Rock 'Til You Drop?

In his book 'Rock 'Til You Drop (Verso, 2001), John Strausbaugh argues that 'Rock is youth music. It is best played by young people, for young people, in a setting that is specifically exclusionary of their parents and anyone their parents' age.' He writes 'Rock simply should not be played by fifty-five-year-old-men with triple chins wearing bad wighats [and] it's prime audience should not be middle aged, balding, jelly-bellied dads who've bought along their wives and kids'.

(Toby - RTYD)

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Evans on February 13, 2009 at 12:51

there are always going to be places that some one is just not welcome in. Now we can either fight to get in, and that usually causes the doors to be shut even more firmly, or you can accept it and get involved where you are welcomed or at least tolerated. How great that such out and out ageism lies at the route of something so creative as this site. I am currently looking for musicians to form a skiffle band must be 40+ no upper age limit and no lower ability limit, just get out there and enjoy music!

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Permalink Reply by John Sammers on February 18, 2009 at 17:14

I totally disagree with John Strausbaugh's comments and believe that his remark shows how little he knows about rock music.

Rock is about attitude and rebellion. Granted, it is easy to be rebellious when you are young and don't have the financial and family responsibilities of older people but as was pointed out by Matt and others, rock music was 'borrowed' from the great blues and R&B stars of the 50s, many of whom were in their middle age. Where does he think the Stones got their sound? Who were Led Zep and Jeff Beck listening to? Mr Strausbaugh, you are a narrow-minded, empty-headed, rock journo wannabe.

Finally, your honour, when the Who went on at the latest Band Aid they rocked harder than any of these short-lived, pinup, middle-class lightweights.
J

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Vox/GuitarPermalink Reply by Colin Gillman on March 13, 2009 at 17:13

I agree with all of the above. Particularly with Claire. Our band - Magic Ship - regularly attracts a good crowd at its gigs, but they are of the silver surfer variety. It's a good demographic for the promoter/publican because their children are more grown up, they have more disposable income to spend on wine, spirits and beer, they don't object to paying six quid to get in and they are, in general, well behaved. All good news. Except that the silver surfer audiance is a tough crowd to get moving! They don't dance, they don't applaud too loudly and they never cheer and holler or seemingly get 'into' the music. You can come off stage after playing a near perfect gig to a full house of the SS crowd and still feel as flat as a witches tit. But I'm not complaining. Sooner SS than empty rooms.

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Permalink Reply by Dolores on March 16, 2009 at 16:19

Well, that line about 'it best played by young people for young people is complete cack. The best gigs i've seen in the last several years have all been by 'oldies', NEIL YOUNG, CROSBY & NASH, and a few other well known old rockers. I understand why the record companies want youth; they're easily manipulated, marketed and told what to do. Plus, it's true, they DO have all their energy and stamina to cope with the constant touring and stuff. But that doesn't mean older musicians can't contribute something too. We have lots to offer. And sometimes it's good to hear songs that really come from experience, from a life that's really been lived. Not some stage school brat who has never worked for a living, and has been given everything so it's all been very easy. No wonder some of them go off the rails...lol.

who is it who is buying all the cds? It's not the kiddies. It's US. Us lot in our 40s + we're keeping the record market afloat! And i'll tell you what, the cds i'm buying are not the Brit school artists...i'm finding all the old bands i used to listen to in the 70s :)

We're the record-buying public. We are the middle aged peeps going to gigs...and we're ALSO the older musicians giving a big FK U to people like Mr Strausbaugh who has obviously never seen any great older musician...coz there's certainly enough of them around today to completely smash his theory to pieces!!

Grrrrr! I mean...honestly!!!!! Grrrr.

Didn't Seasick Steve START his career in his 60s ?

Neil Young's wife has just made her first album...

and I'm starting a music career...in my 40s!!!

Dolores

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Permalink Reply by Dolores on March 16, 2009 at 16:27

Oh , Toby, hello...is there someplace where us 'newbies' can say hello?
D

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Vox/GuitarPermalink Reply by Colin Gillman on March 16, 2009 at 17:01

Oh yeah you are just what's required Dolores. I am also just starting my (part time) career in my 40's. I too spend my money buying CD's of the great bands I grew up listening to. And the only thing I download are free to share live bootlegs of my favorite bands from years ago. And I feel that I am entitled to do so after having already paid for all of the studio stuff.

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Permalink Reply by Dolores on March 24, 2009 at 13:04

'you are just what's required'...to do what exactly?

lol!

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Vox/GuitarPermalink Reply by Colin Gillman on March 24, 2009 at 17:56

Dolores said:

'you are just what's required'...to do what exactly?

lol!

Ooh err missus!

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Vox/GuitarPermalink Reply by Claire - Easy/Medium/Hard on March 28, 2009 at 17:51

Yes Dolores! Kate Nash... bah... there's a thread somewhere else about lyrics. Those youngsters writing songs about breaking up with their boyfriends, some of it's catchy on the radio but it's so insipid after a while.

I like your point about who's buying the music. Do you think though that it's older people going to gigs? My boss is mid forties, well off, the only gigs she's seen in the last 16 months that I've worked for her have been REM at Twickenham and Coldplay... and she has to get a babysitter. It's harder to get out and see bands when you've got kids at home (or have to be up to shuttle them to school...)

It'll be interesting to see what happens now there isn't so much money in CD sales... with so many people downloading or giving away their music. Concert prices have already gone up a lot which excludes a lot of younger people - I couldn't have afforded £35 on pocket money. Live music on a large scale has been heading in a strange place. It's smaller venues that seem to be doing really well, I've lived in London for 11 years now and I've found a lot more places to go, nights putting on 3 or 4 bands for £5, than I ever did before. I don't know whether I'm looking for it more now, but I certainly feel happier parting with £5 than I would've done when I was struggling in a bedsit. I'm undecided about whether older people are making up the audiences - but I think you're right they're definitely the ones who are willing to buy a CD instead of copy it from their friends....

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Permalink Reply by Olly Hibble on April 25, 2009 at 13:06

Maybe he should reconsider his hypothesis, and that he should state that Rock should be played by angry men/women regardless of age. It seems the "young" bands are more concerned about their clothes ranges or colognes or how "hot" they look onstage. This leads to a secondary third rate music, musical ability which leads to songs that are infinately forgetrable. I brought the new GnR Cd Chinese Democracy and after several listens cant remember a single song!
Yet machine Head, In Rock etc.............

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Permalink Reply by Juliet Green on June 6, 2009 at 19:53

According to my young friends, rock is old music. Electropop is young music. However, I'm pretty sure that will be old in the next couple of years. Having said that, I was judging the local 'Battle of the Bands' last night. The average age of the musicians was about 18. The music they were playing was 20 - 30 years old.

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Guitar/VoxPermalink Reply by Jay Stapley on July 14, 2009 at 8:47

That may have been true in rock's early days, but it has now become part of mainstream culture, and artists like Neil Young and Johnny Cash have shown that the language of so-called "pop" music is not restricted to the young.
As a player, I know that the older I get, the more powerful my playing becomes. Notice that I used the word "powerful" as opposed to "fast, technical, complicated, or flashy."
It is also a common experience for me after a gig to be approached by young musicians asking for tips and sometimes actual tuition. They recognise my expertise and ability.
Unfortunately, in terms of the mainstream music industry, it has become the only industry in the world where the more experience and expertise you have, the less chance you have of getting any work, but as the music industry becomes increasingly divorced from music and more concerned with light entertainment, musicians have quietly gone about their business and started to operate on their own terms and set up their own parallel industry.
Rock 'til you drop, indeed!