What’s my age again?

[anaxcrosswords]

Don’t know if this is supposed to be a question or a rant. Desperately seeking a change in musical direction, I’ve been looking around for musicians interested in covers of contemporary material in the rock/post-punk style – think Muse, Fall Out Boy, Deaf Havana, All Time Low, Sugarcult – but I’m beginning to think they don’t exist. Everybody seems to focus on 60s/70s.
Although I dislike it personally, I’m not saying the old stuff is bad. I’m just surprised that no-one seems interested in newer material. “Ah” you’ll say, “The thing is, the 60s/70s represented the best era of music”. Fair enough, and maybe the universal appeal of that time never dies so there’s an attitude of ‘if it ain’t broke…’, but isn’t that the sort of attitude that would have prevented the invention of the wheel? Isn’t there a case for saying it’s time to move on?
And is there an age thing? At 50+ am I supposed to live in the past, or does the fact that I love today’s music make me some sort of freak?
OK, it’s a sort of rant. I’ll give you that.

[KingBollock]

I know the feeling. Where I live and turning 40 this year, what do you think my chances of getting into a symphonic, melodic, blackened, death metal band are? And I'm not kidding, that's what I'd love to do.

[blue]

I'm 62, I get where the Op is coming from. Thing is, and it's hard to argue, the 60s and 70s was such a prolific time for popular music and rock and roll. I don't think we have seen or will ever see as many once in a life time caliber performers and song writers. One reason, back then record companies invested in the artists career which allowed them them to mature and advance musically. I understand that record companies no longer invest in careers.

Don't get me wrong there was also rubbish that came out of the 60s and 70s.

BTW I'm watching a young band from Oxford right now, Glass Animals and I like it.

Blue

[Truckstop]

Give it ten years!

[Number6]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1424933609' post='2702011']
Give it ten years!
[/quote]

^^ This

[RhysP]

I'm in exactly the same position - turned 50 this year but the only bands that appear to be available to me are all playing the same old classic rock/soul/motown/pop 60s & 70s dross that holds no appeal for me whatsoever.

All the interesting band ads are invariably looking for somebody twenty years younger.

[HMX]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1424928883' post='2701991']
BTW I'm watching a young band from Oxford right now, Glass Animals and I like it.

Blue
[/quote]
Glass Animals are brilliant! Sold out their show in Oxford, so I'm missing out

I've seen a few 'bass player wanted' adverts out there for pop/punk bands around the area. They're usually sent out by 18 year olds in or straight out of college. I'd feel like the uncool older one (and I'm only 25).

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Interesting observation/rant;) This thread could be a long one . From time to time, I think we all wonder.
From my perspective; used to love listening to radio 1 in late '60s /early'70s. From the age of 4- 11. Led zep / sabbath were regarded as heavy(along with very soft bands)and got hardly any radio play. I skipped school a lot and listened to my brother/sisters hippy collection. Hawkwind, groundhog s atomic rooster budgie etc.
The '70s were great.
'79 got into nwobhm, saw loads of bands. You know who they are;)
Mid '80s..thank god for thrash! Metallica were/are relevant for a whole lot. Death metal, good to listen to , but comical . King diamond musician ship superb . Now rammstein are best ever band IMHO . I love ambient stuff as well.

So now? I listen to a Canadian rock station ( billy talent, headstones, shine down offspring etc).
Would never go see them, but they sound good .
I'm the s ame age as op.'
My issue with rock bands now, all tattoos, all the same no substance or longevity.( sound like my dad). Hair metal is now hairless. I'm bored of it myself.
As for playing live, it depends on your location as to who watches what IMHO .
Classic rock will always be in.
Regrets about old days; wearing bike jacket with the British steel razor on my back melting in the son.

[neepheid]

I turn 40 at the end of the year and I do find my interest in new music has dropped off big time in the last 5 years or so. I don't recall the last time I bought a music mag (Q and the likes). It does concern me, so I joined a wee new music "Jukebox Jury" type thread on our local music forum to try and force myself to listen to new stuff.

Regarding bands, I don't have a problem with ages. My current band has an age range from mid 20s to early 50s (I think). I'm the middle kid of 5, age-wise. Last year I was in a band where everyone apart from me was early 20s. Didn't bother me, or them it seemed. Only reason I left was because I wanted to buy some spare time back, go back to being in one band only and I was writing songs with the other band so felt a bit more creatively invested in it.

[KevB]

[quote name='anaxcrosswords' timestamp='1424913281' post='2701974']
And is there an age thing? At 50+ am I supposed to live in the past, or does the fact that I love today’s music make me some sort of freak?
[/quote]

'Yes' and 'Of Course'.
HTH

[FinnDave]

I'm 57 and haven't really listened to anything 'new' for many years. I don't listen to the radio or watch tv (except for films). Most of the material my band plays dates back to the early 70s or before (long before in the case of the more traditional blues material) as that is what we like. Since Jenny joined us a year ago, she has been trying to introduce some more contemporary material but the rest of the band tend to resist it (including me) as it sits awkwardly with the rest of our set and we simply don't feel it.

[Geddys nose]

I'm exactly the same as you (Bit younger 48), When our singer (52) declared 'I don't want to play any new music' I was mentally walking out of the band. To have limitations imposed on you is a bad pill to take.

In my book a good song is a good song regardless of when it was recorded. Since I've got Deezer if anything my musical tastes are more modern than 20 years ago, and I love it.

[Norm]

Finding the "right" people to play with/form a band can be really difficult. Loads of false starts & bands that died before 1st gig & some that died before 1st rehearsal! Thats my experience. So much so that i gave up playing for 10 or so years. Now playing at almost 52 years old in an originals trio doing rock stuff but with lots of fringe influences, post punk, funk, northern soul, 70's heavy riffage & our latest song which came out of a jam has a drum & bass dance feel!?!?
It doesn't matter what decade anything is from, follow your vision & get it out there, you will by open miking, jam night, local gig networking, make your own luck & eventually find like minded people.
I wish you well, keep at it!

[Norm]

Hopefully the post above doesn't come over all preachy? Wasn't meant too :-)
Nowadays with all the tools at our disposal, cheap decent gear & easy recording, social media & seemingly endless people being musos etc it should be easy to get a band together but somehow its still really difficult & requires real persistance.
when it clicks with some like minded people though, its all worth it, its ace fun!

[Weststarx]

I think playing or hearing a band play the cheesey oldies is embarrassing for some musicians including myself because for me I dont want to be one of those sterotypical cover bands that plays songs that have been done time and time again.

Personally I prefer doing newer songs that were released in the last 5/10 years but theres no denying that something like Johnny Be Goode goes down better than our entire 'Noughties' repitoire combined...

For me its really fustrating because as a result you only get bands interested in doing that type of stuff - but I guess you cant blame them!

[anaxcrosswords]

Yeah, the phrase that springs to mind is ‘lowest common denominator’, and NO that is NOT an assessment of old music.
The more popular a particular genre becomes, the more of the marketplace it takes up, so anything outside it ends up looking at a smaller and smaller niche. Everybody bought VHS tapes but there was nothing at all wrong with Betamax – they just gave up the fight because, by some quirk, VHS became what everyone bought.
There definitely is a place for modern music. Maybe it just has to shout a bit louder.

[Bradwell]

I'm 28 and have met people younger than me who only like music from the decades before they were born. IMO it's pretty sad when people limit themselves in that way. I think there's a couple of wider issues that affect these things though.

I think record labels were more willing to take risk in the 60's and 70's, so more of the inventive, original and exciting music got into the mainstream. People are still pushing the boundaries with music but it finds a niche audience through internet distribution.

I'd also suggest that the prolific use of valve amplification at all stages of the recording process (not just guitar amps and the occasional tube pre-amp) adds a lot of second order harmonic distortion. It's a very pleasing sound and some people latch onto it's warm & slightly grainy quality, ultra clean digitally processed music doesn't trigger the same emotional response.

[No lust in Jazz]

[quote name='anaxcrosswords' timestamp='1424913281' post='2701974']
Am I supposed to live in the past, or does the fact that I love today’s music make me some sort of freak?
[/quote]

No and No.

For me there's no golden era of music I like playing new original material and only really listen to stuff a that's a little off the beaten path; I accept that people on a night out want stuff that they know, but point to the last 50 years of electrified 'pop' music for inspiration to find stuff people will know without troubling the 'sacred cows' of the cover band scene.

Looking at some of my band mates there is a gravitational pull towards older stuff, but this is due to it often requiring less work for them to play and fewer words to learn, but they're pretty good about it really..

Edited February 26, 2015 by No lust in Jazz

[blue]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1424947107' post='2702153']
I'm 57 and haven't really listened to anything 'new' for many years. I don't listen to the radio or watch tv (except for films). Most of the material my band plays dates back to the early 70s or before (long before in the case of the more traditional blues material) as that is what we like. Since Jenny joined us a year ago, she has been trying to introduce some more contemporary material but the rest of the band tend to resist it (including me) as it sits awkwardly with the rest of our set and we simply don't feel it.
[/quote]

I'm a product of the 60s and 70s and that's where my heart stays, however that doesn't mean that's where I'm stuck. Our BL is 32 and she is more into staying with the rock and blues of my generation then her own. Go figure?

Blue

[blue]

[quote name='No lust in Jazz' timestamp='1424957220' post='2702301']
No and No.

For me there's no golden era of music I like playing new original material and only really listen to stuff a that's a little off the beaten path; I accept that people on a night out want stuff that they know, but point to the last 50 years of electrified 'pop' music for inspiration to find stuff people will know without troubling the 'sacred cows' of the cover band scene.

Looking at some of my band mates there is a gravitational pull towards older stuff, but this is due to it often requiring less work for them to play and fewer words to learn, but they're pretty good about it really..
[/quote]

[i]"Some of the best new stuff I've heard evolved from and is based on the old stuff".[/i]

How about that?

Blue

[No lust in Jazz]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1424995195' post='2702880']
[i]"Some of the best new stuff I've heard evolved from and is based on the old stuff".[/i]

How about that?

Blue
[/quote]

I don't disagree with you Blue and I would add [i]"Some of the best old stuff evolved from and was based around even older stuff"[/i]

I don't believe that music was better at any given period in time; that said, I feel that there was a time in the past where artists were given the opportunity to develop without the need to churn stuff out and or look good in the promo. video, material was developed in front of a live audience before entering the studio and bands learned their art in delivering it.

[CamdenRob]

I guess it's that in the 60s and 70s most of the general population listened to music featuring traditional band instruments (including bass). So those that are now middle aged and can afford to go out to watch bands, are able to go out to a pub and listen to the music of their youth... 90% of regular 9 till 5 folk these days have only a passing interest in music and the music that they do listen to is all digital (rnb, chart stuff etc) so they would have little interest in listening to a covers band playing stuff they've never heard of.

[No lust in Jazz]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1425025442' post='2702967']
I guess it's that in the 60s and 70s most of the general population listened to music featuring traditional band instruments (including bass). So those that are now middle aged and can afford to go out to watch bands, are able to go out to a pub and listen to the music of their youth... 90% of regular 9 till 5 folk these days have only a passing interest in music and the music that they do listen to is all digital (rnb, chart stuff etc) so they would have little interest in listening to a covers band playing stuff they've never heard of.
[/quote]

We play a beer festival most years and originally tried to cater for the brown beer drinker with our set, we then realised that the 'festival' had a more youthful element than we imagined at rehearsals so we tailored a contemporary set to suit them, this went down really well, until the local version of the Committments came on after us with their with their unique brand of out of tune horn section and guesswork vocal and the place went nuts.

I take from this that people infused with alcohol will dance to anything with a strong back beat - new or old.

[Leonard Smalls]

I've always been into new music (51 now!) and have no desire at all to play covers unless it's interesting versions of songs you rarely hear covered.
So I put an ad in the Black Sheep (local Shropshire/Wales/Herefordshire free music and arts listings) asking for folks who wanted to be in a band playing mainly originals with influences ranging from Parliament to Ornette Coleman via Motorhead. I knew it was a long shot, but twas worth a try...
So I got 2 responses; one was from a singer/songwriter who thought I could get him gigs, and the other was from a drummer and guitarist who wanted to do exclusively Beatles covers.

[anaxcrosswords]

It’s hard to deny that modern music is popular though. The big festivals still attract huge crowds, and as a recent convert to Muse I’m now used to watching YouTube vids of them in packed stadia. All Time Low (one of the newest bands out there) are at Wembley at the end of March – I bought 2 tickets on the morning of release, a good few months ago, and the rest sold out that day. Pretty much the same for Fall Out Boy in (I think) October.
Of course, as has been said the 60s/70s acts benefited from massive label investment, but online technology is giving today’s bands greater exposure than ever.
Just as an aside, if my daughter and her friends are anything to go by we are beginning to see a slight shift away from X Factor boy bands. HMV merch counters have more 5SOS than One Direction and, overall, pop punk is eating into the market once taken up by the likes of 1D. Perhaps ATL, Fall Out Boy, 5SOS etc don’t have the musical twiddliness of classic rock, but they write and play and I think more of the younger audience is starting to appreciate that.