SORRY, I CAN’T HEAR YOU, DID YOU JUST SAY “BEER MUGS FUCK?”
Friday, September 5th, 2008 at 3:48pm by Axl Rosenberg
Last week, in a post entitled “Live Fast, Deaf Young,” the always entertaining The Deciblog posted the above photos with the following text:
“Metal is a life-long commitment to nihilism and self-destruction. You don’t bang your head because it’s good for your neck, you don’t get drunk because it’s good for your liver, and you don’t hold back. Even as a fan in the audience, you put your head on the monitor and bang it. The goal is complete and utter sonic destruction, and earplugs are a direct affront to that most noble and humble of causes.”
So where do you all stand on this issue? It’s only been in the past couple of years that I’ve started wearing the plugs, ’cause I noticed that my hearing was rapidly deteriorating, and seeing my 62 year-old mother, who never listened to anything heavier than Phil Ochs, find herself in need of a hearing aid scared me straight. Still, I’m the first to admit that concerts with plugs is like sex with a condom: pretty fucking good but still vastly inferior.
Thoughts?
-AR
I love my ear drums and want to live with them for the rest of my life.
I’ve had hearing problems my entire life.Ear infections several times a year as a baby/youth.I’ve had tubes put in, the whole nine.Nothing makes a difference, I don’t hear “low tones” so well.I’ll always having hearing problems, and considering I don’t go to shows that often, or as much as I used to, I go plug free.I respect some people need to wear plugs or want to protect themselves.Hell, my lady even once wore plugs to a show because she had a severe ear infection.I get it, but personally, I’m not worried about it.My ears haven’t rang after a show in years.
“Metal is a life-long commitment to nihilism and self-destruction.”
First of all, that’s bullshit.
Anyway, fuck that. I would like not to be deaf in my 30s, so I use earplugs at heavy concerts. Not those crappy yellow things, those suck, but real earplugs. Music even sounds better – when it’s played too loud you can’t hear half of it without earplugs.
Quite honestly, anyone who goes on a regular basis to shows without earplugs will eventually have deteriorating hearing earlier in his/her life. I’m not trying to sound self-righteous, since I’ve made the mistake of not wearing them a few times. But then, I don’t go to that many shows. That said, it’s common (well-supported) knowledge.
I know my next opinion will be unpopular: honestly, bands need to turn the volume down. There’s an obvious point when the extra sound doesn’t do anything for you, especially in smaller venues. You are not masculine simply because you can make people’s ears bleed. I don’t have a problem with loud, but it’s been at the point of ridiculous for too long. But again, it’s just my two cents.
the two idiots in the second picture are guilty of douchbaggery of the highest order.
i read this and it was obviously by some 20 year old trying his best to prove just how “metal” he is. likely got into metal in the past 6 months from reading pitchfork recommendations. fuck him.
Yes to the earplugs. It was fine to go without them back in high school and part of college. Once the number of shows increased and I cranked the car stereo too loud the tinnitus kicked in. My ears ring all of the time. It’s not overly loud but it’s there. Earplugs are used to help protect the rest of it.
As Chris Cornell once said, it’s always a good idea to practice safe rock.
@36Thoughtless: are you familiar with the idea of guitar amp extrusion? Amps actually sound better cranked up.
Ear Plugs? Yes please. I’d like to still be able to listen to music when I’m 40.
Earplugs every time. Get real close, wear earplugs. Happy medium.
Never once have I used earplugs. Surprisingly I’m still in perfect hearing shape. I’m sure an angry kid will immediately tell me that in 5 years that won’t be the case, but I’ve made it to 27 and I can hear the “teenage test” sound, so I’m going to go with that. I tend to just not put my face in the monitor. that helps.
BTW, people, those headphones you wear all day at work are doing far more damage to your hearing than a one hour concert every few weeks.
I’m young now, i can get hearing aids later.
i agree with 36Thoughtless. more volume doesn’t exactly make for a better show. loud isn’t bad, but not to the point that you can’t hear what’s going on. i’ve been to plenty of shows where the band has their amp’s volumes on 9 or 10 before the sound guy even puts a mic to them. all it does is make shit loud and chaotic.
also, there’s a difference between ear plugs and ear filters. the little shit they sell at shows are filters – their only job is to cut down the amount of noise you hear, not shut it out completely.
Ear Plugs!? No way man! But give me a Butt Plug any day! Thats Metal!
I wouldn’t go to a show w/out them. Why destroy your hearing so you can’t appreciate the next album or tour your favorite band puts out or goes on? Honestly, I think most of the time they make the music sound better because when its too loud you tend to miss some intricacies in the music because it just sounds like noise. Also, I can’t stand the ringing in my ears that lasts for 2 days afterwards. There’s nothing worse than going to work the next day w/ a hoarse throat, a hangover and that shitty ass ringing that won’t go away. Hangovers & no voice I can deal w/, but why not prevent hearing loss if you can. Whoever wrote that article is a grade A douchebag. Try going to see Slayer & Mastodon without having your ears bleed.
Not wearing earplugs so that you can be “metal” is fucking retarded because down the road when you CAN’T HEAR, you won’t be able to listen to metal, or anything.
I cut them in half and use them just to cut off some of the high end where the excessive decibels kill the ear drums.
And 36Thoughtless 100% echoes my opinion. Bands turn it up to 11 because men have testosterone and don’t think it’s “manly” to have the volume at a reasonable level. At shows in which my band plays, we ask the sound guy to drop all levels 15% and I’ve never EVER had anyone complain. In fact, they’ve always said just the opposite, that it was nice to actually hear the music and not a wall of sound.
The only time I’ve ever felt the need for earplugs was at Ozzfest 2 years ago. I was probably 250 feet from the second stage, and I could still feel the sucking noise in my ears. For those unfamiliar with the sucking noise, it’s when it goes past 80 decibels and you can pretty much feel your hearing deteriorate.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say this guy is a douche.. because let’s face it, how many people wear sun block and drink plenty of water when they’re at a summer festival? That 3 day hangover you get after one of those is because you seriously fucked with your body for upwards to 10 hours all in the name of metal. Same thing with mosh pits. You will undoubtedly get hurt if you go into enough of them.
@Axl
Nice “Sex with a condom” analogy.
I wear them every time, and I agree with anyone who says that bands need to turn the volume down.
I may have to take back my comments regarding metal heads being redneck meatheads. Clearly, a lot of you who come here don’t fit that description.
I did enough damage to my hearing in the military and I’ve been telling myself for a long time that I would start using them and it wasn’t until recently that I did. I started using them after I went to see Early Man. I was right by the main PA speaker and my hearing wasn’t right until about 6 pm the following day. I agree with the other people that say the music actually sounds better with them in. I wore them a few times when I got close at Mayhem fest to get pictures and I’ll probably wear them when I go to see Hatebreed on Sunday and Carcass on Thursday. I wear the flesh tone hearos. they’re not too bulky and slightly inconspicuous. For about 4 bucks you get about 6 pair and they are way more comfortable than the industrial Aero yellow plugs.
I’ve never worn them myself but a friend has and he said it was because you could actually hear the band a lot better. I’ll try it one day for sure.
I’ve tried them. They are neat for what they do, but I’m totally with Axl in that they are decidedly not metal. I mean, do not ever get into a pit with them in, because one knock to the head and you will be completely deaf on one side. I shudder (with arousal) just thinking about it.
Fuck all you pussies saying they’re cool. Wear them, protect your hearing. But be prepared to get ripped on for it, OK?
Several years ago I went to see Biohazard in a small club and my ears were still ringing 2 days later. I’ve worn earplugs at shows ever since. I had never cared before that but it felt like my head was underwater for a few days after that show. I decided that I wanted to be able to hear metal for the rest of my life and a few more shows and I wasn’t going to be hearing anything. That was about 10 years ago. Today I can still hear and enjoy metal and I plan on being able to do so for the rest of my life. Wearing earplugs at shows may not seem very “metal” but I can assure you, the best thing you can do for metal is be able to hear it. METAL UP YOUR ASS!!
I’ve never worn them myself, but then again, I’m 19 and have never experienced the ringing or the sucking or whatever else happens. I used to get those feelings when I would play with my band, so I wear earplugs then definitely.
I’ll probably wear them at concerts at some point in my life.
And yes, some bands need to cut their shit the fuck down *cough*UnderoathatMayhemFest*cough*
you guys obviously don’t do enough coke
I went to an Soulfly concert lately and I now have a tinnitus (that with luck goes away, I’m 21) but I will never ever go to an concert without ear plugs again ….
i normally do the odd conerct were i don’t wear ear plugs. like last night saw maeshuggah in london so i didn’t waer ear plugs cus i wanted to get that vibe from their music and you need to ehar whats going on to apreciate it! but other wise i normally wear them and being a drummer means i do require them as i don’t want to be deaf when im older!
is it just me, or does the dude without earplugs in the bottom pic look like lance bass?
Wear earplugs if you have to. Normally, if it’s a general admission club show, you can find a spot to watch the show and be at a comfortable sound level. As for excessive volume, that’s usually the sound guy’s fault. There is a pain threshold in your ears, and It’s pretty easy to determine if you’re doing damage to yourself and should be wearing earplugs. The only exception is if you’re very drunk. I also wouldn’t recommend standing right in front of the main pa column, or sticking your head in monitors, screaming as loud as possible in your best friend’s ear, etc.
To sum it up, I don’t wear earplugs if they’re unnecessary.
as a musician i’d like to think that my hearing is an important asset. i dont generally wear earplugs at concerts but if i thought the volume was excessive i would. when i saw necrophagist and dying fetus on the canadian summer slaughter tour all of the bouncer guys that were standing directly in front on the monitors and PA for 5 hours weren’t wearing earplugs and i thought: idiots.
and as for the whole, getting ripped on thing. if you’re really a metal head you’ve probably been getting ripped on for the music you listen to for years. not giving a fuck about what other people think is whats truly ‘metal’.
I’m 36 and went to shows without earplugs from approx. age 16 to 30. I now have tinnitus that keeps me from falling asleep at night. I wear earplugs at every show I go to now.
Meh, I can understand why people wear them. It seems to be the thing to do at concerts to turn the volume up about 50% past “Rock the fuck out” to “Now you can’t even tell what fucking song this is, ahahaha asshole!”.
Yes, I’m a metalhead, I like to listen to my music loud, but not so fucking loud I can’t decipher anything but a very loud noise when I pay to see a band perform their goddamn music. Very loud noise is not music, hence, I tend to get a little pissed when I spend money and get the aforementioned very loud noise. It’s really fucking annoying.
Even a recent Nightwish concert a friend and I attended exhibited this trend. Now, to all the people who say “Aw boo hoo, did your wittle ears not like it?” no, mother fuckers, my ears did not like it, nor was I too pleased about driving two hours across mother fucking Kansas and paying $30 to hear noise.
Ozzfest’s second stage a few years back (forget when it was, but it was in PA with SYL, BTBAM, Red Chord, etc) was another painful example of this. Myself and three buddies I went with heard ringing for three days after the goddamn concert.
I’ve worn plugs whilst drumming and going to gigs for years, but alas, it was a bit too late for me. I have pretty bad tinnitus and if you have it then you’ll know how much it sucks. When you can’t sleep for the screaming in your ears and the panic that sets it when you realise at age 30 you have to spend the rest of your life like this.
Anyways, take it from me. wear earplugs – tinnitus is fucking hell.