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National touring bands that started after 30?

Desirsar

Desirsar

Mar 1, 2013
256
57
Lincoln, Nebraska
#1
The question is both more general and more specific than it sounds as a thread title. I thought about it randomly at work, and couldn't come up with any. Are there any bands whose members were over 30 when they started that got big enough to sign on a major label and headline national tours? This would not include a band with any members that were big in previous bands.

It was more of a sociology thought than anything - bands that start in their 20s and get huge can play until they're 50, 60, 70, whatever, and people will still buy it because it's what they listened to in high school and college, and other people buy it because it's a band they've already heard of and are (probably) good. A new older band is a harder sell to younger crowds, and I was curious if it had ever happened and I simply wasn't aware of it. Genre would play a role, obviously, as an older jazz or country group would be easier to promote than a rock or pop group.
 
#4
Lemmy was 30 when he started Motörhead. It wasn't his first band and he was active in various music scenes before that, but not with any kind of celebrity status.

I seem to recall that some pretty boy singer-songwriter big in the early 2000s (one of those John Mayer/Jack Johnson types) was in his 30s when he got signed, but which one it was escapes me.
 
#9
I remember hearing that David Byrne was 28 or thereabouts when Talking Heads' first album was released - not quite over 30, of course, but a lot older than most bands seem to be!

And, of course, half the members of *cough* Cherry White *cough* were over 30 when the band formed, and they are only just starting to tour outside of their home town...
 
#13
I read an interview recently with Franz Ferdinand and they didn't see success until they were almost 40 if I remember correctly.

Def Leppard also jumps to mind, I do not know how old they were but they slugged clubs for 10 years before breaking it I thought, so they would have to be at least close to 30.
 
#14
Emilio Castillo was 28 when he formed Tower of Power and they didn't record their first record until 2 years later. I don't know how old the rest of the band is but it's probably safe to assume TOP fits into this category. And they are still touring and kicking it today.
 
#17
MCS4 said:
Most of Rammstein were 30ish when the band formed, and they're an incredibly successful internationally touring band.
Click to expand...

They were all under 30 when the band formed. They were indeed around 30 with the lead singer being 34 when their second LP and also their breakthrough came out. But all the guys have been around in other bands for sometime and I find this to be the case with most of the bands that are a little older like that.

And just to throw some fuel in the fire, the my Chemical Romance guys are a little older than what they look like and their audience suggests ;)
 
#20
JLY said:
The members of Def Leppard were all in their teens when they were signed....they practically never did the club scene
Click to expand...

Just checked it out, it appears they were pretty successfully 4 years after forming. The behind the music lied to me... or maybe it was one of the other piles of VH1 shows I used to watch but I definitely recall the episode as my buddy and I have discussed it since.
 

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