Bands….. when should they just call it a day?

[Woodinblack]

3 hours ago, Henrythe8 said:

Saw Guns'n'Roses in PAris in July. 
They were not faking it and did a three hours show. 

 

 

OK, so that is not like they used to be, faking it, doing 45 minutes badly and then storming off. I guess some people get better.

 

13 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

I get the impression that the artists that some BCers think ought to pack it in are the artists the never liked much when they were at their peak

 

Nope - There are some that you can laugh at like Motley crue, who I didn't care about in the first place, others like rush and genesis I really did, and Bon Jovi, they were good.

[Moose]

It is more to do with perception than ability. If a band still has appeal and people will come and see them, what is the problem? It is not about how well a band can play but how well their followers think they play. Most people are not stupid and realise that Paul McCartney, for instance, is not as good as he was in his Beatles or Wings days, but if they are a fan they will be willing to overlook his shortcomings, in return for being able to attend a concert and be transported back to a time they loved. In short, as long as the fans want to see them, they should continue.

[TimR]

55 minutes ago, casapete said:

Fair enough, but some people are probably still doing it primarily to earn a living rather than trying to 

find a 9 to 5 job? 

I guess this depends on how you define ‘ the nostalgia thing’? I would say that playing stuff from over

30 years ago now falls within the category. It seems that the 80’s era is particularly popular at the 

moment, which must be mainly down to the demographic where people who remember that time

are wanting to relive it. Butlins are rammed with people when they put on 80’s weekends!

 

 

Yes. But it's not like being and actor or a regular musician. Where usually you'd be doing a different play or playing a different set every few weeks. Playing pretty much the same set for 40 years? I can't believe that's their only work. 

 

Although I know some actors and musicians have been in the same West End shows or Pit for decades.

 

 

I think an 80s weekend is something people would go to especially. Same when going to see a band, that's what that particular audience want to hear.

 

There are hundreds of bands playing the same standards. I can't listen to them anymore and certainly don't want to be playing them. Even tracks from the 90s that are 25 years old haven't really become standards yet, so most of them are fresh or unusual. (Sex on Fire, and Dakota excepted 😆)

[Doctor J]

For anyone heroically taking it upon themselves to feel embarrassed on behalf of another musician, this is all you have to do to relieve yourself of the awkwardness which makes your day cloudy

 

2 hours ago, TimR said:

 

I decided then I wasn't going to see them again.. 

 

 

[EssentialTension]

 

I appreciate that Basschatters have to post about something .... but really .... when should threads such as this old topic just call it a day?? It's embarrassing when everything has already been said and yet we get the same old topic, on tour again, every few months, or every year at the least .... Please .... It's had its time .... enough is enough. No?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

😜

Edited October 31, 2023 by EssentialTension
Boredom!

[Dan Dare]

2 hours ago, Rayman said:

It’s a discussion mate, don’t get on your high horse.

It’s irrelevant when the act can’t do it any more?? Ha Ha, that’s laughable. That’s the exact point! That they can still do it. That’s why they become popular in the first place, because they could do something people liked. If they can’t do it anymore, they shouldn’t be doing it??

 

****

 

I'll stay off my high horse if you stay off your low one, mate. Yes, it's irrelevant. A lot of pop music was never all that great to begin with. Pop music is part of the paraphernalia of our youth, together with the fashions, friendships, etc, etc. Listened to critically, it's often not up to much. That's not the point of it, mate. For a lot of people, going to see the musicians they loved when they were young is an enjoyable trip down memory lane, a chance to reconnect with the days when they had hair and their face left an imprint in the pillow, rather than the other way around. If you don't like it, that's your right, mate. But stop sneering at those who do, mate. I guess you must be deeply unhappy and want everyone to be as miserable as you are, mate.

[Lozz196]

On Thursday I’m going to see The Professionals, the band that formed from The Sex Pistols in the late 70s. They split in early 80s and reformed some 7/8 years ago, only one original member, Paul Cook, the drummer. Now people could say that they shouldn’t bother - only one original member/in their 60s etc - but live they are simply amazing, last time I saw them (at the same venue I’ll see them on Thu, The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes) was probably the best sound at a gig I’d ever heard. 

[TimR]

The Band of Theseus.

[TimR]

1 hour ago, Doctor J said:

For anyone heroically taking it upon themselves to feel embarrassed on behalf of another musician, this is all you have to do to relieve yourself of the awkwardness which makes your day cloudy

 

 

 

 

I didn't enjoy it. Not sure what else I can say. I didn't enjoy Metallica either. Saw them in 1987 and they were great, 2009, OK for an hour but just too loud, even with the earplugs. Maiden were loud at Hammersmith Odeon in the 80s but Metallica stupidly loud to a point where it wasn't enjoyable. Another band I'll continue to listen to but don't want to see live again.

Edited October 31, 2023 by TimR

[Barking Spiders]

4 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

 the Undertones are my favourite and to be fair they're all the originals (the drummer was temporarily missing the last time I saw them) except for Fergal, and Paul the new(ish) singer does a good job, SLF still have Jake Burns and Ali McMordie as originals, but I can't take Jake Burns seriously, he's put that much weight on and wears ridiculous shirts, shaved his head now, I did used to wonder whether he wore a wig.

Seeing the Buzzcocks at the Scarborough Punk Fest next year, not sure about that one tbh, no Pete Shelley is hard to imagine, the Ruts are good value, are they still Ruts DC? seen the Stranglers a few times I sometimes think they're just going through the motions, just one original now, wouldn't pay to see them unless they're on at a Festival I'm going to anyway.

And that's the rub, the Undertones are the only ones I'd pay to see at a stand alone gig, the others just happen to be on at a festival I'm attending.

 The Stranglers have been a fave band of mine from the time I half-inched my older sister's 45s till the departure of Hugh Cornwall. I couldn't warm to anyone else in his role. The great thing about the Stranglers is that long before they got too aged, they ditched their aggressive style in favour of the more radio friendly mellow material, which is still largely great. If those other bands I named and others had done similarly I might not be so harsh in my POV. And a Buzzcocks without Pete Shelly is pointless IMO.  As for the Undertones, I wish they'd had more luck when they partly morphed into the excellent That Petrol Emotion.

[Barking Spiders]

1 hour ago, EssentialTension said:

 

I appreciate that Basschatters have to post about something .... but really .... when should threads such as this old topic just call it a day?? It's embarrassing when everything has already been said and yet we get the same old topic, on tour again, every few months, or every year at the least .... Please .... It's had its time .... enough is enough. No?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

😜

but that's just life innit, a (not so) merry-go-round of routine, the repetitive and the overly familiar. Sure we repeat much of the same old BS but that's for the benefit of BC newbies rather than the old lags who've been around here a few aeons 😉

[Rayman]

3 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

 

I'll stay off my high horse if you stay off your low one, mate. Yes, it's irrelevant. A lot of pop music was never all that great to begin with. Pop music is part of the paraphernalia of our youth, together with the fashions, friendships, etc, etc. Listened to critically, it's often not up to much. That's not the point of it, mate. For a lot of people, going to see the musicians they loved when they were young is an enjoyable trip down memory lane, a chance to reconnect with the days when they had hair and their face left an imprint in the pillow, rather than the other way around. If you don't like it, that's your right, mate. But stop sneering at those who do, mate. I guess you must be deeply unhappy and want everyone to be as miserable as you are, mate.

Don’t take the pi55

[Rayman]

4 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

 

I'll stay off my high horse if you stay off your low one, mate. Yes, it's irrelevant. A lot of pop music was never all that great to begin with. Pop music is part of the paraphernalia of our youth, together with the fashions, friendships, etc, etc. Listened to critically, it's often not up to much. That's not the point of it, mate. For a lot of people, going to see the musicians they loved when they were young is an enjoyable trip down memory lane, a chance to reconnect with the days when they had hair and their face left an imprint in the pillow, rather than the other way around. If you don't like it, that's your right, mate. But stop sneering at those who do, mate. I guess you must be deeply unhappy and want everyone to be as miserable as you are, mate.

If you want to get into this DM me

[steantval]

On 30/10/2023 at 15:58, Rayman said:

This ^^ was exactly my original point.

 

Its not about age, I’m 58 and still singing our original stuff. When my voice goes, I’ll have to stop. I understand that music isn’t my sole income, unlike someone “famous” who rely on the income. So I accept that it’s a difficult decision, but nevertheless, if you’re a singer who can’t sing anymore……. 

 

Maybe it’s more about genre? Maybe, as a rock guy, I see singers fronting metal bands who literally cannot hit the notes anymore. Maybe in other genres of music it’s less noticeable?

Have you heard Lionel Ritchie recently, that dispels the genre theory.

[Doctor J]

3 hours ago, TimR said:

 

I didn't enjoy it. Not sure what else I can say. I didn't enjoy Metallica either. Saw them in 1987 and they were great, 2009, OK for an hour but just too loud, even with the earplugs. Maiden were loud at Hammersmith Odeon in the 80s but Metallica stupidly loud to a point where it wasn't enjoyable. Another band I'll continue to listen to but don't want to see live again.

 

Likewise. I last saw Metallica in 92 and knew I would never go to see them again in case they overwrote the memories of seeing them before that. Not that they weren't enjoyable, just that what I wanted from them was no longer there. Lots of people have enjoyed them since, more people than ever seem to enjoy them now. Who am I to say they're wrong? They're simply not for me anymore. More importantly, nothing they have done since diminishes what they meant to me at the time and the enjoyment I still get from the early stuff. We went our separate ways and that's ok.

 

Saying you no longer like how a performer now performs and should stop is almost like saying your ex isn't as attractive as she was, she should no longer date anyone. Creepy 😂

Edited October 31, 2023 by Doctor J

[steantval]

On 30/10/2023 at 17:47, Paul S said:

I'm 66 and feel every bit as energised about a forthcoming gig and, on the night, playing as I ever have.  Next day is another matter...  

 

I have a low-level neurological condition called 'essential tremor' that makes my hands shake.  It's getting worse - a full mug of tea rarely stays full for long  - and I guess this will ultimately decide for me when to pull the plug once I can't play accurately any more.  Given that I don't play anything complicated that day is most likely a long way off  

I was also diagnosed with ET a few years back, paid privately to see a neurologist as I thought it may have been the start of Parkinson’s, my mother was also diagnosed with ET and then Parkinson’s in her later life, it’s definitely a genetic condition.

The ET started in my left (fretting) hand, which is getting progressively worse, but it’s now also started in my right hand, my playing ability has been slightly affected and I definitely cannot play some stuff I played years ago.

[Paul S]

2 minutes ago, steantval said:

I was also diagnosed with ET a few years back, paid privately to see a neurologist as I thought it may have been the start of Parkinson’s, my mother was also diagnosed with ET and then Parkinson’s in her later life, it’s definitely a genetic condition.

The ET started in my left (fretting) hand, which is getting progressively worse, but it’s now also started in my right hand, my playing ability has been slightly affected and I definitely cannot play some stuff I played years ago.

 

It's a nuisance, for sure.  Left hand is worse but right hand also not great.  My job was designing gardens and I drew the plans by hand but unfortunately I haven't been able to do that for some while.  One reason I retired early.  A good mate of mine is a GP and he is keeping tabs on it, thankfully.

[EssentialTension]

On 30/10/2023 at 17:47, Paul S said:

I'm 66 and feel every bit as energised about a forthcoming gig and, on the night, playing as I ever have.  Next day is another matter...  

 

I have a low-level neurological condition called 'essential tremor' that makes my hands shake.  It's getting worse - a full mug of tea rarely stays full for long  - and I guess this will ultimately decide for me when to pull the plug once I can't play accurately any more.  Given that I don't play anything complicated that day is most likely a long way off  

 

1 hour ago, steantval said:

I was also diagnosed with ET a few years back, paid privately to see a neurologist as I thought it may have been the start of Parkinson’s, my mother was also diagnosed with ET and then Parkinson’s in her later life, it’s definitely a genetic condition.

The ET started in my left (fretting) hand, which is getting progressively worse, but it’s now also started in my right hand, my playing ability has been slightly affected and I definitely cannot play some stuff I played years ago.

 

1 hour ago, Paul S said:

 

It's a nuisance, for sure.  Left hand is worse but right hand also not great.  My job was designing gardens and I drew the plans by hand but unfortunately I haven't been able to do that for some while.  One reason I retired early.  A good mate of mine is a GP and he is keeping tabs on it, thankfully.

 

I have Parkinson's disease but I wasn't formally diagnosed until late 2019 when I was approaching sixty-eight. Once I had a formal diagnosis, I gave up gigging (which happened to coincide with the Covid lockdowns). Of course, many of my Parkinson's symptoms predated any formal diagnosis by many years and included coordination of left and right hands and coordination of fingers, particularly on left hand. The difficulties were more noticeable on double bass which I had only taken up playing aged fifty-eight. The song where I first noticed difficulties happened to be Tami Lynn's 'I'm Gonna Run Away From You'; not a difficult song which I had been playing for some years. I do still play at home once a week with a guitarist friend, but I am too unreliable for gigging.

 

On the issue of genetics, my understanding is that while Parkinson's can have a genetic basis it is not necessarily so.

[steantval]

2 hours ago, Paul S said:

 

It's a nuisance, for sure.  Left hand is worse but right hand also not great.  My job was designing gardens and I drew the plans by hand but unfortunately I haven't been able to do that for some while.  One reason I retired early.  A good mate of mine is a GP and he is keeping tabs on it, thankfully.

Are you on any medication for the ET, I was prescribed 2 x 40mg Propranolol tablets per day by the Neurologist, it definitely helps.

[EssentialTension]

14 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

............. old lags who've been around here a few aeons 😉

 

It seems longer.

[Paul S]

8 hours ago, steantval said:

Are you on any medication for the ET, I was prescribed 2 x 40mg Propranolol tablets per day by the Neurologist, it definitely helps.

No, not yet.  I haven't bothered my own GP with it thus far.  But it is nice to know there might be something to help further on down the line.  

[Dan Dare]

15 hours ago, Rayman said:

If you want to get into this DM me

 

No point. You've said what you think and so have I. 

[Rayman]

Just now, Dan Dare said:

 

No point. You've said what you think and so have I. 

I thought you might say that 

[Muzz]

On 31/10/2023 at 11:03, chris_b said:

 

You think 55 is a cut-off point for anything?

 

A more realistic cut-off point is when no one will buy your tickets and when the phone stops ringing.

Nope (see my comments about the 79-year-old Roger Waters' great show), not at all (otherwise I'd be buggered), I was just suggesting that 'When should bands call it a day?' isn't a simple answer...

Edited November 1, 2023 by Muzz

[Dan Dare]

9 hours ago, Rayman said:

I thought you might say that 

 

You must be psychedelic. Or psychic. Or something.