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That wiki article is pretty infuriating. A decibel reading without the weighting used, if any, and in particular without the distance from the meter to the source, is meaningless.
I saw Yes at The Spectrum in Philadelphia not long before it was imploded. That was the only time I've ever been to a rock concert and seriously wished they would turn the volume UP. People around us would talk in a normal voice and that would drown out the music, almost as if the PA wasn't even on. I have no idea why it was like that at that particular show because I've seen Yes more than any other band and I always thought their sound was pretty good - both the volume and the mix.
I saw Deep Purple a few months ago in Laughlin, NV, and was a little nervous because I forgot to bring my earplugs with me on that trip. Turns out there was no need for earplugs - their sound was outstanding.
I can think of two shows I've seen where I remember extreme volume levels. Not long before they broke, I saw Living Colour in a small club just outside of Philadelphia (for anyone who remembers Steve Mountain's Cabarets, this was at the old 23 East Cabaret. I miss those venues!). The "room" with the stage was in the back past the bar and it might have held 250 people. GREAT show, but the volume level was way more than was needed for a venue that size. Then several years ago my wife and I saw The Smithereens at a smallish venue in Philadelphia (World Cafe Live) several years ago. There wasn't much gear on the stage but somehow they hit a volume level that made my wife walk outside a couple of times. It was still a great show, though.
I do have a general complaint with live sound over the last several years. It seems like sound men insist on mixing as if they though they were a dance club DJ. In general the volume levels seem higher than they were when I was young, but if the mix is good a simple set of earplugs can offset the volume level so the show is still enjoyable. But the real problem is that the level of the low end in general, and the level of the bass drum in particular, has simply gotten out of control. My wife has lost interest in going to rock concerts with me because the mixes are often awful and the insanity of the bass drum levels is nauseating and, unfortunately, ear plugs can't help with that. I wish she could go to more shows with me, but I can't blame her for declining most.
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I hear ya. I also checked every page also before posting and then had to go find the quote & video to paste here. Disaster Area was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the thread.
IME, the three loudest concerts that come to mind are Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (70's), Kiss (70's), and Stryper (yes, Stryper! in their To Hell With The Devil days).
With those three, I was in the nosebleed section at the back of the arena, as far from the stage as you can get, and my ears rang and were muffled for days.
And with Kiss, I felt like a hot dog on a stick when the pillars of flame came on, even from hundreds of feet away. That was definitely the most "larger-than-life" concert I've seen
With those three, I was in the nosebleed section at the back of the arena, as far from the stage as you can get, and my ears rang and were muffled for days.
And with Kiss, I felt like a hot dog on a stick when the pillars of flame came on, even from hundreds of feet away. That was definitely the most "larger-than-life" concert I've seen
The loudest show I ever saw was Ministry as part of Lollapalooza in 1992 at Fiddler's Green in Denver. My girlfriend and I were in the 10th row, and despite it being an outdoor venue we had to leave a few songs in. I was trying to tough it out but she was in serious pain! I saw Motorhead/Black Sabbath that same year at a small indoor theater and Ministry was much louder. I have tinnitus now btw lol!
Geezzz I'm getting old. Forgot I saw the Meat Puppets (1980?) when they were nobody's at a Bar in Akron,Ohio the size of an average living room. It was stupid loud.
My loudest was Lenny Kravitz in a college basketball arena around '93, I had thick foam earplugs in and ears were still ringing the next day.
I haven't seen any official numbers but ...And you will know us by the trail of dead was the loudest band I have witnessed personally
Perhaps we should start a new thread, who has hearing damage?
I have substantial hearing loss in both ears, due to attending concerts, playing live and using industrial equipment for a job I had when younger.
I have substantial hearing loss in both ears, due to attending concerts, playing live and using industrial equipment for a job I had when younger.
My wife and I had to leave a Bruno Mars concert last year due to volume, and I've seen Kiss, Sabbath, and The Who.
The loudest major concerts I have personally witnessed were, wait for it: The Backstreet Boys and Aaron Carter. Seriously. Louder than Motorhead, louder than Iron Maiden, louder than hell. I was involved with production in both cases and when the screaming girls are reaching 125dB at FOH and the PA needs to be louder than that, you're setting up for a painfully loud experience. The BSB show was loud enough that my ears were ringing afterwards even though I used my earplugs. When we went out with AC, I brought a pair of industrial earmuffs. It was intense. The crowd noise was more unbearable than the PA as screaming girls are right in the range where our ears are most sensitive.
Other memorably loud experiences were the Black Crowes at the Bottom Line in NYC; Big Sugar at the Horseshoe in Toronto; Motorhead, Dio and Iron Maiden at the Bell Centre in Montreal, not to mention countless other bar shows that were ridiculously loud, including a few where I bore responsibility for the mix.
When it's loud enough to throw your balance off it's too loud.
When Motorhead is the quietest band at a show, you know it's a loud show. That said, even though Dio was incredibly loud the mix was immaculate. You hardly realized it was loud until you tried to speak to someone. One of the best live mixes I ever heard. I actually took it upon myself to go over to FOH after Dio's set and tell the guy that he had an amazing mix. Motorhead sounded like crap. As usual. Don't get me wrong, I love Motorhead but their live sound is always atrocious.
Other memorably loud experiences were the Black Crowes at the Bottom Line in NYC; Big Sugar at the Horseshoe in Toronto; Motorhead, Dio and Iron Maiden at the Bell Centre in Montreal, not to mention countless other bar shows that were ridiculously loud, including a few where I bore responsibility for the mix.
When it's loud enough to throw your balance off it's too loud. When Motorhead is the quietest band at a show, you know it's a loud show. That said, even though Dio was incredibly loud the mix was immaculate. You hardly realized it was loud until you tried to speak to someone. One of the best live mixes I ever heard. I actually took it upon myself to go over to FOH after Dio's set and tell the guy that he had an amazing mix. Motorhead sounded like crap. As usual. Don't get me wrong, I love Motorhead but their live sound is always atrocious.
Ok, I got it wrong. However, 140 dB-SPL is still louder than 136 dB-SPL! If Hanson wasn't there, there'd be be no screaming teenage girls. Hanson is still the loudest band! EVER.
honorable mention to this guy: Void Manes
he played a 15-min. noise set on his modular synthesizer in between Le Butcherettes and the Melvins when I saw them this year. Ear-piercing, and yes LOUDER than the freakin' Melvins
i think Merzbow would probably be a similar experience
he played a 15-min. noise set on his modular synthesizer in between Le Butcherettes and the Melvins when I saw them this year. Ear-piercing, and yes LOUDER than the freakin' Melvins
i think Merzbow would probably be a similar experience
I actually saw all three at the Millenium tour: Dio, Motörhead, and headlining Man-O-War. Of course Dio was the best, and I went out for a beer when Motörhead went on stage. Their only merit is their drummer. And then Man-Ö-War sorry Man-O-War entered the stage, and blew them all off, with sheer loudness. It was so loud that you vision became blurred from the shaking foundations. Nothing was wrecked up, it was a hockey rink.
I do think still, that Man-O-War and Motörhead makes the loudest noise. Empty vessels makes the loudest noise. Period. Sunn-O))) ?! Well, my tinnitus in my left ear that I have from time to time has a higher threshold of originality than those guys produces.
Has anyone encountered New Yorks avant garde guitarist Glen Branca's concerts? Not me, but I've heard similar things. Avant garde does not attract huge concert halls, so it's always in a small room. He uses the room as a resonator for the instrument and attaches barbed wire as guitar strings. I e the room is the instrument. I e always too loud for such a small room. To some, earplugs wasn't enough, you had to wear a kidney belt. Otherwise the kidneys had started to move around.
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And as for the Brown Note produced...
I do think still, that Man-O-War and Motörhead makes the loudest noise. Empty vessels makes the loudest noise. Period. Sunn-O))) ?! Well, my tinnitus in my left ear that I have from time to time has a higher threshold of originality than those guys produces.
Has anyone encountered New Yorks avant garde guitarist Glen Branca's concerts? Not me, but I've heard similar things. Avant garde does not attract huge concert halls, so it's always in a small room. He uses the room as a resonator for the instrument and attaches barbed wire as guitar strings. I e the room is the instrument. I e always too loud for such a small room. To some, earplugs wasn't enough, you had to wear a kidney belt. Otherwise the kidneys had started to move around.
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And as for the Brown Note produced...
You should really compare outdoor gigs only, where no walls contributing to the decibells. With no hills around, just free air. You can blast a few decibels more out there than indoors. Outdoor gigs are - by and large - louder anyway, and has to bring a bit sturdier FOH PA systems. Wind and moisture can do a lot in decreasing the decibels, as well as temperature. Now, NOT the arena types, but free field.
