Loudest Concert

Macarina

Silver Member
I did not see a thread on this.

While practicing with some random tunes on my kit, Blue Oyster Cults "Don't Fear The Reaper" popped on. This instantly brought memories of the LOUDEST concert I've ever witnessed. It had to be the 80's when BOC had a ton of hits and I went to go see them at the peak of their popularity. It was inside our Arena which was nicknamed the EchoDome. It was pretty bad. And this was at a time when sound quality had not been perfected, but loudness was.

Even as a young punk, I knew, this concert was just too freakin loud.

The best way to describe how I knew, when they did play their 'more quiet' tunes, most of us couldn't tell what song it was. It was just so loud and solid wall of sound that was unrecognizable. Did not enjoy the concert at all.

What's your loudest concert... and try to describe it.
 
Last one I went to: Slayer, Lamb of God, Testament, Anthrax, Napalm Death. I forgot my earplugs in the car. I didn't realize until I had been in line for over an hour.

I was front row, center stage. After the first song my ears sounded like they were full of water. By the time I drove home, all I could hear was this loud ringing/screeching inside my head.

It's my own fault. I dunno if this show was any louder than any other metal show I've seen/played. Metal heads want you to be just as deaf as they are. I played a show with Man-O-War and they held the decibel record at one point. I had ear plugs though.

From Wikipedia:

1984 and 1994 Edit
The Guinness Book of World Records listed Manowar as the loudest band for a performance in 1984. The band claimed a louder measurement of 129.5 dB in 1994 at Hanover,[6] but Guinness did not recognise it, having discontinued the category by that time for fear of encouraging hearing damage.[7][8][9][10][11]
 
I saw Stain back in 2000/01 at the Murat in Indy. I couldn't hear for 3 days after.
 
I went to a Moe show at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis in highschool. My ears rang for two days. That was in the late 90s. I have worn ear plugs to everyshow since and every time I sit down at the kit.
 
The Who 1978, Black Sabbath 1980 (BOC was the opening act).
But the best sound ever was a band named Blue Rodeo.
 
Dinosaur Jr at the Casbah in San Diego. My ears were ringing for two weeks. (Well, they've been ringing for a lot longer than that, but that was extra ringing, and absolutely the last time I'll ever stay at a show that loud--and I had ear protection.)
 
The Who 1978, Black Sabbath 1980 (BOC was the opening act).
But the best sound ever was a band named Blue Rodeo.
Funny you say that . One of the loudest I can remember was Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult , during the 1980 Black and Blue tour at Nassau Coliseum NY . I still have a bumper sticker from it packed away somewhere.
 
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The one that still haunts my ears is when i went with my girlfriend at the time and some friends to Epica. Roughly early 2004ish i believe and they just released their first cd. Were still playing small venues and clubs at that time. The venue was called 'Burgerweeshuis' in a city called Deventer and it was in a basement sort of: blank concrete walls, no dampening whatsoever to absorb the sonic onslaught. The amps and everything was cranked op to 11 and man... my ears hurt for 2 days after it was all over haha
 
Huh? :LOL:

Weezer at The Ritz in Raleigh, NC, 1994, and Mighty Mighty Bosstones at The Fallout Shelter, also in Raleigh, 1992-ish, don't recall. The latter wasn't so much because they're a blow-your-ears-off band, but they are kinda loud, and the venue was a cinderblock basement.
 
Ted Nuisance at the Pittsburgh civic arena .
SPL had to be in the 130 DB range.
It was festival seating and it was so loud I actually had to stand in the outside area by the concession stands .
It was just painful.
Ted was bragging in an interview that what ever the recommended wattage was for a venue ,he would double it.
Never saw him again.
 
Foghat, 1978 in Milwaukee. Stupidly loud. Lost some hearing at that one for sure. For the last 10 years or so, I wear hearing protection at every single concert and gig. Wished I had started doing this decades earlier.
 
2014 Within Temptation and Amaranthe at the Palladium in Worcester, Mass. It felt like I was being crushed and I was in the balcony. Too loud and zero tone quality.
 
Loudest I remember was Ted Nugent 1978. Painfully loud.
 
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The Who 1978, Black Sabbath 1980 (BOC was the opening act).
But the best sound ever was a band named Blue Rodeo.

Don't mean to derail the thread but Blue Rodeo is such an underrated band. I see them as worthy successors to the Eagles' melange of pop, country, and rock. The first song I ever learned back-to-front was "Try." Good times....
 
Stix a few years ago. Their show was 2 albums front to back. First one then intermission, then the second. The music or sound or whatever was actually moving my pants. I left at the intermission. The volume was stadium level for a 2500 person arena.
 
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