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What gear makes you look old?
- Thread starter pklima
- Start date
Hmmmmmmmmm..........you mean there's some gear out there that will make me look young again? Really? Wow!
Hawaiian shirts have their season - high summer in hot climates, and that's IT. No wearing 'em past Labor Day (or Columbus Day, if one lives in Arizona, because it stays hot until about that time).
Gear T-shirts can be cool if worn underneath an unbuttoned and un-tucked dress shirt. Same for sports T-shirts. I do have a weakness for hockey jerseys during cold weather months, but that is because I have so many of them from my playing days. I am very careful about which ones I gig in, however, and am guilty of wearing gear T-shirts under them (or the Bass Place T-shirt, to let everyone know about my town's best spot for all things low-end). Gear T-shirts are great for load-in/out, however, as they often provide additional visual cues to otherwise unmindful folk that you are trying to accomplish something, and they need to get out of your way.
Sunburst finishes are timeless, and we all know about micro-amps and more efficient, lighter-weight cabs being the new standard.
Boutique basses definitely make you look old, but can also make you look successful; there is a delicate balance there. It really depends on what kind of boutique bass, what wood or finish it has, and how many strings.
Mullets are probably not a good idea, but then again, they actually work in some scenes.
Music stands probably do make you look old in most situations, save for jazz combos. I only use them for our rock karaoke gigs, since we have over 300 songs to choose from, and some we simply do not play that often. Since we don't have the video monitor, and the guest vocalist cannot be relied on to perform well, we have to be ready to jump in over them. I am working on a volume pedal mod that is XLR in and out, to be able to mute or cut off the guest vocalist on the fly.
Old is really more about attitude than appearance, although beyond a certain point in time, it simply is what it is. I'm 45, and a good day is when I pass for under 40, or when a late-20's gal shows interest (and they still do). Of course, I also know how to be non-threatening, so the really fine young hotties are comfy with my photography for those Chicks at Shows threads. Some even pose with my gear for me; they get it, and I do get the pleasant surprise of kisses and phone numbers/e-mails in my pocket (or even dropped at my feet while still playing). The cougars adore me still.
Of course, you don't have to be old to enjoy an energy drink, but I do keep a shot of 5-Hour energy in my accessories bag, just in case, and usually brew myself a custom espresso drink at home before leaving for the gig. It also helps to bank sleep when you can.
I'll keep trying to defy Father Time as long and subtly as I can. When it starts getting obvious, I simply won't fight it any more, and hopefully, that's another decade away at least. Even then, biker and jazz gigs will still be happening.
If you sound good, have stage presence, and entertain well, it really does not matter how old you are (at least in a cover band context); people will respond to your vibe. Of course, it does not hurt if you are able to pull a Lady Gaga tune out of your @$$ on short notice, or honor a song request instantly. When it comes to making original music, age 30 is rock & roll death. The last band of significantly over-30 guys to make it big in rock was the Police. Other genres can be kinder, as their audiences may skew older.
Just know who and what you are, and project the aforementioned good vibe. As long as your gear gives you satisfaction, there's a strong probability that the audience will dig what you do, and that's what it is all about.
...now where did I put that bottle of Centrum Silver?
Gear T-shirts can be cool if worn underneath an unbuttoned and un-tucked dress shirt. Same for sports T-shirts. I do have a weakness for hockey jerseys during cold weather months, but that is because I have so many of them from my playing days. I am very careful about which ones I gig in, however, and am guilty of wearing gear T-shirts under them (or the Bass Place T-shirt, to let everyone know about my town's best spot for all things low-end). Gear T-shirts are great for load-in/out, however, as they often provide additional visual cues to otherwise unmindful folk that you are trying to accomplish something, and they need to get out of your way.
Sunburst finishes are timeless, and we all know about micro-amps and more efficient, lighter-weight cabs being the new standard.
Boutique basses definitely make you look old, but can also make you look successful; there is a delicate balance there. It really depends on what kind of boutique bass, what wood or finish it has, and how many strings.
Mullets are probably not a good idea, but then again, they actually work in some scenes.
Music stands probably do make you look old in most situations, save for jazz combos. I only use them for our rock karaoke gigs, since we have over 300 songs to choose from, and some we simply do not play that often. Since we don't have the video monitor, and the guest vocalist cannot be relied on to perform well, we have to be ready to jump in over them. I am working on a volume pedal mod that is XLR in and out, to be able to mute or cut off the guest vocalist on the fly.
Old is really more about attitude than appearance, although beyond a certain point in time, it simply is what it is. I'm 45, and a good day is when I pass for under 40, or when a late-20's gal shows interest (and they still do). Of course, I also know how to be non-threatening, so the really fine young hotties are comfy with my photography for those Chicks at Shows threads. Some even pose with my gear for me; they get it, and I do get the pleasant surprise of kisses and phone numbers/e-mails in my pocket (or even dropped at my feet while still playing). The cougars adore me still.
Of course, you don't have to be old to enjoy an energy drink, but I do keep a shot of 5-Hour energy in my accessories bag, just in case, and usually brew myself a custom espresso drink at home before leaving for the gig. It also helps to bank sleep when you can.
I'll keep trying to defy Father Time as long and subtly as I can. When it starts getting obvious, I simply won't fight it any more, and hopefully, that's another decade away at least. Even then, biker and jazz gigs will still be happening.
If you sound good, have stage presence, and entertain well, it really does not matter how old you are (at least in a cover band context); people will respond to your vibe. Of course, it does not hurt if you are able to pull a Lady Gaga tune out of your @$$ on short notice, or honor a song request instantly. When it comes to making original music, age 30 is rock & roll death. The last band of significantly over-30 guys to make it big in rock was the Police. Other genres can be kinder, as their audiences may skew older.
Just know who and what you are, and project the aforementioned good vibe. As long as your gear gives you satisfaction, there's a strong probability that the audience will dig what you do, and that's what it is all about.
...now where did I put that bottle of Centrum Silver?
LOL, I just got complimented on my 'stache Friday night. Dude said that he had been trying to grow a full one like mine, which does not extend beyond the edge of my mouth, and that he thought that I looked like a "white trash Hitler." Of course, I mentioned that Charlie Chaplain also sported a toothbrush 'stache, and he changed his analogy accordingly. Dude was on the good side of 25 years old, for sure.
"Old is as old does."
"Old is as old does."
Decent gear that actually works. Whenever we play a show with college aged bands they always have POS gear that doesn’t work and they want to borrow our cables, guitar, pedals, amps, etc. Afterwards they never say thanks or show any apreaciation for helping them out. So I guess decent gear and being respectfull makes you old.
I was just talking with my cousin about how many kids these days don't have any respect. It used to bug me, but I made a comparison between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom. The old are generally weaker and easier targets in the wild. It's just nature. Once the former dominant male or female of a pack is overthrown they get over it and go on about their lives.
So maybe respect is just something that we grew up with which was passed on from the older generation. After all, it was in the older generation's (parents) best interest for the younger to be respectful. Maybe the trend is getting away from age and seniority counting for anything; Darwin stuff. It's the survival of the fittest.
So, the next time some kid wants to borrow something tell him to eff off. You might even enjoy it.
As Dylan said (after he got old), "I used to care, but things have changed".
Wow, posts 270 & 271 say it all.
Of course, I like going with the question route. If I am sharing a bill with another band (as long as it's not the one that may have coat-tailed me the gig), I will ask any would-be borrower if they call themselves a musician who is serious enough about gigging, because if one is such a musician, one assures that their gear works properly. If you are loaning to someone you know, that's another story.
Of course, I like going with the question route. If I am sharing a bill with another band (as long as it's not the one that may have coat-tailed me the gig), I will ask any would-be borrower if they call themselves a musician who is serious enough about gigging, because if one is such a musician, one assures that their gear works properly. If you are loaning to someone you know, that's another story.
Wow! I forgot this thread... is THAT a sign of aging or what??? 
Guess I'll have to go back and catch up... if I remember after supper.
Guess I'll have to go back and catch up... if I remember after supper.
- Jun 25, 2007
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- 63
- Disclosures
- Artist:TC Electronic RH450 bass system (original test-pilot)
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