Am I getting old?

[lespaul339]

I think it comes with age for most people. I was always into heavy metal as a kid. I played in a thrash band in my early 20's. We were very much in the same vein as Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden ect.

As I got older, I found myself getting less interested in metal and more interested in more roots type music. Metal became boring. I started getting into Bluesier 70's rock bands (not the radio shit), but what really did it for me was going and seeing the Black Crowes live in '08. I saw them up on stage and I immediately knew that was the kind of music I wanted to play. I quit my thrash band and started a new band that played roots/blues rock. I haven't looked back since.

I still like a few of the metal bands I used to listen to, but I hate the new shit that's out now that is considered metal. I just can't get into that at all. I also hate the dipshits in the crowd that go to metal shows. I will not go to metal concerts anymore. Maybe I am just getting too old, but I don't want to go to a show and get shoved around by a bunch of shirtless sweaty dudes that want to act all tough in a mosh pit. No thanks. It's just not my idea of fun anymore.

 

[Old Punker]

"...I even play completely clean and finger pick..."

This is concerning...have you recently made any changes (even minor) to any prescription meds that you're taking? I know that I've certainly had some strange reactions when changing meds.

Maybe it's just a short term thing, possibly related to all of the lockdowns, and you may go back to normal after the pandemic is all over. I think this has affected all of us in various ways.

Anyway, we're all here for you!

 

[PelliX]

Maybe I am just getting too old, but I don't want to go to a show and get shoved around by a bunch of shirtless sweaty dudes that want to act all tough in a mosh pit. No thanks. It's just not my idea of fun anymore.

The fine line between maturing and getting too old Never did understand the attraction myself. Never got the metal thing at all, either, though, honestly. Pink Floyd, Zep, Stones, some Beatles, Chuck Berry, Status Quo, ZZ Top, Clapton have always been more my thing. I appreciate AC/DC, Metallica, even some Megadeth, but I've never really liked playing that stuff (with exceptions, obviously). I've often been accused of only playing dead people's songs (obviously as time goes by, that becomes more true)

Maybe it's just a short term thing, possibly related to all of the lockdowns

Yup. It's been hard on my neighbors. Joking, they're good people and often away for a few days.

 

[Old Punker]

Sounds about right. On the other hand, if you retain your 'fist in the air, live fast die young' (tm) attitude when growing older, it becomes more credible. Maybe 'sincere' is a better term. As a teenager most of us here probably rebelled, lived for the moment and didn't care about tomorrow. I know 'my bunch' did. Couple of years ago, I was at a best friend's wedding and I was the only one still unchanged. Matured, older, more knowledgeable, perhaps even wiser (ok, that's pushing it) - but still the same attitude. It was interesting to see how surprised some of them were that I hadn't seen for some years. With most people, that's all an act, albeit one they believe themselves for a while. A small percentage actually mean it.

"I never did what I was supposed to, why would I start now?" -- Rick Parfitt, R.I.P.



Hell yeah!

I guess we're kinda similar. My attitude hasn't changed a whole lot over the years, except I think I'm more compassionate and understanding of people that have been sidelined or kicked in the nuts by society.

I still don't trust people who wear suits, the overtly religious, rich people in general, politicians, the list goes on. I try to avoid most get togethers with people from my past who have become upwardly mobile, drive expensive cars, and have 'perfect' families (we all know that hell begins at home). I don't fit in with that crowd, never have, and when I speak they are not really sure about how to take me.

When I was a teenager I enjoyed most of the Rock at the time (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Nazareth, etc.) and when punk came along I realized this was what I was waiting for. I was somewhat rebellious and never held back speaking my mind when confronted by a power-abusing A-Hole of an authority figure, hence my complete lack of upward mobility. I have listened to punk and hardcore all of my adult life, but now here's the weird part, in the last couple of years, instead of mellowing out with age (I just turned 60), I have been getting into harder and more aggressive music. Yeah I still listen to classic rock, and play punk and hardcore, but now I'm also listening to, and playing, some metal (SOAD, Ramstein).

I guess I'm just opposite to most folks as they age. Or maybe I just can't appreciate all of the jazz-listening, entitled, rich bastards that live in the Mc Mansions up the road? Several have been exposed as crooks and frauds, go figure!

 

[Old Punker]

Knocking on 57 & just got in a Drop C band on Bass.. let's Go !!!

View attachment 90472

Hell Yeah!

 

[Ramo]

I'm 38 and still thrashing, as matter of fact I turned it up a level lol guess I'm still a kid at my mindset lol


I still crave high gain madness and speed... All I want is speed, thrash, more speed to rattle my bean size brain in my skull.... hahahahaahah

 

[BftGibson]

I'm 38 and still thrashing, as matter of fact I turned it up a level lol guess I'm still a kid at my mindset lol


I still crave high gain madness and speed... All I want is speed, thrash, more speed to rattle my bean size brain in my skull.... hahahahaahah

You are an inspiration of my thrashpiration Brother !

 

[Ramo]

You are an inspiration of my thrashpiration Brother !

oh thanks, bro, all we need is thrash, speed, and killer riffs... I was playing Slyares repentless song is so damn fun to play it, try it I have to learn the solos tho

 

[BftGibson]

oh thanks, bro, all we need is thrash, speed, and killer riffs... I was playing Slyares repentless song is so damn fun to play it, try it I have to learn the solos tho

It has been nice seeing your thrash on a regular basis, dig it when someone stands up for their jams !

 

[Ramo]

It has been nice seeing your thrash on a regular basis, dig it when someone stands up for their jams !

jam is all i want but its gets boring jamming alone, sometimes I just want to say sh up to a drummer or something I'll be jamming tomorrow after the gym... I have few riffs Layng around but I'm lazy to record them, as I was doing song a week thing on another forum for 8 weeks. check out my sound cloud there are lots of new trash and non-thrash shit

 

[PelliX]

I still don't trust people who wear suits, the overtly religious, rich people in general, politicians, the list goes on. I try to avoid most get togethers with people from my past who have become upwardly mobile, drive expensive cars, and have 'perfect' families (we all know that hell begins at home). I don't fit in with that crowd, never have, and when I speak they are not really sure about how to take me.

Hear, hear. I'll drink to that, man!

Though, to be fair, I've always had a way of steering just clear of big trouble - maybe that intuition or luck will run out one day. I've always worked hard for what I wanted and I'm as dogged, stubborn and honest as they come, that has served (and maybe saved) me well.

I was somewhat rebellious and never held back speaking my mind when confronted by a power-abusing A-Hole of an authority figure, hence my complete lack of upward mobility.

I hear you. Speaking your mind doesn't get you many friends, but it gets you the right ones. (John Lennon quote, roughly). Fortunately, I'm a pretty talented technician/engineer and jack of many trades - that together with perseverence has compensated a lot for my 'uncensored' method of communication. I've worked my way to exactly where I want to be, a senior engineer with a great responsibility and now even a step above, though I point blank refuse to 'leave the tech'. I have a very nice job, good friends, a nice house (well, mortgage) and my health so far. I guess it can only go downhill from here, right

Or maybe I just can't appreciate all of the jazz-listening, entitled, rich bastards that live in the Mc Mansions up the road?

Meh, money tends to change people, but I like or dislike people for who they are, not their bank account. Jazz, though. I'm wary of any form of music where you're never quite sure whether they're playing or whether it's a sound check

 

[paul-e-mann]

So I am curious what you guys think:

I read about people outgrowing their metal phase in regards to guitar playing and turning more towards "dad music", there's nothing wrong with that but lately I noticed a shift in my taste in music and my gear choices as well and I am asking myself: "Am I finally becoming old?"

I turned 29 last year and whilst I still enjoy the music that made me pick up the guitar in the first place, I mostly play blues and rock n roll. Occasionally I still turn up the gain and riff on some Thrash metal (I'll never stop doing that) but I sold most of my pointy guitars and just have my Marshalls which satisfy my tonal needs, I ride the volume and tone knobs the whole time and sometimes I even play completely clean and finger pick.

So is this just a part of maturing? Musically I mean. I do wonder.

Share your thoughts everyone!

29??? You should be getting drunk and high and laid and rocking a big stack not worrying about getting old, theres plenty of time for that later...

 

[StrummerJoe]

I've evolved over time. In my late 20's I started getting heavy into blues, then old school country, and rockabilly/psychobilly. Now I just play whatever I want when the mood strikes, be it rock, metal, punk, country, jazz, or whatever.

It's just natural for tastes to change - unless you're some kind of musical Peter Pan, and there's nothing wrong with that either.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I'm 56 and I love 80s hair metal/butt rock as much as I ever did.

But I like more types of music now than I did back in the day. My horizons have broadened, and I've continued to love what I loved before. And to me, that's how it should be.

I still have an almost violent hatred for rap and (modern) country, though.

An example of the expansion of my tastes:

First, I'm a big fan of Bill Evans. And an even bigger fan of Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays. (Actually I think I liked Lyle's contributions more than Pat's.)

Second...what you are about to hear is an IMPROVISATION. Lyle played this as he created it, on the spur of the moment. Unplanned, spontaneous, recorded in one take...and it's an incredibly mature and deep composition. I am in awe of the kind of musical mind that can pull this off.

 

[Geeze]

As I get older [61 now] I like more of the heavier / harder guitar works. Modern metal is awesome [the scream/singing hasn't settled in my brain yet] for the timing and phrasing + eat sh*t & die moods. The bigger badder and more bombastic I like it - 1812 Overture, Beethoven's 5th, Bach's fugues, early Staind, most Metallica [they didn't do much for me until my 40's] FFDP, Big Band from the 40's. Give me big bodacious guitar work and I'm in.

Except when I'm in traffic - When I get to Somebody's gotta die!!!! the Gregorian chants go in.

Russ

 

[paul-e-mann]

I'm 56 and done a full circle, started out with classic rock, moved onto punk, metal, alternative, and now have returned to classic rock in the last decade.

 

[GregM]

Well alot of old punk songs are inspired by if not just blatantly copied from old 50s and 60s songs.
Hell one of my favourite sex pistols songs is so close to Eddie Cochran it could been him playing it. ( Something else, Sid Vicious).
And lol @Old Punker, I'm just hearing the words to Holiday in Cambodia while reading your post, what was it?
Blah blah Listening to jazz to parade your snazz on your 5 grand stereo, claiming how you know how the N! & & @$ feel cold, and the slums got so much soul.
If most guitarists weren't inspired by 50s and 60s music, the ones that inspired them were.

 

[Frodebro]

Broadening your palate doesn't mean you're getting old, it means you're maturing musically. I'm 51 and still love the metal of my youth (Priest, Maiden, Scorps, etc) just as much as I did when I was a teenager. But I also love a lot of things now that the teenaged me would have scoffed at. Hell, I even like a few country songs...

 

[GuitarIV]

Well, good to see that it seems like I'm maturing musically and not gettig old

I forgot to mention: my favourite guitars have become the Les Paul and the Telecaster. And whilst I always had a soft spot for Lesters, I used to hate Teles. Until I ordered a cheap Harley Benton from Thomann and now I find myself constantly checking and trying out proper Fenders

 

[Michael Roe]

To OP:
I'm the same way. I just don't care for the metal stuff anymore. It just seems boring now.
I have one pointy Ibanez still but it just hangs on the wall and I barely ever play it. My favorite guitars are my Les Paul and then my Fender SSS Strat.
Lately I have really been in to learning how to do 3 and 4 string arpeggios which I could never do back when I was more into the metal thing, go figure, it took a chunky neck LP to get me to be able to play like that? I wish I would have known decades ago that the perfect guitar for me is the LP.