'Twas a night much like this one......only.....LOUDER! May 31st, 1976 The Who performed at the Charlton Athletic Grounds (football stadium) It was the European leg of their "The Who Put the Boot In" tour and it would garner the attention of the Guinness Book of World Records. Reps were on hand to determine if the band was worthy of their legendary tome. From a distance of 50 meters (about 164 feet) they measured decibel levels of 120. By comparison, those levels can also be found in a Thunderclap or perhaps a military jet taking off. It was made official as the loudest concert ever recorded at that time. Below is audio from that show including the setlist in the description HERE
In the days since that historic night, many Heavy Metal bands have broken that record. The New York outfit, Manowar in 1984 the band was included in the Guinness Book of World Records for delivering the loudest performance, a record they have broken themselves on 2 other occasions. I can recall a show at the Providence Civic Center in November, 1990. I was 2nd Row for AC/DC with Love/Hate opening up. In my lifetime I have never witnessed a louder show, in person than that one. My ears were still ringing days later.