[Jimbobaby]

I am a musician and I play in a loud rock and roll band. What many people don't realize is that the band onstage does not hear the sound the same way as the audience does. We have some form of a monitor that allows us to hear the other members of the band without being too loud or deal with feedback from the instruments. If a band is too loud, it is because of the sound man that's running the show. He is the one that controls the volume that the audience hears. Complaining to the sound man doesn't stop the problem because he thinks that he's doing a great job and you don't know what you're talking about.

Let the manager or owner know that the PA is too loud. Many people will say the band is too loud or the drummer is too loud or the guitar is too loud. The fact is that all these instruments are going through the PA and it is the PA that is too loud.
Telling the owner that the band is too loud only hurts the hard working musicians. I always welcome constructive criticism but please be considerate and polite. It will go a lot further to resolve the problem. If you really want faster results try telling the band that the sound man should take it down a notch or two and then let the band tell the sound man what they want him to do. Any band that wants to gig will try to give the people what they want.
If you think that musicians have egos than you have never met a sound man. Oh and by the way, I am also a sound man when I don't have a gig to play.