Too old for rock and roll

[josie]

56 minutes ago, mikel said:

+1 with that.  Spend too much time with people your age or older and you begin to think, feel and act old. Spend most of your time with younger people and you  tend to feel and think younger and be more mentally alert. I do, anyway.  

My dad, who was a university lecturer, always said it was spending most of his time with young people that kept him young, and towards the end of his life combined the wisdom and perspective of age with a genuine compassionate rapport with his students in a way which I aspire to. 

Also, at my age one has outgrown the worries and constraints of earning money, bringing up children, and meeting other people's expectations. At long last I'm free to be selfish 🙂  It has changed dramatically in the course of two generations - my grandparents, as far back as I can remember, were definitely Old, past their best and out of touch, as were all my friends' grandparents, and I think that's why for a long time I was terrified of reaching the age I am now. My grandsprogs have a tattooed bass-playing Granny who is studying for an MSc on the way to a new career, and I hope they'll grow up with similar expectations for themselves. 

[KevB]

I'm sure it's been mentioned already but the Stones still seem to be 'getting by'. I don't think I've ever been the athletic type onstage anyway so it hasn't really affected me too much. I could probably do with an endorsement deal from Just For Men though, save me a few quid😃

[petebassist]

On 15/08/2018 at 21:27, christhammer666 said:

I turned 39 Sunday and have noticed the last year or so im having more and more trouble finding a rock/metal band due to my age. I have had a few replies saying im to old (which im obviously not) but I can understand it if the band are in their early 20s.itll get worse next year when im 40 and everyone thinks you are a dressing gown moaning about the weather. I have no intentions of stopping playing the music I love but I find it worrying that bands are dismissive straight off the bat just because of a number

What do you guys think ?

Fu%k-em !

Keep on looking until you find some other like-minded musicians, there're plenty out there 😉 

 

[naxos10]

I don't look 61 (so I am told), feel more like 30, and the wife says she will have children when the one she's got grows up and leaves home.

With me being the comedian in the band my band mates are of a similar opinion

[steantval]

On 16/08/2018 at 20:34, josie said:

Catfish - my favourite blues-rock band - the keys player is the father of the (superb) lead guitarist, who is clearly in control. 

I once sadly lost a chance to join a band I would have loved to play in - we had exchanged recordings and chatted on-line and had an audition lined up, all was looking good until they emailed asking my age - to which I just said "over 50" and was politely turned down with audition cancelled - "we're all in our 40s and we'd like to keep it like that". Fair enough, but I still think if I had auditioned before they asked I would have got the gig.  

Everyone else in my current band is in their 40s I think (except the drummer who is the son-in-law of the singer!) - I'm 63, but look 10-15 years younger and even more important have an attitude maybe 20 years younger - I work with young people, and many of my friends are of my children's generation. I'm far more comfortable with people that age than my own. Can't be doing with the constant talk of ailments and problems. 

Yes there are stereotypes which might trip you up now and then. (I don't know if that's more true for women.) And I wouldn't want to play with 20-year-olds even if they'd let me. But (imho) you're only too old if you think you are. 

I have Live Catfish in my vinyl collection, great bluesy album from 1971.

To my recollection the family members in the band were the brothers Bob and Dallas Hodge.

[josie]

2 hours ago, steantval said:

I have Live Catfish in my vinyl collection, great bluesy album from 1971.

To my recollection the family members in the band were the brothers Bob and Dallas Hodge.

Different Catfish:

https://www.catfishbluesband.co.uk

[missis sumner]

On 16/08/2018 at 16:12, skankdelvar said:

* Young people in bands tend vocally to reject new or diverging initiatives straight off. Old blokes tend to let it fester then suddenly explode when triggered by an entirely unconnected issue

* Young people gig in skimpy t-shirts and unfeasibly tight trousers. Old blokes gig in waistcoats and Australian bush hats with corks on.

* Young people miss rehearsals because they are (i) off their faces on a lethal cocktail of drugs or (ii) putting the brisket to some sweet young thing. Old blokes miss rehearsals because (i) its their brother-in-law's birthday or (ii) they've got a proctologist's appointment the following week.

* Young people play too loud on cheap, generic gear. Old blokes play too loud on exotic and very expensive gear

* Young people obsess about being friends with their bandmates. Old blokes obsess about suppressing their hatred for their bandmates.

* Young people want to make exciting new sounds. Old blokes want to get exactly the tone that Jimmy Page had at the Albert Hall on the evening of 9th Jan 1970.

... and so forth.
 

So, apart from No. 1, what's the problem?

Just had a message from my drummer tonight.  He actually appreciates a song choice I've made...

I had previously been banned from making song choices...  there is hope yet.

[Barking Spiders]

Whenever I pass by rock bands doing their thing, whether in a pub or festival, 80% of the punters watching them have long grey hair down their backs  -though not so much on their heads - so I wouldn't worry too much about being an older geezer in a rock band. You can probably get away with being into your low 70s.

[tb4sbp2]

I don't have a problem being with someone older or younger in a hard rock or metal band

As long as they don't have me sing Alice Cooper's I'm 18... 'cuz I'm 50

[skankdelvar]

2 hours ago, tb4sbp2 said:

As long as they don't have me sing Alice Cooper's I'm 18... 'cuz I'm 50

I think there's some wiggle-room with that particular song: Alice Cooper was himself just short of 23 when ' I'm 18 ' was released.

[KevB]

It still appears in his set list and he's 70 now so...

[Bluewine]

I'm 65 and gigging every weekend. 39 is young in my book 

Blue

[mic mac moe]

I turned 50 this year, and I play in an 80's band

[12stringbassist]

I'm 60 in October and my band have 130 gigs in the book this year.
There's no such thing as too old, unless you are physically incapable of playing.

[steantval]

10 hours ago, 12stringbassist said:

I'm 60 in October and my band have 130 gigs in the book this year.
There's no such thing as too old, unless you are physically incapable of playing.

Blimey, that’s a lot of gigs, you must be pro, surely you don’t have a day job and manage nearly three gigs average a week as a hobby.

Edited August 24, 2018 by steantval

[Bluewine]

20 hours ago, 12stringbassist said:

I'm 60 in October and my band have 130 gigs in the book this year.
There's no such thing as too old, unless you are physically incapable of playing.

Awesome, and I thought my 65 gigs was a lot.

Blue

[12stringbassist]

@Bluewine

Next year's diary looks like this already.
We have a landlord who has 7 pubs who wants to put us in all of them and once a month in one of them.
So there are some more dates to go on there yet.
Plus we have a glam band side project that we are going to start selling in a little while.

www.the3.co.uk

Edited August 27, 2018 by 12stringbassist

[12stringbassist]

On 24/08/2018 at 08:38, steantval said:

Blimey, that’s a lot of gigs, you must be pro, surely you don’t have a day job and manage nearly three gigs average a week as a hobby.

A series of health decisions have driven things to get me where I am now.
I took early retirement from my day job, about 6 months after having part of my thyroid gland out.
I made the band that I was with then my job, plus a jam night band every Sunday.
The band turned out to be absolutely horrendous to be in and then I had to have my cancerous prostate gland out.
During my downtime I thought hard about what to do and so the jam night band became the full-time band.
And here we are today. Make hay while the sun shines.

Edited August 27, 2018 by 12stringbassist

[skankdelvar]

1 minute ago, 12stringbassist said:

A series of health decisions

Sorry to hear this, chap. Hope you're OK now 

[12stringbassist]

My thyroid: Half of it went. Fortunately, it was just a cyst.
My thyroxin will need checking periodically.

The prostate cancer - I have a page on my website about it and ALL you male bassists should read it.
It's on THIS page.

There's an explanation of what happened to me and a radiotherapy blog.

To cut a long story short:
After I finished work to just do the band thing, I spent a lot of time with my wife who remarked I was going to pee a lot.
I said it's just all this coffee I drink.
You pee a hell of a lot, she said. Get yourself checked out.
She said this many times, until I cracked and went for a 5 minute blood test.
Then the doctor called me in. PSA level = 19. They would have been happy with 4.5.
Finger up the bum time. Lovely lady Doctor. could have been a lot worse.
Then another doctor.
Then a biopsy. Then sepsis. Then a week in hospital, trying not to die.
Released in time for my diagnosis. Given options. Chose surgery.
A few weeks later I had my prostate gland out at the Christie cancer hospital in Manchester.
Some months later, they told me the thing was "fried" (their word).
Quarterly reviews clear for nearly a year, then small recurrence of the cancer.
Radiotherapy earlier this year followed by one clear review.

Edited August 27, 2018 by 12stringbassist