thepurpleblob Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Well, not that old. I'm in my early 50s and have some health issues that really never killed anyone but it does make staying out until 2am a non-starter. I don't have the energy any more I have played in covers bands for years but got sacked (well, the rest of the band left me but that's another story) a few months back because I wouldn't play multiple nights in a week. It's all right saying you only want to play a couple of times a month but when bands start to pick up gigs they don't knock them back and before you know it... friday night, saturday night, sunday afternoon. I think I'm about to sell all my gear and buy some better camera equipment but I'm a bit sad about it. What are the alternatives? Any bright ideas appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentalextra Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Bearing in mind your age (approaching 55), and if you've got a personal pension, you can expect to be spending a 'lot' of time on that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I'm 70 & still playing - not 3 gigs a week, tho'. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 65 and still playing but its my choices now. I gig about once a week on average but I get just as much enjoyment out of learning new stuff at home and playing along to recordings. Do what makes you happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 Yeh - my happy situation is playing 1 or 2 gigs a month maximum but it's very hard to find people with the same lack of ambition. They either don't want to gig at all or hate their day job and want to play 7 nights a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 If you're not feeling it any more, then don't do it. I'm now in my mid-50s and would still be playing at least once a week if my band was being offered the gigs. I don't always like the late hours and the travelling, but TBH I wasn't anymore enthusiastic about that side of gigging back when I was in my early 20s, so for me nothing has really changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 [quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1490879060' post='3268716'] Yeh - my happy situation is playing 1 or 2 gigs a month maximum but it's very hard to find people with the same lack of ambition. They either don't want to gig at all or hate their day job and want to play 7 nights a week. [/quote] Join and originals band. Most of those will only be playing once or twice and month. You will however been spending more time in the rehearsal room working on the songs as you write them, but that tends to be more "sociable" hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I`m 51, in an originals band and we play usually 3 weekends out of each month, sometimes more - see my footer that April is a busy one - and sometimes less, but try to never play less than twice a month. It depends on what the band want out of it, we want to play as much as we can, in as many places as we can, but it is knackering. Other originals bands (and some covers bands) are happy to play in the same area once, twice a month, just rotating the same venues. I don`t think this is really a covers/originals issue though, it`s more finding like-minded musicians who play music you`d like to join in with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I'm in my 40s and had some heart trouble, now all fine - I just need new batteries every few years! I joined a new band (I already knew the drummer could play) which had a rule of only one full gig a month and almost always local gigs. This suited my current lifestyle perfectly. I do acoustic gigs once every few months with the 2 guitarists from my old rock/metal band. I also do a few dep gigs but of course I can pick and choose those. Nobody has questioned the infrequency with which my main band gigs, and I relish each gig now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrixn1 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 [quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1490879060' post='3268716'] my happy situation is playing 1 or 2 gigs a month maximum but it's very hard to find people with the same lack of ambition. They either don't want to gig at all or hate their day job and want to play 7 nights a week. [/quote] I share the bass chair in a band which plays 100+ gigs per year, which is way too much for me. I do about 30 of those gigs; the remainder are done by the other guy, or by a dep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 lets just say I'm well into my sixties but no ailments and I don't like doing more than 1 a week, we usually do 2 hours of high energy punk but it's not just that, loading the car, setting up, taking down, hanging around, it's gets to be more like a job and less like fun doing anymore than that, an originals band will certainly play less and play for a shorter time, usually 30 - 45 minutes, but there's usually more travelling involved so it's a double edge sword in some respects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 [quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1490877234' post='3268688'] Well, not that old. I'm in my early 50s and have some health issues that really never killed anyone but it does make staying out until 2am a non-starter. I don't have the energy any more I have played in covers bands for years but got sacked (well, the rest of the band left me but that's another story) a few months back because I wouldn't play multiple nights in a week. It's all right saying you only want to play a couple of times a month but when bands start to pick up gigs they don't knock them back and before you know it... friday night, saturday night, sunday afternoon. I think I'm about to sell all my gear and buy some better camera equipment but I'm a bit sad about it. What are the alternatives? Any bright ideas appreciated [/quote]more sex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Coarse fishing and carp fishing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 No more sex - I'm married!! No fishing - really don't see the appeal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) Another sexagenarian here. Had to quit when I was 57 due to back problems. I missed it horribly for a few years, but these days I have other interests so not a problem really. I still have 2 basses and 6 guitars plus various amps & assorted [s]sh*t[/s] bits & pieces just in case, and I do VERY occasional cocktail gigs (and if the chance came up to work with a decent female singer I'd be hard pressed to say 'no'); but apart from that I'm good. Edited March 30, 2017 by leftybassman392 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Form your own band, then you're in charge of how frequently you gig/rehearse. It can take a while of course, and be deeply frustrating - but if you want control over logistical stuff it could be the only way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 The last band was my band. Being in charge - short of beating them frequently - is hard to maintain :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I'm 59 and play most weekends, in fact looking forward to the end of April when we have a full gig on Saturday afternoon, followed by another at a bike rally in the evening. Plus gigs Easter Saturday and Sunday, different venues but both in Swindon (25 mikes each way for me). Can't think of anything I'd rather be doing, dread the thought of stopping. Thought I might have to stop after my bike accident 16 months ago, but managed to fight back. Busier than ever now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 I should have picked an instrument where I didn't have to deal with other people, clearly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetricMike Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) The drummer and I from my last covers band (me late 50s, he 60s) formed an original bands. We play what we want and when we want, no more Brown Eyed Girl, no more being having to be polite to drunken half-wits during the break at pub. gigs. We started off doing a fair few gigs but then got into recording and are due to release an album tomorrow (Friday 31st march). Having never been on album release before (despite having played for more years than many of you have lived, I am very excited! [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XB75VC1/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp"]https://www.amazon.c...=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp[/url] [url="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/highcroft/id1208514525"]https://itunes.apple...ft/id1208514525[/url] Edited March 30, 2017 by MetricMike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 It's time to sell up and buy a motorbike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I get stir crazy if I don't gig. Feb and March were slow and I ended up chewing the furniture. April looks much busier. Maybe I need to get a life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japhet Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Some 'Old People' pass-times I've noticed are; Driving very slowly,especially during rush hour. Paying for the weekly shop in 2p pieces. Asking for a full ingredients and cooking process breakdown whilst ordering a pub lunch. These all look like splendid fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrig Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I only started playing seriously nine year's ago at the age of 56, and I have been playing regularly a couple of times a month ever since, and because of back and neck problems, that is more than enough for me. Forming bands or recruiting new musicians has usually been down to me, and I have always been very careful to make sure that any new recruits fully understand that we only want to gig a couple of times a month, it might take a bit of time, but there are people like you who are more than happy with just a couple of gigs a month, so stick with it, I'm sure you will find or create a band with like-minded musicians eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 I'm 52 & pretty much ready for death. All the fun stuff is behind me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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