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The Absolute Loudest Band Ever....

Actually says that it was the loudest crowd, not the loudest band. Though, you might have gotten the wrong idea by the sheer number of people running away from the music, covering their ears and crying.

I seriously want to jam on MmmmBop in the new cover band I'm putting together. I figure those screaming 12-year-olds ought to be bar-hopping 30-year-olds about now. It will be awesome.
 
The loudest band I've personally experienced was Grand Funk Railroad at the Mississippi River Festival. We were in the first row, right in front of Mel Schacher's bass rig and the mains.

I could feel my internal organs vibrating. The only louder sound I've ever heard was a test firing of a main engine of the space shuttle down in Mississippi.
 
loudest band I ever heard was the Suburbs at the Longhorn in Minneapolis. The Longhorn was a small club with low ceilings and we used to go there to listen to the Suicide Commandos. One week the Suburbs were there instead and they had much much more powerful equipment -- much more suited to a larger venue.

but I've lead a very sheltered life, so I'm sure it wouldn't rank with these 130 -140 decibels concerts.

A friend saw Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter on tour in St Paul and as the concert went on each kept turning up their amps to overwhelm the other. That was the loudest concert he'd ever been to. He said it was pretty funny till it got painful.


quietest gig I ever witnessed was a friend who was scheduled to play weekly at an upscale art deco bar in St Paul. He was a really talented guitarist and a lot of his friends showed up to hear him on his first night. He was playing his electric without an amp behind a floor to ceiling curtain. He had performance issues. There wasn't a second night.
 
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I think the loudest band I ever heard was Bill Laswell, opening for Sonic Youth, at the Ritz in New York in the 90s (the old Studio 54 space).

The internets suggest it was Laswell with Painkiller, his "noise-thrash" project. Maybe that explains the volume.

John Zorn screaming alto over the loudest Low frequencies I ever heard, at The Middle East, Cambridgema, Bill Lazwell had lots of cabs that are usually standing stacked horizontally, PA bass bins on stage too and 3 or 4 Marshal bass amps, using a WHAMMY to go subsonic, you could almost count the pulses it was so low. Zorn did the ear damage that night with high frequencies.
went to see SunO))) at Coolidge Corner theatre 2 years ago, the opening band was so loud it was wasted, why even have a drummer when it's garbled? Didn't stay for main act...not worth it, I can listen to Monoliths and Dimensions at home on the tower speakers...
 
The loudest band I've ever witnessed was called "Walking on Ice". They were a local band to me, the drummer and I had been in a previous band together and I also knew the lead vocalist. They had just signed to a minor label (or were about to) and were on the verge of a countrywide tour. I saw them in a now defunct pub along the London Road in Bedford UK, it wasn't exactly a bar gig because the pub had a functions room where the bands played, but it wasn't a huge room, maybe 50 x 30 feet....but they'd just obtained a 10Kw touring PA (which was huge in those days) and they were determined to use it.

I remember having to get out of the room during a guitar solo because I was actually in pain and about to throw up.
 
I think the loudest band I ever heard was Bill Laswell, opening for Sonic Youth, at the Ritz in New York in the 90s (the old Studio 54 space).

The internets suggest it was Laswell with Painkiller, his "noise-thrash" project. Maybe that explains the volume.

That club was the loudest place on earth. I saw P-funk allstars there in the early 90s and my ears rung for 5 days. The sound came from the walls throughout the club....just when you thought your ears would get a break in between acts the house music came on even louder. Almost sued that place!
 
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ive been to 100's of rock concerts since 1979.....BUT,.....the LOUDEST I will never forget....I was front row at a MOTORHEAD show in Germany in a small hall in 1988. King Diamond and Destruction opened. Now, im used to ears ringing next morning after a show....but the ringing went on for maybe two days!! maybe a third. Was freaking me out...I thought I was damaged goods! But, went back to normal. That was LOUD.
 
Being loud in a big stadium and being loud in a small club are very different things. The Swans in 1986 were absolutely brutal. My ears are still ringing. My Bloody Valentine were also stupidly loud. Pretty dangerous to be honest.
I agree. I woked in a 1500-2000 seat club and bands volumes that played there sounded completely different at larger venues.
When I worked the club I sometimes was within 5' of the subs and the Audience about 15'. It was brutal.
The worse bass I ever heard was standing in front of the subs for a Clutch show. The bass sound waves were so loud and heavy they moved me forward like wind and messed me up inside.
 
When it comes to audio "impact" it's not just decibels but note range, tone, size of the room and where you sit visa vie the speakers. I still remember seeing Focus with Jan Ackerman (great guitarist, especially for the time) around 1974 at NYC's Felt Forum. I sat about 2/3 of the way back of the venue but when he soloed it felt like he was jabbing me in the ear with ice picks. And this comes from someone who's been to some pretty loud concerts.
 
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I seriously want to jam on MmmmBop in the new cover band I'm putting together. I figure those screaming 12-year-olds ought to be bar-hopping 30-year-olds about now. It will be awesome.
Years ago I took my two Daughter to a Backstreet Boys show. The music was tame but the 20,000 screaming girls were brutal!