Hi,

a question for the veterans. Which was the loudest Stones tour so far? I though the Bigger Bang tour had a nice volume, but I also heard the tours of the 70s were a lot more ear ringing.
The Licks Tour had most likely the most disppointing volume level...not?

81 /82. Keiths guitar rattled your chest.

It really depends more on the venue and where you were sitting than on what's coming out of the PA.

'81 was my first Stones show, but I do remember thinking it was about the loudes thing I've ever heard!

I think they made the Guinness book of world records in 75 or 76 for decibel level at a concert.

76 in a smallish venue was LOUD!

I found that the Ottawa show of ABB was the loudest of all the shows I've seen.

Like mentioned in all depends on where you are, I have been at Giants Stadium and was not even able to hear the band that well over people talking. Yet at MSG in 2005 my ears were ringing still the next day, I was sitting on Ronnie's side pretty high up sideways to the stage. Too young to experience the 81 tour but those guitars seemed pretty loud on the shows I have.

Aragon Ballroom in Chicago was the loudest I've seen in 25 years.

I have never considered them to be a particularly loud band. They turn it up a little near the end to make sure you leave with just a little ringing in your ears, just so you know you've been to a rock concert, but if you think they're loud, you don't know what loud is.

Except parts from billy preston, 1976 was very loud, very big guitar sound.

MJ: It is a indeed a difficult question. All depends how deaf you are growing. We play louder, but we hear less.

RW: What did you say?

At MSG in 1972 the decibel level reach 136, above the threshold of pain. I remember Seattle '75 as being REALLY loud, but I was underneath the speakers in the front (poor me!).

In 1972 New York, they "doubled" the amount of Amps & equipment for that

stop on the tour. Rolling Stone Mag. commented on it. Writer said it was the
loudest they had ever been exposed to, but the "crowd" loved it in NY...

MLC

martingo Wrote:
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> I think they made the Guinness book of world
> records in 75 or 76 for decibel level at a
> concert.


I think that honour round about then was bestowed upon The Who. If memory serves the wattage output hit a record level at Oldham or Charlton's Football Ground during a concert.

"I'll be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon."

The Stones have made so many loud gigs for so many years that their tympanums are probably damaged. Don’t you think so?

Atlanta Fox 81 was VERY loud and VERY hot.

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

"I think that honour round about then was bestowed upon The Who"

I read somewhere that its was the same decibel as a jumbo taking off?

"The Who made the Guiness Book of Records for their 120 dB concert at Charlton Athletic football ground in 1976. Today Who guitarist Pete Townshend has irreparable hearing loss. Interestingly, however, he blames wearing headphones during recording rather than loud gigs. (He’s pictured in a thewho.net image wearing the offending cans.)

Either way, it wasn’t worth it. The Who were blasted away by Motorhead as the world’s loudest band in 1981 following a gig at Port Vale football ground. The crown was later claimed by AC/DC.

Talking of football grounds, the loudest stadium noise ever recorded by Guiness was 128 dBs - the equivalent to standing next to a jackhammer or power drill – thanks to the combined efforts of Denver Bronco’s fans.

But here in the UK, Liverpool fans may have gone one better. Cardiff council officials measured a roar of 130.7 dBs during the 2005 Carling Cup Final. Liverpool lost 3-2 to Chelsea. Imagine the noise had they won.

ablett Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "The Who made the Guiness Book of Records for
> their 120 dB concert at Charlton Athletic football
> ground in 1976. Today Who guitarist Pete Townshend
> has irreparable hearing loss. Interestingly,
> however, he blames wearing headphones during
> recording rather than loud gigs. (He’s pictured in
> a thewho.net image wearing the offending cans.)
>
> Either way, it wasn’t worth it. The Who were
> blasted away by Motorhead as the world’s loudest
> band in 1981 following a gig at Port Vale football
> ground. The crown was later claimed by AC/DC.
>
> Talking of football grounds, the loudest stadium
> noise ever recorded by Guiness was 128 dBs - the
> equivalent to standing next to a jackhammer or
> power drill – thanks to the combined efforts of
> Denver Bronco’s fans.
>
> But here in the UK, Liverpool fans may have gone
> one better. Cardiff council officials measured a
> roar of 130.7 dBs during the 2005 Carling Cup
> Final. Liverpool lost 3-2 to Chelsea. Imagine the
> noise had they won.


I think the Who held onto the loudest band title only briefly. If I remember correctly, the very next edition of Guiness gave the title to Deep Purple. In any case, one of my big complaints about Stones concerts has always been that they are not nearly loud enough. As I have often been known to scream in their faces, "TURN RONNIE UP!!!"

The loudest arena show I have seen ever was the WHO in 1979. As far as the Stones go, the first night they played the TD Bank Garden North in Boston 2006 was screaching loud compared to the second show they did there. In both shows, I was about 11 rows back on Ronnie's side.

Slightly off the topic, but my ears had the most terrible three post-days after Guns`n`Roses gig 1991

HEILOOBAAS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At MSG in 1972 the decibel level reach 136, above
> the threshold of pain. I remember Seattle '75 as
> being REALLY loud, but I was underneath the
> speakers in the front (poor me!).

I think this level is a bit over the top. At levels of over 125 your eardrums pop, and at 135 everyone will be deaf on the spot. A level of 115 is a fighter jet taking of at 5 meters distance. At 115 you will not be able to distinguish the guitars from the drums and the vocals.

I understand from about everyone who was there that the Rotterdam 1973 volume levels were sickening, prompting many people to leave. Many people didn't like the concerts as they were simply too loud to enjoy.

Mathijs

!976 without a doubt you could hear them at five miles distance!!

How loud is the ABB tour? Didn't saw any shows last year so I don't know....

The loudest of the latest tours.

great then! the louder the better

During the 1998 tour I read that Mick Jagger was upset by the incredible loud guitar sound from Keith. He said that it was almost unbearable to be anywhere near Keith´s amps. That doesn´t mean it was especially loud in the PA. I didn´t see them in 1998, so I can´t tell if it was a "loud" tour.

Mathijs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HEILOOBAAS Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > At MSG in 1972 the decibel level reach 136,
> above
> > the threshold of pain. I remember Seattle '75
> as
> > being REALLY loud, but I was underneath the
> > speakers in the front (poor me!).
>
> I think this level is a bit over the top. At
> levels of over 125 your eardrums pop, and at 135
> everyone will be deaf on the spot. A level of 115
> is a fighter jet taking of at 5 meters distance.
> At 115 you will not be able to distinguish the
> guitars from the drums and the vocals.
>
> I understand from about everyone who was there
> that the Rotterdam 1973 volume levels were
> sickening, prompting many people to leave. Many
> people didn't like the concerts as they were
> simply too loud to enjoy.
>
> Mathijs


It depends on what noise level is being quoted. There are lots of different parameters and weightings - just because it says dB at the end of the number doesn't tell you what is happening. I'm an acoustic consultant so I know a thing or two about these things.

The most used parameter for measuring noise would be the A-weighted Leq. This is an energy averaged value over a period of time which has been "weighted" to account for the way the human ear responds to noise of different frequencies.

Another parameter often quoted is the (A-weighted) Lmax level - I think the name of this parameter gives the game away. People who know very little about noise often quote this level but don't describe or even understand the parameter when reporting about it.

For anyone who is interested...

0 dBA is generally the quietest sound that humans can hear and corresponds to a pressure of 20 micropascals.

40 dBA is the typical level in a bedroom.

normal human speech would be around 65 dBA.

The risk of hearing damage increases when exposed to around 80 dBA Leq for 8 hours, or 83 dBA Leq for 4 hours and so on.

Large industrial equipment (such as gas turbines and diesel generator rooms) can reach 120 dB Leq.

A 3 dB increase in sound is the smallest change that the human ear can easily distinguish. A 3 dB increase also corresponds to a doubling of energy - i.e. twice the power, for example 2 amps instead of 1. By halving the distance between you and the speaker you would quadruple the energy - an increase of 6 dB.

To double the perceived volume, you must increase power by 10 times - hence a 100 W amp is twice as loud as a 10 W amp (assuming same speakers etc).

A jet taking off would be 120 dBA at 50 meters away, but this depends on the aircraft. It would be around 140 dBA at 5 meters. A well trained human (such as a town crier) could probably reach 120 dBA by shouting - not easily but possible.

Great insights sjs12! Have learned something about sound and db-scales in school, physics, but forgot most of it, and it did not even reach 10% of what you tell here.

But I've got one comment, somthing I've learned about sound, from experience. You've said:

> 40 dBA is the typical level in a bedroom.

I can assure you: in my bedroom the sound is louder.

Jelle
PS now I'm gonna hit 'post message' before someone else is faster than I...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-04-07 09:20 by sluissie.