Giles

Came back from last night's Chemical Brothers show and I didnt realize how loud it was til I stepped outside the club. Other shows that were uniquely loud were: the offshot band from GWAR, where they dressed up like Cops (??), CURVE and MOGWAI (five guitarists playing all at once, were ear-ripping)

Starlover

Atari Teenage Riot followed by Mogwai. Both in a small-ish club in North Carolina from the first row. I don't think I've quite recovered yet.

cdollaz

Iron Maiden in 2000 was quite loud.

DJLinus

I was towards the front of an Aerosmith show last summer. My ears were ringing for a week afterwards. Getting older's a bitch.

I really wish tha in my youth I would have worn earplugs to all of the live shows that I went to. Hindsight's 20/20, I guess.

Josh-da-man

Blew out my hearing at a KISS/Faster Pussycat/Slaughter concert about twelve years ago.

Slaughter (bleh) was up first. I wanted a spot close to the stage -- it was general/festival seating -- and I got it. However, before the show, the great sea of the crowd shifted until I was pushed in front a great wall of speakers. I'm like three feet from a wall of speakers thirty feet high.

Anyhow, by the time Slaughter had finished, I had completely lost all hearing in my left ear (next to the speakers) and most of my hearing in the other ear. My hearing came back a few hours later, so I it was only temporary.

I was able to move closer to the center for Faster Pussycat and KISS, but not the very front... about three feet from the front. Beat the crap out of a frat boy right before KISS, too. Nothing to do with the volume, but it was a lot of fun to smash his face up.

So, twelve years later, I now have tinnitus. There's a constant, low ringing in my ears -- but I only notice it when I'm in complete silence like a shut-up car.

Probably not from that concert alone, but that was probably the one that did the most damage. My hearing is still extremely sharp, though. I can hear tones a lot of people can't, and being in noisy crowds -- bars, parties -- especially when I'm drunk, about drives me up the wall.

grunter

Idlewild at the Double-Door in Chicago last fall.

While I love their albums (and think they'll be the next "big thing"), live they use the wrong size speakers for a small room. That was easily outdoor festival level wattage being emitted from those speakers.

AndyCapps

I couldn't hear very well for a day or two after the first Nine Inch Nails concert I went to. That was the first really loud show I attended. As I've gotten older(and my hearing loss has increased I'm sure), they usually aren't too bad. I went to a Crystal Method show in the Egyptian Room at the Murat in Indianapolis, and it was loud because you're basically in a big room.

mike1978

The Ex, last summer at the Congress Theater in Chicago, was probably the loudest show I have been to. I'm glad I always wear earplugs.

woofman

Metallica in 1988 on the Justice tour, my ears rang for days.

GoVegan

The loudest shows I've been to have been Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Spiritualized. I saw BRMC in a little bar/club with a capacity of 100 or so, but they were playing like they had to fill the Grand Canyon with sound. Good show, very loud.

Spiritualized always seem to be very loud, too. Considering I'm seeing both bands at one show later this month, I think I may have to try wearing earplugs.

MJKTool

Deftones & Black Sabbath. My ears were literally ringing for 2 weeks.

Adam Tyner

I seriously thought I permanently damaged my hearing at an Impossibles show. It took several days to get back to normal.

Kaiser Soze

What'd you say?

JAA

The Black Sabbath Reunion tour.

Starlover

I want to see idlewild so badly! I've heard stories about how loud they are, but they're one of my favorite bands. Have you heard the new single? Its great!

Giles

Funny, I saw Idlewild at the T in the Park music festival just north of Edinburgh and even in a tent, and standing three fourths of the way back they were still loud.

uncle_morgan

social distortion/ supersuckers/ swingin utters in cains ball room. pa was stacked to the ceiling and blocked the bathroom doors. awesome.

Seeker

Probably when I saw "Damn Yankees" and Ted Nugent in 1991 -- but that's because I had front row seats and back stage passes.... my ears rang for more than a week...

saoirse

Melvins come to mind, but I'm sure I've seen louder.

MR ROBOTO 9000

Butthole Surfers, Vancouver, 1986. It was so loud I had to hold onto the metal buttons on my jean jacket as they were vibrating so much they seemed to be tearing off.

fsubruce

My Bloody Valentine in Tallahassee, 1992. Great show, but deafeningly loud.

Giantrobo

I ALWAYS WEAR EARPLUGS. They filter high end noise and crowd noise. I can actually hear the music better.

Motley Crue at the Forum around '88 and in Santa Barbara around '85

Iron Maiden @ the Palace. THe speakers were right ther on the floor

Mutley Hyde

Mr. Roboto, the Surfers in '86 were a grand thing indeed. I saw them many times in this era here in Dallas, and must say, those shows were quite unique... and frickin' loud! They ruled the planet then.

I'll add...
Soundgarden, Louder Than Love and Badmotorfinger tours
AC/DC, Stiff Upper Lip (I can't believe how hard these guys still kick ass in concert)
Ween at a small club. I forget exactly which album had just come out, maybe circa 12 Golden Country Greats, maybe The Mollusk, but my ears were bleeding after ten minutes, and I had tinitus for about a week after the show. Thank you Gene and Dean... you bastards.
The Ramones - several shows throughout the '80s and 90's... thanks Joey, and the rest of ya.

That's just a few. I unfortunately never saw The Who, but I heard they used to be fairly up the scale.

Eddyhazkel

AC/DC and Slash's Snakepit 2000. I dont know if it was that they were actually a lot louder, or just the facts that the accoustics were so terrible it was just a lot of feedback.

flabio

Garbage in a tiny theater in Kalamazoo, MI. I was deaf for four days after that show. Well worth it, though.