When are you too old to start a band?

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Rolsen
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When are you too old to start a band?

Post by Rolsen » Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:58 am

I'm talking namely an original rock band with the intent of playing the local scene. I think it is different for someone who found some success in their 20's and 30's to start a 'new' band at age 40, vs someone who has not made any real 'mark' on his/her scene to give it one more go at a 'later' age. Obviously, this is a lighthearted solicitation for thoughts on the matter. It just so happens that my 32 year old self is getting something together, and the insecure part of me is afraid of feeling like a douche opening up for the hot band who's members just earned the right to drink legally.

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Post by Jeff White » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:00 am

I'm 35. Played in a few bands since high school. Mostly I've recorded bands and worked live sound. Can't wait to be in another.

I have a lot of friends who are in bands who are my age, older, and younger. Some 10 yrs younger, some 15 yrs older.

Does age really matter?

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Post by MoreSpaceEcho » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:02 am

i was 33 when i started my last band. i will likely be 40 when i start my next one.

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Re: When are you too old to start a band?

Post by mikeyc » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:34 am

Rolsen wrote:It just so happens that my 32 year old self is getting something together, and the insecure part of me is afraid of feeling like a douche opening up for the hot band who's members just earned the right to drink legally.
I'm in a similar situation. 32, been out of the playing scene for a few years, but I'm thinking of getting back into it. The unique problem with my local scene is that so many of my contemporaries have aged out or split town, so it's mostly a younger crowd. Plus, the number of venues has dwindled since I was last in a band. I played a show a couple weeks ago at a "punk" venue (read: dude's basement) and I started thinking that maybe it's not that I'm older than everyone else, it's just that my standards have gone up at the same time. This could be an advantage over the younger bands though...
Thinking out loud.

If your heart's in it, I don't think age makes a bit of difference.

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Post by ;ivlunsdystf » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:50 am

Robert Pollard on age (he was well into his 30s by the time GBV got going):

"When we were first signed and exposed, we were relatively old. But now that you look at it, we weren?t old. You know, mid-30s is not old, but we were old by rock standards. Now you got people in rock trying to keep themselves looking young, and they look like fucking ghouls. I dyed my hair for a year when I first started going gray, then I said, ?Fuck that.? It was just tempting because you start thinking people aren?t gonna dig your music anymore. Rock music is for kids, so maybe they won?t want an old gray-haired guy looking like Kenny Rogers. Then I realized that nobody gives a shit. If you do give a shit, fuck you."

That's from a Magnet magazine interview. I believe that should be all the encouragement you need. Now, you are still left to deal with the restrooms at punk venues. If you are the least bit pee shy you might be in for trouble. I hear that gets tougher around the late 50s what with the prostate and all.

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Post by Tragabigzanda » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:46 am

Sting was in his 30s, too, wasn't he?
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Nick Sevilla
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Re: When are you too old to start a band?

Post by Nick Sevilla » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:48 am

Rolsen wrote:I'm talking namely an original rock band with the intent of playing the local scene. I think it is different for someone who found some success in their 20's and 30's to start a 'new' band at age 40, vs someone who has not made any real 'mark' on his/her scene to give it one more go at a 'later' age. Obviously, this is a lighthearted solicitation for thoughts on the matter. It just so happens that my 32 year old self is getting something together, and the insecure part of me is afraid of feeling like a douche opening up for the hot band who's members just earned the right to drink legally.
You're too old when you're DEAD.

Now go play some music.

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Post by kayagum » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:51 am

Some stalwarts from the Twin Cities punk scene still play around town, and frankly outplay all the kids.

If you can play, it's never too late to start.

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Post by GooberNumber9 » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:00 am

I think three out of four members of Tool were in their 40's when they released Aenima, which went platinum and won them a grammy. The fourth member (Maynard) was in his 30's. That was their second full-length album and they had been together only about 3 - 5 years.

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Post by Rolsen » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:02 am

Oh, yeah, I?m definitely going to do it. Since Jr High, I?d always been in a band, except for the last 4 years ? learned how to record and do my own stuff! Now, I want to play again. Somebody said it already ? your contemporaries give it up, and finding bandmates that are compatible is much more difficult than it was ten years ago. My standards are higher and my patience is shorter, too! I don?t want to drive 30 miles to play in front of almost no one on a Tuesday night. I got to wake up early the next day!

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Re: When are you too old to start a band?

Post by RefD » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:06 am

noeqplease wrote:You're too old when you're DEAD.

Now go play some music.
AMEN!
?What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.? -- Seneca

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Post by GooberNumber9 » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:06 am

GooberNumber9 wrote:I think three out of four members of Tool were in their 40's when they released Aenima, which went platinum and won them a grammy. The fourth member (Maynard) was in his 30's. That was their second full-length album and they had been together only about 3 - 5 years.
Whoops! That's wrong. They were in their 30's, and Justin is the young one and was in his 20's when Aenima came out. Oh well.

Point is: you're never too old to rock. Just don't pretend to be much younger than you are.

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Post by Rolsen » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:15 am

There is a band in my city that is uber concerned with image, which is funny, because we're in Tacoma. In interviews with the local rag and on myspace, he says he's 24. My drummer went to school with him and he is most definitely 30. How douchey is that? What a douche bag!

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Post by jrsgodfrey » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:23 am

I'm 44 -- too old. But I just put a band together to play some shows this Spring and Summer.

That said, it ain't really a band -- it's my thing and I'm lucky to have folks who will go along with it. I do miss being in a real band; the give and take, the other perspectives, the comfort, and near-telepathy.

Negatives for sure, but the positives trump them in a good band.

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Post by ;ivlunsdystf » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:28 am

Rolsen wrote:There is a band in my city that is uber concerned with image, which is funny, because we're in Tacoma. In interviews with the local rag and on myspace, he says he's 24. My drummer went to school with him and he is most definitely 30. How douchey is that? What a douche bag!
As a guy who is still alive and kicking beyond the golden age of 30, I take offense that somebody would do that.

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