Another Concert Thread

I was invited to a concert recently. Since my T onset 1.3 years ago, I have yet to go to a movie, concert or something similar and it seems to ruin my quality of life.

I have slowly habituated to the T, and would of course be wearing hearing protection and standing near the back, but recently I have become depressed with my withdrawal from society. I would take breaks, and the person I am with said if it's too loud she doesnt mind if we leave (she's great).


I'm looking for advice. as this band literally carried me through some suicidal / depressing times of my life. I would love to see them live and feel something other than complete depression for once since I've had T.

Any experiences with concerts after T that have worked out for any of you? Thanks again, I really need the support right now. I love this forum.

 

If you are in the situation that you have to choose between giving up social life and go to events you are worried might aggravate your tinnitus, in a fashion you've already lost. If you don't go, it will depress you. If you go, you will be very worried and in worst case you will have caused your ears more damage.

The only possible way out of it, in my opinion, is to build up a social life around activities that does not threat your hearing.

 

Hey storch, which band is it ?

 

So I shouldn't go?..

 

A lot of the people who will respond are feeling at their worst tinnitus wise. Many of those do not share the passion for music in the first place, nor have they experienced how essential it can be through the hardest times of your life, meaning there is no way they'll understand the loss of not being able to go.
I'm for one struggling with the same thoughts. In a sense of how we might potentially be able to go properly protected without sustaining proper further damage, we have indeed lost by not going.
I know two guys from a pretty successful heavy metal band who keeps on rocking and playing. (theyre not metallica btw..)
Once in a while on facebook they'll pop up on a huge noisy motorbike, or as one of them, driving his noisy bus for work. I've spoken to them about t as they both share the struggles and thoughts presented here, and they reply without keeping on doing what they love, there's naturally no point.
Knowing where you come from it's definitely not as easy a choice, just know many keep on rocking successfully

 

Going to a concert scared and worried can´t be that fun. There is a reason why people spending time on this site. @Tenna, talking about Volbeat?

 

Go and be prepared for your next thread "I shouldn't have gone to that concert"

If you have habituated to the t then there is no reason to be too depressed over it, and enjoy the songs from a sound system less than 85 decibels and so they say u should be ok

Maybe you should "test" the t water with a more sensible movie or something to gauge a reaction instead of the dreaded concert noise

 

I got T in 1974.
I went to many concerts after that, either with cotton or earplugs. Well, I didn't know that the throbbing bass sounds were screwing me up. Bone conduction. Very damaging. But I'm sure the earplugs gave me some protection. Not enough though. I've seen some great concerts but I'd gladly trade them all for a little decrease in my T. I've habituated, but the whole thing has been a pain in the ass and not worth the music.

 

Those ear plug companies should inform their customers about the fact that hearing protection does not protect against sound waves through bone conduction.

 

I'm going to a Rolling Stones concert in Atlanta tonight (yea, with my earplugs), and for the rest of my life I'm going to be thinking: "What a terrific concert. So glad I went!!!!!"

No way am I going to let my tinnitus drive my bus.

 

Nice! Have fun!

I admire your attitude towards tinnitus and life, and if I may ask:
Is there anything you wouldn't do because of tinnitus? Are there any situations that you'd avoid where others wouldn't? Would you go without earplugs if that would make you enjoy the concert more?

I find it hard to balance 'not letting tinnitus drive my bus' and 'taking too much risk'. Even if can eventually habituate to anything, the time spent doing so may not be worth the one night of enjoyment.

Thanks!

 

I consider going on o gig today.
@Dr. Nagler i had ear infection month ago and my ear hurts a bit. Not a lot. Doctor took puss from my ear for examination but said there is no inflammation. Would you say its safe to put earplugs in my ears noe and attend that event? I know you cant diagnose me. I do not have major ear pain. Mild at most and my neck hurts like during indection. Mot sure what to do. No fever though.

 

Planning on it! Thanks.

If you're not driving your own bus, then what sort of a life is that? I know it's an unpopular thing to say here, but tinnitus is a sound. It's not like you are incapacitated. And if you are (like I was), then for goodness' sakes do something about it!

No

No

Absolutely not. I'm not crazy!

Sure, I'm driving my own bus. But I'm not doing it with blinders on.

I get that. But there's a difference between not taking too much risk and refusing to take any risks at all.

This has nothing to do with habituation. It has to do with how you choose to live your life. No matter how loud, bothersome, or intrusive my tinnitus might be, there is just no way I'd miss a Stones concert.

You are welcome.

 

@Dr. Nagler ...Glad you're getting to see them before the Rigor Mortis sets in!.....

 

I just yesterday turned down the offer of a ticket to see Mogwai in London with an old friend that I haven't seen for a couple of years. I used to love that band back in their early days. They are b*****d loud though and I've seen 'em ten times already. I think I'll avoid any risk to my ears. When I try to listen to music at home nowadays the enjoyment is lessened by tinnitus and I don't want to let tinnitus lessen it any further than it does already - not for the sake of one night. I still think I'm driving my own bus. I'm just driving it carefully.

 

Mogwai would be one of the band's I'd avoid too. Just one of those bands for which a high volume is part of their 'thing'.

 

Not knowing why you had pus in your ear to start with, I could not say. I'd check with your doc. If you cannot reach him or her in time, then why not pick up a pair of protective earmuffs and use them instead!

 

It is virtually impossible to avoid any risk to your ears.

 

True enough. In context, I meant by going to the gig.

I'm not trying to generalise my own decision as the one everybody should take. That particular band play very loud. I just wanted to present an alternative to a subtext some people might detect in/read into your answer... that to choose not to go would be giving in to tinnitus... would be a failure of personal agency or strength or something. I think it is important not to be emotive about decisions like that and peer pressure can be dangerous. I wanted to present my own decision as an equally valid one just to balance that out...to say that you are 'driving your own bus' whatever decision you make, so long as you make it yourself.

I admit I am cautious these days. I am that way from experience, from trusting that it will be OK once too often.

 

I had only 30 minutes to decide i went with it. My ears did not hurt, ear canal feels like it want some massive scratching but i will just use antigerm/fungal drops. Ive decided that in worst case scenario i will go to er. Heck maybe my ears actually did hurt from using those drops as they are based on glicol or gliceryne. I just had to chill out. I'm on ipad now so writing is kind of anjoying but i have some massive positive message to write in next days, and thats thanks to you!

 

So the Rolling Stones concert was FANTASTIC!

Here's the set list:

Start Me Up
It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)
All Down the Line
Tumbling Dice
Doom and Gloom
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking
You Gotta Move
Some Girls
Honky Tonk Women
Before They Make Me Run
Happy
Midnight Rambler
Miss You
Gimme Shelter
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Sympathy for the Devil
Brown Sugar
Encore:
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction​

See photo from last night's concert below. (No, I didn't take it!)

I wore my musicians' earplugs (with 15dB filters) throughout, which brought the decibels at my ears down to a very comfortable level. I took them out just to check what the sound was "really" like for a few seconds - and I could not believe that folks can actually enjoy a concert like that without protection. I do not have hyperacusis, and still the noise level was so uncomfortable that I could hardly wait to put them back in.

Earlier in this thread @walkthroughwalls asked ...

"Would you go without earplugs if that would make you enjoy the concert more?"​

... and, to the contrary, I can unequivocally state this morning that I would not have enjoyed the concert at all without them!

 

What an amazing set list! Almost all songs are legendary
Good to hear you enjoyed it!

Isn't taking out your earplugs, even if it's only for a couple of seconds, a bit risky? That volume-peak, in combination with the rest of the day, could be harmful, or couldn't it?

 

I really did. And so did around a gazillion other fans. My wife had been to a couple of Stones concerts in the 70's and early 80's. She said that they were both terrific, but this was the best by far.

I'm glad you asked that question. Look, everything in the world is "a bit risky." The question is whether or not you consider whatever risk there might be to be an acceptable risk. And as I see it, the chance of my incurring a clinically significant auditory injury (i.e., something that will make a lasting difference) from 10 or 15 seconds without earplugs at an open air rock concert is pretty damned low!

 

I got tinnitus because of mogwai.. Went to one of their gigs unprotected.. Dumbest thing ever..

 

Why was it dumb?

Dumb is lying down on the railroad tracks in the way of an oncoming train.

Dumb isn't doing what 99% of the population does, not unless you knew ahead of time that going to a Mogwai concert without earplugs could actually cause real harm to your auditory system.

So, Lisa, did you know ahead of time that you might develop severe intrusive tinnitus that might literally change your life? I bet not!

 

So I do not think the way to think about it is, "can I ever go to a concert/movie etc. again?" You should think more, "am I personally, emotionally ready to do this and still enjoy it?"

I got T about two years ago from a concert. I didn't go to many, it was blues music and the concept of plugging my ears to listen to music didn't compute - I had no idea something like this could happen. So I had a lot of left-over fear about those kind of events.

That said, since then, I've been to bars, movies, and a concert. I wore earplugs to everyone single one and they were all fun. My T was no different when I left than from when I came in. I didn't get any crazy spikes sneaking up weeks later either. I think as long as you feel ready enough that you'll have fun and not panic the whole time, and as long as you protect yourself, you're going to be fine and have fun. If you're not ready yet, accept that and wait till you are. T is a trauma and healing emotionally and physically takes time. If you don't go though, just make sure you make room to imagine yourself going to an event in the future. That way not going isn't such an upsetting thing

Hope you enjoy either way!

 

This is very true. I am in a band and feel that just now I am starting to emerge from this emotionally to a point where I'm starting to enjoy band practice again. I use 15dB plugs (and force my bandmates to do the same, though they don't always listen) and have earmuffs at hand, although I've carefully come to realize that the muffs muffle the sound too much and don't really give any added ear protection benefit. I've also found that after a few months of practicing for an hour every week that a) I don't have any lasting effects and b) I enjoy it more. I've also been somewhat wary of going to movies though I've been to a few but am planning on going to Jurassic World with my wife on Friday.

Psychologically, one of the best investments I've made with T is buying a pair of musician earplugs that has a keychain I can connect to my keys. It means I literally bring them everywhere I go and it makes me feel good.

 

So my T is barely maskable. I care less and less with passing days.
Yesterday i was at slipknot live performance. Noise level between bands was 85db. When they played it was 4 times louder so probsbly around 105-115db. I wore 30-40db foam protective plugs. When they started to play i could barely hear my T in front rows @20-25 metrs from stage. It was on closed stadium so i decided to move to back rows after 1 or 2 songs. There i could hear my T clearly again on level with music. Actually i heard it probably even better than now i do when im on moderately busy street with 75d noise. I cant mask it entirely in restaurants either.
So i ended up around 100+ meters from stage with earplugs and after whole gig i didnt have any problems hearing nor fullness in ear. My gf still feels her ear is full though but i warned her. I took plug for 10 sec off at one point cause i wanted to push it further and wow it was unbearable. No idea how i attended those events before....

After gig i might had some additional sounds in head. I cant even tell for sure if they werent my everyday sounds. I will let you know op how it turns out. I have like 3 or more sounds and one is still changing so hard to tell. I was curious if i can ever attend those events. Definitely bass and bone conduction can be problem. Im tired of t dictating my life. Will do audiogram tommorow as well.

 

Going to one of their gigs unprotected isn't the dumbest. I went to ten of their gigs unprotected. Now that is dumb! Still, sorry to hear about your misfortune. It was Bardo Pond that originally did it for me I think. In a tiny little venue. I wish I knew about earplugs and tinnitus back then, although actually music only gave me mild t compared to what I have now.

I love the passion of Mogwai's first few records, but nowadays I kinda hold that band to be really irresponsible for playing at the volume they do. And for John Cummings stupid guitar mangling sessions at the end of gigs (don't know if he still does that but it is a bit dumb really for a grown-up). Still, not many bands can lay claim to a tune that does things to your soul like Helicon 1 or Mogwai Fear Satan do.