[fallen angel]

Something I have thought many a time and openly discussed with a few musicians.
 
I love a live performance, love the immersion, love the feeling. Even that being so, I don't ever go to live performances. The reason being, they all play far too loud for me to enjoy the music. I've gone to a few concerts, unable to hear at the end even with ear protection. I've also been to a few friends performances locally, just the same.
 
One friend of mine is an extremely talented musician. I grew up with him and was in the school band with him years ago. He can play near anything put in front of him, sings beautifully and generally has a great ear. Go to a live performance, and I can't hear anything over the very LOUD and sloppy base. Another, and I end up getting a headache from the vocals being much too loud. I tend not to mention much to bands if I think the sound is off as I know it usually comes off the wrong way, but I had asked my good friend about it. He chalked it up to being part of the experience, kind of matter of factually - it is what it is. The music is great, when you hear it recorded. I've mentioned the same thing to my mother back when she was a singer in a local band, same thing, "it's what the people want."
 
I have had the pleasure of being to a very few performances where it was a great listening volume, majority of them being unplugged of course. Point being, I know that I and at least a group of other people would go to many more performances if the sound was dropped down below ear bleeding levels. I get that the name of the game is to create energy but why is it that most performances go as loud as possible before the cops arrive? I would think that venues would still fill up with people even if they could hear afterwards. Perhaps different people would show and those with hearing lose would not, but who would mind that tradeoff? You really want it that loud, go stand in front of the pa, let me keep what is left of my hearing and enjoy the music.

 

[Head Injury]

I usually prefer listening in the comfort of my home, at a volume I can tolerate.
 
When I do go to concerts (usually small ones, at cafes bars or conventions) I always bring my IEMs and wear them if things get too loud. I look like a dork, but at least I can hear after the show.

 

[Music Alchemist]

The only way to avoid that is to attend acoustic concerts where the only sounds being made are by the instruments themselves.

 

[Ruben123]

I went to a very famous musical in Europe. Millions went before me, and I disliked it. You couldnt even understand or hear what the singers sung. It was so much too loud. Painful experience, so I guess it hit the 125-130 dB.
 
Why...? I dont get it.

 

[castleofargh]

I'm also one to prefer music at home. the performance of a live can be great, but the music itself is usually bad and indeed too loud.
I never went to even a discotheque without ear plugs, because everything has always been too loud for me(even people actually ^_^). now I have some custom stuff that supposedly reduce the sound evenly but actually doesn't, it always roll off trebles a little more. the ethymotic stuff for music were nice too, and clearly better than basic earplugs to listen to music.

 

[fallen angel]

Guess I'm not alone in this. Considering all the times I've heard that some listeners goals were to get the headphones they were using to sound just like the music did live, I always have to wonder what they really mean by that. Classical would be the only country term to this I would think. Sit far enough back in the audience and it should be at a reasonable level? Unplugged even moreso,and I do see a lot of unplugged albums being mentioned on this site.

Don't even get me started on the people, if you aren't up front in an assigned seat, they spend the whole concert trying to get through you or stand where you're already standing. It's just not worth the experience. I would happily pay top top dollar for a performance with limited seating and sound set up in a way it can be enjoyed for the entirety of the performance.

Now that I think of it, kenny loggins did a stand up job when he performed up here several years ago. Shame he can't hit the same notes anymore.

 

[bufferoverflow]

And it's not only live music-performances, even most of the movies are way to loud these days ..
Maybe they are trying to prove the existence of 'The Brown Note' ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_note
 
Seriously, I believe it's largely caused by bass-heads who want to be able to feel the bass -
And maybe the fact that quite a few of the bands don't know how loud they are playing, because they have been doing it for so long that the damage is already done .
I also believe things have improved slightly the last ten years or so, as musicians have become more aware of the price they (and the audiences) pay for overly loud music .
A wall of (active) 100-Watt Marshall's and 4x12 cabs is a rare sight these days ..

 

[kraken2109]

As a live sound engineer in my spare time I guess most of you guys are either more sensitive than most people or go to bad shows. I tend to run stuff at around 100-105dB when possible.
 
However, small venues are normally the problem. Put a drum kit in a small venue and it's impossible to do a show quietly since even without drums in the PA you need to make other parts (like vocals) heard over them. Recently I did a pub gig that I will freely admit was too loud, but it was either than or have a crap mix where all you can hear is snare and cymbals. Don't even get me started on guitarists who refuse to turn their amps down.
 
Normally bigger shows are better since there's actually more control. It all depends on the experience and skill of the engineer.

 

[fallen angel]

Where about do you do the sound for these shows? If you were able to point me to one you were doing that would be within that 105db range, I would attend.

 

[kraken2109]

  Where about do you do the sound for these shows? If you were able to point me to one you were doing that would be within that 105db range, I would attend.

lol I'm a student in the UK doing that stuff on the side. I only do a few a year and they're mainly for university events. I worked at a festival at one point last year and because of nearby homes we had a the council enforcing a limit of 100dB. It was a punk stage and still sounded good.
 
Outside of small venues I don't know why some shows are so loud. Maybe the engineers are old and going deaf.

 

[fallen angel]

Well, there goes that idea, unless I take a trip across the pond at some point.

 

[Sonic Defender]

 
lol I'm a student in the UK doing that stuff on the side. I only do a few a year and they're mainly for university events. I worked at a festival at one point last year and because of nearby homes we had a the council enforcing a limit of 100dB. It was a punk stage and still sounded good.
 
Outside of small venues I don't know why some shows are so loud. Maybe the engineers are old and going deaf.

The type of venues you are doing aren't what I think most people are talking about here, or so I assume anyway. I have attended far too many concerts where not only is it too loud, but the sound quality is really poor as well. The last concert that I went to where I suffered I swore never again as my hearing is to important to me. That show was Billy Talent and Alexis On Fire. Before that it was a horrifically loud U2 concert where it actually hurt. And I listen to music quite loud as well as play the drums so I'm not overly sensitive. I actually pass on concerts now as I am trying to preserve what miraculously is still fairly good hearing. I do have mild tinnitus I think, but if so it is quite mild.

 

[castleofargh]

  The type of venues you are doing aren't what I think most people are talking about here, or so I assume anyway. I have attended far too many concerts where not only is it too loud, but the sound quality is really poor as well. The last concert that I went to where I suffered I swore never again as my hearing is to important to me. That show was Billy Talent and Alexis On Fire. Before that it was a horrifically loud U2 concert where it actually hurt. And I listen to music quite loud as well as play the drums so I'm not overly sensitive. I actually pass on concerts now as I am trying to preserve what miraculously is still fairly good hearing. I do have mild tinnitus I think, but if so it is quite mild.

I'm really a big fan of billy talent for some reason when I don't really like similar genres, but that band got me past the screams. still the only live recording I got my hands on was the 666dvd, and let's just say I'm glad I also have some studio albums. thinking of that at an overly loud level does scare me. and alexis on fire too loud... now I pity you mate. that must not be fun for long.

 

[Sonic Defender]

 
I'm really a big fan of billy talent for some reason when I don't really like similar genres, but that band got me past the screams. still the only live recording I got my hands on was the 666dvd, and let's just say I'm glad I also have some studio albums. thinking of that at an overly loud level does scare me. and alexis on fire too loud... now I pity you mate. that must not be fun for long.

Yes it was punishing, but both bands are excellent live. I thought Alexis On Fire was almost better than Billy Talent. I made it through, but I'm going to start wearing musicians ear plugs for crazy shows.

 

[kraken2109]

 
The type of venues you are doing aren't what I think most people are talking about here, or so I assume anyway. I have attended far too many concerts where not only is it too loud, but the sound quality is really poor as well. The last concert that I went to where I suffered I swore never again as my hearing is to important to me. That show was Billy Talent and Alexis On Fire. Before that it was a horrifically loud U2 concert where it actually hurt. And I listen to music quite loud as well as play the drums so I'm not overly sensitive. I actually pass on concerts now as I am trying to preserve what miraculously is still fairly good hearing. I do have mild tinnitus I think, but if so it is quite mild.

Yeah I'm not claiming to have done stadium shows. Most i've done is around the 2000 people mark.