Loudest gigs you've been to

[FlatEric]

Thin Lizzy, Johnnie The Fox tour, 1976. . . . I think.  Really loud but with clarity. After all this time, perhaps one of my favourite/most memorable but SO loud!

[whynot]

The Who, Edmonton Sundown 72/73. Squashed at the front so about 10 feet from Moon's kit and ridiculously loud backline from Entwistle and Townsend in both ears. Having said that my first gig and I loved it. Daltreys bottle of water being thrown over me every few minutes kept it real

 

[4000]

Loudest were, just, Dragster at the Motorheadbangers party at the Ritz in Manchester, around ‘83-ish. It was like being run over by, strangely enough, a Dragster. 😉

Close behind were Spider at JRs in Blackpool. The sound was also absolutely terrible, the PA pushed well beyond its limits, so that was the most painful. And they were utterly dreadful too.

After that, probably Motorhead at various venues, all of which were considerably bigger than the above, which is probably why they aren’t first. I remember sticking my head in the bass bins at Queen’s Hall, Leeds. Intense. 😂 

One other that springs to mind for different reasons was the bass drum, Iron Maiden, possibly Powerslave, at Manchester. I’d eaten just before going in and after 20 minutes the ludicrous bass drum impact had me feeling sick as a dog. 

Edited February 23, 2021 by 4000

[casapete]

Went see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at St James Park in Newcastle in 1985. The music before they came on was gradually ramped up in volume till it was really kicking. Loud but great quality loud if you know what I mean. They announced the band, and Max Weinberg kicked off ‘ Born in the USA’ and I swear it rearranged my internal organs. Took a few songs to acclimatise , great gig though. Despite being deafeningly loud it wasn’t that kind of volume where it hurt for days after.

Unlike when I saw RnB band The Count Bishops at Dingwalls in London, late 1970’s. The PA consisted of banks of Bose 802 speakers ( maybe 16) on each side, and when the band kicked off we had to immediately retreat to the back where it was just as bad. Not just the loudness but dreadful harsh sound. Didn’t help when a drunk Alex Harvey came on to guest either, shouting his lines above the cacophony. I had severe ringing in my ears for two weeks afterwards, thought it had done irreparable damage TBH. Always take earplugs to gigs these days - rarely need to use them thank god, but handy to have all the same.

[casapete]

24 minutes ago, whynot said:

The Who, Edmonton Sundown 72/73. Squashed at the front so about 10 feet from Moon's kit and ridiculously loud backline from Entwistle and Townsend in both ears. Having said that my first gig and I loved it. Daltreys bottle of water being thrown over me every few minutes kept it real

 

I saw The Who maybe late 70’s, and was about 2 rows in front of Townshend’s Hiwatt rig. Was worried it would be too much but was actually great, as the PA was crazy loud but I wasn’t in the firing line of that. One of the best guitarists I’ve ever seen, with great control and tone.

[TheGreek]

Not necessarily the loudest but when I saw UB40 at Uni of Herts the bass was turned up so loud the only instruments you could hear was the drums and bass.

Couldn't hear the keys except on intros, horns hardly audible, guitars (thankfully) barely registering...

Basically "CRAP!!" and it was their own sound crew.

[casapete]

Just now, TheGreek said:

Not necessarily the loudest but when I saw UB40 at Uni of Herts the bass was turned up so loud the only instruments you could hear was the drums and bass.

Couldn't hear the keys except on intros, horns hardly audible, guitars (thankfully) barely registering...

Basically "CRAP!!" and it was their own sound crew.

They played Hull City Hall and was the same apparently, after hearing comments from people who went and left early because of it.

[Maude]

That's a good point @casapete , there's good loud and bad loud. I've been to plenty of gigs that weren't the loudest, but were more painful because of the terrible quality, I'm looking at you Plymouth Pavilions.

When I've seen Motorhead towards the end, it was the strobes during overkill that hurt more than the volume, absolutely blinding and relentless. 

Relentless, blinding lights and ear splitting volume on a song called Overkill, it could only be Motorhead couldn't it. 😆

[Woodwind]

Good Loud - Sunn0))) 2004

Bad Loud - Mogwai (as I mentioned in the gigs you left early thread). 2003

 

The Sunn gig was so loud it actually seemed quieter when I removed an ear plug as a test and my hearing was completely overloaded.

The bass frequencies were a physical entity. Absolutely brilliant.

There was a point to the volume

Mogwai on the other hand were pointlessly loud. It worked against the delicate moments of their music.

 

Everything I've seen at the Kentish Town Forum has been loud and sounded crap.

 

[Woodwind]

A friend of mine irreparably damaged his hearing seeing my bloody valentine in the 90's.

 

He then went to see them again a couple of years back(I think it was that recent) and despite ear plugs, worsened his tinnitus even more ☹️

[bartelby]

10 minutes ago, Woodwind said:

Good Loud - Sunn0))) 2004

The Sunn gig was so loud it actually seemed quieter when I removed an ear plug as a test and my hearing was completely overloaded.

The bass frequencies were a physical entity. Absolutely brilliant.

There was a point to the volume

That’s a good description of a Sunn O))) gig. The first time I saw them in 2006 the backline kept going down which left Attila to do A Cappella parts. Still bloody awesome. I’ve seen them about 10 times since then.

[Sparky Mark]

1979 - Gillan at The Kingdom Hall, Brunel University. John McCoy convinced me (and my internal organs) there and then bass was the way to go and he never seems to age! A wall of Marshall cabs crazy loud! (Some even had speakers in them I reckon).

2013 - The Subways at The Square, Harlow. Small venue at ear splitting volume. Rock & Roll Queen is brill. 

[JapanAxe]

AC/DC, Sheffield Poly, 1978. They were still unbearably loud in the bar in the next room.

Slipknot, Bristol Anson Rooms in about 2001 (first UK tour). I was wearing earplugs but still in pain.

[inthedoghouse]

Motorhead without a doubt

Also Black Sabbath when they were touring Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - but I was standing almost directly in front of one of the PA bins.

[Islander]

The Who at the Charlton Athletic football ground in 1976.  I was very near the front of the crowd and the PA was stupendously loud.  It was a fantastic end to a fantastic day though with the Sensational Alex Harvey Band giving one of their best performances and then the Who just edging the day.

 

[Cosmo Valdemar]

Without a doubt, Them Crooked Vultures at the Brixton Academy. Just really uncomfortably loud. Worryingly loud. It was a bit of a boring gig as well, I hate to admit.

A few months later, this happened:

https://www.nme.com/news/music/them-crooked-vultures-127446

 

Following on from all the mentions of Sleep and co, my old band once played a gig with a two-piece band called Agents of The Morai - drums and guitar. The guitarist played through a 50w Matamp and 2 4x12 Marshalls. Our drummer had to leave to throw up outside. It felt like our insides were being scrambled. 

Funnily enough, we bumped into that guitar player a couple of years later when he produced our second album. He plays for Conan now.

Edited February 23, 2021 by Cosmo Valdemar

[la bam]

6 hours ago, TheGreek said:

I saw Queen/ Status Quo/ Belouis Some at Knebworth 1986. Over 100,000 people - it was said that when the wind blew in the right direction it could be heard in Hatfield 8 miles away, so pretty loud.

The same tour, but at Maine road, manchester. You could hear it in Oldham.

[AndyTravis]

Listened to a whole Springsteen gig once at old Trafford, was ace.

I was 3 miles away in my garden.

[Jonse]

A toss up between Motorhead at the De Mont in Leicester (approx 2013) and Dinosaur Jr at Krammerock in Belgium (probably 2013 also.) 

Saw Motorhead for my last time at Glastonbury 2015 where Lemmy was kind of on his last legs and sang 'Ace of Spades' lyrics during 'Overkill.' It was far from the best that I've seen them but by God it was memorable. Also painfully loud, even for outdoors at Glastonbury. 

[bartelby]

7 hours ago, Jonse said:

A toss up between Motorhead at the De Mont in Leicester (approx 2013) and Dinosaur Jr at Krammerock in Belgium (probably 2013 also.) 

I saw Dinosaur Jr a few years back* in a tiny venue in Bristol, I started the gig about 6' in front of J's stacks (a Hiwatt and 2 Marshalls, each going through 2 4x12"s, his monitor was a Fender Twin at pretty much, his, ear level). After a song or two I went to the back and sat on a shelf. 

*it was 2013 too, according to the date I uploaded the video I shot:

 

[Maude]

Following on from stadium concerts heard far away I heard The Who's 'The Who Roar In' concert at Wembley from my grandparents garden near Brent Reservoir when I stayed in the summer holidays. The line up was Nils Lofgren, AC/DC, The Stranglers and The Who. 

I was only six at the time so didn't know who I was listening to but I knew it must be something really cool to be able to hear it clearly from the garden. I shouldn't have been up that late but I pestered my nan and she caved in as all grandparents are supposed to. 😁

[SteveXFR]

9 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

Listened to a whole Springsteen gig once at old Trafford, was ace.

I was 3 miles away in my garden.

I can listen to bands on Glastonbury pyramid stage from my garden, around 15 miles away. The wind has to be blowing the right way but Motorhead, Foo Fighters and Muse have all been very clear. Fortunately, I couldn't hear Coldplay or Kanye

[sykilz]

Tesla, at the Marquee club in Wardour st on their first UK tour ('86/'87) , hot, sweaty, outrageously loud, and when the guitar solos hit the high notes my sight started to black at the edges.

bad loud, Iron Maiden on the Book of Souls tour, I think I read the guy on the sound desk got fired, usually they're loud but clear, this was a wall of noise.

[mikel]

AC/DC at the Mayfair in Newcastle, late 70s. It was a big underground venue so the sound seemed to have nowhere to go. They were so loud my vision was becoming blured, the only way to ease the pain was to stand behind the stage. This from a guy who was drumming at the time, and we rehearsed at gig volume in a room the size of a standard kitchen. Bonkers volume, I still blame that gig for my rampant tinnitus.

[Dom in Dorset]

Good loud - Metallica at Glastonbury.  The crowd was big but not tightly packed but it felt like you were being pushed around in a mosh pit just from the shear noise they made. I was about 100 yard from the stage, heard everything clearly , no problems with hearing post gig.