Too old to rock n roll

A few weeks ago there was a newspaper photo of Tony Blair jamming on guitar with a schoolboy band. Sad i know. No doubt trying to copy Bill Clinton and his sax antics. My guess he was doing covers of Motorhead's 'Bomber' or the Cure's 'Killing an arab'. More recently Ive seen crusty old hasbeens the Rolling Stones still poncing around the stage, regurgitating 'Satisfaction' for the 10,000th time. Poor old Keef. Looks like the Mummy uncovered. Neither he nor Blair are good adverts for the guitar. So, who else is too old to rock n roll and no longer shuold be seen as ambassadors for rock guitar?

Some of us old farts with beer bellies and bald heads can blow away most of the young guitar players coming out today. Far as I'm concerned, age is one of the few prejudices left in the world that should be eradicated instead of tolerated. I don't care how old a person is or what they look like as long as they have real talent.

Looks in this world help you, but age in this world opens your mind for the most part, you still have some old fat men that act like 12 year olds out there. its the porsen, and music wise its the talent but looks dont hurt.

Your never too old to Rock n' Roll!!!

I think that's part of my fondness for the Blues - I can mumble incoherently, and drool in my beard, and it's all part of the scene! :)

The thing is rock n roll was originally rebellious music for the younger generation but by and large rock has now become respectable with veterans like Paul McCartney and Elton John being made 'Sirs'. How establishment can you get? Most of the 'older' stars are not doing anything new or interesting so why do they go on, especially as they have squillions in the bank and several houses in the choiciest places on the planet. 'Blues' is another matter. often, the older the better.

Most of the 'older' stars are not doing anything new or interesting so why do they go on, especially as they have squillions in the bank and several houses in the choiciest places on the planet.

For the love of playing music :-)

I agree, the older the better. If anything I have MORE respect for the old players. Guitar players that is.

If age was really affecting the muscial abilites of such artists, then chances are they wouldnt still be successful. Look at rolling stones, still pumping out fairly innovative and new songs while look at say...Rod Stewart...rod who...? - exactly. I it is so bad, then it wouldnt be popular. To confess, i watched a concert by Eric Clapton on satelite the other day and it didnt hurt...that much. :)

Most of the 'older' stars are not doing anything new or interesting so why do they go on, especially as they have squillions in the bank and several houses in the choiciest places on the planet.

For the love of playing music :-) [/QUOTE]

Then why not just play local clubs. why still do massive stadium gigs, like the Stones?

put it this way, blues legends like BB King still doing the rounds..cool.
refugees from the 60s'and 70s still knocking out old rock and pop hits..very sad.

Originally posted by Grub
...especially as they have squillions in the bank and several houses in the choiciest places on the planet...

Is that why you play?For the money?Or if you don't play,would money be your primary reason for playing?I sure hope not!
So much of that.
If being old and still wanting to rock and roll makes you a misfit,then,heck,that's what it was all about in the first place!!Doing what,according to some folk,shouldn't be done.Like Elvis,I gather,doing that hip gyrating thing,was soooo shocking,they used to show him from belly-button up!
So much of that.
John Lee Hooker,I read in a magazine,said that "You gotta hang in there."Just keep going.People don't cease to be people when they age.Which is why I will be having sex with my wife until I die.Even if I get to 100.The same thing that makes you want to play in your 20's is the same thing that will make you want to play in your sixties,save physical impairment or something like an accident and such(Read Jason Becker.Btw,I've never heard him,but I gather he was awesome).
Les Paul(the person,not the guitar)in a guitar book I got,(and this guy is old,he got his first guitar in 1927.Not 72.No.1927-how old was your grandma in 27?Mine was one.Notice how 27 doesn't even strike you as a year,like,say,97??)said that as long as you got it(don't ask me what)in you,and your audience loves what you do,you'll want to get out there.
Need I say more?
P.S:Old age sex.I hope there are no kids reading this.If,Mr. Mod,you find this inappropriate,then by all means delete it.Now,I read somewhere that when a woman reaches menopause,the walls of her vagina thin out abit,which makes it tighter!!Get my drift?


[Edited by kingdavid on 05-15-2003 at 08:58 AM]

Then why not just play local clubs. why still do massive stadium gigs, like the Stones?

Because they can!

Originally posted by PonyOne
YIKES kingdavid...

More like Y(ik)ESS!!

More power to the "old farts" who are still rocking. We will all be there one day and I, for one, will play as long as I am able.

People who are old and can still play: Doc Watson, Neil Young, Dylan, the Stones, McCartney, B.B. King. Tom Petty is looking pretty old these days too.

These people are legends, and they are going to sell out huge venues no matter how decrepit they seem to the appearance-obsessed pop masses.

Hey guys some good comments on us old farts still rock'n.
Anyway i'm 63 years old and still playing about every
week-end plus teaching guitar.
I don't really play for the money but i'll take it.
I still play for the love of music.
My hands do hurt some times after a gig but if i did'nt
play they would hurt more.
I also seem to get along with younger players more than i do my peers sometimes.
I will say about the looking old thing i'm lucky i guess
because i don't look my age .
I say man if you can still play even if your 70 get out there
and play.


An Old Rebel from 1960
Still love all styles of music plus love
to be on stage entertaining people its
hard to explain but there;s this
warm good fealing you get while on stage which keeps you going. Mark T

....And the older you get....the better a musician you become. Experiance DOES matter!!!!!!!!! :-)

somewhere in the middle of all of this someone posted that rock -n- roll was created by the young generation to defy the establishment (don't quote me, it's the general idea I'm after)

Now, with that in mind, wasn't it around the 40's and 50's when all this ruckus was started??? so, figuring another 50 yrs to make it to 2000, yep, that's where they come from. and as far as what they're doing, ****, I'm only 30 but I still pretty much feel and think like I did when I got out of high school, with the exception of a little (and I stress little) more self control and the experience I've gained over the years..I'm still the same dude.. why not do the same thing. Just because you get older doesn't mean you have to act a certain way or stop doing what you love. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who is older than I am or has been doing something that long, has to be doing something RIGHT!

Example, I like to play foosball (table soccer) and I learned that lesson very quickly. I played against some college kids, kicked ass (naturally =) ) and then these older dudes came up and wanted to play - yep, got spanked! They rolled us up and smoked us!!!! The same goes for any guitar player that's out there. Think about where you started and where you're at now - now add 20 years to that....

At any rate - as long as what they're doing makes them happy, go with it!!

I must admit tho - when you see a Keith Richards out there doing his thing, kinda makes you wonder how they can get a corpse to rock like that!!!!

Hi guys it's been a long time since I was last here but I have to agree with a lot of the posts it's done for the love of the music it's not about how old you are( as I am learning). It's about the love of the music. I love the Stones and relish seeing Keef etc playing today.
Also experience has a lot to do with it, I came to guitar late in life and wish that it had found me earlier.
It would be interesting to talk to some of these young posters in 30 years but I'll probably be dead but I want my guitar to be with me just in case there is someplace I can play it!!!

Originally posted by MikeP.
....And the older you get....the better a musician you become. Experiance DOES matter!!!!!!!!! :-)

ABSOF***INGLUTELY.

Originally posted by spanky10940
...with the exception of a little (and I stress little) more self control...

:D