Don't forget: "Disaster Area was a plutonium rock band from the Gagrakacka Mind Zones and was generally regarded as not only the loudest rock band in the Galaxy, but also as being the loudest noise of any kind at all. Regular concert goers judged that the best sound balance was usually to be heard from within large concrete bunkers some thirty-seven miles away from the stage, whilst the musicians themselves played their instruments by remote control from within a heavily insulated spaceship which stayed in orbit around the planet - or more frequently around a completely different planet."[0]
On a more serious note, I did see a band once that I later found out were infamous for their loud gigs. While most in the audience had gone prepared with earplugs, I had none, and for their "finale" (which incidentally didn't feature the band actually on stage presumably because it had become too loud even for them) I had to go outside of the main room and keep my hands over my ears. Even now I sometimes worry that night might have permanently damaged my hearing. The stupid things some people do when they are younger.
As a former guitarist in a loud rock band, I concur. I didn't use hearing protection in my teenage years and 20's, and now (in my 50's) I suffer from tinnitus.
My hearing is actually OK, because at some point, I decided to start using hearing protection (and still do now when I roadie for my son's metal band), but the tinnitus I think could have easily been averted by just not exposing myself to those sorts of volumes at close range when I was young. The damage is permanent and not worth the few seconds of 'coolness' to stand at the front of the stage at a hideously loud live gig.
(NB: My best friend at high school was deaf, and a favourite party trick of his at concerts was to turn his hearing aids off, then stick his head into the cone of any exposed speakers at the front/side of the stage for a minute, then back off and watch other kids come up and try it. In hindsight, that probably permanently damaged the hearing of MANY foolish kids who tried it out of peer pressure or wanting to outdo him, and not something to be proud of upon retrospection.)
When I was younger we used to go to these warehouse parties in the industrial zones of the city. Nobody was anywhere around after 8 so it was pretty much a free for all.
Anyway they would set up these massive speakers and absolutely blast the music. There was one guy who would occasionally show up, tripping hard on god knows what, and dance with his head pretty much buried in the cone of an 18" driver. I mean like non-stop for 5 or so hours.
As we got to know more of the regulars we learned that he was deaf, and by doing that he could feel the music and all it's intricacies running through his body. Always made me smile after learning that. Never got to meet him though, because he was always, well, way off in space so to speak.
Yeah... some bars don't do their sound well either. Went to a very small bar to watch a show one time and for the size of the room the volume was far too high and I did not have earplugs. Made the poor decision of staying and getting too close to the speakers as well while taking photos.
Have some (very light) permanent hearing loss and tinnitus from that night and I completely regret it. I'm just grateful it didn't do even more damage
On a more serious note, I did see a band once that I later found out were infamous for their loud gigs. While most in the audience had gone prepared with earplugs, I had none, and for their "finale" (which incidentally didn't feature the band actually on stage presumably because it had become too loud even for them) I had to go outside of the main room and keep my hands over my ears. Even now I sometimes worry that night might have permanently damaged my hearing. The stupid things some people do when they are younger.
[0] https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Disaster_Area