Jenny
Yes they should. I went to a club (just a D.J, not live music) a few months ago and my ear drum exploded. This is very painfull! Went to a club at the weekend, and the music made my ears feel like they were bleeding. (this is not just me, my friends were the same too). I asked the D.J if it was really necessary to have it so loud and he told me that if it's too loud then i'm too old, I'm only 21!!!!! I think clubs should take more responsibilty for their customers. People may say i shouldnt go to these venues, but i dont have much choice on peoples birthdays, and i dont fancy being a hermit! i have as much right to enjoyment as everyone else!

Markus
Bzzzz argh! yes!

Adam
Yes, and i think you should be able to sue the clubs if they cause you to lose your hearing. I went to a c lub the other night and the music was way to loud! whats the point, you can have a good time without it being on too loud, i have now a ringing in my ears after 48hours of the night out...who knows if it will stop

Jade
yeh i think its an awesome idea. after gettin a new sub in my car, and playing my music pretty loud on my way to work one day, my left ear starting ringing - i went to the doctors only this morning and she said it could be tinnitus :( i really hope it goes, as i dont listen to really loud music all the time and the thought of having this constant buzzing is horrible. has anyone had a similar experience where the tinnitus has finally gone? im worried!

Craig
Yes i reckon they shud. I frequently go to alot of drum n bass events, for example dillinja and lemnon d and their valve sound system. I always take earplugs with me although all the events ive been to they give free earplugs away at the door or in the coatroom which is good.

kat
well i duno if you want to wear em fair enuf but uva wise stop complainin !! lol gawd!

Andrew, 13
I just saw Billy Talent(alternative - punk band from Toronto,Canada)last night and i was right at the front. My ears are ringing really badly. Before reading this article i had no idea the seriousness of loud music, and the effect that it can have on your ears. I most definetly agree that earplugs should be given out after all i was standing in front of 8 large amps stacked on top of each other and the floor was constantly shaking due to the loud bass guitar Haven't you noticed that Security and musicians have earplugs. If they know about the risks that are there, are they disregarding OUR safety?

helen
ive not been to gigs bfore...but i listen to headphones nearly every day. can it damage my hearing?

Martin
Definitely. I got my Tinnitus from a misfits concert...a very loud punk rock concert in a small venue. Bands don't care, neither do sound engineers, so make sure you're carrying plugs, and use them. There is no cure, only prevention, and trust me, you don't want to live with this condition. It is a nightmare and a trial. I went to a few gigs after (with earplugs) but came away from one recently with even worse and much louder tinnitus, so that's enough to have made me finally give up clubs and gigs. You've only one pair of ears...look after them!

Jezclayton
At the very least venues should be required by law to sell earplugs. Nicola, at 13 you are still little. Lets hope you can get to 20 and still feel the same.

Jono
Yes...and if they're not available we should be able to sue!

Martin
Yes, make them free everywhere. I have tinnitus after a loud concert, and it was a complete shock. There is no cure...my life is a lot different now, and is often hell at night. Take care of your ears, take earplugs at least...and if it feels too loud, it probably is, so pop them in. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

Tissie
Earplugs are cool!!! get some of the professional kind that still allow you to enjoy the music whilst getting rid of the harsh frequencies that kill off your eardrums =] well worth it myspace.com/outspokenuk

Grace
I now have permanent tinitus after attending noisy raves and loud nights in clubs, after witnessing dillinja and lemon D's "Valve" sound system (the club legally had to provide earplugs as the system is so huge) i see no reason why clubs couldn't do this on a regular basis.

ben
defenitely! i don't understand why music has to be so loud at gigs. so often i find that it is so loud that i can hardly distinguish chord changes, or even what the words, which are surely what makes music so beautiful and satisfying? comments such as 'christ you saddos' show how unaware people really are of the reality of tinnitus. i went to a leftfield gig when i was 15 (they are well known for playing loud) and my ears are permanently damaged. tinnitus is very difficult to live with, (it has driven some to suicide in more extreme cases) especially if your passion in life is music! the evolution of the human ear didn't provide it with protection against loud volumes, so if you really love music and like being able to go to sleep without the sound of a constantly clanging anvil (not an exageration!) then look after your ears! although i really hope that for all the lucky ones who don't have to live with this problem they will not have to experience it to know what it is, i think that this message will be falling on deaf ears because self-destructivity seems to be unfortunately a major part of today's music scene.

Alex
Start using decent ear-plugs TODAY!!! I'm going crazy here. My tinnitus is so loud it's like white-noise loud on headphones.

Kay
yes they should. I haven't been to many concerts but as a preteen i blasted my radio as loud as possible and when i got a car i didn the same - big mistake.. my ear have never stopped ringing since one night at the club - - to this day i still try to avoid going... but it seems the ringing will never fade away

B
To Nicola, i think that you might want to start taking precautions with your ears, you may think it's sad but when you start getting ear problems and can't accompany your friends to gigs and are constantly telling them to turn their music down, i think you might be branded the sad one. i got tinnitus when i was 14, and i'm now 16 and still trying to cope with it. just because you don't have ear problems now, doesn't mean you never will. Don't insult people who are trying to live their lives despite their tinnitus, it doesn't make them sad, it's something to admire. the idea of earplugs should be encouraged much more then it is at the moment, people need to know the risks.

Sara Gilbert
I am amazed that so many people's hearing has been damaged by live music. Maybe it is time the musicians had the confidence to lower the sound level and let us hear their music at a normal level

William
Yes they should, I did not know about tinnitus was until I had it for good. It can knock anyone for six when they have it and took me 18 months to get to a normal life again. I still have trouble sleeping sometimes. Events and venues should be culpable. I liked it loud, but if this is the price it's not worth it.

jess
My boyfriend regularly djs and is becoming concerned the effect it is having on his hearing. The ringing in his ears can often last well into the following day and this happens about twice a week after each gig. Obviously he cant wear ear plugs as this would hinder his performance, is there anything else that djs can do to protect their hearing?- Special headphones/equipment?

gary mcq
Definitely, tinnitus is really horrible. I can't remember what silence is like! People wear sunglasses when its too bright, why not wear earplugs when its too loud?

Daniel
I'm listening to Alice Cooper's "Poison", the loudest music I have ever listened to, my mp3 player is at 60% right now and anymore I can't handle it! You guys are crazy! A life with ringing in my ears would drive me to suicide in no time I'm sure.

Simon
Don't rely on free earplugs. Buy some good ones - and use them. Two or three gigs a year over the years has left me with permanent tinnitus - it arrived suddenly after one gig too many - and it's never gone. And never will. You might think it's uncool to use earplugs, but musicians do - and it's daft not to. If your ears ring after a club, you're already accumulating damage. It keeps on adding up - until one day, your ears ring for the rest of your life. Take heed.

june
Yes ,I think earplugs should be free or at the least a token payment.Also a free pair for every member of the family when purchasing a musical instrument.

ali
yes! why is it that loads of people think it is "uncool" to wear earplugs? ever noticed that all the musicians are?? i wonder why! it is a fact that you can better distinguish the music if you wear earplugs - it cuts out the high ringy drum bits that really damage your hearing allowing you to hear the melodies and intricacies of the music better! not to mention meaning you don't lay down to bed that night with a ringing so loud you can't sleep. c'mon kids, get with the programme. they should definitely be given out free, take away the (ridiculous) stigma and wake people up to the seriousness of the situation!

yes!!!!!
I have mild tinnitus in both ears-as a result of standing next to speakers etc...IM ONLY 17,i havent been out lately but next time i do im taking my own plugs. and the girl who thinks its cool to listen to loud music all the time with no protection... you go for it, but dont complain when u got the sound of a siren going off in both your ears in complete silence, see how you feel then

Mark
I'm going to start wearing earplugs to gigs. I think it'll help me enjoy the music more because sometimes my hearing feels 'overloaded' and I have trouble interpreting the sounds. Hopefully they'll stop my ears ringing for days afterwards as well!

Ed
Yes they should be, basic ear plugs are free to the armed forces after all. A note on loud gigs, put the plugs in before it gets too loud. If you are a few drinks into the night you will lose some of your perception of loudness through the alcohol and hence be more likely to harm your hearing... Bad

Rick
It would be nice if ear plugs were free... but maybe they could sell them! I have Tinnitus from listenning to music to loud. i now wear ear plugs when ever i go clubbing. i wish they sold flesh coloured plugs though, why are they always bright yellow or green! They really draws attention!

John Bloor
I have tinnitus in my left ear but it's not too bad and I have no intention of letting it get worse! I listen to a lot of music but mainly through loudspeakers rather than headphones. When I go to gigs I always have my earplugs with me, they are semi-musicians' earplugs and are excellent. Recently we saw Sage Francis in London and my mates were actually in pain from the volume. With the earplugs in, the gig still sounded loud and I believe I lost none of the vibe, only I came out with my hearing intact.

Andy
My girl is short. This is a problem. Last gig (The Doves)we stuck at the front where it was feckin loud (as usual). This time it was a bit much really, But had had a few drinks and shrugged it off in favour of a happy girlfriend who could see for a change. Mistake! Months later my right ear still rings as loud as it does after a serious night out. This is no fun when it's quiet and you're trying to sleep. My advice is don't risk it!!! You don't want a lifetime of ringing. Least it was The Doves!

Mary Young
Definately a good idea. I remember being given ear plugs at t in the park two years ago. At festivals particularly, where the noise exposure is practically constant over two to three days, ear plugs should be as readily distributed as sun cream is.

claire
I often go to gigs the music played is very loud lots of muscians don't wear ear plugs and over the years their hearing's been damaged i would be happy to use earplugs at gigs if they were given out as the music is often too loud luckily i dont go away with ringing ears but i am concerned about hearing loss

Corbin, usa eastcoast
earplugs for free! I used to have access to boxes and boxes of them and would pass them out at events. Many would wear them and some would look at you really oddly. It would be great if event promoters would offer them at the door, realistically, it probably will never happen.

Nicola
Hell No!! I'm 13 and been listenin to loud music since I were little it's done me no harm...yet! Music sounds better loud and if you are that concerned then don't listen to loud music and don't go to loud gigs! Christ you saddos!

Iain
I've been going to gigs since I was 13. I'm now 35 and I have treble loss in my right ear but that is more due to my Marshall amp that my right ear has been next to for 20 years. And anyone who owns a proper Marshall knows they have two settings - off and LOUD (I should also say my hearing in both ears is clinically still above average and I have tried ear plugs before). Gigs I've been to recently have been notable by their lack of volume. Not because of my right ear hearing loss but because I've been able to talk to my friends at normal levels without shouting. Green Day at Milton Keynes was so quiet (not to mention exceedingly poor sound) that I gave up listening and went to the bar. All gigs should have a warning: If you are worried about loud music and hearing loss, turn back now! The volume is part of the rush. That said, if they come up with a ear plug that doesn't sound like you are listening inside a potato sack I'll probably buy them.

Greg
Absolutely not! Everyone knows the risk, if you are worried, Stand further back !

Richard Smith
They give earplugs away free at Glastonbury in the front rows and you'll be amazed by how many people use them if given to them free. Earplugs are not that easy to get hold of in the high street so I think making them available at music events and clubs are a wicked idea.