Loud concerts - what is wrong with me?

[austinsailor]

Got a question. Many of you are similar ages as me, 67.

Seems like most music events I've gone to lately are so loud it hurts.

About an hour ago my wife and I went to a Vince Gill concert. I love his music, I first saw him live in 1983 at his first Austin City Limits recording. I was in the audience. I have many of his CDs.

I made 2 songs and had to bail. Took my ears half an hour to stop ringing. My wife is still there. Guess I'll have to pick her up in a little bit. She probably won't be able to hear anything I say until tomorrow.

There was no reason for it to be building rattling loud. If the noise was that loud in my business I'd get fined big bucks. I'm not sure why the other 500 or so people stayed. Maybe they all blew out their hearing years ago - at concerts.

I just ordered a decibel meter. Next time I'll know just how loud it is.

What am I missing?

Gene

[Don Coatney]

I think you are missing ear plugs. Plus the 25 bucks you spent to attend.

[austinsailor]

I've tried ear plugs before. What's the point? If I want to hear a muffled rumble I can just put a record on a bad stereo.

Guess I just need to pass on concerts after this.

Sad part is, I thought Vince would play some nice music where that wouldn't be a problem.

Oh, well.

[ptwothree]

Could be the difference in venues.  Indoor basketball arenas are the worst.  

[Niel Hoback]

    As a 70 year-old on his second week of two new hearing aids, I can advise you to avoid close-up seating at concerts altogether.  Home and car sound systems are good enough for anyone. They too, can wreck your ears if that's what you really want. 

[Niel Hoback]

     That's a shame too, because Vince Gill does some good stuff.  I kind of got away from him when he stopped playing bluegrass.  Vince Gill and Patty Loveless are the best duo I've heard since Lulu Belle and Scotty.  But, that's what they make CD's for.

[Don Coatney]

What did you say?

[Niel Hoback]

   I SAID, YOU'RE NEXT IN LINE FOR HEARING AIDS!

[Lumpy]

It's not just you. It's just the way it's done now, and no one dares to be different and use a more reasonable sound level. What most people expect, and they'd complain if it wasn't maximum loudness. Many musicians believe that it "has to be loud", or the fans won't like it, or they won't make money if they don't play it "loud". It's a mentality really. Some musicians have told me that at certain places, certain audiences, it doesn't matter what they play, or how good they play, just so it's "loud". Again...a mentality.

 

Lots of good live music to hear that is not at large concerts, and does not cost as much. Sometimes far superior to the big names...and at enjoyable sound levels.  

 

ken.

[austinsailor]

Well, I heard back from the University, who puts on the concerts there. They said they have no control or say about the volume, it's purely up to the artist and his group.  I tried to send something to Vince Gill, haven't found a way yet. The University is sending me 2 tickets to an upcoming concert of Lyle Lovett to make up for it. I wonder if it'll also be too loud for human consumption?

 

The guy in charge says they've complained in the past at other events with no change. He says he figures until most of the audience gets up and walks out nothing will change. I doubt that will happen, heck, most of them can't hear!

 

We went to a Michael Martin Murphy concert at Christmas time. He has a Christmas show each year he puts on in several places. I've been a few years ago. Absolutely wonderful. Volume is exactly what it should be. It was in Steelville, Mo in an auditorium about the same as Jesse Hall at the University of Missouri where Vince played. It wasn't like the volume had to be that loud for the ones in the back to hear. By the way, we were in the middle at the Vince Gill deal, blasted out. Row 3 at Michael Martin Murphy, just right.

 

Oh, well, I'll just listen to my Serius Bluegrass channel.

 

Sorry to rant, sometimes I just get tired of things.

[Eneto-55]

The only concert where I had to just get up and leave was Daniel Amos, in Tulsa, oh, about '79 or '80.  (Daniel Amos was a Christian Rock band.)

[greg g]

Volumer covers for lack of artistic ability. Plus most of the sound board guys are both stoned and stone deaf. My wife and I always wear foam ear plugs when we do live music events. We find we can enjoy the presentation more with than without. Theother trend that seems prevailent these days is that instrumentals are boosted to a point where you can,t hear the vocals. The earplugs seem toeven out what ever abberation the sound dude has set into the system. I liked it much better when groups used their own amps in small venues, the trend for stadium shows has spoiled that type of show. We recently saw Bb king in a 500 seat place and even that was too loud.

[Lumpy]

Small venues is where it's at, forget the concerts. I play bluegrass, and there is usually very little or sometimes no amplification. Although, I play bass so absolutely need some, so I use an amp. With the people I've played with, or most of them, I'll be the only amplified instrument. If you like bluegrass, again, seek out the bluegrass bands and forget the concerts. !! There are many amazing bluegrass bands, some far better than many "big names" in country or other music.

 

k.

[Don Coatney]

I know how to play "mister frog" on the piano and behind the bridge on guitar. And much like the big concerts everyone would walk out if I were to sing.

[Lumpy]

If you play loud, no one can hear you sing! Guess I better learn the base line to that Mister Frog.

 

k.

[Merle Coggins]

I'm not a big Bluegrass fan, but I do enjoy it from time to time. However, someday I may go to Merle Fest, just because I like the name.

[BobT-47P15]

Yes.....volume level is one of my pet peeves also.........even though I play music (bass guitar, harmonica &  occasionaly washboard). 

 

The fellow I play with owns one of the newer Bose "stick" P.A. systems with the tall skinny speaker post.  Sometimes the wife says even

we get a bit loud.....but nothing like what you get in the concerts you describe. 

 

We attended a concert once in a hall at Fayetteville, AR by Little Richard......a fund raiser for some worthy cause.......volume wasn't too bad

at our balcony seat.  Down on the main floor it about blew you out the door.  And most all the crowd were older people.....who probably would

not put up with that volume level any place else. 

 

I agree that bands in smaller venues should simply use their own amplifiers and P A systems - and don't need to be run thru "the house system".   

[bobjob55]

I grew up on  ROCK AND ROLL ... Jimi Hendrix ,, Cream ,, doors ,, and the rest .. way back in the 60's .. lived in the L.A. area ..saw every concert that came to area ... played bass guitar back in the day ,,and worked in a machine shop ... my ears were ringing back 

Then ,, and I still have problems hearing / ears ringing ... found out that I can't hear a snake RATTLE .. almost got bit when I got too close ... good thing my 2 dogs CAN hear and they don't like them ... 

[ledfootslim]

As a multi-genre musician, I can see what you guys are saying! For most of my blues/psychobilly/grunge/garage rock stuff I do with just a drummer, we play "un-miked", just through an amp cranked enough so you can hear it over the drums-and that is about as loud as you ever need to be! In jazz, a lot of venues will ask the drummer to play with brushes, the piano player to play lightly and the guitarist to keep the volume low. It seems that in "classic" rock and country, the sound man wants people to really hear just how much your baby likes your pickup truck, or how she left you and you're gonna go have a beer.....you know the stuff.:-) Metal has gotten a really bad rap for always breaking sound limits etc., but at most metalfests and concerts I have attended and participated in, the drums are played acoustically and the guitars are just played straight through the amps, rather than being mic'ed and run through the pa system as in most country/rap/rock/whatever. On the other side of the coin, I have attended shows that I wished had been a little louder, such as Joe Bonamassa at the Verizon theater in OKC.

[48Dodger]

I had a small sound company for quite a few years (side job) 

 

Most of the semi retired/ older acts are hard of hearing......they've been on stage most of thier lives and have suffered hearing loss. 

The monitors on stage help them hear themselves and are usally cranked to 11.....the room sound actually has to defeat that or the mix is off.

The agent or manager will stand right by you asking to raise this or that.....sound guys just does it and gets paid. 

 

Never, never, never blame the sound guy.

 

48D

[BobT-47P15]

And.........there are a lot of venues out there with terrible acoustics.  And they can never see fit to spend any

time or money to improve the sound in their room.  We have a local place with wood floor, hard walls and a

real high ceiling....echo city......    The best shows I ever heard there were ones where the band was

smart enough to play at lower volume.   

[Lumpy]

 

As a side note, when at the Knuckle Scraper's meet (Rat Rod show and meet) the band started out at the standard really really way loud. People asked them to turn it down a bit, and they did. Then it was just right. If you wanted to listen to the band, or flog your ears, you just got closer/real close. Everyone else could still walk and talk and meet and greet...and relax. !!! It made for a nice atmosphere, and the band didn't have a problem with it.

 

k.

Edited July 19, 2014 by Lumpy

[Plymouthy Adams]

louder makes for distorted music, masks performers real artistic ability...thus the loud din...I like loud music...I detest loud live performances...