How old is too old...

[Monster]

life is to short, if you still injoy playing that kind of music go for it, as long as you are having fun on stage then the crowed will injoy it, and just think 90% of that crowed wishes they coudl play what you play and make it sound as good as you do....

i still play and 80s music all the time, kix, bon jovi, warrant, skid row, danger danger, trixter, many other 80,s bands play what you injoy, fi you dont injoy playing it then no will injoy watching you....

music has no age limit, music makes ya feel young.. and thats good thing

[jgcable]

life is to short, if you still injoy playing that kind of music go for it, as long as you are having fun on stage then the crowed will injoy it, and just think 90% of that crowed wishes they coudl play what you play and make it sound as good as you do....

i still play and 80s music all the time, kix, bon jovi, warrant, skid row, danger danger, trixter, many other 80,s bands play what you injoy, fi you dont injoy playing it then no will injoy watching you....

music has no age limit, music makes ya feel young.. and thats good thing

Regardless of whether I like playing it or not... the club owner who is booking us has to be satisfied.
Here is my VERY JADED take on the crowd.
50% of them are kids who are just out to get hammered and hook up. They could care less if a band is playing or not. There are VERY few rock clubs around here. Most of the time we are playing in sports bars or pool halls. The other 50% of the crowd are all of our friends. They are all pushing 40-50 years old and the only thing they are thinking about is when the proper time to leave is. Its kind of like when you go to a wedding out of respect for the 2 people getting married. All you are thinking about at the reception is how to make a getaway as soon as the bride cuts the cake. A late night for an older crowd is midnight and they generally don't listen to extremely loud music.
When alot of you guys get older and you are still playing you will know what I am talking about.
Here is another example.
When you are under 30 most of your friends are single. Thursday- Saturday night you go out and party. You drink and hook up. You go to rock concerts or kick ass clubs. You hang out and have a blast. You close down the bars and then head out to the diner. Getting home at 4:00am is not unusual for a Friday and Saturday night. You sleep in on Saturday and Sunday because of that pounding headache or maybe you got luck and hooked up. When you finally wake up (around 1:00pm) you take a shower, call your friends and head out to the mall and start planning your next adventure. At least thats what I used to do.
When you are 40-50 most of your friends are married with children. Some are divorced and going to the singles bars. You don't hang with them because there is no sense hanging out with a bunch of older recently divorced, separated or cheating friends.
Going out 1 night during the weekend is usually the most you will do. It will usually start with going to a restaurant to get something to eat and then checking out the local bar for a few sociable drinks or maybe a movie. Of course... you will all have cell phones and you will be using them. Not for hooking up or talking to your friends... but rather to check up on your kids. Around midnight you start to wind down and by 12:30 your home in bed. Will you wake up with a hangover? Nope. Why? Because you most likely have to take your kids to soccer practice or cheerleading practice or somewhere. After that you have a full day of taking care of all the crap you couldn't take care of during the week because you work 12 hour days Monday-Friday. On Sunday you might hang out at home or visit your inlaws. Yippeee.
Take the above 40-50 typical scenario and add an 80's metal band into the mix. I rest my case.
I have been gigging since the late 70's. I have seen and done pretty much everything and I can tell you that this part of a metal "career" sucks.

[kmanick]

I just want it known that I spent an hour and half this evening dialing in a Recto tone on my ToneLab...and TWO Larry Carlton tones.

Hey, I like everything..variety is the spice of life. In a day at work I will listen to everything from Nevermore to Freddie King. If it has a guitar prominently displayed, and someone good playing it...I am into it.

I love metal, but I dig Jazz (hell even "soft" Jazz), blues, classic rock..whatever.

Ultimately, it comes down to what makes you happy and satisfied.

I know you have been really kicking around the idea of a Texas Blues band...why not give it a try?

Mike

Exactly you should be at a point in your life where youc an just play what makes you happy.
why l play in cover metal band if you don't enjoy it anymore.
I'd love to play in an all instrumental tribute band and do nothing but Satch, Vai, Vinnie Moore, Greg Howe,Kotzen etc, but who's going to book us?

[shelby22]

I can't tell you how many times lately I have heard a club owner say that the bar take was light

LOL, bar owners said the same thing when I was 20. I saw a band in Vegas last weekend doing a killer cover of some iron maiden, and they looked middle aged, with a really young looking crowd. Hell, I wish I was doing what you are. I am one of these old guys talking about their sprinkler systems.

[jgcable]

LOL, bar owners said the same thing when I was 20. I saw a band in Vegas last weekend doing a killer cover of some iron maiden, and they looked middle aged, with a really young looking crowd. Hell, I wish I was doing what you are. I am one of these old guys talking about their sprinkler systems.

I know what you mean regarding the bar owners complaining. Most of them did and usually it was about the take at the bar.
Most of the time in the past they were 100% bullshitting. Our fans would pound drinks and shots all night long.
Nowadays, the are pretty much correct. I would think that average consumption per person for our crowd is probably around 2 drinks. One might even be club soda. There are a few exceptions.. my wife and a few of her friends. They get ripped.
Bar crowds are much different now. I think alot of it has to do with the smoking ban at public places. People don't seem to "settle in" at clubs anymore. They always have 1 foot out the door because they have to go outside to smoke. Its like 1/2 the crowd leaves every 20 minutes.
On the plus side.. at least myself and my gear don't smell like an ashtray when I get home.

I really do love playing the blues and to respond to a few threads regarding graduating up or down from metal to blues.
I think its technically easier to play the blues than to play metal but its much harder to be convincing. With metal, sometimes all you have to be is loud with good tone. Playing the blues is much more exposing and emotional. Its much harder to fake.
Its my favorite style of guitar. It always has been. I can listen to SRV every waking moment and never get tired of it. I like Robert Cray alot too. Keb-Mo is another one.

[Shawn Lutz]

If playing the blues rock is where your heart is at then go for it but your audience won't be any different as far as the older crowd, they'll still leave early and still not drink the bar dry.

I agee with Rich that the blues thing to me is limiting as a player. I love the SRV and Hendrix thing but after a while I get bored and everything ends up sounding like Voodo chile. I too can hang with the best of them in that style of music but thats not me so I don't enjoy it. I'm a neo-classical, melodic metal, hard rock kind of guy. That is where my heat is at....even though I have played jazz, fusion and blues I always end up where my heart takes me so I never looked to advance in the other styles nor do I really care to.

[MBreinin]

Boy, CT sounds like a real blast. My GF is from there and she always tells me how lame it is...pretty, but lame.

It is very different down here. 5-6 drinks is social drinking on a weeknight. I generally have two Vodka rocks in me within 10 minutes of hitting the bar after work. I do it differently though. I don't go for the late night thing much anymore, because I just get tired and bored. So, get your booze, grab dinner and in bed by 12-1 or so. Get up and do it again the next day.

Going to a show is different though...because most bands don't go on stage around here until around 10-11...or later. So, you go out later and stay out later.

Mike

[jgcable]

Boy, CT sounds like a real blast. My GF is from there and she always tells me how lame it is...pretty, but lame.

It is very different down here. 5-6 drinks is social drinking on a weeknight. I generally have two Vodka rocks in me within 10 minutes of hitting the bar after work. I do it differently though. I don't go for the late night thing much anymore, because I just get tired and bored. So, get your booze, grab dinner and in bed by 12-1 or so. Get up and do it again the next day.

Going to a show is different though...because most bands don't go on stage around here until around 10-11...or later. So, you go out later and stay out later.

Mike

Yea, the club scene around here is lame. Bands go on around here between 9:30 and 10:00. Most of our crowd is home in bed by 12-1 too.
The young kids stay out late but they bar hop just like we used to.
There are several REALLY good places to play but you have to have a large drinking following. Most of the bands that play at those places are either signed touring bands (or bands trying to make it) or established bands that have been around for a long time. Many of them are pay to play clubs too.