Earplugs are a necessary evil for the card-carrying gig-goer. Without them, each show we attend is another roll of the dice for the sanctity of our ears; it’s a sad fact hard-ignored that big riffs, played loud, are a big threat when it comes to hearing damage and hearing loss.
Far too often, unprepared gig-goers will make the most of the memory-foam freebies handed over the bar before the first support. These absolutely do the trick for protecting your hearing, but at what cost? Well: muffled sound, agitated ear canals and the sense that you’re being robbed of something fundamental. Thankfully, earplugs don’t need to be so cruel to your gigging experience.
