Dude! Youre a great writer. I wanna hear that fretless solo now!!!
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When did you stop gigging due to age?
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Dude! Youre a great writer. I wanna hear that fretless solo now!!!
I stopped gigging heavily in 2019 at the age of 32. In 2017 my band did 248 bookings, and 2018 was another monster year. The guys I played with were full time musicians while I still worked a 40+ hour day job.
In short, I realized that if I put more effort into the day job, I could likely get into a better position and generate that extra $35k per year without being out all hours of the night lol.
I now play a few times a month and could not be happier
In short, I realized that if I put more effort into the day job, I could likely get into a better position and generate that extra $35k per year without being out all hours of the night lol.
I now play a few times a month and could not be happier
I'm 66. Walked away in 2007, as I just could not face everything that goes with it: The endless soap opera of musicians, the ridiculous club pay in Nashville, the increasingly belligerence of club patrons (Lord Help, I shudder to think of what it's like today), drunks, drugs, on and on. Any itch to do it was cauterized out of me by the landscape of where I'd have to do it, both in a practical sense, and an emotional and spiritual sense.
I never drank or did drugs, I was lucky at that, but spiritually, it was killing me to have something I'd do for free (if it was good) be so brutally soul-crushing. Physically, I had no problems.
A few years later, I was at a big local Flea Market, and they had a band for the afternoon. Guys my age, but the usual look: Alternately bored stiff, or suddenly perked up, hollering at the crowd, 'y'all ready to ROCK?', playing the same setlist of past-tired old warhorses, and most of them with a belly, board shorts, print surf shirts . . . . and ponytails. It was a moment of clarity for me.
That . . . . . nailed the coffin shut, the backhoe did its job, and they filled in the hole and put sod back over it.
Never . . . . again.
I never drank or did drugs, I was lucky at that, but spiritually, it was killing me to have something I'd do for free (if it was good) be so brutally soul-crushing. Physically, I had no problems.
A few years later, I was at a big local Flea Market, and they had a band for the afternoon. Guys my age, but the usual look: Alternately bored stiff, or suddenly perked up, hollering at the crowd, 'y'all ready to ROCK?', playing the same setlist of past-tired old warhorses, and most of them with a belly, board shorts, print surf shirts . . . . and ponytails. It was a moment of clarity for me.
That . . . . . nailed the coffin shut, the backhoe did its job, and they filled in the hole and put sod back over it.
Never . . . . again.
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I'll turn 62 in a few weeks and do 2-4 gigs a month with no plans to stop. In fact, when I retire from my day job, I hope to gig even more. Bandmates in both bands are in their 60s, 70s and 80's. My dad is 83 and still gigging. He plays sax 2+ hours a day and sounds better than ever. He's my musical role model.
Cave Puppy
"Humph Bo, he's wond!" - John Lennon
Didn't read the entire thread but hey, I'm also 66 and still playing 30+ dates a year plus putting together a sideline 60's tribute project. I work on my fitness, my health is good, and I have no intensions of quitting any time soon. They can have my bass when they pry it from my cold dead hands...
Wow, this made me sad. It also however made me grateful that I never pursued a career in Rock. I am playing a Mozart festival this weekend and after that I am playing jazz with guys both my age and younger.
I feel fortunate that an old guy in a tux or suit playing Green Dolphin in a quartet, or Bach in a string ensemble actually looks dignified. I am sorry that this was your experience my friend but I understand and probably would have made the same decision in your shoes.
God bless and I hope you can still find a place for music somewhere in your life.
62, still gigging as much as I want even in the age of COVID. I'm a weekend warrior and on a stage three or four times a month.
Sometimes you don't realize it when you're younger, but if you keep playing and progressing, you are building up a storehouse of skill and experience that makes you a valuable asset, and short of debilitating physical issues, that doesn't go away. I have four or five band leaders in town that just won't stop waving juicy gigs and paydays in my face.
Sometimes you don't realize it when you're younger, but if you keep playing and progressing, you are building up a storehouse of skill and experience that makes you a valuable asset, and short of debilitating physical issues, that doesn't go away. I have four or five band leaders in town that just won't stop waving juicy gigs and paydays in my face.
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I turned 64 this year, but stopped the serious gigging when my second kid came along at the age of 42. Yeah, I got married later in life. Had two more beautiful kids after that, I just made the decision to commit to my family - too hard to take up weekends, etc. Now that they're out and we're empty nesters, I just jam with friends for the fun of it.
I'm 58 and didn't stop due to age, but just sick of it. Drunks, crappy bar owners, wanna be rockstar band mates. Rather play in the basement for fun, don't need an audience.
I'm 64, and stopped gigging around 4-5 years ago. It was partly due to band members, who were also dear friends for decades, either dying or moving away. To be honest, I had been leaning that way for some time. Gigging was taking a lot of my energy and free time. A Friday night or Saturday gig seemed to shoot the entire weekend. I'm still trying to maintain a home, work full-time, and have time for other friends, hobbies, my kids, grandkids.... I never say never though, so at some point, I might like to get into another friendly group to play with weekly and maybe do the occasional gig. Time will tell. Perhaps when I retire and have less responsibilities.
one of my working bands (2x week regular gig for the last 3 years) I'm the only one in the band under 70. Drummer is 72 (one of the best drummers I've ever worked with), harmonica player is 71, guitar player is 75.
I'm going to be 69 in a few months and still gigging. Covid put the brakes on for a time but now that it has loosened up I back at it. I'm in fairly good physical shape and can still get through a couple of hours of playing. It is getting harder to find players our age that still play or players that are younger that play music I would like to play , but anyhow 69 and still going.
I'm 59, and I'd like to still be gigging. But thanks to the delta variant and the anti-mask/anti-vax knuckleheads, everything is shutting down once more. I've decided that when things do rebound I'm not going to do late night bar gigs anymore. I'm getting too old for that!
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Still gigging. Got 8 gigs for October so far. I'll be 72 in November and so glad I can still play at a high level. It's just so much fun! Was doing 100 gigs a year before COVID shut everything down.
I have a friend who plays 4 hour shows 1 to 2 times per week, sings lead on 1/4th of the songs, never misses a note. He is 78 !!!
I turned 70 in June. Until just before Covid hit I was gigging 6 to 8 times a month. In April I was asked to rejoin a band that I was in 5 or 6 years ago (which I had quit because of being in too many groups). Due to an inheritance I am now playing through modern light weight cabs and amps with a short scale Squier Jaguar that now has Bartolini pups and loving it. This Friday my Ibanez EBH1005SMS will arrive from Sweetwater. Can't stop yet!
