When did live gigs get ear-pearcingly loud?

[BlacksHole]

The first way too loud concert I attended was Emerson, Lake, & Palmer in the early 70's. The stadium physically shook from the volume and my hearing was problematic for a week. Most of the bands I have been in have been too loud as well. Only the bands without guitarists played at reasonable volumes. Despite that, there are many guitarists who like to say the bass is too loud. A lot of the problem is that many guitarists use too much bass in their tone and it muddies things up and next thing you know, everyone is turning up and no one can hear themselves.

 

[ZiggyDude]

Speaking of club bands.

My vote was early 70s. When Kustom started making a bass rig that was two 2x15 cabs and a head. It was technically just 100 watts - but very efficient and plus you had 4 speakers. My first high school rig was a Cerwin Vega reflex 18 and a 90 watt Traynor tube amp. Some folks said their tummies hurt.

Wattage may not have been as high. But speaker efficiency was very good and also the cabs were big. I saw some Fender "Bandmasters" get very loud.

Then Acoustic came along. LOUD!!! And Sunn gets some credit. The mighty Ampeg SVT was actually two 8x10 cabs for the full rig. Same as the Acoustic 371 was two cabs for full effect. People were just packing huge firepower.

I actually think that most club bands are quieter now than what we did in the 80s. Today I rarely go home with ringing ears like I used to.

I don't see a lot of live concerts. No clue about that.

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

The first way too loud concert I attended was Emerson, Lake, & Palmer in the early 70's. The stadium physically shook from the volume and my hearing was problematic for a week.

Only the bands without guitarists played at reasonable volumes.

But ELP didn't have a guitarist!!

Keith on Keys,Greg on Bass and Carl on Drums - no guitar!!

I know they were loud - but Led Zep were even louder!!

 

[Jools4001]

I've seen ELP, Floyd, Zeppelin, The Who, but the loudest bands I've ever seen were Wishbone Ash and XTC both back in the mid-late 70's

I think things are better now. PA's are more sophisticated and sond guys generally have a better understanding of acoustics than the 'pile the cabs high and feed them millions of watts' wall of sound approach.

The last few gigs I've been to have been pleasantly loud - enough so that the music sounds full, punchy and lets you bass vibrations, but also really clean and well balanced.

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

I saw Wishbone Ash twice at Brighton Dome in the 70s and XTC at Brighton University and while they were all good gigs - they were nothing like the sheer volume of Led Zep at Wembley in 1974 - John Bonham was incredibly loud and powerful!!

 

[The Brisk]

Speaking of club bands.

My vote was early 70s. When Kustom started making a bass rig that was two 2x15 cabs and a head. It was technically just 100 watts - but very efficient and plus you had 4 speakers. My first high school rig was a Cerwin Vega reflex 18 and a 90 watt Traynor tube amp. Some folks said their tummies hurt.

Wattage may not have been as high. But speaker efficiency was very good and also the cabs were big.

Like these...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebrisk/sets/72157623173146512/show/

 

[marchone]

When did live gigs get ear-pearcingly loud?

1966. Specifically when Hendrix surfaced. The Who and Cream followed immediately.

Imagine three 100 watt Marshall stacks each in a 25'x100' brick-walled basement club. Cafe Au Go-Go, Greenwich Village.

My ears rang for three days afterward.

Someone mentioned ELP. Really loud. The Moody Blues gave everyone a run for their money in the dB race, too. But all those bands were after Hendrix.

 

[funkybass4ever]

The loudest concert I've ever been to was a Rush show in 1990.

I always thought Rush could have cranked it up a couple notches sonically live. Loudest band ever was Motley Crue opening for Kiss in early 80's. When Vince Neil hit a high note i swear he was trying to enter my soul via my eardrums.

 

[need4mospd]

The drummer sets the stage level, IMO.

This theory is just backwards to me if you want reasonable volume.

Everyone is capable of turning down or playing a bit softer, even drummers believe it or not. Therefore, the person who isn't capable of turning up any more, or the quietest instrument/vocal sets the max volume. If you use the loudest instrument to set the volume, you won't be able to hear the other instruments.