1/13: TINNITUS (NOT A BAND!), MUCH MORE.
Thanks to my guests Stephen Pearcy, Frank Hannon and Joe Holmes who called into my radio show last night. All have killer new music out you should check out. The Farmikos album I have been playing (Joe Holmes) is finally out this Thursday via Amazon and CDbaby.com.
Spoke last night about the effects of Tinnitus. A condition that creates a constant ringing in your ears that is non treatable. I had a hearing test yesterday because ever since I went to see Ace Frehley at BB Kings over 6 weeks ago I have had a slight ringing noticeable when I try and sleep and it’s quiet. My doctor said my hearing is within normal range still (how I do not know but I’ll take it!), but there were some very early signs of this being an issue. Now what I have is right now very mild, but this at more severe levels as you could imagine could drive you insane. So many times as a kid I’d come home from a loud show, ears ring for a day, then back to normal. When I was real young I worked at a car wash by the blower. Same deal. After 32 years in radio with headphones, countless concerts, in ears for TV, etc, and turning 50, well lets just say the recovery isn’t what it once was. Thankfully my situation right now is very manageable and still in normal limits, but I can’t imagine it really bad as it is for some especially musicians and concert goers. I write this as a heads up because it was pretty revealing to learn about this from an ear doctor yesterday. There is literally nothing they can do for it. So as us metal heads get older don’t be afraid to use plugs or some protection at shows. I’m as guilty as anyone of wanting to hear my favorite band cranked and everyone uses ear buds and headphones now. But I only pass along this friendly word of caution because this really is a huge problem for many exposed often to loud volume and it can be a total bitch of you don’t pay attention to it. Ever since I brought it up on my radio show last night I have heard from many about it so thought I’d pass along the new to all here for what it’s worth.
All new podcast this Thursday. New exclusive interview with Stephen Pearcy of Ratt. Free and worldwide on Itunes or www.podcastone.com
Hope to see you in Cincinnati at MVPs this Friday and in Oshkosh WI at The Dockside Tavern this Saturday.
TMS returns 2/21! Audience and guest info coming very soon!
Did you hear that AC/DC will be performing at the Grammys on 02/08? Yr thoughts?
I just read an article on that where they listed the current band members as Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott, Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd. I shit you not, that’s what it said. Eddie is truly accurate when he says the Grammys are clueless. Even if they are not familiar with AC/DC, they are too stupid to use google or wikipedia.
Cymbals at ear level and drums in general are ear killers as well. There’s no shame in ear plugs, especially since there is no cure for going deaf.
I’ve transitioned away from ear buds and back to over the ear headphones at lower levels as well. I found that I end up cranking ear buds to drown out ambient noise, but obviously over the ear headphones are hard to use if you’re exercising.
I to have noticed that the older I get, how the after effects of going to concerts last longer than it used to. When I was a kid, my friends and I looked at that ringing in our ears after seeing great bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Motorhead (loudest concert I’ve ever been to, thanks Lemmy!) as kind of a badge of honor. But that not only proves this problem has never really been addressed publicly that much but it also proves that my friends and I were idiots when we were teenagers.
Amen Eddie! Saw the Slayer/Suicidal/Exodus show in NJ and Slayer was just a wall of noise and drums. Ringing is just starting to go away after 6 weeks (and I was using plugs!). I too was freaked enough to see an ENT doc. My hearing test was normal as well, thank God, after literally hundreds of shows in the past.
Attention music fans and metalheads specifically: plug up every time! If you forget them, wad up a bar napkin and use that. Whatever you need to do to block some decibels, do it. Check out a tinnitus sufferers message board if you need any further proof of the wisdom of prevention. Make sure you can hear some ambient noise while using headphones as well. We all want to rock for life after all.
Ira,
I am a proud member of the ear plug society for at least 15 years now. It is VERY important to protect ones hearing.
Dana from ET.com 🙂
Several of my fathers friends who were in rock bands in the 70’s suffer from this now. I’ve played a few shows in my day to, but will now take this seriously. Loud for the sake of loud is no longer cool IMHO.