Motörhead was known for being insanely loud, and unfortunately that's taken its toll on guitarist Phil Campbell. In an interview with Rockin' Metal Revival, Campbell said he never worse earplugs and is unfortunately paying the price. Campbell said he hears sound around negative 70 decibels, whereas the average person without any hearing loss hears sound at around plus 20 decibels.
"Yeah, we didn't bother with that. I think I tried those ear things for about half a tour, I wasn't getting the electricity to vibe through, so I quickly discarded them. But now we got off the road, I had to invest in a high-end hearing aid, but the thing is – I never wear it.
"But I went to the audiologist – this is a true story of two years ago – so basically he does all these tests, and he said, 'Well, a regular kind of average person's hearing would be on this certain chart.' I don't know what it was, plus 20 – and mine was minus 70. So, whatever, make what you will of that. It was profound hearing loss.
"I guess the thing is not to stand in front of the stage, especially those festivals, you got all those subwoofers, they lift you off the ground, they lift you up."
Motörhead will reissue their 1981 live album No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith on June 25. Pre-orders are available here.