Dave

I agree with Jacques (above).
Try using some good in-ear phones PLUS some commercial ear-defenders.
i.e. the sort of thing people working in undustrial factory wear. These can be bought in almost any hardware store.

The combinatio of a good in-ear phone with quite a bit of attenuation themselves plus the ear-defenders (i use them if i got watchin drag-racing) is what you need to be able to hear in a loud rock-band environment. I think anything else is just complicating the issue.

i recommend Sony MDR-EX71SL for in-ear phones. they block quite a bit of sound.

Some of us, such as myself, would just not be interested
in shoving mini-speakers inside of our ears, so this is not
an option.
As to your comment that anything but in-the-ear
headphones is "complicating the issue", I have said
that I believe I have found a solution to the issue with
these Beyerdynamics.

OK Dave, that was purely my opinion as to a solution for your problem.

If you don't like my proffered solution then of course it's your prerogative to just ignore it, rather than post a rather impolite retort. Don't knock stuff til you've tried it.

best regards