Oh agree.  I saw the Pixies in Sacramento some years back, and they were not only awful, (I went cause my brother likes 'em...) but absurdly loud.  I did wear plugs though.  Anybody at the show that didn't plug up, must have serious hearing loss by now.  

One of the major reasons I go to very few shows by rock groups.  Too f'in loud, even with plugs, most of them.

G