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Hi – I was just wondering, have any of the people here been to a recent J. Mascis & The Fog show and found it to be *extremely* loud? Are earplugs
an absolute necessity?? I’m headed to the New York show on Thursday.Thanks!
Mudcrab
I haven’t seen J and the Fog on the recent tour, because he’s not coming anywhere close to me, but I saw him 4 times when he was supporting More Light. And given J’s reputation for playing loud, I’d would expect him to be just as loud this tour. As far as earplugs go, I would say it all depends on where you expect to stand. If it is even remotely close to the stage, I would definetly recommend it. I’ve been up front for a couple shows, wore earplugs and my ears still range days. But if you want to stand back then you may not need to wear earplugs. I’ve done this too, stood back with no earplugs, and again my ears range for days. So basically it all comes down to where you expect to stand and how much you value your hearing.
I have seen J. play electric 3 times now including this tour. I can say he is playing just as loud on this tour as any other. I have never wore ear plugs and have stood close every time. But my hearing was impaired after each show.
Hi, J and the Fog are loud. I will say though that they’re no louder than a lot of other guitar bands. You will suffer hearing loss from being up front at a J show but I’ve suffered much worse (like two or three days loss) from being up front at GBV shows. Among recently touring club bands, the loudest I have seen was Mudhoney, which were so continuously loud I moved away from the stage front after two songs.
If you have to hear the next day or you’re worried about your hearing from going to frequent shows, do use earplugs. If you don’t need to hear the next day and don’t go to as many shows, you can go without and you might lose a day of hearing – it also depends a lot on the shape of the club and who’s running sound and so forth.
Rambleon – that’s an interesting perspective… what type do you wear? The really fancy ones are, apparently, awesome.
Thanks to everyone else for entertaining my quer
I assume you’re gonna stand in front. The cheap foam-rubber earplugs kills a wide range of higher frequences, so keep that in mind. if there’s a solo you wanna hear just pull out one of the plugs and pull it back when the solo’s finished. I actually did that alot when I saw J and the fog in Oslo, standing in front. If not using any earplugs be sure to rest yout ear the following days.
I use earplugs that have eardrum-like decibel filters — they’re kind of odd-looking, like a flesh-colored chamber attached to a little corkscrew-like thing, but they really clean up sound and prevent hearing damage. You can get them at music shops, though I can’t recall who makes them as I got them many years ago. From what I remember, they only cost around $15. Definitely worth it.
I used to poo-poo the idea of earplugs (they’re for wussies, maaaaaaan) until I went to my 8th Motorhead show and my ears never stopped ringing afterwards. That was in ’99, and I’m still listening to them ring as I type this message. A couple years back I saw Motorhead again in Albany (Clifton Park, actually), and they were so loud that even with the earplugs my ears rang louder for two days. Long live Lemmy!!!!
yeah, j and watt was probably the loudest show i’ve ever seen. was at the cotton club in atlanta, which is wide but not very deep. i mean, one of the loudest bass players touring with one of the loudest guitarists. it was awesome. i used earplugs through most of the show. took em out for the first couple songs and the last couple, just to get a feel for the unadulterated sound, and boy was it loud. too bad i missed the athens show this time. i’m sure it’s still loud w/o watt. someone let me know what kind of bassin’ this new guy is doin.
much luv
matt on bass was loud all right. he had to be in order to get heard/felt at all between george and j.
hey, there’s this fantastic show of the current tour available on FreeSoFree.net: Charlottesville, 13-02-2003
It gives a very good impression of how heavy the current shows are
And it also gives an impression of Matt Hunter, the new bass player: The bass sounds great together with the others, I also like him screaming in the beginning of ‘Little Fury Things’ and the No-yelling in ‘Just Like Heaven’. So it seems he fits great into the Fog
So, anyone who’s close to NYC/ Brooklyn, Cambridge, MA or Japan – don’t miss the last few shows of this tour !!!
About the volume: When I saw the Fog in 2000, it was incredible loud, something like a plane starting or something. I forgot to take earplugs with me and got the full blast. You go deaf after a while, but still feel that massive volume physically, it’s unbelievable – but definitely dangerous for the hearing…
Sounds like they’re just as loud on the current tour
I saw them last night at Maxwell’s, and while they weren’t spectacularly loud, the sound *did* flutter my trouser legs here and there, especially when Hunter hit those low notes. His basswork is perfect for J — as much as I love Watt’s playing, sometimes his busyness tended to clutter things up too much. Hunter lays down a strong, solid foundation with George, which keeps everything sounding really tight and together. All three of them really seem to be enjoying themselves. The set included the same material as the other setlists posted, minus "Just Like Heaven" and "Free So Free," and they began with "Thumb" and played "The Lung" later in the set. J embarked on extended solos during many of the tunes, which made for a long show — about 1 & 3/4 hours. About five tunes in, J’s new Mesa Boogie amp gave him problems — only a very quiet, tinny sound was coming out — and it took him and George a few minutes to get things working again. Apparently, he had just bought the amp a couple days before, and Hunter quipped: "That’s what you get for buying a Mesa Boogie." A solid show all around, and I’m in for Round Two Thursday night at the Mercury. Looking forward to it.
Quote:J embarked on extended solos during many of the tunes, which made for a long show — about 1 & 3/4 hours.cool …
to answer your question mudcrab i’m not sure what kind they are … but i know they were pretty expensive … if you live in london i bought my most recent pairs at john bell and croydon (the posh chemist) near to john lewis on wigmore st … and they are bright orange …
Hey folks,
Just a quick word on the earplugs issue. We all wear them. If we didn’t, I’m sure that our hearing would be even more toasted as the result of nightly pummelings for weeks at a time. It is important to keep in mind that earplugs don’t eliminate hearing damage, but certainly go along way towards reducing permanent impairment. J and Matt prefer the thick foam earplugs. I personally prefer the "fancy" plugs that you get from a doctor. They pour a mold of your ears, and you can choose the decibel cut that you want. I obviously went for a larger reduction, but even so, the sound quality was remarkably good. Unlike the foam plugs, these provide an even decibel cut across the sonic spectrum. They cost around $110 per pair, and you should be able to get them at any ear doctor. Here in NYC I refer people to the NY Eye and Ear Infirmary, on E. 14th St. I know that they’re pricey, but I’m sure that most folks, as I have, have spent money on more foolish things.
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