The Guide #243: Ear-splitting gigs that were worth the after-ring

"A truly loud gig stays with you, figuratively and literally, as anyone who has spent the days after one accompanied by a troubling ringing in their ears can confirm. Last week, prompted, strangely enough, by an old Alistair Cooke column suggesting that Janis Joplin's group Big Brother and the Holding Company was noisy enough to cause permanent hearing damage in guinea pigs, we asked Guide readers to share their own loudest gig experiences. We had a huge response, with tons of you sharing memories of eardrum-piercing encounters with all manner of bands and artists, across genres and decades."

"We should probably insert the obligatory (boring) disclaimer here: loud gigs can be genuinely bad for your ear health just look at the brilliant early 80s post-punk band Mission of Burma, who had to disband for the best part of two decades due to guitarist Roger Clark Miller's punishing tinnitus. The environments that Burma and bands before them played in were a sonic wild west, with minimal soundproofing in venues or, indeed, in the ear canals of the people performing in those venues."

"Thankfully technology has moved on since then: I have a pretty decent pair of earplugs immediately to hand on my keyring, and there's always the free squashy ones behind the venue bar if you're desperate though some will always succumb to the cheap, inadvisable thrill of going unplugged. Either way, ear-protected or otherwise, there's nothing quite like a noisy gig. Let's hear about some favourites Guardian writers on their loudest gigs I saw My Bloody Valentine (vocalist/guitarist Bilinda Butcher, pictured top) play live a lot in the late 8"

Loud live music can create lasting effects, including ringing in the ears, after performances. Readers shared memories of extremely noisy concerts across genres and decades, and music critics also contributed experiences. A disclaimer notes that loud gigs can genuinely harm ear health, with Mission of Burma cited as an example where punishing tinnitus led to disbanding for years. Earlier eras often involved venues with little soundproofing and performers with unprotected ear canals. Modern technology offers accessible hearing protection, including earplugs kept on keyrings and free ones available at venues, though some people still choose to go without. Despite risks, noisy gigs remain memorable and intense.

Read at www.theguardian.com