Loudest gigs/concerts

[LeakyValve]

Seeing posts re best live performances made me think of one.
Maybe not the best, but man, one that had me reaching for the white towel.
Saw Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons at the Nookenburra Hotel in Innaloo (can't remember when) and the barrage of sound and racket
was of another order.
After 4 songs, really feeling pulverised and disoriented, decamped to the car-park.
I thought it was the Swan Lager and Emu Export that had got to me.
There were 3 or 4 patrons already out there and we had to basically sign-language each other.
It was over the top, just too much and it was a pity, as the Falcons could obviously play.
Took all of the next day for my hearing to recover.
And I was a young bloke then.

 

[catscratchfever]

The Ramones in 1980 left me partially deaf for 3 days.

Gojira at the Goodthings Festival in 2022 had my guts churning because of the super-heavy bass.

But the loudest bass I've ever heard was the walk-on at the Michael Jackson gig at Olympic Park in the late-'80s; it was like a farkin earthquake.

 

[LeakyValve]

The Ramones in 1980 left me partially deaf for 3 days.

Gojira at the Goodthings Festival in 2022 had my guts churning because of the super-heavy bass.

But the loudest bass I've ever heard was the walk-on at the Michael Jackson gig at Olympic Park in the late-'80s; it was like a farkin earthquake.

Interesting you mention Michael Jackson.
I'm acquainted with a very handy guitar player who considers the bass-line from Billie Jean to be
pretty cool and worthy of more respect.
I don't particularly like the song (apart from Angelina's cover inevitably) but I respect his opinion.
Music, in his words, is not always obvious.

 

[blackshadow]

Ministry at the 1995 Sydney Big Day Out and the following night at Selinas. Hands down the loudest gigs I’ve ever been to and I’ve seen thousands. Ministry pulverised you with the sound… you could literally feel the force of the music hit you. It was phenomenal.

Other notables Motörhead, Rose Tattoo, The Ramones, AC/DC Back in Black at the music bowl, Jimmy Barnes at Sydney Uni was particularly loud. Radio Birdman and Celibate Rifles could crank it at times.

I don’t think bands play at the same volume levels these days as they did in the 80s and 90s.

 

[SA HAWK]

Metallica -1989
Motorhead - Any show

 

[Vincent Hanna]

Alice Cooper at the old Entertainment Centre - terrible acoustics in that joint, it was so loud I swear you could hear that shithole cracking up. A band called Horsehead opened the gig and I couldn't decipher one lyric or even a chord change lol it was so bad.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

I thought I was going to get into brown note territory watching Motorhead but one out of left field is Dick Dale who was ear-piercing loud.

 

[catscratchfever]

Alice Cooper at the old Entertainment Centre - terrible acoustics in that joint, it was so loud I swear you could hear that shithole cracking up. A band called Horsehead opened the gig and I couldn't decipher one lyric or even a chord change lol it was so bad.

Last time I saw Bob Dylan was like that (might have even been the same venue) - I couldn't tell the difference between any of the songs and couldn't make out any words. I love His Bobness but that particular gig was a complete waste of time and money.

 

[blackshadow]

I thought I was going to get into brown note territory watching Motorhead but one out of left field is Dick Dale who was ear-piercing loud.

Yes DD was pretty loud.

I forgot to include Dinosaur Jr in my earlier post. I remember the first time I saw them J launched into a solo and just about blew my head off.

Nothing is as brown as Ween!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Yes DD was pretty loud.

I forgot to include Dinosaur Jr in my earlier post. I remember the first time I saw them J launched into a solo and just about blew my head off.

Nothing is as brown as Ween!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dinosaur Jnr definitely. J Mascis is the only person I've seen use a Fender Twin amp as foldback so he could hear what he was playing. It was insane.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Last time I saw Bob Dylan was like that (might have even been the same venue) - I couldn't tell the difference between any of the songs and couldn't make out any words. I love His Bobness but that particular gig was a complete waste of time and money.

Was that at Rod Laver? Because I reckon it was the same show I was at and yep, sadly it was a complete waste of time.

 

[catscratchfever]

Was that at Rod Laver? Because I reckon it was the same show I was at and yep, sadly it was a complete waste of time.

Could have been, it was about 2015. Horrible, horrible sound.

 

[Twoslabs]

Apart from me predictably saying Motorhead, the most ear shattering show I went to was Killing Joke at the Hi Fi Bar/Wall Street late 2003.

Took days for the ringing to stop

 

[blackshadow]

Apart from me predictably saying Motorhead, the most ear shattering show I went to was Killing Joke at the Hi Fi Bar/Wall Street late 2003.

Took days for the ringing to stop

I saw Killing Joke several times - 1984, 2003 and 2013. Memories are they were pretty loud but nowhere near the upper echelon of loud.

 

[IAMDASH]

Alice Cooper at the old Entertainment Centre - terrible acoustics in that joint, it was so loud I swear you could hear that shithole cracking up. A band called Horsehead opened the gig and I couldn't decipher one lyric or even a chord change lol it was so bad.

I look forward to my ears copping it at Pandemonium!

Dinosaur Jnr definitely. J Mascis is the only person I've seen use a Fender Twin amp as foldback so he could hear what he was playing. It was insane.

I look forward to my ears copping it at the Northcote Theatre!

The loudest gig I've ever been to was The Melvins at The Corner Hotel in the mid to late 90s. It made me feel sick

 

[Vincent Hanna]

I look forward to my ears copping it at Pandemonium!

I look forward to my ears copping it at the Northcote Theatre!

The loudest gig I've ever been to was The Melvins at The Corner Hotel in the mid to late 90s. It made me feel sick

Yeah, it sounds great. I've seen Cooper many times but that was the only gig that wrecked my hearing for a few days

 

[Macca19]

Pantera in 01 was crazy loud. Prodigy in 98 too. Both had my ears ringing for a week

 

[the_interloper]

I saw Veruca Salt at Falls Festival years ago and they were loud as *, the guitar especially, and I recall a pink flying V which is pretty awesome

 

[Pweter]

I distinctly recall Van Halen in 97 being very loud when Gary Cherone was fronting them. I don't know whether it was because I hadn't seen a hell of a lot of live music before then therefore it stands out for me but it's one that always comes to mind when discussing loud concerts.

 

[Plugger35]

I saw The Superjesus in 1998 at a pub gig in Perth and they were loud, Sumo was an album best played loud though so I wasn't complaining