When is time to get off the stage?

[thumpbass1]

Almost 61 years young and still playing and doing gigs that come my way. Granted it's different than the days of my youth, but in some ways it's better too, coming from a more mature perspective. Glad and feeling blessed to still be doing it!

 

[Merc Montclair]

 

[jsolberg]

I haven't waded through all the comments, so if I'm being redundant, tough. I'm 62 and am playing in the best band of my life. We're all about the same age, playing with kids would be awkward. My bass skills are about the same as in my 20's, but my singing is by far the best it's ever been. Life is good.

 

[fourstringgirl]

I sometimes ponder the same question on Friday and Saturday nights while in the midst of 3 one hour sets. Playing 80s, 90s and current rock. I am the bassist in two bands and I am doing some fill in work for a friend while her bassist recovers from a hand injury. I just turned 50 last month. The photo was taken last night. I'm going to stick with it for the foreseeable future.

 

[JimmyM]

I sometimes ponder the same question on Friday and Saturday nights while in the midst of 3 one hour sets. Playing 80s, 90s and current rock. I am the bassist in two bands and I am doing some fill in work for a friend while her bassist recovers from a hand injury. I just turned 50 last month. The photo was taken last night. I'm going to stick with it for the foreseeable future.

50??? You must be doing everything right to look like that at 50!

 

[JW56789]

I quit gigging about 10 years ago as I was at the end of my patience with drunks, bad attitudes, and dopers. I would rather be in a car wreck than to have to go back into a bar and play music. And ultimately without those bar gigs, there's no real contact with other players where I could be heard and asked to do other things, so that was that.

I still enjoy playing at home, but am more than happy to never waste my time again. I'm older, and after having slept with my bass and being consumed by it for most of my life, I'm glad to now have other interests that are far more beneficial to me and far healthier mentally. I honestly would dread gigging, so I don't. Plus, these days with the Carry Permit . . . . .

 

[Nephilymbass]

When are you too old to perform? Sure the legends are still out there, but they were touring when they were in there 20's. If you are a part time musician playing clubs, when should you realize you had your turn and retire? I am now in my late 50's and I feel a bit odd going to auditions where I'm the same age as the parents of the band members. I could restrict myself to only playing with people in the same age bracket but it's hard enough to find good musicians who are dedicated without limiting yourself to a certain age.

The real kicker came at my last audition. I thought I was going to the drummer's house but in reality it was his father's house. We were jamming melodic metal at 120db when his grandmother came waddling across the living room in her nightie to retrieve the mail off the dining room table. Awkward!

Quit? NEVER!!!!

Change? Sure...

We've changed certain things as we've gotten older. Gigging wise we refuse to play the same market within a months time anymore where we used to play the same venues sometimes two or three times a month. Being a bit more professional. And our band seems to be slowly evolving from a heavier sound with a high energy live show and a lot of screaming vocals to more of a hard rock band with the majority of the songs having no screaming vocals.

To give examples.

This is us a few years back


And here's our newest single

 

[dtripoli]

Definitely playing until they pry my bass from my cold, dead hands.
It's gonna take me 3-4 lifetimes to get to the level I want to be at so I'm packing in as much as I can in this lifetime.

 

[delta7fred]

I will quit gigging when I stop enjoying it.

I played my first gig at 16 and am 66 now and still get the same buzz that I did 50 years ago so don't see that happening any time soon.

 

[interp]

I will quit gigging when I stop enjoying it.

I played my first gig at 16 and am 66 now and still get the same buzz that I did 50 years ago so don't see that happening any time soon.

1+ My story exactly.

 

[Gerben]

I'm almost 58 now, and my drummer is turning 61. Our leadsinger is one year younger than my oldest son. We're playing in what I see is the best band I've ever played in, and thats over 40 years now. Doing covers at the moment from Foo Fighters, Muse, Rage against the Machine, Audioslave and I love every moment of it.

 

[Wisebass]

I hope that one day I' ll add a "rockingchair" to my rig
and give that word a new meaning

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[squidtastic]

cman227, It should be clear to you at this point that there's no cut-off. One thing to consider is that if you still feel passionate about playing, it'll probably help keep you young & happy.

 

[basspraiser]

Well, to be fair, anybody waddling across the living room in a nightie to retrieve the mail during rehearsal would be awkward.

Question is... More awkward for you or the grandson,?

 

[bassliner50]

I had the joy of seeing him perform about 5 years ago; our company hired him for an after work event. He made it look so effortless, so smooth, so easy. I came away inspired. I understood right then that there is no expiration date. Any notion that you're too old for something, especially music, is artificial and arbitrary.

Yes, I've seen Tony Bennett twice very recently. An inspiration and a pleasure. At 90, completely musical and warmly personable. With Zero bombast.

 

[Jefff]

At 60 I am too old to drag an SVT around town. Luckily for me I can drag a head and cab that weigh less than an SVT head.

 

[Big Hoss]

50??? You must be doing everything right to look like that at 50!

Didn't you hear? 50 is the new 20!

 

[sowilson]

As long as I don't look in the mirror (cruel, cruel mirror) I still think I'm 25 - rock on.

 

[Gabriela]

I'm 32 and looking to making a comeback (I haven't taken a stage in ten years or so), so I like to believe that I'll be able to go on until I can no longer hold the bass or when my hands stop working (the latter is probably going to happen before the former, but well, the former has more punch).

 

[Joe Nerve]

WTH... I like these pix, so I'm going to post them. They're a few that were taken during a photo shoot a few weeks ago. Two of us are mid 50s, the others 20 and 30 yrs younger: