Glastonbury - the first headphone supported festival

[miroslav]

Glastonbury to party in silence

Revellers at this year's Glastonbury Festival will be able to party through the night to music as loud as they want - without disturbing the neighbours

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After the noise curfew comes into force, music will be pumped into headphones given to clubbers, instead of speakers.

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Festival-goers at the dance tent will be given a free set of headphones complete with bass, volume and treble controls, meaning they can have the music as loud as they like.

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Somehow I don`t see this as a good idea. Think of those hundreds (thousands?) mostly young people blasting their ears with volumes pushed to max in the ecstatic atmosphere of such big music festivals. I don`t think that after a couple of beers, or smokes or whatever, many will be able to control the urge to turn the volume higher and higher. Somebody should warn the organizers in case the headphones are not limited to safe noise level outputs.

Otherwise, it would be fun to explore which headphone system they plan to use.

 

[pbirkett]

As someone who went myself a few years ago, I find this an unspeakably stupid idea. What a crock. Why would people want to go to a festival to sit and listen to headphones? Almost makes me glad I dont bother going anymore, that place lost its magic years ago IMO.

 

[jefemeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by miroslav Somehow I don`t see this as a good idea. Think of those hundreds (thousands?) mostly young people blasting their ears with volumes pushed to max in the ecstatic atmosphere of such big music festivals.

Not sure if you make it out to clubs/shows or not, but how is this any different than hanging out in front of a way-too-big speaker stack? I also agree that the concept sounds like a dumb idea in general.

 

[pbirkett]

One of my lingering memories was seeing Leftfield at Glasto in 2000, and feeling the earth shake with the bass from nearly a mile away

Cant exactly do that with headphones can ya

 

[blip]

Sounds dumb, but it would be pretty interesting to see. Also you could have some fun with it... send different songs to different headsets etc.

Kind of a cool statement about post-modern alienation and isolation as well. That even as we participate in a group event, we are isolated in our own worlds.

 

[Jahn]

Free cans? With EQ and volume on it? And pick up radio freq? Nice giveaway. They better look cool and be sturdy - anyone know anything about the makers - The system has been developed by a Dutch firm, which pioneered the "silent disco" at illegal parties as part of a travelling festival in the Netherlands.

 

[recstar24]

At the chicago metropolitan art museum, to celebrate the summer solstice, they basically throw a huge party where people can check everything out and dance and drink and listen to music from various dj's. They have an area outside where there is a dj, and people are all dancing, but the music is through headphones, you basically get a set of headphones, they're plugged in, extensions abound, and you put them on and listen to whatever the DJ is playing with about 50 other people all with headphones on and dancing. It was the weirdest thing i have ever seen, but they looked like they were having a lot of fun, but its weird to see a group of people dancing with headphones and only they can hear the music

 

[miroslav]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefemeister Not sure if you make it out to clubs/shows or not, but how is this any different than hanging out in front of a way-too-big speaker stack? I also agree that the concept sounds like a dumb idea in general.

Nope, I`m not a clubber (like the music though), tried it couple of times, didn`t like it for the exact reason of beeing way to loud for my taste, but when I`m at a live show, indoor or open, I never (or at least ever since I learned all important things about tinnitus thanx to this site) position myself too close to speaker stack. I see your point and I agree - there is no substantial difference between burning your ears with headphones or powerful speaker systems, but I`m just guessing that this "silnet disco" idea raises risk of turning more people into those irresponsible individuals who think that the best place to see and listen to the show is right in front the speakers. Ì would not be surprised to learn that some sort of safety measures regarding the headphone volume levels are incorporated into the system, but the article was rather explicit about revellers being able to "have the music as loud as they like".

Quote:

Kind of a cool statement about post-modern alienation and isolation as well. That even as we participate in a group event, we are isolated in our own worlds.

Quote:

One of my lingering memories was seeing Leftfield at Glasto in 2000, and feeling the earth shake with the bass from nearly a mile away Cant exactly do that with headphones can ya

I like these observations.

 

[individual6891]

I might be going to glastonbury this year!

Depends if I have enough money left from leeds fest.

I'll report how it goes!

 

[JeffL]

Heh, well, if you guys think you can only damage hearing with headphones, you've never stood in front of a speaker stack at full power.

It doesn't matter where the sound comes from, the SPL at the ear is what matters, and speakers can put out way more SPL than any headphones can, and likely ever will.

Most pro audio cabinets are capable of at least 120dBs with a fairly minimal amount of power, and we're not even talking about stacks.

 

[miroslav]

Quote:

Heh, well, if you guys think you can only damage hearing with headphones...

Nobody said anything like that.

I am just supposing that a drunk or stoned kid is potentially more likely to cause damage to his ears if you give him headphones with absolute control over listening levels, like it was suggested in the article above, comapred to a regular non-headphone party where, no matter how high or carried away the crowd goes, people behind the mix pult can always limit the noise output to safe levels for everyone, including those who would be happy to spend the entire night dancing in front of the speakers, regardless the consequences.

 

[blip]

The sheer power that pro-speaker arrays can put out is absolutely amazing. Just think about this, I've been told that a low-wattage for a small club/venue is around 3-5,000 watts. Now consider that many cabinets are around 110-120 dB sensitive. Put these two facts together and it is pretty obvious that a club system can pummel ears as hard, if not harder than a headphone system.

On the other hand, headphones can be particularly damaging because they put the speakers right up to your ears. That means that the volume level is constant. No working your way to the back of the crowd to take a break from the volume. No plugging your ears with kleenex, when the pounding gets too much. And, most importantly, outside of head-fi, few people associate headphones with hearing damage so they are far less likely to take precautions.

 

[[popple]]

I may be going to Glastonbury this year. If I do go, I'll be sure to try it out and tell you all how it went/who/how many people ran off with their ears bleeding.

 

[raymondlin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by individual6891 I might be going to glastonbury this year! Depends if I have enough money left from leeds fest. I'll report how it goes!

Huh ??? Glasto is BEFORE Leeds/Reading.

I went to glasto last year, i think this headphones idea won't work. A lot of the people in the dance tent will be high on one sort of drug or another, no way they'll be able to jump around with headphoens on their head.

 

[Jahn]

*everyone puts on their cans*

*everyone listens to the first tracks*

Silence.

*everyone says together*

"THIS SOUNDS LIKE CRAP!*

*Insert mass hysteria and mass can-crushing here*