Have You Used Ear Plugs At Concerts ?

[rube]

Have you used ear plugs at a concert?  If so leave a comment about the experince and who it was.  Has anyone used them during a GNR Show?   

Not every show I have been to have I brought or needed to use ear plugs.  Recently I saw The Cult and I had forgot to bring some earplugs, it was so loud that it did not sound good and it wasn't as nearly enoyable as it could have been had I used earplugs (or if Matt Sourum was behind the kit).

I'm sure if you have been to a show or heard of someone say "It sounded like I was in a tin can", or "I couldn't hear over all the noise (screaming, too much treble, etc.) or "what? I'can't hear my ears a re ringing and they hurt". 

Wearing a normal foam earplug cancels out those sounds and you won't have a "ring" in your ears.

What it doesn't do, is make everything silent. In fact you hear MORE of the music, less of the drunk behind you.

My first concert wearing earplugs was a Megadeth / Suicidal Tendecie concert and man did they sound like crap with out them.

Concerts that I'v seen in the recent years where the earplugs came in handy have been:

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Coldplay
AFI
Plain White T's
U2
GNR

http://www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=1063

http://scottppatterson.blogspot.com

http://www.ahc.umn.edu/news/releases/earplugs92905/home.html

[Wicked Demon]

GNR Hammerstein. I was very surprised about how loud Bullet for My Valentine came out and played. I had plugs in by the time GNR hit.

I use them all the time for metal and punk shows. If anything, it drowns out the crowd and makes it easier to hear the band. these typically aren't concert halls, so you aren't going to miss out on the quirks of the acoustic fingerprint of the facility or anything.

edit: I see you made that point about drowning out the drunks already...

[anythinggoes]

When i was in Baltimore there was some prick in front of me kept putting his fingers in his ears because it was to loud i mean what the fuck we were at the front of Genaral access and you have you fingers in your fucking ears if you can take it go to the back and watch the show you surely cant be enjoying the show doing that Yeah its loud its a fucking concert it will be loud. what with him and the dick he stood next to me just looking miserable not singing along not jumping not even clapping i really could of let rip but the good inside of me prevailed and anyho they played down on the Farm and i had to concentrate on recording that, sorry i think this whole post is on topic

[Death Cube K]

I had them in Oslo but during WTTJ i took them off because the sound wasnt loud from where i was standing at all. I used it during Black Sabbath...they played fucking loud. I bet most of the GNR sound went over me..because I was infront.

[BD888]

I use them at any concert that is loud enough to hurt my ears.  I once went to a Metallica Concert in '91 or '92, I was about about 10 people from the stage, right in the middle the whole concert, and when I came out of the arena, I couldn't hear anything but ringing.  People would shout at me, and I couldn't hear them at all. 

Recently I have worn ear plugs at the following shows:

Guns N' Roses
Velvet Revolver
Jane's Addiction
The Red Hot Chilli Peppers
The Prodigy
The Chemical Brothers
The Orb

I didn't wear them at:

The Who
The Rolling Stones
Morcheeba

[BangoSkank]

People who are deaf in one ear have it the worst... my friend had to put them in at a Dave Matthews concert because it was too much for her only good ear.

[PigeonOfSh!tMetal]

I go unprotected.

[deadflowerII]

only shows with a harmonica....black cows , blues traveller....etc.

[Luigi]

I defiantly got to wear plugs no matter what, it makes things sound so much better plus after the show your ears don't ring forever! 

[AxlsMainMan]

I go unprotected.

To a Guns N' Roses show, I sure do.

[deadflowerII]

cows=crowes.....

[brimatner]

Never had, but should have worn them when I saw AC/DC.  Ears were ringing for almost 14 days after the show.  No joke.

[GeorgeSteele]

I saw 2 GNR shows at Hammerstein in May. ?First without ear plugs, second with. ?Plenty of pros and cons, but the worst thing about the ear plugs - I heard myself sing. ?For that reason alone, I'll never do it again.

[Bodhi]

thats true about hearing yourself sing, i wore them at the show in jersey, which was great cause i was in the front row next to one of the speakers the dj was playiing out of,,fuckin loud,,,bach was loud as hell too....i started wearing ear plugs after seeing Black label Soiety several times, my head almost exploded

[dallasgel]

I've been to well over 30 shows in the last couple years and I never go without plugs.  It just ain't worth the ringing ears for days afterward and the likely loss of hearing when I'm older.

[mega_music]

I didnt take earplugs with me to the Cleveland show, but I wish I would of. I was front row right in front of one of the speaker stacks to the left of the stage. It didnt seem to bother me but after the show the ride home, I felt like I was saying what every other word, while my g\f was talking to me. My ears finally stopped ringing but the day after was also miserable. I felt like an old person talking so loud and having muffled hearing. My G\F also had an ear ache in one of her ears for a few days after the show. No matter how cool you think you are not wearing ear plugs, be smart its not worth the pain and suffering hearing loss by watching a 2 hour concert.

[echrisl]

I typically wear ear plugs for shows, and did so when I saw GNR.

I forgot them once when I went to see Megadeth playing in a club, and I could hear ringing for at least three days afterward ...

[Lucky]

where do you get those?

[TrixAreForKids]

I had ear plugs in when 'Bullet for my Valentine' opened for GnR' at the Hammerstein. At the time I wish I had some rope or a gun.

[freedom78]

I haven't, but can see the benefits after Motley Crue in February and RHCP during their tour for "One Hot Minute" (you know...back before they sucked).  Crue was so fuckin' loud that you could hardly decipher anything.  I appreciate loud...but I'd rather hear the show than be impressed by the amount of sound you can create.