many people here are veteran rock concert regulars.as for me i have only been to a few(queen 82..q+pr2008..blackfoot sue1980..). and they were not to loud,as in glasgow to could talk to my son without shouting at him.have you ever been to a concert where you thought,christ that was loud or even had to cover your ears it was so loud.just a curious question.
Turning up the volume too high is just plain stupid; no sensible engineer would do that, not in the last place because it seriously fucks up the perceived spectrum (not to mention hearing damage).
My first ever gig was one that truly tested my ears. The support band was Van Halen who were loud enough but the main act, Black Sabbath left my ears ringing.
However, even they couldnt beat Cozy Powell who, whilst playing for Whitesnake, let off a rocket during his solo that shook the building (the Glasgow Apollo). That night, more than my ears were ringing [img=/images/smiley/msn/teeth_smile.gif][/img]
Both Queen shows I attended were insanely loud. 1978 and 1980. Cheap Trick was out of control when I saw them in August of 91. They were in a small club and the sound was just over the top!!!
There was this opening band for Stone Temple Pilots recently that was insanely loud....Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The bass was so loud, it made me feel like I was going to barf. Dan Corson was there. I'm sure he will attest to this. ;-)
Zodiacal Light..... I saw Queen at The NEC in 1984, and I have to agree with you, that was a very loud concert, the Machines Intro was deafening, but not to the point where it was distorted in any way. The Cosmos Rocks Tour was quieter, although I did notice at Liverpool, that the volume suddenly increased when the Opera section of Bohemian Rhapsody was played, I could feel the pounding from the speakers through my chest.
Manchester was much quieter than Liverpool.... it seemed to me that the Engineers didn't fully take into account the size of the Arena........ having said that, I am sure they did, they probably think we are all getting a bit too old now for loud music. Anyone who saw Def Leppard and Whitesnake at Manchester last year, and then saw QPR, will now how much louder Def Leppard and Whitesanke were...... however, as with size, volume isnt everything darling!
I should also add Queen at Ingliston in edinburgh in 1982 also nearly drew blood from my ears, however that may be because i was literally 6 feet away from the PA. It wasnt hanging from the roof, there wasnt enough headroom. It was stacked up either side of the stage.
