Sure this has been thrashed before, but wonder how many if anyone (but me) has suffered hearing loss in the rock n' roll trenches. Any immortal idiots out there currently not using ear plugs when you crank it up?
 
Twas a time when you didn't use hearing protection. The issue was not an issue. Could never get myself to see the West Virginia band Heavy Rain out of an inferiority complex. 3 piece band with floor to ceiling Marshals and the guitarist likened unto a god. Said he bled from his ears. Saw a sobering interview with Pete Townsend on what is left of his hearing.
 
I was never a great musician, but had good managers. The girls and drugs were there if you could make it loud, no matter what it sounded like.
 
My demise was when a company called "Sunda" offered to outfit the band with wall to wall dual 15 cabinets and macho watt heads if we would just go out there and break glass to their credit.
 
I'd felt my hearing go down a bit over the years, but projected to the distant future that I'd be some aged cripple 30 year old before anything mattered. Left ear was always against the amps. One gig was over and I realized I couldn't hear out of my left ear. Got some of it back, but permanent damage.
 
Still a bummer and limits how much noise I can handle.
 
You guys still okay hearing wise. If so WEAR YOUR EAR PLUGS !!!
 
Love,
John

Tinnitus. Fortunately it is not affecting my life. I do cringe thinking back attending loud music concerts in younger days. Although a recent attendance comes to mind at a local nightclub venue where the headliner was Reverend Horton Heat. My neighbor friend is a big fan and invited me to attend. Prior to the second band of the venue my friend offered me some ear plugs. Then Nashville Pussy came on. Damn if I wasn't grateful for those ear plugs. It literally scared me how loud they were in that medium sized nightclub. I was fine by having the earplugs on, but cringed seeing a young crowd without them. Only reminded me of my foolish days watching Blue Cheer blast out full volume, where I was standing in front of the guitarist and could not hear the drummer who was beating the hell out of the drums a few feet away.

I totally agree with your advice, John.

I'm amazed my hearing is what it is, although it goes silent after about 15-16kHz. I remember being partially deaf for a whole day after seeing Dio play in 1987 - we were right at the front next to a giant speaker and it was ear splitting. I still can't believe, they won't let you take drugs "because it's for your own good" but they have no problem letting people - even children and teenagers - attend events which are almost guaranteed to permanently damage their hearing. 
 
Then I was in a thrash band for a while, and the 4 hour practice sessions in a small room standing right next to the drummer probably did some more damage. After that it was the whole rave era and I attended deafening raves and parties almost every other week for a few years, out of my head on drugs of course and dancing away next to huge speakers as a 303 bass line with a resonant filter vivisected my eardrums. 
 
And of course over the years I've probably abused headphones a lot. I blame the whole lifestyle of smoking weed for that. You get carried away with music through the cans. In fact I'm pretty sure the tinnitus I have today began with the release of DJ Shadow's "Endtroducing" album in the 1990's, which I listened to on cans non-stop with a doobie in my hand for a good few weeks. 
 
Then I've had 15 or so years in NYC, taking the subway multiple times a day and having my ears assaulted by screeching train brakes. Not to mention all the fire trucks and ambulances which pass me on the street every day, not all of which I remember to shield my ears from. Oh and I always end up having to walk past at least one jackhammer every day, those are pretty brutal. 
 
I'm surprised I'm not profoundly deaf to be honest. I think it's the large supplemental doses of magnesium I've taken for years, lol. 

I had a bad ear infection last year and had my hearing checked after it had cleared up, seems like it's pretty good for my age (57), although I have a very low rumbling tinnitus, which I think was caused by 2 years of driving 1000-1500 a week in 2002-4.
 
Ditto on the loud concerts though, people talk about 'going deaf' at gigs, but my wife and I literally couldn't hear anything for about 15 minutes after an AC/DC concert.

I don't go above 83db. listening in my studio.

I haven't had professional hearing tests but at 1.8 metre from my speakers I can't hear reliably above 13.6 kHz. On a good day I can manage about 14.2. I'm 63. Bummer hey

This looks like a neat site
http://www.audiocheck.net/

I normally use earplugs when rehearsing loudly, but never on a stage.  I just can't perform comfortably with them.
After a couple of decades playing on loud stages, clubbing, and doing everything that SHOULD deafen me, I still have very good hearing.  If anything, my hearing is getting better.  Slight noises seem louder now, and when I go to the movies I have to wear earplugs!
 
The only time my hearing degrades seems to be when my wife asks me to do stuff.

I think my localization is beginning to suffer - which is disturbing as I like to walk in the woods for one.
I seem to cue on the first reflection in a reflective room making me think sounds came from the apposite place than they did. Or where my wife says they did anyway. She's nine months older so I don't know, but it's happening more and more.

I've had ear problems from a very young age due to numerous ear infections that completely destroyed my right ear drum and damaged the left. I had a timpanoplasty done on the right when I was about 10 which helped, but never brought it back to normal.
A few years ago, unremitting tinnitus started (previously it was occasional) and I have to turn up the volume on everything to get the level above my constant ear-ringing.
So, I began my RNR life with existing hearing deficiencies and it isn't going to get better.