Too Loud

Music Room
21

I wish I would have been there. :blush:
Today Paradiso has two dB meters up on the back wall of the theatre to see the actual spl. They are not allowed to go over 100 dB now.

22

If itā€™s too loud youā€™re too old. :sunglasses:

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23

Not at all, if itā€™s 120 db or more itā€™s too loud for any age.

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25

You can not use your phone to measure dB. It will be very inacurate.

Use of dedicated earplugs are smart.
Musicradar have a list with the best earplugs for musicians. You can Google it. (Am I allowed to paste the link here? )

26

A couple of months ago, I was at the Southport Flower show, and in the big tent was Mr Tumble doing his act. We stood at the back, because it was so loud, but even there it measured well over 100Db - even the security guard said it was too loud

27

Thanks for posting, I wasnā€™t aware of that. Paradiso is such a brilliant and intimate venue, and such a great atmosphere - saw Iggy, Keane, Blondie, Goldfrapp and few others in the late 90s early 2000s. Iā€™m sure that even with a 100dB cap it will still be brilliant.

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28

Yes, itā€™s still a great place. Itā€™s long been nicknamed ā€˜Amsterdamā€™s music templeā€™.

29

I am not sure being too loud is the only issue.

I have mild tinnitus (hearing damage) in my left ear from a gig I went to in a bar during Christmas 2019. I bought two tickets to see a small band play who my wife liked, two female singers and a small backing band. We arrived early and sat along the wall facing the standing area, the stage and speakers to my left, so my left ear received most of the noise.

The funny thing was it never felt uncomfortable at the time and we did move and I had very often turned my head to look directly at the band, but mostly my left ear was mostly always in line with the speakers on the stage. But it was never too loud.

The ringing in my left ear never stopped and so I went to get them both tested, light damage in my left ear confirmed.

I think I put it down to being in my 50ā€™s and the old ears are not only becoming more sensitive, but possibly more fragile.

A lesson learnt.

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30

Spending an hour @ 100dB can cause damage to anyone no matter age. Just sue them or report them.

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31

I know that the late Dave Swarbrick suffered a loss of hearing playing electric violin in Fairport, he mostly played acoustic fiddle since 1979. Steeleye were a loud band. Lots of classical players in orchestras suffer with hearing loss too, the noise of a symphony orchestra is immense. This is a hot issue for players and the specialist musicianā€™s earplugs are sensible for audiences too.

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32

Steeleye loud? Nah.

Now as for Sabbath, Purpleā€¦ā€¦yep they were LOUD.

However, weā€™re heading for Nightwish in a months time, and we are as old age codgers, perhaps a set of earplugs would not go amiss. Are there any recommended brands?

33

I stopped going to live shows because itā€™s generally too loud and thereā€™s too many people singing over the top. I get home and by the time my ears have stopped ringing all you seem to remember is their singing and who annoyed me the most.

Maybe I should have posted this in the getting old thread. :grin:

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34

In this forum, any thread will do ā€¦

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35

I neither go to live music anymore for this reason. Ditto for the cinema which is just deafening and sets off my sympathetic tinnitus which hurts like bloody hell.

Live music tends to fall into two categories which are both bad.

  • Amped music. Just turned up way way too loud.
  • Those small intimate unamped jazz venues. Un mixed anything with a drum kit is interesting. The percussion drowns out everything else so the performance is always like a drummer and several backing instrumentalists.

Yes, hifi gets you nowhere near the sound of a live performance. And thatā€™s a good thing.

Now I know not all live performances and genres lead to that problem. But if you arenā€™t into choral, classical, or turtleneck jazz (no percussion), you are basically in it for the atmosphere, not the music.

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36

I must say that ā€˜turtleneck jazzā€™ is one of the best phrases that Iā€™ve heard in ages, even if I have no idea what it is, music for cool hipsters, perhaps? I shall have to find excuses to drop the phrase into as many random conversations as I can over the next few weeks.

For the further edification of Members, I believe that ā€˜turtleneckā€™ is also slang for the uncircunsised male human. (I wonder how long before this remark is deleted.)

37

Itā€™s just something I made up to conjure an image. You know, a jazz trio all in turtlenecks with black horn rimmed glasses and no percussion. Playing random notes that to most people just sound like a bunch of cats fighting in an instrument cupboard.

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38

Yes, I can see your jazz trio very clearly! Is that a huge spliff that theyā€™re sharing?

39

Like this: [Jazz Club (The Fast Show):

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40

Yes, I see exactly what you mean, but I would rather have had Whispering Bob Harris do the intro.

So laid back, he was almost horizontal. He was beyond parody!

41

No commercial links allowed under forum AUP, but a quick google for Dawkes Music Auritech Music Hearing Protectors should help. I havenā€™t tried them myself, but Dawkes is a pro musicianā€™s shop which Iā€™ve used for lots of stuff over the years and I havenā€™t found them to sell anything that isnā€™t good.

If the blurb is to be believed, they should be a lot better than the usual foam squidgies. Let us know how you get on.

Mark