Beyond music: auditory temporary threshold shift in rock musicians after a heavy metal concert

Audiometry was undertaken before and within half an hour following a heavy metal concert to assess evidence of noise damage. Of the four members tested, one member wore an ear defender in his right ear during the period of noise exposure. All unprotected ears showed a temporary threshold shift which was maximum in the lower frequencies. There was some evidence that early noise damage had occurred with a dip at 6 kHz. The role of music as noise and its potential to damage the cochlea are discussed.