Don't stop the music!

Top tips for enjoying live music

How do you reconcile having tinnitus with a love of live music?

Carefully, of course!

Yes, we could listen to the music we love at home, but there’s something about the atmosphere of a gig that is irreplaceable.

So, here are my top five tips for enjoying live music without compromising your hearing health:

• Stay away from the speakers. I stand as far away from the speakers as I can, especially in small venues, and I can still feel the bass thudding through my body. Can you imagine what damage it could do to those tiny hairs in your cochlea if you stood on top of the sound?

• Try taking your hearing aids out. I recognise that it seems completely counter-intuitive when the point of you being at a gig is to hear the music. But it is worth experimenting whether you can hear enough of the right pitches to appreciate the music without one or both of your hearing aids in. If you can’t take them out, turn the volume down.

• Put ear plugs in. If you have an ear that doesn’t need a hearing aid, keep it that way. Get some earplugs that are specifically made for listening to music rather than blocking out noise. They knock the volume down without making the sound muffled or distorted and are barely visible in the ear. Starting from as little as £12 a pair they’re definitely a worthwhile investment.

• Take hearing breaks. Escape from the gig for a few minutes every so often to give your ears some respite from the noise. Nip to the bathroom. Go to the bar. Grab five minutes of fresh air.

• Keep it quiet the next day. Even if you’ve taken all the steps above, your ears will still have had a bit of a workout the day before and will appreciate a bit of a rest.