I have been to three live concerts in total, the first was Imagine Dragons so obviously that one was massive in a basketball stadium, the next was Wardruna so slightly less massive in a concert hall and the last was Moon Walker in a pretty small venue. So standing through a whole concert kind of sucks and the most recent one didn't even have an option for sitting. And the one that I actually could sit at had the most uncomfortable sets I have ever been in. And despite having silicon ear plugs at the last two, I could understand most of the words being sung with the drums drowning out everything at the Wardruna concert. This was once I might have thought that venue had poor sound balancing but twice in a row? The nice thing about the most recent concert is that the openers offered to chat with fan at their merch tables but since they were in the same room at the on going concert so it never really felt quite enough to talk to anyone. I don't know it feels like everyone else there got way more out of it than me that is a sucky feeling.

Edit: I'm going to bed so won't reply for a while but you answers have been reassuring and helpful.

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[–] dadarobot@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

where you are in the room can massively affect the sound. the best sound often is near the soundboard because thats where the guy mixing it is standing.

if its a band you have liked for a long time and is a celebrity to you, being up close to see them in person is very exciting and can make up for the worse sound near the stage.

you may try another set of earplugs as well. they are not all the same. i would say maybe take them out, because they really do interfere with the sound, but i dont want to encourage hearing damage... i have really bad tinitis at this point in my life. but maybe when your favorite song comes on, or a quieter number, listen raw to see what you think

having some drinks or some pot can help you get more into the music and the experience. and maybe numb/distract from the long periods of standing. but drinking too much can make you tire faster.

wear comfortable shoes. i love live music, but i often find my feet and legs hurting. your instict may be to dress to impress when going to a big event, but you want to be able to enjoy yourself. many venues are just concrete floors.

if you have the option to sit, take it. ampatheater shows often have lawn tickets. bring a picnic blanket and sit down. youre so far back you can only see the band on the jumbotron. youre not missing anything.

it sounds like this is a new thing for you. i bet you find your groove eventually. i used to not care much for live shows because rarely sounds as good as the album. but really live music is not supposed to be the album. the improv and interplay between the musicians, or the experience of seeing it being performed, the band and audience vibing off eachother.. this is really the whole point.

another thing to consider is some bands are better live, and some are better recorded. ive been bored to death watching some of my favorite bands, and completely enthralled by a band i would probably not listen to at home. maybe branch out and see something different. go to some local shows at small venues. theyre usually much cheaper, smaller rooms, you can easilly meet the band. and the drinks are cheaper.

also, maybe live music just isnt your thing, and thats ok too. you dont have to like things just because other people like it.

[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I do enjoy the live music at the local cafe and you bring up a lot of good points. This time I figured I would do it sober but edibles definitely improved things last time. I did play with wearing and not wearing the ear plugs and still had a hard time making out the words, though I was fairly close to the stage so that may have played a big part in that.

[–] dadarobot@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago

yeah, the closer you are to the stage, youre getting more of the "stage sound" and less of the "room sound". many bands use in ear monitors(earphones) rather than wedge monitors(speakers on stage). so basically you have loud drums, and probably loud amps, but the vocals are coming from speakers further away from you.

[–] dadarobot@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago (2 children)

also wanted to mention: dont show up at doors unless you REALLY love the band. on a 3 band bill, i might skip the first band, catch the end of the second band, and watch all (or most) of the headliner. this way youre only on your feet for a couple hours.

[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 week ago

I'll have to take that into account next time, though the openers were pretty good this time around. Just wish I could make out the lyrics, lol. But like the original replier said, I might just need to stand near the sound booth.

[–] zwerg@feddit.org 1 points 1 week ago

I get what you are saying, but I've discovered some awesome bands because they were the support act. I'm a music slut/glutton, so maybe that's just me?