Earplugs or au natúrel?

pepe

While I'm waiting for my first PJ set ever important questions arise... like do I use earplugs on the gig or not? And if I do which ones? And how?

Right now I think I'm wearing them (for the warm-up act at least). Thinking of classic yellow disposable foam ones. Maybe I should cut 35-50% off of them to get that sound right...


How has the European Tour sounded so far? What was your choice? Any recommendations?

10,000 Fools

I took my wife (not a huge PJ fan) to Boston 1 and she brought earplugs. However, she never wore them because she was too into the show. Unless you're going to multiple shows back to back, I hardly think earplugs are necessary.

IamFarFromGlorified

In my experience, earplugs haven't made the sound worse. If anything, earplugs clear up the drums so you can hear the bass guitar better. It terms of ear damage, it probably isn't a big deal if you see a show or two w/o earplugs, but I highly recommend using them if you're seeing 10+ shows, especially in arenas.

Ms. Haiku

I've been close to the stage for recent shows, and I haven't worn earplugs. I'm shocked my ears don't ring afterwards, but they must be doing something with the mix not to hurt ears.

Truth Machine

I use plugs at every show. I agree that if you are just going to one or two you should be ok but I go to many and they tend to be in a string so I always wear them.

froggy bunnyman

Must have been to around 200 shows in my life

Never wore earplugs

Never have problems...

My ears are ok !

Maybe if your ears are fragile, you should wear them.
If not, it's not necessary at all...

Abneriel

froggy bunnyman wrote:

Must have been to around 200 shows in my life

Never wore earplugs

Never have problems...

My ears are ok !

Maybe if your ears are fragile, you should wear them.
If not, it's not necessary at all...

what?

The Kids Are Alright

wear them. theres a reason why the band/security, everyone who works there wears them. Go to your local drugstore and get a pair. They work fine. They actually improv the sound/help remove some of the distortion. Hearing is something you dont wanna fuck around with, in my opinion anyway

inmyrvm

no ear plugs, it's rock & roll!

lowlight10

wear earplugs, always! its better for your ears and it makes shows, especially arena shows, sound a lot better. when everyone around you is puzzled by what eddie just said, youll be able to hear it clearly.

as far as damage to your ears, you might think its not affecting them now, but down the road, you might regret not wearing them.

upina2001

I have noticed my hearing is not as good in my right as it is my left. Wonder why? Cause I answer the phone with my right ear??

It is not like going blind and trying to replace an eye;
they do make hearing-aids.

Pegasus

Last night I started with them (Etymotic ones for £10, don't do foam ones, they're really crap)., but it was boosting a bit too much the bass (though I sure could hear Jeff a lot better), so I started taking them off, but back on because it was last, but eventually taking one of, then eventually both.

But I have to say that I could hear Ed better with them than without..at the front it's pretty hard to hear Ed sings (same at the Astoria so I assume it's just the fact there's no speaker for him upfront), especially with everyone around belting it out.

I'll wear them at Reading...probably will try again, or at least have them on the first part (no point in damaging my hearing for someone else ), and keep them or not dependig on the sound level/position (like right in front of side sepakers..)

Cazpj

I wear them at every gig I go to or play at... Except Pearl Jam. But that's because if you sing along wearing earplugs you hear your own voice really loudly.

So your alright for the odd gig without, but generally around loud music you should wear them.

Just to give an idea of how easily you can sustain hearing trouble, you can listen to a snare drum being played at a normal level for about a minute before it starts causing permanent damage to your ears. When a full band starts up there is no safe time.

So generally it's well worth it! :0)

SpinMeRoundRollMeOvr

I typically wear them during the opening act...

I've had to start wearing them during main sets as well... strings of concerts can do some serious damage.

brain of c

huh? what?

ear plugs. don't go to a show without them. if you don't need them, fine.

otherwise,

huh? what?

boxwine_in_hell

earplugs are for fags. lol....just kidding. I think they've actually turned down the sound at shows in the last 15 years or so.....there was a point in the late 80's/early 90's that the volume level bordered on ridiculous and earplugs would have been welcome.

red mos

I wear earplugs at every show I go to. I have too though because I have a bilateral high frequency hearing loss in both ears. A high frequency hearing loss, as I understand it means that I cannot hear certain frequencies and the audiologist indicated that the drums and seeing loud shows without earplugs will damage my hearing worse. I forgot my earplugs at Peter Frampton and Styx and my ears were ringing afterr words. I am a strong supporter of ear plugs and protecting my hearing as best I can, but I know it will probably worsen with age. As already mentioned, the show sounds better with earplugs. The drums, bass, and vocals are clearer. It's up to you honestly if you want to take them, but it is probably safer to always were earplugs. I even bring extras for my friends. In regads to how my high frequency hearing loss occured, it was from listening to the walkman when I was little, shows with my parents, and probably my cousin and friends playing drums and such in the garage. I even wear earplugs when I play my bass.

boxwine_in_hell

red mos wrote:

I were earplugs at every show I go to. I have too though because I have a bilateral high frequency hearing loss in both ears. I high frequency hearing loss, as I understand it means that I cannot hear certain frequencies and the audiologist indicated that the drums and seeing loud shows without earplugs will damage my hearing worse. I forgot my earplugs at Peter Frampton and Styx and my ears were ringing afterr words. I am a strong supporter of ear plugs and protecting my hearing as best I can, but I know it will probably worsen with age. As already mentioned, the show sounds better with earplugs. The drums, bass, and vocals are clearer. It's up to you honestly if you want to take them, but it is probably safer to always were earplugs. I even bring extras for my friends.

The real crime isn't that you are doing damage to your hearing.....the real crime is that you admitted you were at the Peter Frampton/Styx show.

PJaddicted

Sometimes I wear them for the first band....especially Sleater Kinny. I tried wearing them for Pearl Jam....I don't like what it does to the sound. If you are seeing them several nights in a row....and up front....it's a good idea, my hearing has been shot for days afterwards.

oxc

red mos

boxwine_in_hell wrote:

The real crime isn't that you are doing damage to your hearing.....the real crime is that you admitted you were at the Peter Frampton/Styx show.

LMAO!! Peter Frampton was great live (that is who we went to see), and he was doing a co headlining show with Styx and America opened the show. I enjoy Peter Frampton, and you'd be suprised how good he is live... I hope to see him do a headlining show. Styx was LOUD (Suprisingly, and very obnoxious) we left Styx's set after 8 songs. They do this loophole thing (put like 10 AOR songs to gether in a melody format and it just killed the show for me. That is where they slipped Mr. Roboto in sequence, and everyone of us looked at each other booed and or groaned. It was hilarious. Tommy shaw told us we weren't fired up enough, and made us all sing deep in the heart of Texas accapella and I knew the styx set was dead in the water. We stayed to watch come sail away and when they had all this confetti rain all over the audience and stage... my friend and Iwere like um.... let's go. The tickets were free, so I figured what the fuck, and Peter Frampton is now one of my fave live acts.

SPALMA

Would never wear earplugs for Pearl Jam.

However, I did blow an eardrum in the mid 70's at a Mountain concert.

JaneNY

I didn't wear them so much in the 2003 or 2004 tour, but 2005 and 2006 I did, and I didn't years ago. In 2005 and 2006 I saw a lot of shows in a short time - between May 9th and June 24 06, I saw PJ 8x, NIN 2x and Springsteen 1x. Some of the shows were 2 nights back to back. I have a little tinnitus from a cumulative effect of work, and shows, so I always wear earplugs. I'll pull them out of the ear just a little if it seems too quiet, but I recommend them. You don't get back damaged hearing. Even the band wears hearing protection now, and I read somewhere that a couple of the band members have damage.

mookeywrench

go to guitar center and buy some quality ear plugs

Gary Carter

SPALMA wrote:

Would never wear earplugs for Pearl Jam.

However, I did blow an eardrum in the mid 70's at a Mountain concert.

i would never wear earplugs to any concert i go to.now thats a cool concert story,mountain fucking rules

krakenesque

i agree that its ROCKNROLL and i would never wear earplugs to a pearl jam show. seriously its not THAT loud. and for the record, i would go to an america/styx/peter frampton concert no questions asked. some people just dont want to have any fun with their rock....hmph!

kenny olav

I've been to so many concerts by so many loud bands, that my eardrums are calloused.

CanadianEH

That ringing in your ears for the next two days is part of the concert experience.

Hoon

I'm sure some people are more susceptible to damage to others.

Anyone know if P.J. does anything different with their sound now-a-days to protect us? (not that it is a huge problem) Since they are always so conscious about these things? ?Meow?

I was suprised my ears didn't ring after the Gorge Shows at all.


I've been to some mud-boggen / tractor pulls and that is pretty nuts. I didn't cover my ears at the beginning and was overcome by the sound and almost fell down some steps.....it brought me to my knees!

haecceity

CanadianEH? wrote:

That ringing in your ears for the next two days is part of the concert experience.

Until the time it never leaves.

I now wear plugs to every show, even PJ, as for the past 4 years have had that ringing. Granted I go to a lot of shows but I never tire of warning people about it.

SVRDhand13

I will never wear earplugs since I feel they kill the sound bigtime. However for some people they just cant take how loud the music is. I personally like waking up the next morning with a buzzing in my ears.

pepe

This was supposed to be a poll-like opening for conversation on a pretty important subject and I think it turned out to be a quite succesful one. Thanks for everybody for your opinions.

CanadianEH? wrote:

That ringing in your ears for the next two days is part of the concert experience.

I don't agree. Maybe you should check out that DJ movie called It's all gone Pete Tong. It's hilarious and it could even be an eye(ear)opener for somebody:
http://www.itsallgonepetetong.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388139/

Was it Manowar that was playing it 'the loudest in the world'... How rock is that? Pretty rock.