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Do you all wear earplugs at shows?

musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
edited June 2008 in Other Music
I go to a ton as a volunteer at a music venue, but never wear them, and people tell me I should, since music is my life basically.

I honestly dont see many earplug wearers at shows. Do you?
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  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    radiohead33 wrote:
    I go to a ton as a volunteer at a music venue, but never wear them, and people tell me I should, since music is my life basically.

    I honestly dont see many earplug wearers at shows. Do you?
    Usually, for opening bands yes, for the headliners, no. Then my ears are nice and fresh!
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • chimechime Posts: 7,839
    I wear them at every show I go to. I have them in my bag all the time and even put them in when bars have loud music.

    I am a tinnitus sufferer and would hate for it to get worse. I kick myself for not starting to wear them sooner.

    Honestly if you can stop yourself from getting tinnitus why not?

    These are the ones I wear

    http://www.enhancedlistening.co.uk/product.asp?P_ID=975
    So are we strangers now? Like rock and roll and the radio?
  • musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
    whats tinnitus

    isnt that what pete townshend has?
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    radiohead33 wrote:
    I go to a ton as a volunteer at a music venue, but never wear them, and people tell me I should, since music is my life basically.

    I honestly dont see many earplug wearers at shows. Do you?

    Yeah you absolutely should, I do at most venues as I also have tinnitus - and THERE IS NO CURE! That said, if it's an open air show like a festival and I'm not near the speakers I will sometimes give them a miss, but any indoor venue and they are a must.
  • chimechime Posts: 7,839
    radiohead33 wrote:
    whats tinnitus

    isnt that what pete townshend has?

    It's permanent ringing in your ears for which there is no treatment. 24/7 rather than just after a show.

    I'm sure a lot of musicians suffer from it.

    EDIT: I see facepollution has posted. We actually met for the first time on the rail at a gig ... and one of first convos was about both suffering from tinnitus as we both took out our box of earplugs :D
    So are we strangers now? Like rock and roll and the radio?
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    radiohead33 wrote:
    whats tinnitus

    isnt that what pete townshend has?

    basically it's where you have permenant ringing in your ears, it's not nice!
  • CHANGEinWAVESCHANGEinWAVES Posts: 10,169
    I've tried but I can hear me singing more....and that doesn't sound good:)
    "I'm not present, I'm a drug that makes you dream"
  • say_hisay_hi Posts: 313
    I use earplugs at least 90% of the time I see live music. Music is my life and I am not about to jeopardize my hearing for anything!
    4/30/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/8/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03, 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05, 5/4/06 (Letterman Mini-Concert), 5/5/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09, 5/15/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    Chime wrote:
    EDIT: I see facepollution has posted. We actually met for the first time on the rail at a gig ... and one of first convos was about both suffering from tinnitus as we both took out our box of earplugs :D

    Yeah because of that I didn't feel like such a weirdo :p:)

    I went through a phase of having to wear a beanie hat to cover my ears when I first started wearing them, because I thought people would be looking at me, but then decided I was being ridiculous! I've actually noticed a lot more people wearing them these days, although that may just be because I never bothered to look at people's ears before at gigs!
  • PaukPauk Posts: 1,084
    I've pretty much always had a constant ringing in my ears as long as I can remember. Except it's only really audible when it's deadly silent. SOmetimes affects my sleeping since I sometimes find myself concentrating on it and then it gets louder and louder. So I'm pretty sure I'm an easy target for tinnitus... but I don't usually wear ear plugs. I bought some but only wore them to a few gigs before deciding that they kinda detach me from the experience, like I'm listening to a mp3 player or something, so I don't use them anymore.
    Paul
    '06 - London, Dublin, Reading
    '07 - Katowice, Wembley, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
    '09 - London, Manchester, London
    '12 - Manchester, Manchester, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen
  • boroff89boroff89 Posts: 786
    Yeah, I wear them. I didn't for my first dozen or so shows, but my ears started really bothering me. I find that they don't negatively affect my experiencing of the music at all. I do get weird looks and the occasional jackass giving me shit about them though.
    It makes much more sense to live in the present tense.
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    fowls wrote:
    I've pretty much always had a constant ringing in my ears as long as I can remember. Except it's only really audible when it's deadly silent. SOmetimes affects my sleeping since I sometimes find myself concentrating on it and then it gets louder and louder. So I'm pretty sure I'm an easy target for tinnitus... but I don't usually wear ear plugs. I bought some but only wore them to a few gigs before deciding that they kinda detach me from the experience, like I'm listening to a mp3 player or something, so I don't use them anymore.

    I do know what you mean, but different types are better than others. The spongey ones are an absolute last resort, but the ones Chime linked to above are pretty good. I guess it also depends on the band you are seeing, as in how loud they are. I find myself taking them out during acoustic songs then putting them back in for the louder stuff.
  • All Those YesterdaysAll Those Yesterdays Posts: 2,723
    Absolutely I do. It's a must. Even in band rehearsals I wear them

    Tinnitus is no fun.
    E. Lansing-98 Columbus-00,03,10 Detroit-00,03 (1&2),06, 14 Cleveland-03,06,10 Toledo-04, Grand Rapids-04,06 London-05, Toronto-05, Indianapolis 10, East Troy (1&2) 11, Chicago 13, Detroit 14

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  • Ledbetterman10Ledbetterman10 Posts: 16,941
    never
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  • PaukPauk Posts: 1,084
    facepollution wrote:
    I do know what you mean, but different types are better than others. The spongey ones are an absolute last resort, but the ones Chime linked to above are pretty good. I guess it also depends on the band you are seeing, as in how loud they are. I find myself taking them out during acoustic songs then putting them back in for the louder stuff.
    got some from etymotic with the flappy type things. They weren't very good at all. I can understand it for musicians who don't really need to hear what they're doing at loud gigs, but for a customer of gigs I don't think they're good at all. I would wear them if I was being taken for a gig for someone I didn't care for, but if I'm paying for a gig I don't want a drowned out sound.
    Paul
    '06 - London, Dublin, Reading
    '07 - Katowice, Wembley, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
    '09 - London, Manchester, London
    '12 - Manchester, Manchester, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen
  • iluvcatsiluvcats Posts: 5,153
    radiohead33 wrote:
    I go to a ton as a volunteer at a music venue, but never wear them, and people tell me I should, since music is my life basically.

    I honestly dont see many earplug wearers at shows. Do you?

    Yes. When I was 27, I used to go to listen to live music probably 3-5 nights a week and that is when my tinnitus started. I always wear at least 1 ear plug to concerts now.

    do it and don't pay attention to other people. I've seen people pointing at me.
    Do I care? Will I ever see them again?
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  • say_hisay_hi Posts: 313
    iluvcats wrote:
    do it and don't pay attention to other people. I've seen people pointing at me. Do I care? Will I ever see them again?

    I have never been singled out by anyone for protecting my hearing by wearing earplugs. In fact when I am at concerts with people who don't wear earplugs, they always say they wish they brought them. I now carry extra earplugs to shows for my friends! But usually if you find yourself at a show without earplugs, ask a staff member if they can help, they will usually give you a free pair.
    4/30/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/8/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03, 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05, 5/4/06 (Letterman Mini-Concert), 5/5/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09, 5/15/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10
  • JaneNYJaneNY Posts: 4,438
    I have tinnitus too, and I wear them all the time. Depending on what gig, a variety of earplugs. The etymotic ones are good, and I find I can adjust them a bit - like pull them out a bit if the band isn't too loud, or push them in more if it is louder. For NIN though I wear foam 33db reduction ones and hear everything perfectly. I want to hear and enjoy music for the rest of my life and don't want to destroy any more of my hearing. I go to quite a few shoes. I brought extras to the Dropkick Murphys and my kids and their friends all gratefully accepted. It doesn't matter what others think. Notice that all the security personnel wear them at shows.
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