leschirons Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) Smooth jazz sextet finally fell to bits on the starting line last week. What with keyboard players who are too busy (he writes jingles and stuff for radio and TV) and a pro sax player that won't get out of bed for less than €300, I suppose it was doomed. Shame as it was really good doing a bit of Sade', Larry Carlton and Richard Elliot stuff. Anyway, the point of this is, being a tad down, I decided I needed something to do so, with three others (2 Brits and a French mate) we decided to play some rock. One rehearsal and we have the first set nailed. It's funny that after having heard all these songs over the years, how easy it is to actually play them. Familiarity with the song I suppose. Highway to Hell You shook me all night long Smoke on the water Don't believe a word Word up (Gunn version) Pretty vacant Hush Nothing else matters Enter Sandman Rosalie Whiskey in the jar You really got me (VH version) It's my life Dead or alive Bugger me if we didn't get a gig for June so should be plenty of time to get another hour up and running. It could be fun but I can't help wondering if I'm too old for all this. Forgot Paradise City, see what I mean? too old. Edited April 5, 2009 by leschirons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Nah your as old as you feel,just keep busy,my father in law had mrs youma late on in life and he is now 80,still as fit as a fiddle,he still has his gardening job.Good luck with the gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soopercrip Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Love the playlist! Shame you are a bit far away for debut gig. also sad sax player is a bit of an ars*e, some floyd (us and them?) would fit well I reckon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) Yup, I'm 62 and off for an audition for a rock band today, although my other band is middle-of-the-road G. Edited April 5, 2009 by geoffbyrne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Hey as people say you're only as old as you feel. You do what you want. Good setlist there, looks like you've pretty much got all the rock classics covered. Maybe you could do 1 or 2 noughties songs just for good measure but that's just me really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 we used to do that version of Word Up years ago - fantastic. We also currently do a few of the others. Part of the reason that I have been investing in lightweight gear and easier ways to transport it is so that I'm not completely broken by the time I reach my 50s so i can still keep on playing. Isn't it every rockers wish right at the end to die on stage in front of hundreds of screaming fans and go down in a blaze of glory as a legend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 [quote name='Delberthot' post='454566' date='Apr 5 2009, 10:22 AM']we used to do that version of Word Up years ago - fantastic. We also currently do a few of the others. Part of the reason that I have been investing in lightweight gear and easier ways to transport it is so that I'm not completely broken by the time I reach my 50s so i can still keep on playing. Isn't it every rockers wish right at the end to die on stage in front of hundreds of screaming fans and go down in a blaze of glory as a legend?[/quote] You got it right there, a blaze of electrocuted or heart failure glory, on stage. Sad thing is, I played a rock gig a few years back and the vocalist said (over the P.A.) "This will definately be the last song as our bassplayer has a Bowls match in the morning" And he wasn't lying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 Cheers all for the "keep on rockin" encouragement. I know I'll enjoy it, just worried that I have enough stamina and brain cells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassicinstinct Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 My band regularly takes an enforced prostate break to accomodate my advancing years. It does worry me sometimes to think that I'm old enough to be the parent (if not grand parent) of the majority of our audience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeyboro Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 [quote name='geoffbyrne' post='454516' date='Apr 5 2009, 09:45 AM']my other band is middle-of-the-road [/quote] What, Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep? Mick (54 and counting) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barneyg42 Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Although at 48 you have a few years on me I'm just in the process of learning Paradise City for my new band, not a song I've done before although it seems easy enough and I can't bloody wait to play it! Age is no barrier, at the same time I'm learning some Kings of Leon and some Fleetwood Mac so it's as diverse as it can get! You go for it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Superb! 60's nothing. For one thing, a lot of the youngsters in rock and indie-folk band are trying to look 60 anyway, long beards and hair are "all the rage" with the 20 summats. Anyway, the Stones are still rocking and they're nearly 90. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Steve Tyler's 61, Mick Jagger's 65 Don't worry about it. I'm not stopping 'till they cart me off ... Get a semi-pro sax player .. Loads around, try the local school big band for a kid with talent and ambition .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obbm Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Don't be so daft. I'm 63 and still rocking. Even toured for a year at 59. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) Don't they say 'you have no choice in growing old - but you don't have to grow up'? I'm 51, started gigging last year for the first time and am looking forward to many years of fun ahead. Our band is called 'Still The Thrill' for that reason. Edited April 5, 2009 by Paul S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 [quote name='geoffbyrne' post='454516' date='Apr 5 2009, 08:45 AM']Yup, I'm 62 and off for an audition for a rock band today, although my other band is middle-of-the-road G.[/quote] Good luck, hope you get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stingray5 Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 I recently played a gig with my function band for a local Royal Naval Association dance and I'd say the average age of the audience was about 70+ (I kid you not). With an average age of at least 20 years younger, we almost felt like a bunch of kids and thought we'd better go easy on the audience. After a rather gentle first set of ballads, standards and waltzes, we let the audience know they could make any requests to which there were shouts for the Queen. I'm not talking the National Anthem here. Let me tell you, Freddie lives - the second set we tore the roof off the place!! Yeh - 'granny be good'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 [quote name='OldGit' post='454598' date='Apr 5 2009, 12:22 PM']Steve Tyler's 61, Mick Jagger's 65 Don't worry about it. I'm not stopping 'till they cart me off ...[/quote] That's the right attitude. It's not like you're in [i]Sparks[/i]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar South Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 You should put 'The Seeker' on there, good song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 [quote name='leschirons' post='454576' date='Apr 5 2009, 11:36 AM']"This will definately be the last song as our bassplayer has a Bowls match in the morning" And he wasn't lying.[/quote] now that's rock n roll I, like everyone else, think you should go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) [quote name='leschirons' post='454510' date='Apr 5 2009, 09:21 AM']Smooth jazz sextet finally fell to bits on the starting line last week. What with keyboard players who are too busy (he writes jingles and stuff for radio and TV) and a pro sax player that won't get out of bed for less than €300, I suppose it was doomed. Shame as it was really good doing a bit of Sade', Larry Carlton and Richard Elliot stuff. Anyway, the point of this is, being a tad down, I decided I needed something to do so, with three others (2 Brits and a French mate) we decided to play some rock. One rehearsal and we have the first set nailed. It's funny that after having heard all these songs over the years, how easy it is to actually play them. Familiarity with the song I suppose. Highway to Hell You shook me all night long Smoke on the water Don't believe a word Word up (Gunn version) Pretty vacant Hush Nothing else matters Enter Sandman Rosalie Whiskey in the jar You really got me (VH version) It's my life Dead or alive Bugger me if we didn't get a gig for June so should be plenty of time to get another hour up and running. It could be fun but I can't help wondering if I'm too old for all this. Forgot Paradise City, see what I mean? too old.[/quote] Get on it! Some of the best live bands I've seen have consisted of "older" musicians. Look at bands like UK Subs, Charlie Harper is in his 60s and still full of energy and delivers a blistering live performance. The trouble with the music industry of this generation is that marketability has become the buzzword, instead of musicality. For me, it's ALL about the music and always has been. Many of my favourite punk bands are still the original bands I was listening to at school and they're still going and blowing younger bands off the stage music wise! Age/image should be irrelevant, good music is good music. I see a lot of younger musicians who want instant success without the work, good old fashioned hours of hard grafting to master an instrument. As for energy/stamina, adrenaline is a great drug! You're here for a good time, not a long time, so get stuck in. Edited April 5, 2009 by AM1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 [quote name='AM1' post='454812' date='Apr 5 2009, 06:10 PM']Get on it! Some of the best live bands I've seen have consisted of "older" musicians. Look at bands like UK Subs, Charlie Harper is in his 60s and still full of energy and delivers a blistering live performance.[/quote] [i]And [/i]he always has a 16 year old Punkette girlfriend! Go Charlie! BTW cool set list, I'd go see a band doing knocking those out Re the age thing. It's no barrier to having fun, but if I want to join a band intent on making it, telling people I'm in my 20's rather than pushing 40 would still be the best thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 [quote name='leschirons' post='454576' date='Apr 5 2009, 11:36 AM']You got it right there, a blaze of electrocuted or heart failure glory, on stage. Sad thing is, I played a rock gig a few years back and the vocalist said (over the P.A.) "This will definately be the last song as our bassplayer has a Bowls match in the morning" And he wasn't lying.[/quote] We played an 80th birthday party in a local bowls club a few years back. The guy who's birthday it was joined us for one song on vocals, danced all night long & was caught, more than once, trying to touch up all of our three female vocalists. He also told us to turn up becuase weeren't loud enough and complained that we weren't playing enough rock or faster dance songs Great inspiration and a real top gig - most of the band were dreading it beforehand but everyone had a great night! A good dose of rock every now & then will keep you young I reckon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumnote Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 [quote name='Stingray5' post='454658' date='Apr 5 2009, 01:40 PM']I recently played a gig with my function band for a local Royal Naval Association dance and I'd say the average age of the audience was about 70+ (I kid you not). [/quote] One of our favourite clubs has a similar age profile. The secretary says the memberships declining because they are all dying off Having said that, they are up on the floor from the start. One of the things I love to see is a floor full of people dancing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee4 Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Just remember;"Age shall not weary them,nor the beers condemn"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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