Earplugs or not ?
 

Do you wear earplugs at concerts ? I've never worn any and after 30+ years of punk and heavy metal concerts, I've probably done a fair amount of damage to my hearing (although, to be honest, I've never noticed any hearing loss). All my 40+ year old friends are also similar - they don't wear earplugs.
But when I go to gigs these days, it seems that most of the younger people in the crowd have them in. Is it an age thing ? Are people more conscious of doing damage than they were back in my day ? Are older people (like myself) just too stubborn/stupid to wear them ? I have to admit even now I have no intentions of starting to use them.
I was just wondering if it's a generational thing or if I've just been hanging out with the wrong people all these years. :)

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

28 years old, have tinnitus (only slightly) from all things music.
So yes, I wear ear plugs. I also work part-time at a concert venue so I see many gigs.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

Where's the "sometimes" option. I'm 41 and I did wear them when I saw Dinosaur Jr recently, but haven't worn them at other shows (Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Radiohead). Depends on how big the venue is and if I think it'll be just too loud.. I saw New York Dolls 6-7 years ago and it was INSANELY loud, my ears hurt for days and days afterward. So far, knock on wood, my hearing is OK.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

I could used them last night - strangely being up close to the DJ booth wasn't that loud, however when I moved to the entrance of the club where there were two other speakers it seemed louder. It also didn't help that at the end of the song, the Boys Noize remix of 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) the treble got so loud, that everyone near me (including myself) had their hands over/in their ears. I might have to bring some for next week's Fake Blood dj gig.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

Yup! I'm only 29. There is a misconception among people my age and younger that earplugs completely drown out sound. If anything they make things better.

After a Neurosis show in 2007, I lost my hearing in my left ear for 5+ days. Have been wearing earplugs to shows ever since.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

I started using them at 30, but wish I had started earlier. I like the Etymotic earplugs, which attenuate, but don't muffle (as much) the sound:

http://www.etymotic.com/hp/er20.html

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

Oops... I voted NO UNDER 40 but meant to vote YES UNDER 40.

I never wore earplugs at concerts until I was about 30. I have some tinnitus, but I've had some ringing in my ears for as long as I can remember, not just when I started listening to loud music.

Better safe than sorry.

I'll also add that I find earplugs tend to make the music sound a bit better than without.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

37 and usually. I never did until I saw the Jesus and Mary Chain a few years ago and then the Drive By Truckers the next night. Both bands were insanely loud.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

ALWAYS wear them. As a teenager I saw 3-4 live music shows a week on average and after a year of not wearing them and having issues started to wear them and have never looked back. Aside from the health reasons music generally sounds better with them in. Most live venues have pretty terrible sound and I've found that good ear plugs cut out some of the high end distortion and generally things sound better.

I'm 33, wear them. Anyone who doesn't is wrong.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

I am over 40 and have tinnitus from going to shows and playing in bands for over 25 years. I try to wear them at shows but I don't insert them all the way in because it makes the music sound too muffled that I can't enjoy it. When I have band rehearsals I wear them but when I play live I do not because then I have problems hearing everyone else on stage. I play mostly underground music so we do not have fancy monitoring like alot of the famous bands that play in big venues.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

38 and yes. I play in a band, so it's essential when I am doing a show or rehearsing. For small club shows I go to it's sometimes not necessary. But I always have them with me.

I had a big scare back when I was 18. I went to some god awful Kiss convention at a Holiday Inn in the burbs here with a friend, and they had a Kiss tribute band playing in one of the banquet rooms. I wound up with my right here facing one of the main speakers the whole time, which had really harsh mids coming out of it. I couldn't hear right for several days after that, when usually my ear ringing would be fine the next day. I was scare as hell considering I was a musician and kind of need my hearing. Not to mention potentially damaging my hearing on something as shitty as a banquet room Kiss tribute show. :lol: So it's been earplugs ever since.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

Yes, I've been wearing them for 10 years or so (since my mid-20s). Started with an AC/DC show where my ears were still ringing the following day. Haven't looked back since. Hell, I still sometimes wear them when mowing the lawn. :lol:

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

I don't wear them and never saw anyone wear them, not that I was looking.

I went to a ton of concerts in the glory days of hard rock and stood by those enormous PA stacks and never once noticed an issue and still don't.

:shrug:

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

I'm under 40 and don't wear them. I should though. Before my ears are permanently fucked.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

I've worn them occasionally, but usually don't. Find it cuts out too much of the noise, and ultimately dulls the listening experience for me.

That said, could have used a pair while seeing The Joy Formidable last night. Talk about a wall of sound, one of the loudest shows I've ever been to. A friend who works at the club said sound check was even louder, and they had eight neighboring buisness call to complain about the volume while it was going on.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

For the most part, I've rarely gone to more than 2-3 shows a year as an adult, and I never wore them---don't seem to have any tinnitus problems yet. However, a couple years ago I went to a club show (Killing Joke, I think) and it was so loud that during the first song I immediately thought "whoa, this can't be healthy". Fortunately the club sold earplugs, so I got a pair for the rest of that show. As I get older I'm more concerned about preserving my health, so I usually at least bring a pair to shows when I go now--but I don't use them unless the volume seems exceedingly loud.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

Under 40, and been using ear plugs a few years now. I blame a couple possible factors in my development of tinnitus, and I'd rather not the possibility of it getting worse.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

Then again, Eddie Money and Phil Collins shows aren't THAT loud.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

There's no way standing by a massive speaker is not going to hurt your hearing in some way, unless you have a ton of wax jammed in there. :lol:

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

Always. I see a lot of shows and I like to be able to hear during and after. I use the ones Todd B. linked. Previously I'd always hated earplugs, as I thought they made everything too muddled, but those Etymotic (Earlove when I bought them) plugs make everything sound better.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

Always. I also do it when mowing the lawn.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

Every show I go to. If I forget my Etymotics, I'll try to purchase a set of cheapies at the show, or use napkins.

I also use ear protection when doing anything loud at the house.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

I'm 38 and have only been to a handful of shows but have always used them. I also use the ones Todd B. linked by the way.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

So I wonder if only people who use them are bothering to post because this seems to be statistically unusual. :lol:

The only time I've ever used ear plugs was at a NASCAR race and shooting loud rifles.

Re: Earplugs or not ?
 

Obviously, you are a man's man. Congrats!