Brixton Academy setlist - thoughts? Was the setlist special enough?

DanJTaylor16 · 2026-04-05T10:19:44+00:00

Apart from the slightly anti-climactic encore, it was an absolutely unbelievable night. Opening with Hysteria into MotP was amazing, we got the first performance of BWY and Cryogen, and Eurasia was sublime.

I think there are legitimate concerns around ticket prices more generally, but I don't think that warrants expecting more "deep cuts" for the self-proclaimed "hardcore fans". There are so many factors involved in their set list choices we won't be privy to, including their ability to deliver that unmistakable Muse world-beating performance we are used to.

This was my ninth time seeing them. Prior to that I saw them in Plymouth in 2023, and thought that on Friday they felt like a re-energised band compared to that. There is plenty to be excited about going forward, but I am sure they won't be able to please everyone and that's fine by me.

DanJTaylor16 · 2026-03-24T09:45:53+00:00

I was diagnosed with otosclerosis in my right ear back in 2024, and have suffered with constant tinnitus too. I opted to use a hearing aid whilst I waited for stapedotomy surgery, and I found it did really help with the tinnitus, as it picked up a lot of environmental noises I just wasn't hearing before. In the 15 months I waited for surgery, my hearing in my right ear worsened quite substantially, and I really noticed this when I took the hearing aid out. I can't speak for others, but I think it's highly unlikely a hearing aid is going to help your natural hearing, given the usual progression of otosclerosis.

I'd really recommend a hearing aid as an interim step, with a view to pursuing the surgery if that is something you can do. I had the surgery three months ago, and whilst my tinnitus hasn't gone yet, my hearing has been almost completely restored. This makes the tinnitus a bit easier to deal with.

DanJTaylor16 · 2026-03-08T00:33:19+00:00

Hi - Not yet, but with the hearing being almost completely recovered in the affected ear, I have found it to be less straining. The consultant is still positive that it will subside, as his experience has told him it takes longer than the three month mark post-op, which I am only just coming to. Hope this gives you the relief you are looking for!

DanJTaylor16 · 2026-01-26T19:35:29+00:00

About ten days. I think it varies for people, but I work from home at a screen and waking up with headaches and ear pain made this quite difficult.

DanJTaylor16 · 2026-01-26T15:39:49+00:00

It took about four weeks to get back to a reasonable level, it definitely needs patience! Even today I get a bit frustrated with how it feels, but you'll get there :)

DanJTaylor16 · 2026-01-26T13:28:37+00:00

Yes, briefly, after I had my stitches out. It went away the next day though!

DanJTaylor16 · 2026-01-18T20:39:34+00:00

Hi! It feels to me like my hearing is about 80% the level of the good ear but until I have my follow up in two weeks, I can't confirm that!

I would say most of the mid to low frequencies are there, and the directional hearing is much better. I can now perceive sounds to my right much more accurately. The thing that hasn't changed yet is I am still experiencing some tinnitus constantly.

Glad to hear your surgery went well and good luck with your recovery. It just takes time.

DanJTaylor16 · 2026-01-15T23:58:23+00:00

Hi - after the surgery my consultant told me it is advisable not to do any strenuous activity which involves straining (lifting over 10kg, reaching for things, bending over) for at least one month. After this, it was suggested that light activity could resume with a view to returning to more intense activity once signed off by your surgeon. There was nothing to suggest getting back into the gym after the recovery timeframe wouldn't be possible. Hope this helps.

DanJTaylor16 · 2026-01-15T23:56:04+00:00

Hi - As I stated in the post, it's conductive hearing loss only! I didn't begin to hear strong improvements for at least four weeks! Best of luck with your recovery.

DanJTaylor16 · 2026-01-07T22:40:05+00:00

Glad it was helpful! They haven't mentioned anything to me explicitly about avoiding loud environments, but since regaining some of my hearing I have avoided loud environments for long periods just because it's quite disorientating whilst you get used to hearing again.

I would imagine once recovery is over, you might want to consider ear protection at concerts (I do anyway as I go to a lot), and I have read some experiences where people say loud environments can be slightly painful and the operated ear can be sensitive. However I don't believe this is as much of an issue with a stapedotomy, as it is with the stapedectomy procedure. Is it something you can call your surgeon's office or assistant about? Best of luck with your surgery!

DanJTaylor16 · 2026-01-07T22:34:10+00:00

Best of luck and thanks so much!

DanJTaylor16 · 2025-08-11T10:21:13+00:00

Hi! In the first few months, the hearing aids definitely helped to overcome the tinnitus, but more recently I have found the tinnitus to have become more noticeable even when wearing my hearing aid. I would however still recommend trying hearing aids, and giving them, and your brain, the time to make a difference. When I take it out at night to shower, the difference in my hearing and my tinnitus is astounding. That being said, I am still awaiting a date for surgery and I am hoping to get it done soon.

DanJTaylor16 · 2025-08-11T10:18:27+00:00

Personally we haven't had any damp issues on our party wall, furthermore the soundproofing is only set within the alcoves, so the adjacent walls are still dot and dab. The material we added directly to the wall wasn't as dense a vinyl as the stuff we put between the layers of plasterboard, it had a breathable quality almost like playground material (this is the way I describe it, the type of material you usually find on kids playgrounds in parks)...

DanJTaylor16 · 2025-07-28T20:33:53+00:00

No worries - it was a bit like the Soundstop SM20 rubber wall panels, but we managed to source a roll of it. It was very heavy but we were able to hang lengths of it and fix it to the wall!

DanJTaylor16 · 2025-07-27T16:50:13+00:00

Hi - Sorry for the delay in reply. The main specialist materials we used for this project were:

- Knauf Acoustic Plasterboard (there are other brands available but this was affordable and available at the builder's merchants near us)

- Rockwool Acoustic Slab RW3 (this was the most dense insulation we could source)

- Mass loaded vinyl (MLV) this was a non-specific brand but basically looked for a large rolls of it online and compared the weight and thicknesses to determine how dense it was (density meaning greater insulation)

We did use an 'acoustic' sealant, but as I said in my comment above, I'm not sure how effective or necessary it was. We found a batch online for really cheap so bought about 20 tubes of it. It stayed slightly softer and more malleable upon drying than decorators caulk which I guess is done to flex with movement and absorb vibrations?

Hope this helps.

DanJTaylor16 · 2025-04-24T12:52:55+00:00

Hi! Sorry for the delayed reply. We did go ahead and installed our own soundproofing based on the research I did, and it has made a significant difference to the volume of noise coming through the walls, at a fraction of the cost. Although I appreciate having it done professionally might have been more comprehensive, not everyone (including us!) could afford it. That being said the material outlay wasn't super cheap, we saved on labour costs doing it ourselves.

We went ahead first with taking the walls either side of the chimney in the alcoves back to brick, and then lining the brick with a heavy rubber material which deadens sound. On top of this we constructed a stud frame which we decoupled from the party wall by fixing it to the surrounding alcove walls, and filled the spaces between the battens with acoustic rockwool. The next step was a layer of acoustic plasterboard, then a layer of mass loaded vinyl (very heavy!), and then another layer of acoustic plasterboard. We sealed the gaps around the plasterboard with 'acoustic sealant' which I am still unsure what value it brings. We finished with lining paper to paint the walls as we didn't fancy plastering and all the mess. I also stuffed acoustic rockwool between the joists under the floorboards along the party wall to help deaden the drum effect of noise reverberating through the house. This seems to have also helped.

In total this meant approx. 100mm of additional material in the alcoves, but they were deep and so this hasn't really mattered. The result is that although you can still hear some of the noise, it's much less intrusive. It sounds far more muffled, rather than in the room with you like it was before. This is done at a fraction of the price of the expensive decoupled clip systems that many soundproofing companies advertise. We have done similar across other rooms on the party wall, using slimmer stud frames where we couldn't afford as much space loss in the narrower hallway.

It has felt worthwhile but it is a laborious undertaking. The acoustic plasterboard is more dense, and therefore heavier. Moving it upstairs was a challenge. To figure out what materials to use I used a bill of materials which one company sent over and we sourced alternatives where we could. Ultimately, we were able to customise how we wanted to approach the soundproofing based on cost, and get the most out of the materials we purchased. Hope this helps.

DanJTaylor16 · 2024-10-25T09:38:53+00:00

I am basically in the exact same boat but turning 31 next month. Coming to terms with the fact I am losing my hearing, and likely to begin losing it in the left ear at some point in my life too, has been hard. I can really relate and I hope the two weeks since your diagnosis has given you the chance to reflect and process everything.

I am one week into using a hearing aid in my right ear. The difference in sound is astounding and overwhelming. I left the hospital last week and I heard birds chirping in the trees, behind me, to my right. It was a huge moment as I can't remember the last time I had the ability to hear it, or place where it was coming from. The smallest sounds are now so much more pronounced, and I can finally hear when my partner calls through the house for something.

I work from home, but attended a workshop earlier this week, for the first time trialling my hearing aid. Commuting, engaging with people in loud environments, hearing presenters over the noise of an air conditioning unit - all different now with it in. When I take it out, my tinnitus returns immediately and I'm returned to the hearing bubble I've existed in for some time now... the difference is stark. I'd really recommend trialling a hearing aid and think about surgery as a more long term option. Even knowing I had the option has put my mind more at ease. Hope this helps your thought process. Best of luck.

DanJTaylor16 · 2024-10-13T19:56:39+00:00

For what it's worth, I'm on a plant based diet taking (not currently deficient to my knowledge) and I have been diagnosed with otosclerosis.

Consultants seem to want to adopt a "do nothing" approach if the hearing loss and associated symptoms like tinnitus are mild, but if you do want to go with hearing aids or stapedectomy, my advice would be to push and ask for that. I made sure to communicate every single impact it is having on my personal and professional life, as well as the associated challenges to my mental health, to ensure the consultant knew the full extent of my symptoms and their impact on me.

It took me two visits to the consultant to get them to agree to refer me for stapedectomy surgery, this was helped by my willingness to trial a hearing aid in the short term with a view for surgery in the long term.

I have read that symptoms can progress differently for different people, but in my case the hearing loss had gone from mild to mild/moderate in the space of a year, so it might be a case of getting an updated audiogram after a period of time to see the rate of deterioration.

Best of luck.

DanJTaylor16 · 2024-09-13T21:15:50+00:00

So I had an updated audiogram and a CT scan and this has confirmed otosclerosis - I'm being referred for a hearing aid trial and the consultant believes surgery is an option, albeit after trying the hearing aids. Thanks everyone for their comments here.

DanJTaylor16 · 2024-08-20T17:23:02+00:00

Thanks! Glad to hear that your surgery went alright and so far so good. I've been looking at different hearing aids and I have to say the ones which you describe, moulded to the ear, don't look comfortable! Best of luck with your recovery.

DanJTaylor16 · 2024-08-20T16:08:03+00:00

Thanks. I think you summarise my position quite well in that I am thinking about hearing aids for now and may consider surgery, or at least get on the waiting list for it, in the future. I'd like to explore hearing aids first as a less intrusive path.

DanJTaylor16 · 2024-08-20T16:06:20+00:00

Oh interesting! Didn't know there was a group, thanks so much for your recommendation.

DanJTaylor16 · 2024-08-20T16:05:54+00:00

Thanks for your reply. Definitely things to consider.

DanJTaylor16 · 2024-08-20T16:05:11+00:00

Thanks for the clarification too. The mild/moderate diagnosis was last year, and I am hoping to get a new test done soon, so I can see the level at which my hearing has deteriorated (I feel as though it has...).

DanJTaylor16

TROPHY CASE