Too Old To Rock?

Well we had long and tiring but ultimately rewarding night playing to 5 or 6 hundred bikers at the Saints and Sinners Motor Cycle Club annual rally at Luthermuir in Kincardineshire. It was a long night because we got there at 7pm and I didn't get to bed till 4am. It was tiring because we played for threee hours. We did get a break but nevertheless playing for three hours is a long stint and none of us are getting any younger. We are a pub band and we rocked. The bikers like rock, and they rocked. None of them are getting any younger. The average age would have been 40s or 50s.

Let me paint a picture. Imagine drunk, middle aged, over weight, grey, white haired (or bald) guys, clad in denim and leather, jumping about singing all the words and playing air guitar to the sounds of Riff Raff or Highway Star.

That got me to thinking about how long can you sustain being a rocker? Is rockin only for young people? Can you get to the stage where it's simply inappropriate, unseemly and downright embarrassing to rock your socks off?

Music wise, the 1970s would be what I would regard as my era. In the early 70s I was too young to get into music properly but my memories of those times are of Marc Bolan, David Bowie, The Osmonds, David Cassidy The Sweet, Gary Glitter and The Bay City Rollers. I could go on. I remember thinking however that these acts would have, at best, their 15 minutes of fame. I didn't ever think that any act from that era would have longevity. David Bowie has lasted, as have the Rolling Stones. Deep Purple have sustained several tours with their most recent incarnation. Other bands that started at the end of the seventies are still going strong like Iron Maiden.

These guys are still rocking when others would be drawing their pension or pushing their grand children in wheelchairs. I'm not sure if these bikers even ask themselves if they are too old to rock. I suppose if it's good enough for Deep Purple then it's good enough for me!