Someone Needs to Stop Me from Buying Concert Tickets

I'm being dead serious. I need someone to put a website blocker on Ticketmaster before I do something extraordinarily dumb.

I've had noise induced tinnitus since June. It's been non-stop. It's continued to be the pretty much the same, even as I finished out my concert photography internship [huge mistake], but I'd say it has gotten slightly worse in the past week.

Anyways, I've sworn off all concerts unless I have to go, or at least until I'm over a year into this mess. However!

I just found that one of my favorite musicians [Nate Ruess] is doing a couple of shows in my city with his old band [The Format] which is something I thought would never happen again since the band broke up, and Ruess has moved on to better things in his career. I know that the 14 year old inside of me would never forgive me for missing out on this show because his music meant so much to me at that time and the thought of missing that show tears me to pieces.

Y'all. I want to go so bad. But I know I'd regret it. It would be such a mistake, but I would be devastated if I missed it.

I'm super upset because I barely went to concerts before, but I do concert photography for two weeks and suddenly I'm out of the game for good. But life sucks, then you die, so I guess in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter if I miss this show or not

 

I never went to concerts, went to 1 and bam that was it... No more now.

I would only suggest concerts in open field venues... ones that are outside. And still use protection. Do not do closed-in venues.

I won't go to a concert at all because I'm not gonna risk it.

 

I get it. I’m sworn off movies and concerts and anything else crazy loud, but man, if Radiohead ever came to my city or I had an easy opportunity to see them I don’t think I could resist. Luckily that won’t happen, lol.

I’m just glad I got the chance to see My Chemical Romance as a teenager before they broke up, because they would’ve been on the exception list too with the reunion tour

If you decide to go just be really smart about it. I think it can probably be done without worsening your tinnitus, though it could still be a risk.

 

Co-sign, open venues only. Sorry to hear man, I had to pass up a Beach House concert I was really looking forward to when I was a month into tinnitus.

Luke, how has your tinnitus progressed over the 4 years?

 

I still attend outdoor concerts but no longer indoor ones due to the acoustics. And when I do attend them, I tend to sit in the back with earplugs if needed.

 

We are the unlucky ones. I went to 3. I wish I had went to none.

 

I think you will be less inclined to buy those tickets if you read the posts I quoted in the post below:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/learn-from-others-mistakes.29437/

 

Earplugs won't protect your ears from low frequencies (bass) or bone induction. Would it bother you if your tinnitus doubled in volume permanently?

 

Hear hear my brother.

 

It’s up and down tbh... sometimes I go months of good times, other times it spikes or whatever every few days.

 

I have to pass up gigs. I play(ed) guitar professionally.

I still play, at home, with a sound meter next to me. I keep it below 70 dB in the low to mid 60's most of the time and sometimes in the 70's but 80 dB + is too loud. I practice at home, record, and I am feeling lucky my hyperacusis got a whole lot better.

 

Everyone has been such a dilemma from time to time and really do feel for you. Such a difficult decision. A year ago I would have said to go but after getting spikes each time after a few loud event I probably say no. My tinnitus is very reactive to all sounds now and get spikes when jogging, swimming, gym etc I am missing an music event I am desperate to go to in a couple weeks time.

If I ever went again I would just check out everything about the venue like location of speakers and would only consider outdoor events. I guess you are tempted to go since its in your city then leave ifs it too loud but know you won't leave

 

I used to love to go to concerts and also played in a band, but I don't dare do either any longer.

 

I understand this SO much. Concerts were my life prior to my T.

I had to miss out on seeing someone I really wanted to see for the LONGEST time (Flume & Blink 182) this summer because I was recovering from surgery. I am sad now because I will likely never be able to see him again. But in regards to the immediate FOMO I felt over the summer, I got over it pretty quick.

Please consider the risks. You may get a permanent spike, or you may come out totally fine. But ultimately that’s a decision only you can make. For me, a few hours of music is not worth an even louder ringing in my head. I’m already hanging by a thread.
You have to decide if you could live with a louder level of T if it does happen, and there are plenty of instances on here where people went to a concert (with plugs) and experienced a permanent increase. None of us are special and it can literally happen to anyone and there is no way to know.

 

If your tinnitus isn't keeping you from concerts and lack of willpower, then it isn't loud or disturbing enough... yet.

I literally remember having that YOLO mentality, and now since getting much worse I can't believe what I was thinking. Over 80 dB is like walking into traffic for me now without protection.

It can get so, so, so much worse than a ring or static in quiet.

 

It ain't worth it. Concerts are NEVER worth it. I'm more liberal on headphones but concerts are dangerous.

 

It's been over a year since I've made this post.

I didn't buy the concert tickets, but I wish I had. For the first year I had my tinnitus, I was very cautious. I wore earplugs every time I left my house. And I was miserable. I hated all my peers who were still pursuing their dreams in the music industry, going to concerts, living their lives, etc. So in quarantine, I got to thinking that when I'm 80, I'd rather have excruciatingly loud tinnitus and a fulfilling life and career rather than mild tinnitus but a mountain of regrets from a half-lived life.

I'm not saying that I'm going abandon all hearing precautions and go to a rager every night, but sometimes you have to see your favorite band perform live, because dammit, life is short and full of pain, and you got to live a little to make it all worth it.

 

Best of luck.

If I were to say one thing, it’s that “having severe tinnitus at age 80” is very different from “having bad tinnitus every day for the next 58 years” (as I see you’re around 22 years old).

 

I've been to concerts indoors and outdoors. For an inside concert front side of stage is loud.

So here is what is going to be the unknown. I'm concerned if it's going to be a limited number of people for the show due to COVID-19.

The sound guy might use his typical pre-levels for that arena. With less people the sound won't get absorbed the same as it typically would.

Unless those concerts are in the middle of the tour, then the sound engineer would adjust appropriately.

I would go and bring -21 dB musician's earplugs and Hero foamy earplugs just in case.

Learn how to properly insert the foam earplug. While it's expanding in your ear put your finger over it so it doesn't pop out of your ear.

I would still go. I've been to several concerts since getting tinnitus. If you can get tickets in the middle of the arena or back, do it.

Even floor seats in the back aren't too bad. Just make sure your earplugs are snuggly in your ears. Make sure the filter doesn't pop out and bring extras in case you lose your earplugs.

I've also been in the pavilion were I have felt the bass bouncing off my body. From that I had more of the constant worrying over the next couple of weeks.

I never had a permanent spike, even from that. Just find a sensible location.

 

Lol sorry I didn’t see that was a year ago. But what I said I suppose pertains to upcoming concerts.

 

:shrug: this is always going to be a point of contention here because of the wide spread of our experiences and also what a "concert" entails.

I took time off concerts after my ringing got bad from a (concert) trauma, and I don't go to nearly as many in general as I did in my 20s, but that's also just normal aging for me.

Pre-COVID-19 I was going to 1-2 concerts a year, with protection and an understanding of the specifics of the situation. I expect to continue to do that again once we're past COVID-19 world.

I'll never go to another basement rave situation, though. There's a huge difference between a well balanced show that's 85 dB at the box, 75-80 dB where you're standing, vs a concrete walled venue blasting EDM at 110 dB.

I did NIN and KMFDM and Skinny Puppy shows and all that industrial noise shit when I was a kid. Don't need to do it anymore.

edit: I'd absolutely see NIN again at an outdoor venue, their shows are lit, I think we've seen them 4-5 times.

 

I can't agree with this; given where you are now, and what happens with medical tech, you may or may not have excruciating tinnitus when you're 80 no matter what you do. It could even randomly happen tomorrow. That's not very likely but it only gets more likely every day you get older and that's just how it is. I think doing everything reasonably possible to avoid that makes a lot of sense.

I'm just, personally, not convinced that the kind of concert going I do is, short or long term, detrimental to my hearing, and it's 100% a personal decision ultimately. That's no reason to put caution aside, though.