Too old to rock’n’roll… Who decides?

[Mickeyboro]

Not talking about the famous, so much, but among ourselves.

 

Abilities decline with age, for sure. But when do you have to tell a band mate, ever so gently, that they don’t have what it takes any more? Indeed, have you the right to do so? And what will be the effect on them going forward?

 

Maybe, as bassists, the answer is that we should shrink into the background and hope no-one notices us! But certainly, there are more upfront roles that beg the question: When are you too old to rock’n’roll?

[Dad3353]

16 minutes ago, Mickeyboro said:

... When are you too old to rock’n’roll?

 

When the nurse stops wheeling you onto the stage. 

[LowB_FTW]

When there's nobody older than you doing it or has done it?

Besides, it's not about age, it's about ability, no?

 

Mark

[DGBass]

I think every player will reach stage where they know in themselves when its time to hang up their sticks/bass/guitar/horn/etc etc. Might be a health reason, or the fun might have gone out of it, or perhaps a bit of both? Telling someone else they are too old to rock n roll is not something I'd probably never do, unless there was a real concern for their well being. In very recent times, our band had a dep drummer keel over at a rehearshal, and who unfortunately needed urgent hospital treatment. He was in his 70s and an excellent drummer, but as a band we decided not to have him back as we were doing a lot of energetic rock covers. He was ok about it, and returned to dep drumming after he got out of hospital because he chose to keep playing. His real love was jazz, and the brushes and bamboo sticks suited him better than a set of Vic Firth Slammers.

[Lozz196]

For myself it will be once I no longer feel right/comfortable doing it. Whether that be due to health or whatever who knows.

[peteb]

We're all getting older (including the audience), but there's many of us who will keep going as long as we can make it onto a stage!

 

It is undoubtedly more of an issue for vocalists, especially the ones blessed with an outstanding voice. A couple of years ago we had to replace a singer in his late 50s because he realised that he just couldn't do it consistently anymore. We replaced him with a guy who is only a year younger, but still has the range and power that he always had (even though we are tuning down one at his request). There is no sign that he is struggling at all, but will he still be able to do it in ten years time? I'm sure that I will still be gigging, same with the guitarist, but will the singer still be out there? 

 

[gjones]

The singer in my band is 66. You wouldn't know it by looking at her, or seeing her appetite for life. She's keener now that she was 20 years ago when I first joined her band and I think her voice has got even better as she's got older. I sometimes say to myself, who wants to see a bunch of old farts rocking it up on stage (I'm 62 and the guitarist and drummer are in their mid fifties) but while people keep on turning up at our gigs and the venues keep on paying us, I suppose we'll just keep on rocking.

[ahpook]

I suppose there comes a point when someone can't actually play their instrument, remember songs, have the energy to gig, and so on, so that playing in a band becomes impossible...when I'm there I hope realise it myself before someone has to tell me.

Edited September 9 by ahpook

[tegs07]

1 hour ago, peteb said:

We're all getting older (including the audience), but there's many of us who will keep going as long as we can make it onto a stage!

 

It is undoubtedly more of an issue for vocalists, especially the ones blessed with an outstanding voice. A couple of years ago we had to replace a singer in his late 50s because he realised that he just couldn't do it consistently anymore. We replaced him with a guy who is only a year younger, but still has the range and power that he always had (even though we are tuning down one at his request). There is no sign that he is struggling at all, but will he still be able to do it in ten years time? I'm sure that I will still be gigging, same with the guitarist, but will the singer still be out there? 

 

It’s a weird one with singers. Some lose their range, some seem to improve (or at least get more interesting voices).

I’ve always found Sting to be a bit of a bellend but he just seems to improve with age (which is pretty annoying).

[Beedster]

When you start getting irritable at gigs 

[peteb]

4 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

It’s a weird one with singers. Some lose their range, some seem to improve (or at least get more interesting voices).

I’ve always found Sting to be a bit of a bellend but he just seems to improve with age (which is pretty annoying).

 

It depends on not only how well they look after their voice, but also on the type of voice they have. 

 

Your Steve Perry type of vocalist are always going to struggle as they get older, where Sting, as good a singer as he is, hasn't got that kind of range and power that he has to maintain. A great singer like Tony Bennett didn't retire until just after his 95th birthday, whereas Steve Perry has done very little since his late 40s, but Tony didn't have to move the air and hit the notes that a high tenor like Perry does. 

 

[chris_b]

We stop when the phone stops ringing.

 

There's enough material in the bands I know to keep Holby City in scripts for a whole series, including several strokes, a couple of hip replacements and half a dozen prostate operations!! I occasionally gig with an 87 year old singing, harp playing bandleader. I'm told he sounded exactly the same when he was 17!

 

If the Stones can keep rocking into their 80's we all can.

[peteb]

11 minutes ago, chris_b said:

We stop when the phone stops ringing.

 

There's enough material in the bands I know to keep Holby City in scripts for a whole series, including several strokes, a couple of hip replacements and half a dozen prostate operations!! I occasionally gig with an 87 year old singing, harp playing bandleader. I'm told he sounded exactly the same when he was 17!

 

If the Stones can keep rocking into their 80's we all can.

 

Pinetop Perkins carried on gigging until he died at the age of 99 and still had nearly a year's worth of bookings in the diary when he passed away! 

 

[Norris]

Too old?! Try telling that to our octogenarian drummer when he's in the middle of the drum solo in Moby Dick! He's an absolute powerhouse! Lovely bloke too

[SumOne]

Rock n roll is an old man’s game.

 

[Nice Guy Rich]

I turned 56 in August and I feel like I’m just getting warmed up.  
 

My only gig is playing in my church Worship Team but, I play more now than I did in my 20’s and 30’s.

 

I use a wider strap nowadays and my bass is a bit higher than it was in my metal/rock days but apart from that, I’m still learning, I’m still enjoying it and as long as God has a plan for me, I’ll keep on playing 👍🏻.

[Bluewine]

9 hours ago, peteb said:

We're all getting older (including the audience), but there's many of us who will keep going as long as we can make it onto a stage!

 

It is undoubtedly more of an issue for vocalists, especially the ones blessed with an outstanding voice. A couple of years ago we had to replace a singer in his late 50s because he realised that he just couldn't do it consistently anymore. We replaced him with a guy who is only a year younger, but still has the range and power that he always had (even though we are tuning down one at his request). There is no sign that he is struggling at all, but will he still be able to do it in ten years time? I'm sure that I will still be gigging, same with the guitarist, but will the singer still be out there? 

 

 

I'm 70 years old and all the other

members of the band are in they're late 30s.

 

I'm pretty slow when it comes down to tearing down lights and sound and driving at night isn't a good idea. Other than that I'm good for a few more years.

 

Daryl

[musicbassman]

10 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

When the nurse stops wheeling you onto the stage. 

 

I read that as "When the nurse stops you weeing on the stage"

 

Still true, though  🙂

[Mykesbass]

Sure, fitness and dexterity can take a dive with age, but if a singer has been taking care of their voice then they can carry on well into their twilight years. I saw Tom Jones in a 300 capacity club when he was 81 - his voice was incredible. 

 

I think there is more to it than just age. Playing with younger people (see @Bluewineabove) or playing genres that don't just cater for one age group can help. I'm still working on this to put together a new project - probably why it is taking so long, but determined that it won't be all 'blokes of a certain age'.

[christhammer666]

8 hours ago, Beedster said:

When you start getting irritable at gigs 

ive never NOT been irritable at gigs

[Mickeyboro]

I love these debates - thanks all for the contributions. Keep em coming.

 

Bear in mind though, some of you, I am talking about the decision to stop, whether you make it yourself or (and maybe it’s sometimes necessary) someone lets you know you can’t cut it anymore. 

 

I am 69 next month, and recently reflected the only discrimination I have ever personally encountered is ageism. (Lucky me, eh?) So I would never judge anyone by their birth certificate, but would hope someone would have a word in my ear should I have become embarrassing in terms of declining ability.

[BigRedX]

I've been the oldest member in every band I've been in for the last 15 years and often by some considerable margin. However I've been lucky in that I still look quite a bit younger than I really am and TBH I'm probably the fittest and healthiest of all the members of the two bands I currently play with. Despite the fact that I've mostly been playing what could be considered old peoples music - psychobilly, goth and post-punk the audiences have been made up of all ages and there has been a noticeable influx of younger audience members at the goth gigs I've been playing recently.

Edited September 10 by BigRedX

[diskwave]

I decided enough was enough when I realised in the vid playback how much younger everyone else looked. Say what you like, in entertainment it really does matter what you look like.

[WinterMute]

[Mykesbass]

Another take on this is the audience. My late mum was born in 1929. Due to the war she didn't really get any teenage years, so her main musical influences ranged from Frank Sinatra through Rock & Roll, and on into the 60s. Her biggest bugbear in her 70s/80s was other people deciding what her age group wanted, in her words, Vera bl00dy Lynn and Glen Miller.