Do you think prog shows are too loud (in average)

I can't vote, as I've only been to one prog-related concert, which would be a Genesis one.

They were just right though. But still, I can't vote until I see Yes, King Crimson, and a REUNION OF GABRIEL-ERA GENESIS.

The main problem is with the bass. My voice strings often can't stand too strong bass vibration and this sometimes even makes me cough.

The few concerts I've been were loud for me, but not painfully or loud enough to don't understand what is being played. Also, when you go to a metal or hard rock concert it has to be loud! It's a rule. I wouldn't imagine an over-distorted thrashy guitar played quietly. It gives more intensity to the music. 

heyitsthatguy wrote: rileydog22 wrote: MajesterX wrote: Finnforest wrote: Guys, they are all  too loud, seriously.  All rock concerts.  Don't get me wrong, I love them too and its great fun to get blasted.  I've seen hundreds of concerts.  But please wear hearing protection especially if  you're in a band too and practice loud.  There is NOTHING cool about hearing loss.  I have some loss and it sucks.  What you do in your teens and 20s may decrease how much you can enjoy music later in life.  Have fun, but protect your hearing.  I sound like a father hen.  I don't care.  Hearing loss blows.   I agree completely. I wish it was easier to even the sound out by putting speakers around the audience but there is delay and other factors involved, making it extremely difficult to. Personally I don't like that rumbling of the diaphragm due to the music, It makes me want to leave most of the time. I always wear ear protection, but often times the sound waves just don't make me feel good when played that loud. I had the unfortunate first rock concert experience of seeing Dream Theater in which half of the first set I did not have earplugs. The sound was distorting in my ears, it was terrible. I can't imagine people that don't wear hearing protection. When I saw Rush this summer my ears rung for a few hours after the concert with hearing protection. I think the best story was when I heard my friend say that he was at a drum clinic and the band handed out earplugs. What I don't get is while that is a great idea, why don't they just turn it down? BECAUSE DRUMS ARE F**KING LOUD AND DON'T HAVE KNOBS ON THEM.  you know, most concerts mike the drums

you know, they were talking about a drum clinic

rileydog22 wrote: MajesterX wrote: Finnforest wrote: Guys, they are all  too loud, seriously.  All rock concerts.  Don't get me wrong, I love them too and its great fun to get blasted.  I've seen hundreds of concerts.  But please wear hearing protection especially if  you're in a band too and practice loud.  There is NOTHING cool about hearing loss.  I have some loss and it sucks.  What you do in your teens and 20s may decrease how much you can enjoy music later in life.  Have fun, but protect your hearing.  I sound like a father hen.  I don't care.  Hearing loss blows.   I agree completely. I wish it was easier to even the sound out by putting speakers around the audience but there is delay and other factors involved, making it extremely difficult to. Personally I don't like that rumbling of the diaphragm due to the music, It makes me want to leave most of the time. I always wear ear protection, but often times the sound waves just don't make me feel good when played that loud. I had the unfortunate first rock concert experience of seeing Dream Theater in which half of the first set I did not have earplugs. The sound was distorting in my ears, it was terrible. I can't imagine people that don't wear hearing protection. When I saw Rush this summer my ears rung for a few hours after the concert with hearing protection. I think the best story was when I heard my friend say that he was at a drum clinic and the band handed out earplugs. What I don't get is while that is a great idea, why don't they just turn it down? BECAUSE DRUMS ARE F**KING LOUD AND DON'T HAVE KNOBS ON THEM.

you know, most concerts mike the drums

On average no the sound levels are just about right.  That said, one of the loudest concerts I ever attended was Focus in New York City (and it was an out door concert).

Zitro wrote: in average, do you think progressive rock/metal concerts are too loud for your enjoyment? just right? not loud enough? vote

I'm sure you meant "On average,....."; if not you could consult a phrase book.  In any case, you bring up a good point and some replies have already pointed out that wearing ear protection is important.  My physician friends have shown me actual pictures of ear middle and inner ear damage from live patients and cadavers.  Not only is it not pretty, much of the damage is permanent.  Technology is not going to come up with a fix for every mistake we make, in time for you to benefit from it.<p>

FYI&those who are interested in understanding: your ear drum transmits air pressure oscillations to tiny bones in the middle ear and finally to the inner ear,  the cochlea.  Tiny hairs in the cochlea pick up the pressure waves excited in the liquid-filled cochlea and transmit signals to the auditory nerve. Damage any of these from over-stressing them and you will know it.<p >

Yes it's a real thrill to crank up the volume, it gets you pumped; feeling the lows - especially - vibrate through your body is exciting.  However, as you get older, it's even a natural process (if you never push your hearing to the limit) that your perception of the upped range of frequencies WILL diminish, and the lower ranges do not improve to compensate, somehow.  So you're stuck with hearing loss as part of being human.  Don't rush it, wear foam ear plug protection at events and places where it's gonna be loud.<p>

It's interesting to note a personal experience, I saw Yes four times when they first started to play "in the round" and they seemed noticeably quieter  compared to the typical "wall of sound" so many bands design their speaker arrangements to be.  Ironically, it was the hysterical audience that was the real volume problem at those Yes shows, and they ranted through entire performances. <p>

So protect your ears, and play it cool at any rock concert so we can ALL enjoy it. 




Edited by convocation - September 30 2007 at 09:43

chopper wrote: I've been to some loud gigs in my time (e.g. Ted Nugent) but the prog gigs I've been to recently have been perfect. Actually, at the Anderson and Wakeman gig I went to,  I was distracted by someone talking behind me and the guy next to me fell asleep!

Don't get me started on Chastain Park in Atlanta.  It's an outdoor venue and rich people from the neighborhood get special tables up front and come to talk rather than listen to the band.  Annoying twits.  Pissed off more than a few performers as well as the audience that came to hear the music.  I haven't attended any shows there for years because of that.  The jerks really should be moved to the back where they belong.

What did you say? 

They are definitely too loud. I went to see Pelican and the support band were "These Arms Are Snakes" and they had the volume much too loud which meant that Pelican felt they had to have it that loud. My ears literally rang for 3 whole days. Russian Circles however had the volume just about right.
I'm going to see Mono soon and they are supposed to play stupidly loud so I might take earplugs.