[QUOTE=LawMonkey
So aside from the “looking like a dork” thing, I’m concerned that the muffled sound will dampen my enjoyment of the evening. Has anyone else done this–worn hearing protection at a rock n’ roll show? How was the experience? [/QUOTE]
I went to sooo many rock shows in my younger days. Here’s the free way to be responsible: stuff about 1/3 of a toliet paper sheet in each ear (amount may vary). Sometimes it even improves the sound. The real point, though, is that I never had that deaf feeling at the end, if I’d been using those. I still seem to hear just about like everyone else.
After 5+ years of having a heavy metal band in my livingroom, I can tell you I sorely wish I had used ear protection. I did the last two or so, but the three did their toll.
Wear your earplugs, worry about looking like a dork later.
I put my first pair of earplugs in for a Metallica concert. Looking like a dork? I don’t think so. I have long hair and wore it down, and besides, who’s looking at my ears? It’s a rock concert. They’re looking at the stage or at their significant partner or at someone far more outrageous than me. Wear the plugs, enjoy the show.
Your hearing is more important than your image. I always either wear plugs or at least stuff some tissue in my ears. My dad was about half-deaf by the time I was born (from working in a loud factory), and I don’t want to wind up the same way.
I would just like to say, as a former sound engineer, that while I can’t fault anyone for using hearing protection, IMHO occasional and relatively brief exposure to high decibel levels is unlikely to result in permanent hearing loss. From all that I’ve read on the subject (and I was concerned enough about my own hearing to use protection occasionally back in the 1970s when I was mixing) it’s regular exposure over a long period of time that does the real damage. My father rode the NYC subway to school every day and his hearing above about 2,000 Hz is pretty much shot.
But my understanding is that the ears can easily recover from occasional exposure to loud sounds. So coming away from a concert with your ears ringing every couple of months probably won’t mean deafness or tinnitus by 50. Of course, it’s different if you go to concerts every night.
So if you’d rather not use protectors, you’ll probably be fine, as long as you don’t make a major habit of it.
But if, after reading what everyone else has said, you feel like using earplugs, then by all means.
ETA: I just saw the line in the OP about the slight existing damage and tinnitus. Forget what I said. Use the damn earplugs!
Hmm… Maybe it was the years of shooting without hearing protection that caused the problems instead of the concerts. Nah, how can I not blame 80’s hair metal?
I don’t wear earplugs but I do tend to plug my ears with my fingers ALOT during concerts. I get strange looks, but most people thank me after they try it. It makes the music sound ALOT better. Much clearer, get’s rid of alot of the distortion and I can hear the vocals and individual instruments much better. On top off all that, as counter-intuitive as it is, I can actually talk to the person next to me and hear what they are saying much easier.
I’m getting some of those high-fidelity plugs. Thanks for the tip.
I saw Rage Against the Machine back in '97 and they were turned up so loud I didn’t hear one word the singer sang or one note on the guitar. Worst show I ever saw.
My dad has been a jet mechanic for 35 years and has never worn ear protection. Needless to say I know how important it is.
The way I understand it, if you’ve exposed your ears to a sound loud enough to make them ring afterwards, you’ve done permanent hearing damage. Maybe a couple of concerts in a lifetime won’t make that big a difference, but concerts aren’t your only exposure, and some of us (like me and my family) have congenitally bad eyesight, and the chance of losing two of my favourite senses is not appealing to me.
I haven’t read anything about this in a while, but my latest understanding was that commasense is right and occasional concerts do not do permanent hearing damage.
But since I ride the subway every day, I guess I’m screwed either way.
Another vote FOR earplugs. Here’s the poster for My First Ever Rock Show! Mom dropped me off early, so I got a good seat. Right on the front row! At one point, I was jammed up against an amp. (The Moving Sidewalks was Billy Gibbon’s pre-ZZ Top band.)
Later years put me in several music venues–as customer & waitress. (And occasional Bar Band Groupie!) Lotsa fine music, but definite damage. (I do resent the 2 evenings serving beer to Ted Nugent fans–there was no upside.
Haven’t gotten the numbers on hearing loss–but there’s definitely tinnitus. Will definitely invest in some fine earplugs before my next BIG show. In the meantime–those little napkins work fine for small clubs. No, I don’t mind looking dorky.
Wow - how cool is that?! Well, I suppose the only thing that would’ve been cooler is if it was with Hendrix - I know the Sidewalks opened for Jimi at least once; he supposedly complimented the Good Reverend Willy G. on his playing - and gave him a pink Strat, which Billy now has sitting next to Pearly Gates and other amazing guitars in his collection.
Lost some of your hearing to the Noodge, eh? Yeah, sorry, kinda not worth it!
I have played for decades and never suffered appreciable hearing loss. Then I was wrestling with my then-2-year-old daughter and she squealed in my ear - LOUDLY. I heard a pop and my hearing in that ear has never been the same - I have to use ear plugs or I feel pain in the ear with loud noises…
So if it isn’t the Noodge, it’s your kid - or the subway. There’s always something…
I was at Blue Man Group over the weekend. I was wearing foam earplugs that provide (IIRC) -28 dB suppression, and it STILL wasn’t enough for me. Maybe my ear was just hypersensitive that day, as this strength usually works well for me.
If the concert is any good, people will be watching the stage and not your ears, IMnshO.
what someone needs to do is create an mp3 thats about 8 hours long (or a short one and just put it on repeat) that contains nothing but a high pitched faint whine.
then you can just put this track on your ipod and leave it playing for the rest OF YOUR LIFE.
yeah the ringing in my ears never stops ever, if it did I would probably wonder what the hell just happened.
for me it was some concerts but I wear and have worn earplugs to most of the shows I have been to. I think most of mine came from my stereo in my car. way to loud way to often.
I dont know what idiot would think you were a dork for wearing earplugs but if thats the way they feel then they dont have an opinion worth worrying about anyway.
I dunno man…At my first rock show, I was stoked becaused I was in the front row- Right next to a speaker as tall as I am. I had no idea it would be that loud, and I didn’t think about the damage. My left ear has never been the same, and I have had tinnitus since that time. I guess it depends on the person.
