Mid Life Music Crises - R U There yet

[Bassassin]

I'm not sure what constitutes a mid-life crisis! When what you've done since age 16 is play in original rock bands & ride motorbikes (as I have), and in 2 weeks' time you'll turn 52 (as I will), It's sort of difficult to quantify what element of your behaviour is a pathetic reaction to encroaching decrepitude!

I have spent probably the last 10-15 years describing my immature lifestyle and behaviour as a "whole-life crisis", and fortunately I'm still not feeling the draw of either the folk clubs or the Harley dealership. That would worry me, particularly the Harley bit.

Jon.

[SaxyBassist]

I started playing bass on the wrong side of 50 as part of my "grandmother growing old disgracefully" plan! [size=4] when I'm accomplished enough I will get a power trio together [/size][size=4] [/size] [size=4] [/size][size=4] [/size]

[flyfisher]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1388956282' post='2328180']
When most young people set with serious ambitions t to play music what they ultimately aspire to is to be in band with a recording contract that makes albums and does international tours. I know I certainly did. That is the usual benchmark.
[/quote]

Seems like a reasonable definition. On that basis I wonder how many BC members are 'commercially successful'?

Not me, that's for sure, though I've never aspired to such a thing and music has only ever been an amateur pursuit for me.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1388956282' post='2328180']
When most young people set with serious ambitions t to play music what they ultimately aspire to is to be in band with a recording contract that makes albums and does international tours. I know I certainly did. That is the usual benchmark.
[/quote]
[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1388969588' post='2328372']
Seems like a reasonable definition. On that basis I wonder how many BC members are 'commercially successful'?

Not me, that's for sure, though I've never aspired to such a thing and music has only ever been an amateur pursuit for me.
[/quote]

Whoa, whoa, there..! Steady on, chaps..! You're leaving out a whole industry full of professional musicians, from pit players, full time 'deppers' and teachers who have never aspired to this definition, I'd say. Making one's honest living from one's involvement is, I would advance, much more prevalent than these very limited ambitions. Not that few have had these dreams, but few are really convinced that they could really become the next [fill in 'kid of the day' here...]. I doubt even more the numbers of 'crisis kids' who are looking for that as a goal at a mature age.
Just my opinion; I could be wrong...

[jonunders]

I didn't start learning the bass untill I was 49, I hope I have many more years left in me and my instrument of pleasure.

[thebigyin]

Well said Loz196 I'm 52 still fronting a heavy rock band and lovin it, foot on monitor, posing ect why not you got to entertain the audience.

[Paul S]

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1388959572' post='2328234']
It was a mid life crisis that got me playing bass in the first place. !
[/quote]

Me too. I payed guitar in my teens/early 20s, then stopped for 25yrs. Started again in my late 40s with bass, first public gig at 50. Now 56 and loving every minute - it is like a small piece of me that has been missing all my life has finally been put into place.

[Thunderbird]

Age is only a number and if you can still play and enjoy it then carry on I say and one thing most people dont mention is that the older player has loads to offer a younger player such as experience and can help lead a younger player down the right path

[Highfox]

If you still enjoy it.. do it.
I don't fake it when I get up.. it's all passion.
It's a hobby for me and I'm lucky enough to still get some £ out of it from time to time..

Can't be bad.

[deepbass5]

I am feeling your passion

Here is another spin, would you carry on in a band for self gratification. Just to play what you like. I have always said I did not want be in a band that just fizzled out and got worse due to lack of interest. Then got together if a gig came in.
What about the audience. How hard are you still willing to work to wow people or has it become about the beer and the craic

[BigRedX]

I don't think I've "grown up" enough for what I do to be considered a "Mid-life Crisis".

Also from my personal experience age is becoming less important than ever, especially since the "traditional" concept of "making it" is all but dead. When the audiences have the same spread of ages as the bands is that really surprising? Besides those with grown up kids, paid off mortgages etc. are the ones with the real disposable income which allows them to buy records/CDs and other merchandise.

Edited January 6, 2014 by BigRedX

[Guest MoJo]

I'm 52 on Friday, been playing on and off since I was 17 and have been giving serious thought to retiring from playing live at the end of this year

[discreet]

[quote name='deepbass5' timestamp='1388939099' post='2327838']
Should those with silver hair just look to Jazz and Folk.. ...I'm going down fighting, what says you.
[/quote]

Yeah, I'm going down fighting. Why stop playing if you like it? I'm not going to stop shagging either until my plonker falls off with a resounding 'clang' - and I'm not going to stop drinking until my liver explodes and stops the traffic on the A205. Why should we get into Jazz and Folk because we're old? I don't like Jazz and Folk!!

As usual I will mention the career of one Seasick Steve, who didn't get his break until he was 64 - it's never too late!

[discreet]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1389002631' post='2328516']
Also from my personal experience age is becoming less important than ever, especially since the "traditional" concept of "making it" is all but dead. When the audiences have the same spread of ages as the bands is that really surprising? Besides those with grown up kids, paid off mortgages etc. are the ones with the real disposable income which allows them to buy records/CDs and other merchandise.
[/quote]

That's a good point - the days when audiences were all young is over now that the original 'angry young men' are now 'angry old men' - so it's no longer a case of being seen as 'too old' to play young people's 'beat music' that appears in the 'hit parade'.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='deepbass5' timestamp='1388939099' post='2327838']
- One day this must all end.....[/quote]

Why?

[quote name='deepbass5' timestamp='1388939099' post='2327838']
Should those with silver hair just look to Jazz and Folk...
[/quote]

I've found that silver hair allows you to be far more experimental with wacky hair colouring without the need to bleach it first!

[discreet]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1389003266' post='2328529']
I've found that silver hair allows you to be far more experimental with wacky hair colouring without the need to bleach it first!
[/quote]

Yes, and no hair at all enables a vast choice of hilarious wigs.

[RhysP]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1389003266' post='2328529']
Why?
[/quote]

Death.

[Gust0o]

From what I've seen, it looks like it's the younger ones in crisis. We've played a couple of gigs this last year, with some really young bands, who were very concerned that this was their last chance to "make it" - if they got older, or didn't look right, they wouldn't have a hope.

[leschirons]

62 in about a week and been playing live since age 15. Nowdays it's a party covers band thing on bass and a jazzy duo on guitar. However, from time to time, me and a guitarist will fancy a bit of rocking out, put a trio together (assuming there's a drummer available that can count to 8) and do a couple of classic rock gigs. (Lizzie, G'n'R, AC/DC etc) Great fun but I need a rest for about 6 months afterwards.

That does me. It never occurs to me what others may think.

Edit: I've even been in one the the 43 bands called Mid-life Crisis

Edited January 6, 2014 by leschirons

[discreet]

I did my mid-life crisis twenty years ago, anyway. Went nuts, sorted it out, moved on.

[BetaFunk]

People who really haven't grown up and real eccentrics don't know it.

There is nothing 'not grown up' in being in a band. it's a very normal thing to do.

You all seem to me very well adjusted individuals. Not crazy and certainly grown up. It's simply what we do.

[flyfisher]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1389003813' post='2328536']
It never occurs to me what others may think.
[/quote]

That's the spirit! Quote of the topic for me.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1389004587' post='2328549']
There is nothing 'not grown up' in being in a band. it's a very normal thing to do.

[/quote]
That's an entirely reasonable and realistic attitude to have, if you play in a band.

Problem is, 99.9% of people who aren't musicians would likely disagree! I doubt I'm alone in having spent the last 20+ years being told by non-muso family, friends, colleagues that I'm perhaps "a bit old for all that", and to be honest, being seen by many of them as something of a joke.

Regarding younger bands, playing original material largely on a local circuit we do end up playing with bands many of whom are young enough to be our kids. Mostly this isn't an issue - we've been around long enough to have gained a modicum of local respect - but sometimes it's obvious that expectations aren't high, right up until we play. That's always a nice feeling.

Personally I've been consistently amazed & impressed by the technical ability of most of the young bands we play with - by comparison, my generation were really rubbish at that age!

J.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1389004587' post='2328549']
People who really haven't grown up and real eccentrics don't know it.

There is nothing 'not grown up' in being in a band. it's a very normal thing to do.

[b]You all seem to me very well adjusted individuals[/b]. Not crazy and certainly grown up. It's simply what we do.
[/quote]

We have not met, obviously...

[deepbass5]

At Christmas my eldest lad finally made us a DVD copy from a video of our band playing in 1990. The comments - Look dads got black hair. I then made the mistake of pointing out, ya mums got brown hair but she's been dying it for 20 years.

Are you still tempted to do silly things - put sausage rolls into saxaphones, fill Trombone slides full of beer while they're not looking, or empty the dried up plate of band sandwiches into the raffle ticket tumbler.