grief for doing so).