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120 dB onstage ! ! !

#42
justinellison3 said:
Okay..... you're right that this is what soundguys are "supposed" to do. BUT, I think I speak for all TBers when I say that we've all had the soundguy that thinks the way he wants it to sound is always better. I always have to listen to the soundguy be a total ass and no matter how you tell him you want it to sound.... he'll keep it the way he wants it.

CAN I GET AN AMEN?!!? :what:
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Just because, "we've all had the soundguy that thinks the way he wants it to sound is always better," doesn't mean that all sound guys are like this, or even that most sound guys are like this.

My experience playing bass and running sound tells me that too few bands make managing their on-stage volume a high priority; bands routinely approach stage volume emotionally, not rationally, and raise the noise floor in a rehearsal space or performance venue to the extent that there's not much even the best sound guys can do to achieve decent sound without raising the volume to unnecessarily high levels.

In volume wars, everyone is at risk; everyone loses.
 
#43
...it was probably worse for those individuals 4 miles away from the first Saturn V liftoff (Nov. 67'), probably only a little more then 120db however at 8 hz this played havoc with peoples breathing since the air was actually being forced in then sucked out at the afore mentioned rate of 8 times a second, of course this was happening while upper mid crackle was easily past the threshold of pain...I think what must have really made it bad was that from 3-4 miles away even the worlds biggest rocket (nearly 40 stories tall) seemed like a pencil across the lagoon (there's nothing to compare its height to on the flat Floridian landscape), this combined with the fact that it took 12-14 seconds for the sound to reach the closest individuals
 
#44
I saw Metallica on the Black tour - in a medium sized venue in Duluth, MN. My buddy and I were the only people I saw wearing earplugs to the shoe - we sat probably 25-30 rows back (yep, on the main floor, they had chairs you had to sit in - no exceptions!) Anyways, we got some weird looks from a few people - but when the concert was over, I remember seeing a LOT of kids who literally were unable to walk straight. It was from alcohol or drugs - their ears were so screwed they couldn't walk a straight line. Unreal.
 
#45
JimmyM said:
Yep, and then the promoter fires the soundguy and gets someone in there who won't cause the cancellation of a big show, and then force him to have to pay the band for doing nothing, and force him to pay refunds to all the ticketholders, all because a soundman doesn't want to deal with their ****, as you say. On a show like that, the soundman is the most dispensible part of the show and the easiest to replace, so he's best to throw in some earplugs and forget about it. This ain't open mic night at the local originals bar.
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Wow this is one of the most ignorant statements I've heard in a very long time.
 
#46
OP - after reading your post, I don't need to read anything else before I throw my ♠ in here.

I saw AC/DC live in the "old" Boston Garden. 1981 or 82 ~ or maybe 83?

"For Those About to Rock!" tour.

My buddy called me last minute and said "I've got two tickets and you're coming with me!"

So, heck yeah! Spontaneous Mind Blowing night just ahead!

Wrong.

I love AC/DC and I was ready for a killer show when all of a sudden: Angus strums his guitar.

I put my fingers in my ears and stayed that way through the entire performance.

It was a total bum deal. I just sat there trying to protect my hearing. Honestly - If I took my fingers off of my ears it actually caused pain.

Horrible experience.

Still love AC/DC - but I'll only listen to the Bon Scott stuff now. Hearing that other dude just brings back the nightmare.
 
#47
The thing I remember most about seeing AC/DC on that show (besides the live cannons), was the opening act: one Yngwie Malmsteen.

Talk about a mismatched bill. I was actually pretty big on Yngwie back then and it was funny watching all these AC/DC fans while he was playing, just looking at him with their mouths open like, "who the eff is THIS wanker"?
 
#48
MonkeyBass said:
Wow this is one of the most ignorant statements I've heard in a very long time.
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And as usual, someone calls it ignorant yet provides no real rebuttal...just drops the I-bomb and walks away. So tell me...the soundman doesn't like AC/DC's stage volume and refuses to work with it. Who's going? Angus and Mal or the soundman? Yeah, I take comments like yours real seriously.*






* No I don't.
 
#50
JimmyM said:
And as usual, someone calls it ignorant yet provides no real rebuttal...just drops the I-bomb and walks away. So tell me...the soundman doesn't like AC/DC's stage volume and refuses to work with it. Who's going? Angus and Mal or the soundman? Yeah, I take comments like yours real seriously.*






I agree with you, seems instead of reasonable conversation there's always someone who throws out some toxic comments without backing up their point, of course most of these individuals have no idea how abrasive their remarks actually are (not to mention anger inducing). Anyway hang in there and have a great day
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#51
justinellison3 said:
Okay..... you're right that this is what soundguys are "supposed" to do. BUT, I think I speak for all TBers when I say that we've all had the soundguy that thinks the way he wants it to sound is always better. I always have to listen to the soundguy be a total ass and no matter how you tell him you want it to sound.... he'll keep it the way he wants it.

CAN I GET AN AMEN?!!? :what:
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Well, the catch is if you didn't hire the sound guy he doesn't work for the band, so your suggestions are just that- suggestions. His responsibility is to the promoter or venue owner, who may not share your opinion on what things should sound like.
 
#52
Dellers said:
Loudness is really overrated, both on and off stage. 80% of the concerts I've been to have been far over my pain limit (which is FAR below 120), which means I'm not always able to get it to a comfortable level even with earplugs. At high levels you basically can't hear what the musicians are playing anyway, so I don't really like seeing bands live anymore. Painfully loud + just a wall of indefinable noise = no fun and no musical joy. The worst I ever saw was actually Prince back in 2011; during 95% of the show I had literally no idea whatsoever which songs he was playing. Let's just say that I wanted my money back.
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The sound company ruined a Springsteen show I went to here in Austin a few years ago. It was so loud that my ears were distorting. During the second song I ripped off pieces of my program, chewed them up, and stuffed them in my ears, and it was still too loud. Why?
 
#54
Can anyone really imagine a soundguy, any soundguy, calling the shots at an AC/DC concert?

Come on man, once you get to a certain level in the business, you are no longer at the mercy of ANY sound man and I am pretty sure AC/DC has been at that level for 90% of their career.
 
#55
Ok. So, I post a comment and then work for 12 hours and now I'm accused of "walking away." Hmmm... ok.

Well, here's the thing. The sound guy literally has the show in their hands. I work as a sound guy and I could make or break a gig based upon my skill. A band that has any common sense will listen to the sound guy when he asks the band to turn their amp down. If you don't do that then you're just being stupid.

AC/DC has the luxury of playing on a stage that's 120dB if they want because they're AC/DC and have earned their right to play that loudly. Everybody else should listen to the sound guy at the venue. Because, contrary to what most people think (for whatever reason) the sound guy really does have your best interest in mind, as well as the best interest of the audience in the hall. If you're too loud, you're too loud.

Agree with me or not, take my comments seriously or not, that's the truth and you need to accept it.

The sound guy is often the liaison between the club owner, booking manager, band manger, bar manager... etc. If the band is too loud, too hard to work with, or just a plain old pain in the butt, the sound guy will/does let everybody involved know. I've seen bands blacklisted from venues because they were giving the sound guy a hard time.

And yeah yeah... we all have our "nightmare sound guy" stories. But for every nightmare sound guy story I have being a bass player, I have 50 nightmare band stories being a sound guy.

So, yes, it's ignorant to suggest the sound guy doesn't matter or that his opinion doesn't count. If you disagree that's fine.
 
#56
lowfreq33 said:
Well, the catch is if you didn't hire the sound guy he doesn't work for the band, so your suggestions are just that- suggestions. His responsibility is to the promoter or venue owner, who may not share your opinion on what things should sound like.
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Incoming.

:D

No, that's actually true, and even famous bands have been threatened with shutdown if they violate noise ordinances in some cities. But if he's a smart soundman, even if someone else is paying him and even if there are volume restrictions, he'll try to work with the band's needs a little and try to make them happy, especially if they're a name act.
 
#57
Sound that loud is a disservice to the audience for many reasons, mainly their ability to enjoy music AT ALL down the road. There's no reason it has to be that loud. Heck, my band has a huge thing of free earplugs at our merch table for folks who want/need them, and we encourage them to use them if the volume is uncomfortable - but we never are anywhere near that loud. IMO, 'demanding' sound that loud to put on your show is just showing off or being difficult. I like AC/DC, but will never see them live for this very reason.
 
#60
Floyd Eye said:
Can anyone really imagine a soundguy, any soundguy, calling the shots at an AC/DC concert?

Come on man, once you get to a certain level in the business, you are no longer at the mercy of ANY sound man and I am pretty sure AC/DC has been at that level for 90% of their career.
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Yeah, but with bands on that level the sound guy DOES work for the band and answers directly to the tour manager. If it's that loud it's because they want it that way.
 

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