30 too old to rock?

[bsherman100]

Do it, it's about the music.

 

[gnatty8]

Originally Posted by Alter

Nice! You were smart to keep them...must be valuable antiques by now?

Wish I had kept my first kit...a crappy set of Tama from the late 70's.

You still banging away in a garage at your age? I guess you aren't too old to rock!

I will never be too old to rock..

I also kept most of my destroyed heads over the years, dozens of them in the attic at my mom's place..

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by gnatty8

I will never be too old to rock..

I also kept most of my destroyed heads over the years, dozens of them in the attic at my mom's place..

I always wanted to save my broken sticks and try to use them for something but I could never figure out a something so I just threw them at the banjo player because he was, ya know, a banjo player.

 

[Garage/Surf Rock]

This is going to make it clear how obsessed I am with this topic these days, but oh well. I've been doing some research and it turns out a few -- and I'm sure others that I haven't come across yet -- famous rockers pretty much got their start at 30.

Lemmy was already 30 when Motorhead started. He was in another band before this but he made his name with the former.

Lux Interior was 30 when the Cramps began.

And Chuck Berry was already 32 (29 when he wrote it) when he recorded Johnny B. Goode, which is the rock anthem. I'm not in any way comparing myself to these people. Maybe I can get a little affirmation out of this, dispel some common perceptions, or just lend some legitimacy to the efforts of those still rocking after 30, or some or all of the above, whatever. I know these are exceptions. There's the whole 27 legend about all those famous rock stars who were already dead before they even hit 30 by a good few years, and by and large most do get their start way earlier, like 18 or 19. But at least I hope people read this and not completely throw away their dreams or hobbies because of nonsense comments that some negative people make. Anyway, keep rocking and have fun.

 

[Garage/Surf Rock]

Also, I realize the irony of, and how un-rock it is, dwelling on **** like this.

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by Garage/Surf Rock

Also, I realize the irony of, and how un-rock it is, dwelling on **** like this.

I was just thinking the same thing. Just, please, do not write a song about it.

 

[Garage/Surf Rock]

haha I could write a screamo song about it.

 

[gnatty8]

Motorhead so fucken (sic) rules..

 

[romafan]

Keep on rockin'

I'm always referencing these guys, but I'll cite the Fleshtones as Exhibit A for over-30 rockers. Also, the greatest band nobody knows - the Morells/Skeletons....

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by gnatty8

I will never be too old to rock..

I also kept most of my destroyed heads over the years, dozens of them in the attic at my mom's place..

I think the bolded part is essential in having the right attitide to rawk. You have to keep stuff at a parent's or relative's house. Lends credibility to the rocker vibe, that you have to store stuff elsewhere.

 

[AntiHero84]

I was thinking about this thread last night. It reminded me of a few nights ago, when some friends and I went out to some local bar. You know, the kind with meathead bouncers, guido's ordering redbull and vodka, and obnoxious bachelorette parties. We proceed to the back patio, where a band is performing. Each member must either be well over 30, or at least on the cusp. The band was playing top 40 hits and older alternative songs that would be popular with the 20-somethings at the bar. I have to say, it was a very sad performance. All the members were dressing far too young with their TR jeans, Ed Hardy shirts, tribal tattoos, and balding (yet spikey) hair. The songs were played half-assed, and were bad to begin with. I was embarrassed for them.

As I sat and thought about this last night, I felt that there is a clear distinction between 30+ rockers in a ****** cover band, and 30+ rockers that play within a particular genre (or subculture, if you will). It seems that within a given genre, people are much more forgiving about age and focus more on the music. For instance, with rockabilly/surf music, I bet age could work more as a sign of experience. That you've been in the scene so long, you know what's up and how to rock out properly. Granted this could be different from music scene to music scene, but at least you're not playing to a crowd of boozed up, over-tanned suburbanites.

 

[gamelan]

dude, if the opportunity is there, just fuckin' rock out.

-Jeff

 

[gnatty8]

Originally Posted by AntiHero84

I was thinking about this thread last night. It reminded me of a few nights ago, when some friends and I went out to some local bar. You know, the kind with meathead bouncers, guido's ordering redbull and vodka, and obnoxious bachelorette parties. We proceed to the back patio, where a band is performing. Each member must either be well over 30, or at least on the cusp. The band was playing top 40 hits and older alternative songs that would be popular with the 20-somethings at the bar. I have to say, it was a very sad performance. All the members were dressing far too young with their TR jeans, Ed Hardy shirts, tribal tattoos, and balding (yet spikey) hair. The songs were played half-assed, and were bad to begin with. I was embarrassed for them.

As I sat and thought about this last night, I felt that there is a clear distinction between 30+ rockers in a ****** cover band, and 30+ rockers that play within a particular genre (or subculture, if you will). It seems that within a given genre, people are much more forgiving about age and focus more on the music. For instance, with rockabilly/surf music, I bet age could work more as a sign of experience. That you've been in the scene so long, you know what's up and how to rock out properly. Granted this could be different from music scene to music scene, but at least you're not playing to a crowd of boozed up, over-tanned suburbanites.

Well to be fair, they would have looked marsupialed bowling or taking their kids to the park as well..

 

[ConcernedParent]

Originally Posted by Alter

I was just thinking the same thing. Just, please, do not write a song about it.

Sounds like a new Weezer album concept.

 

[Garage/Surf Rock]

when I look in the mirror, can't believe what I see
tell me who's that funky dude, staring back at me

there's some other lyric on that album about being an old goat hanging around with young chicks