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When did you stop gigging due to age?
- Thread starter stringthrough
- Start date
62. Still gigging but not a whole lot at the moment. I'd be happy with once or twice a month. Just did a local Funkfest playing for several thousand people in Virginia Beach.
I don't know, despite all, he's still here
More of an encouragement that I might make it too!
I was 30 when I hit pause. Two kids plus, a wife and a semi-demanding day job was all I could keep up with. Was able to pick up a church gig around 36 (actually still have it) and played with my family so it was not a complete shutdown. Kids are all graduated high school so I got time again. Do not regret making my kids my priority one bit.
I was playing around 8-10 gigs a month, at 71 a year ago. But I’m currently in an special benefits events band, that practices every week but rarely gigs. Ive had a few problems over the years.
1) I got “trigger finger” in my thumb which was an outpatient procedure
2) I get cortisone shots for 2 knuckles on my picking hand every 3-4 months because of arthritis
3) I had to quit play the late hours, open air bars because of the heat and humidity in Florida. I had
a hard time staying hydrated, and my hands would start cramping.
I’m a stubborn old coot and will play until I die. Even if it means just playing along with jam tracks on YouTube, at the old folks home. I sincerely pray that playing bass takes you on as great an adventure I had with the instrument. God bless yawl
1) I got “trigger finger” in my thumb which was an outpatient procedure
2) I get cortisone shots for 2 knuckles on my picking hand every 3-4 months because of arthritis
3) I had to quit play the late hours, open air bars because of the heat and humidity in Florida. I had
a hard time staying hydrated, and my hands would start cramping.
I’m a stubborn old coot and will play until I die. Even if it means just playing along with jam tracks on YouTube, at the old folks home. I sincerely pray that playing bass takes you on as great an adventure I had with the instrument. God bless yawl
53 here.
Pretty much selectively gig, on average once a month for a few reasons. One is I just have trouble finding people that actually want to play with me. Not for lack of skill, but I think I just have a personality that is off-putting to people (fairly certain I come off as reserved and aloof and people don't dig it I realize).
Second reason is that I really just find playing out to be overrated in most cases, aside from the one band I do gig with on a regular basis. Most of the gigs that I would get asked to play are really nothing more than rehearsal/jam sessions in front of an audience. They were cool at first, but I am at the point where I am basically wanting more depth from the music and I am not getting it at those kinds of gigs.
Pretty much selectively gig, on average once a month for a few reasons. One is I just have trouble finding people that actually want to play with me. Not for lack of skill, but I think I just have a personality that is off-putting to people (fairly certain I come off as reserved and aloof and people don't dig it I realize).
Second reason is that I really just find playing out to be overrated in most cases, aside from the one band I do gig with on a regular basis. Most of the gigs that I would get asked to play are really nothing more than rehearsal/jam sessions in front of an audience. They were cool at first, but I am at the point where I am basically wanting more depth from the music and I am not getting it at those kinds of gigs.
I'm 61 and I have no intent on stopping until such time as my hands don't work and I cannot play.
I'm 76 & still gigging. when Covid doesn't stop me & I intend to 'Bop 'til I Drop'
Just had three weekend gigs in a row cancelled, very depressing.
58, thinking almost every day about quitting the day job and playing more music.
as it stands, I'm in 4 good bands, playing music that I love, that keeps me busy, gigging roughly 3-4x a month.
as many of you, want to keep doing it until I physically cannot do it any more, and hoping that day never comes.
as it stands, I'm in 4 good bands, playing music that I love, that keeps me busy, gigging roughly 3-4x a month.
as many of you, want to keep doing it until I physically cannot do it any more, and hoping that day never comes.
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44 and I have just retired after 24 years of consistent gigging. Don't need the money, and would rather be home with my family.
I find that at 63 I am very selective about gigs. I used to freelance a lot: shows, rock gigs, country, whatever the call was. But now I will lead my jazz trio when I get a chance, and I will work as a sideman in jazz groups with certain players when they call, and that's about it. I think I'm done playing bass for gigs that don't pay for music copying or rehearsal, filling in at the last minute as a sub, or playing stuff that's really loud.
So I'm not playing a lot, which is why I've taken up classical & fingerstyle guitar. I plan to start working out as a guitarist once I have the chops, but that will take awhile. It may never happen, but I haven't touched a bass in months.
So I'm not playing a lot, which is why I've taken up classical & fingerstyle guitar. I plan to start working out as a guitarist once I have the chops, but that will take awhile. It may never happen, but I haven't touched a bass in months.
69, still working about 100 gigs / year. I have 6 bands in my calendar most of the time. Sure, my gear’s lighter, my scale’s shorter and I’ve had to give up the upright, at least for live work. Age is just a number, arthritis is real. I don’t stay out after 11:00 any more, but then neither do my audience. COVID aside, I don’t see any reason to lighten up. I sure hope this winter is busier than last!
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68 and still gigging selectively now. Would like to do
some regional touring with an established act but that
is a pipe dream these days.
some regional touring with an established act but that
is a pipe dream these days.
Ha Ha, Keith is really something. But, whenever someone brings him up as an old guy who is till doing it, I always say, if I had the best health care money can buy, play when I want to under the most comfortable and luxurious conditions possible, roadies, guitar techs up the wazoo, and made more money in one gig than I have probably made in my life, well, I might be right there with him. But, sadly, that hasn't been what's happened.
64
Still gigging. Primarily outdoor venues during the Summer. Prefer that to bars, most assuredly.
Still gigging. Primarily outdoor venues during the Summer. Prefer that to bars, most assuredly.
I stopped shortly after I realized that "the Flower Girl" had irrecoverably morphed into "Hey Grandma." Of course, since I am seventy-two the ladies could sling it back at me with "Old man, look at [your] life."
I’m 66 and still playing. I’m currently in four groups and was asked on the weekend to play in another, but I declined.
In my eight piece band, I’m the oldest and the youngest is 25. In my blues/R&B band and the tribute band, we're all about the same age. In my pop/jazz group, I’m the youngest. I can honestly say that for all of these, the groups are a lot of fun and no real band issues.
This summer was good to me and I played at several outdoor gigs. All of them were festivals. I played a couple at the beginning of the summer. Then the last four weekends I played (headliner at two), and I’m playing again this weekend with the tribute band at a show where we play two one hour sets. I have one more scheduled later this month in a bar for a show, but we'll see how that goes due to the pandemic. After that, there’s nothing on the books.
Only a few places around here have bands playing inside due to pandemic restrictions and I don’t see that changing.
In my eight piece band, I’m the oldest and the youngest is 25. In my blues/R&B band and the tribute band, we're all about the same age. In my pop/jazz group, I’m the youngest. I can honestly say that for all of these, the groups are a lot of fun and no real band issues.
This summer was good to me and I played at several outdoor gigs. All of them were festivals. I played a couple at the beginning of the summer. Then the last four weekends I played (headliner at two), and I’m playing again this weekend with the tribute band at a show where we play two one hour sets. I have one more scheduled later this month in a bar for a show, but we'll see how that goes due to the pandemic. After that, there’s nothing on the books.
Only a few places around here have bands playing inside due to pandemic restrictions and I don’t see that changing.
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