How Loud Is Loud?

When I was at The COOP music department in the '80s I got to see a lot of bands compliments of the labels. There were some great shows (The Kinks, Bryan Ferry, Paris Combo, Lou Reed touring "New York" with The Feelies warming up, Laika & The Cosmonauts) and some not so great shows (Motley Crue with Ratt opening, and they go downhill from there).

3 major act heavy metal shows that came my way all happened at the Worcester Centrum. First Up: Iron Maiden on the "Somewhere In Time" tour. Our seats were 25 rows back and 15 rows up on the stage right (audience left) side. The SPLs were so ridiculous that the bass, bass drums and lead vocals were pounding our chests. NO KIDDING!! Luckily Sylvia brought ear plugs. Next up: Judas Priest touring "Ram It Down". Similar seat placement. Chuck and I were prepared with ear plugs. As soon as "The Hellion" began blaring from the PA ear plugs were inserted. Half way through the second tune, "Metal Gods" I had to take the ear plugs OUT! The sound was immaculately put across to draw the audience in, not blow them away. We were able to relax, get into the songs and sing along. And Last: Van Halen touring "5150". Worst case scenario, loud and muddy/honky..."There's Only ONE WAY TO RAWK!"...NOT! C'Mon! The audience deserves better than that! And the performance was, as my rock critic friend Tristram Lozaw put it in his Herald column the next day, "Pathetic".

Also, I remember, during the "Live Aid" concerts broadcast from Britain, a "Loudest Band In The World" face-off between Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. Sabbath sent up the slowest "Iron Man" even the rabid fist pumping fans timed out on. The Priest weighed in with their send-up of Fleetwood Mac's, "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" complete with much KK Downing feedback and blistering breaks. Sabbath won. Fewer amps but louder amps wins over many well-placed and tightly tweaked amps. Go figure.

If any of you folks have favorite "Ear Splitter" shows please share!