August 4, 2009 16:51

My Bloody Valentine to give away earplugs at gigs

Thousands of fans will be encouraged to protect their ears during the shows

My Bloody Valentine are set to give away thousands of pairs of earplugs at gigs on their European tour this year.

The notoriously loud band have teamed up with Earplugshop.com to provide the disposable 'Moldex yellow' range of plugs, which fans can pick up on their way into the band's shows.

In a statement, Earplugshop.com's Shaun Thornburgh outlined how important it is for bands to highlight the dangers that loud music can have on fans' ears.

"I am very pleased to have struck a deal with such an ear-splittingly loud band as My Bloody Valentine, and respect to them for taking ear damage so seriously. By handing out these disposable earplugs at their gigs, the band is highlighting how important it is to protect ears from damage which, once set in, is irreversible."

The initiative will culminate at the My Bloody Valentine-curated ATP: Nightmare Before Christmas show at Butlins in Minehead on December 4-6.

An online poll carried out by Earplugshop.com showed that 81 percent of 200 people questioned didn't realise that it need only take 15 minutes of exposure to loud music to cause permanent ear damage.

My Bloody Valentine mainman Kevin Shields suffers from tinnitus himself, while guitarist and vocalist Belinda Butcher once perforated an eardrum.

Earplugshop.com has also launched a Festivals And Gigs section, dedicated to providing information and products for live music fans.