I can't play punk anymore

[Son of Wobble]

I never liked punk in my early days, but now I do at 65. Wish I could play in a punk band.

I did like Blue Cheer back in the day buy they're not punk.

I discovered LA punk in my early teens, guided into the scene by a pal ten years older than I who had an extensive knowledge of sixties rock (he had even caught Janis and Jimi's gig at Devonshire Downs in the San Fernando Valley almost a decade earlier). His vote for heaviest band of the '60's, no contest, was Blue Cheer. If you too are a fan of that group, then you may reserve the right to call yourself a proto-punk, which includes license to sneer contemptuously at old-school punk for being so late to the fringe.

 

[40Hz]

Sorry to say, but this thread had zero punk legitimacy until this post with Chris Walter's name on it.

"Punk legitimacy" ????

Really? I didn't know there was a licensing board for it. Can you apply online? Or do you have to go down and fill out the form in person?

(Why do I never get copied on these memos? )

 

[higain617]

I'm not sure if anything passes for punk these days. The average punk band member is probably 51. The classic punk bands are probably the same age as Duke Ellington was in their respective heydays.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

I am loathe to spend very much time addressing ignorant generalizations on the internet, but I have no problem reminding other bassists that running their mouths about other people's music without ever listening to it is totally lame and unbassmanlike and you should really consider acting your age.

"Unbassmanlike"?
Well, the bar certainly is raised now.

 

[40Hz]

I'm not sure if anything passes for punk these days. The average punk band member is probably 51. The classic punk bands are probably the same age as Duke Ellington was in their respective heydays.

This.

No revolution can continue indefinitely without inevitably becoming a parody of itself. The punk ethos was for its time. The original punks made their statement and then (following their own philosophy) moved on. What came after that was mostly middle-class kids playing dress up, and hipsters endlessly splitting hairs over its definition.

Punk music as a genre and style has since been assimilated into the musical mainstream.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Is this his real name? If so, he might always be asked to not go in people's pool...

That's my Dentist.

 

[40Hz]

"Unbassmanlike"?
Well, the bar certainly is raised now.

Still, you gotta admit that's a pretty interesting word @bolophonic came up with. One that's just so apt that it's destined to become part of the lore here.

Unbassmanlike! I absolutely love it!

 

[dnp41]

I doubt the OP has any kind of problem getting back into punk.

I think the whole point of the post is a rant in the style of: Why can't I, who has decades of playing bass under his belt, play the tunes I played when I was 16 and sucked at playing bass, and instantly be better at it ?


Another question to ask is on that very topic: How much were the standards raised in the last dozen years? Maybe we ARE instantly better than we were at 16, but do not recognize it as such because we deem ourselves as bad.
With half a year's practice time I was satisfied when people could recognize the song. Now i get upset if that one note he plays on the record has more sustain than what I play in that moment ...

This was exactly the point I was trying to make with my rant

But it's always nice to see that if you mention the word "punk" in your post that people will instantly start debating what band is or isn't punk

 

[smogg]

This was exactly the point I was trying to make with my rant

But it's always nice to see that if you mention the word "punk" in your post that people will instantly start debating what band is or isn't punk

It's really quite simple. If it doesn't suck really really fast and loud then it's not punk.

 

[murphy]

it is funny then ...that Talking Heads, Televison. Richard Hell and the Voidoids , Blondie. The Ramones, New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers were all the first "Punk Bands" before we English got The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Buzzcocks, Siouxie and the Banshees,The Stranglers, The Slits and hundreds of very cool and experimental bands that created a scene that was ..try it, do it, have fun ...say something...and dance

Not to forget...Question Everything!

 

[BooshBass]

This was exactly the point I was trying to make with my rant

But it's always nice to see that if you mention the word "punk" in your post that people will instantly start debating what band is or isn't punk

Point taken. Someone has probably mentioned this, but I'm sure its also partly the fact that as we get older we react to the crappiness of the world differently. 17 y/o "punks" - F- that, F- you, that sucks, BAM BAM BAM BAM DISTORTION IN YOUR FACE, GFY, how can we get more beer? Many Adults - Eh, I don't have the energy to be that pissed, can't we just have nice amps that fit the room, that hurts my ears. I too find it harder to play punk with the adult mentality, luckily I'm still really pissed about a lot of things, it helps.

 

[pholli00]

Guess I'm old if that's what passes for punk now a days.

Thank you for saying that.

 

[pholli00]

Strung Out has been around since '89 bud

There's this new band called NOFX I've heard about.

 

[bolophonic]

Still, you gotta admit that's a pretty interesting word @bolophonic came up with. One that's just so apt that it's destined to become part of the lore here.

Unbassmanlike! I absolutely love it!

Thanks, bud! You are welcome to use it any time. I feel like TB is generally the most bassmanlike place on the planet. Bassists just have a good vibe.

 

[Michael Schreiber]

Punk was initially a statement about the fact that anyone, regardless of talent ( among other things ), could make music.

Hm... The Sex Pistols saw that completely different; the drummer was tight as hell, the (original) bassist wanted to make beatiful rock bass lines, the guitarist was worried about playing a wrong note and felt relieved when finally another musician (David Bowie? Or was it Billy Idol?) complemented him for his guitar playing, and the singer was eager to express himself with his voice.

So, since I regard the Sex Pistols are part of the initial Punk movement, I dare to disagree

@dnp41 : Don't worry, even someone like Steve Jones was totally nervous and unsure about his playing. So, if you want you can learn playing it, again. \m/

 

[Son of Wobble]

Thanks, bud! You are welcome to use it any time. I feel like TB is generally the most bassmanlike place on the planet. Bassists just have a good vibe.

In recognition of your new coinage. Moving forward, I definitely will be urging TB posters to act more "bassmanlike" when getting too snarky.

 

[jwilson67]

@dnp41 - The entire point of real punk is the absence of technique and almost a sort of pride in that fact. Punk has more to do with attitude and lifestyle than musical ability. If you are talking about fast 8th or 16th note type straight, pounding lines I'm quite sure you could do it again but you'd have to put yourself back in the frame of mind.

Real punk was guys (and girls) who took this frame of mind that knowing how to play your instrument proficiently wasn't Rock & Roll and all the bands that did were dinosaurs and pretentious. Of course now, we all know that was idiotic.

 

[bolophonic]

In recognition of your new coinage. Moving forward, I definitely will be urging TB posters to act more "bassmanlike" when getting too snarky.

View attachment 2766115

I am actually looking forward to the day that someone reminds me to be more bassmanlike if I get out of line.

 

[Son of Wobble]

Hm... The Sex Pistols saw that completely different; the drummer was tight as hell, the (original) bassist wanted to make beatiful rock bass lines, the guitarist was worried about playing a wrong note and felt relieved when finally another musician (David Bowie? Or was it Billy Idol?) complemented him for his guitar playing, and the singer was eager to express himself with his voice.

So, since I regard the Sex Pistols are part of the initial Punk movement, I dare to disagree

Big Pistols fan here, so chiming in only for the chance to argue about matters old testament.... But to rebut your point, I'd say that if John Lydon were more interested in musicianship than shenanigans/power tripping, he would NEVER have allowed bassist/composer Matlock's ouster and replacement by his own crony Sid Vicious, let alone spearheaded the firing as he did.
The only acceptable recordings from the Sex Pistols US tour are those where the bass was unplugged. Sid simply sucked as a bassist.

 

[40Hz]

Thanks, bud! You are welcome to use it any time. I feel like TB is generally the most bassmanlike place on the planet. Bassists just have a good vibe.

Thanks for the word. I've been thrashing around in my head for a long time looking for a word that conveys what bassmanlike says. It's hard to put it into words exactly. But I suspect almost everybody here instinctively understands what it's saying.