Hi Greg,
The below post made me feel better about things.
Yeah a few of our crowd (that contains list people like Francis, Alex
etc etc) in Manchester are up to 50 too and still going strong.
And the Electroclash comment was said deliberately because of peoples
aversion to it even though it's probably close to music it's OK to
like....anyway....
robin...
Greg Earle wrote:
It's weird looking at those Northern Soul night pics.
I just turned 47, so it looks to me like I'm around the same age
demographic as those folks (I suspect a few of them are older,
given that Northern Soul's heyday was when I was pretty young).
I kept comparing myself to them - "So *this* is what you end up
like after too many pints over too many years" ;) Past 45, it's
a real challenge keeping your waistline anywhere close to trim.
(I also felt like a lot of those people's faces looked "lived in" -
I suspect drink's got a bit to do with that, too. Other than
that, however, I saw myself as not looking a whole lot different
than most of that lot.)
I had an odd experience the other night. I went to see Gang Of Four
play in Hollywood; they were absolutely brilliant - as if I'd stepped
out of a time machine and back into late 1981 or something. It was
a real thrill to see such a well-oiled machine at work. Rock music
hasn't given me that kind of a thrill in quite a long time. Meanwhile,
I was also somewhat encouraged by all the graybeards in attendance -
there were quite a few old faces I recognized (but I didn't know
them back in the day, so I didn't talk to any of them), which was
good to see. Aging Hipsters: We're Out Here, And We're Not Going Away.
(We Just Don't Crawl Out Of The Woodwork That Often.)
But after the gig I wandered across the street to a Rock club run
by our very own Yussel (late of this parish). I was immediately
surrounded by 21-25 year old jagged-edged hairdo Hollywood kids,
and the only person I knew there was Josh. I felt like a fish out
of water, and quickly beat a hasty retreat (Tejada was playing
down the street as it happened, so that was a good reason to leave).
There's a time when you know You Just Don't Belong Anymore, and that
was such a time for me.
Then I went to catch the last 15 minutes of Tejada's set (an
impromptu quasi-jam with Kenneth Gibson a.k.a. Eight Frozen Modules
ensued), and while in that environment there were also a fair number
of 21-25 year olds, I also knew quite a few people there (hi Doris!)
and immediately felt much more at ease - among "My People", or
something. I may be by far the oldest apple on the tree in the
Techno realm out here, but the playing field seems much more level.
The age range at Techno/House events runs the gamut, from the very
young to ... erm, well, me.
Hopefully I've got a few more years to go to Techno parties before
I feel like, as I did at the Hollywood club, it's time to put myself
out to pasture.
- Greg
P.S. Robin? Re: Electroclash - I like some of it just fine. Remember
kids: "Labels are for cans".
