One of my great regrets about growing old is my reluctance to attend rock concerts and music festivals. At the moment, ClareBear is frolicking at Homebush Bay to Daft Punk and a number of other danceable bands/DJ's and I would have loved to have been involved. She knows people who are going but went solo and I'd have loved to have been part of it. The last live rock/band event I attended, other than DrummerBoy's pub gigs was the Chemical Brothers probably three or four years ago. The time before that, even a Security Guard remarked about my being a little older than the usual patrons at a Smashing Pumpkins concert and I must admit, I was decidedly mumsy wearing a blue shirt to a Nick Cave concert instead of the mandatory black or red crushed velvet!
Ark and Brethred have gone to the extraordinary length of flying to New Zealand to see KISS and Ozzie Ozborne but to me they're the 80's glam rock Gold FM bands. My friends or people of my age are steeped in the tradition of Sting, Carlos Santana, Van Morrison, Joe Cocker et al and pay hundreds of dollars to sit in the back seat of a stadium and listen to great music but . . .these artists are of an age gone by. I'd no longer buy a VanMorrison ticket or front up for a 60 year old Robert Plant than fly. I resisted U2 last year for the same reason. They've lost that Under a Blood Red Sky verve, vim and vigour but I love emerging bands. I guess having a musician in the family and a dyed in the wool Festival goer has put paid to that. I want to go and see The Kill, Daft Punk, Josh Pyke, The Killers . . .Ok, so I'm not going to camp out at Splendour in the Grass and not change my clothes for three days. I'm not going to Falls Festival and chill on the Great Ocean Road, I'm not even going to the Big Day out for fear I get mistaken for a babysitter for some fluoro donned tween . . .I want to . . .but . . .I'll settle for the DVD's and thank God for You Tube (Adam! Hand me that glo stick and pass me an Eccie!)
My family's known for skewing the average age at concerts... we went to Ozzfest with my dad in '99, and took 18-month-old Emily to see Godsmack in 2001. No such thing as an age limit, in either direction!
ReplyDeleteAh, Baino
ReplyDeleteTell me you loved Freddie Mercury too. "Friends will be friends"
I last went to a rock concert about 2 years ago. I thought I'd want to rock the night away so didn't fork out for seats. We lasted about 20 mins before reality hit home! We slipped into two empty seats up near the stage and managed to remain there until the end of the concert!
I agree with you, rock concerts are a bit too much like hard work these days. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
Hope you get lucky with some punk in yer stocking!
Oh dear!
ReplyDeleteI have tickets for Knopfler and Springsteen next summer.
Bit old for you Baino!
You're not telling me you're worried about what other people may think, are you...? If you want to go, go and go wild! ;-) Let your spirit soar because next you know you'll be 80 and thinking, "dang, I'm too old now to go the xyz concert and my hearing aid's working just great today!"
ReplyDeleteI had a great aunt - my paternal gran's sister - who took up ballet at the age of 70... So, what's stopping ya? Pride or ego or both ...?
:-)
HAHHAHAAA, we do similar to what you do with DVDs and You Tube! Except I sit in a chair with wheels and have one of the boys swing me around in it for 'dancing'! HAHHHHAAAA
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Vanilla on this! Don't worry about it, if you want to camp go camp, if you want to go to a gig where there will be just youngsters, so what? I think people would be more impressed than being weirded out. In Ireland I see all ages and people from different tastes and backgrounds in gigs. It's great. Noone cares if they are a bit older than the majority or wear different clothes. Australia needs people like you to change the stereotyping of who can go where and who can wear what! It's like many of my peers in Sydney all had kids and were wearing clothes from Sussan like it was a uniform and had to be worn. I swear different is gorgeous!!!!! If I were there I'd go with you! Just do it woman!
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Kate: Yeh, I know I should. I may, I might . . I probably will but would have loved Daft Punk
ReplyDeleteStep: Actually, the body's willing, I just dont want to get caught nana dancing to doof doof! And yes, saw Queen twice!
Ian: I've seen both in their heyday. One of my great disappointments was going to see Joe Cocker a couple of years back . . should have left well enough alone! Sting on the other hand bores me to tears!
AV: Um, ballet's not quite up my Alley, I'd look like one of those hippos in Fantasia but you're right. I shouldn't really care. What's stopping me? Fear of making a fool of myself!
Anony: ClareBear came home very excited last night after DP so we did the You Tube thingy (I can push my own chair!)
Gaye: Ah yes, I'm not the Sussan type. I'm more into T shirts and jeans . . the Nick Cave thing was just a mistake. I went straight from work. (Thing is, he's older than me so it was OK)
I once went to one of Adam's Gigs at Mona Vale Pub . . .it was like walking into my local, all his and Clare's friends were there. I knew EVERYONE so felt quite comfortable going deaf up the front! (actually, I cheat and wear ear plugs!)
I went to DP last night, and I have to say, it was FRIGGIN INSANELY AWESOME! Seriously.
ReplyDeleteYou should have just gone. There really hasn't been a show like it. And I doubt there will be.
Can't believe Clare went! And didn't even call! Then again... she never does anymore.. =(
Ah Damian don't rub it in. I've been watchng their live stuff on You Tube all last night. She was blown away . .we thought the Chems were good but . .wow. What a stage! She ran into a few people she knew but had too good a time dancing and sitting on someone's shoulders! (she doesn't call me any more so don't feel singled out!)
ReplyDeleteHey Baino, what I thought was chest infection turned into pneumonia, so just got out of hospital today, I’ll be back posting in no time. I’m off to bed now to prepare for the pub tomorrow!!
ReplyDeleteHope you and the family have a really wonderful Christmas. O and your never to old to rock and roll dude just look at the Stones.
Baino I am testing my non Blogger sign-in for commenting.
ReplyDeleteOh Nonny . . that's awful, young fit thing like you! Rest up yerself and keep warm. Don't do too much over Christmas and thanks for the good wishes.
ReplyDeleteGrannyMar: working like a charm! You're a technowonder!
Have to disagree with you on U2. I saw them when they were here last and it rocked. But I did go and see Meatloaf on his last tour and was very sorry indeed.
ReplyDeleteNext time you are in Melbourne GB and I will drag you along to some terrible 80's rock band where everyone does nana dancing :)
Brethred: Why thank you, and welcome to my humble blogbode. Thank you very much. Beats watching GeekBoy playing Guitar Hero! I bet he dances like a Nana!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdItwaLrv1U
If that's not worth a trup across the sea I dunno what is.
Kahlerisms: God bless my Sennheisers, it's a loudy Lordi alright. I actually watched the Eurovision Song Contest that they won . . and I was expecting a KISS clip! Shame you cut you're headbanging hair off!
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