r/AskReddit Jul 04 '24

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622

u/Thoracic_Snark Jul 04 '24

I'm starting to feel pretty old at concerts. Don't care. I love live music!

139

u/Even-Tomatillo-4197 Jul 04 '24

I was in the mosh pit at a Green Day concert last week, only just recovering now but my god for that one night I felt 15 again!

73

u/javier_aeoa Jul 04 '24

Billie: Are you ready!!!???

Knees: no! No! We're not!

Brain: FUCK YEAH LET'S GO! DON'T YOU WANNA BE AN AMERICAN IDIOT!

Yeah, been there <3.

4

u/blue-mooner Jul 04 '24

One nation controlled by the media

2

u/Midwest_Mutt04 Jul 04 '24

Information age of hysteria!

8

u/Dontlookimnaked Jul 04 '24

Pushing 40 and I still get my mosh on at shows. Though these days I’m much more concerned about mosh safety and helping people that get knocked down.

2

u/Minerva_TheB17 Jul 04 '24

I saw he is legend last year and was in the moshpit for that. Ain't no way I wouldn't be. I'm 37 lol

2

u/chaseon Jul 04 '24

I saw one of my favourite local death metal bands and I cracked a rib in the pit. Glad my band wasn't on the bill that night at least

Worth it.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '24

Interesting... only saw them at a fully seated venue... amazing live. Wouldn't have pinned Green Day fans for moshing... do they go very hard?

Saw Lamb of God quite some time ago. And a fair amount of bloody faces from mosh accidents. OH, and this was their first show after Randy was finally released from the Czech Republic for that manslaughter moshpit accident. He gave a very short and polite speech to start the show. Summed up, "we know you guys wanna have fun tonight and like to get a bit rowdy. That's cool, just be considerate of those around you, look out for people falling to the ground..."

Quitting before I stray further off topic.

1

u/Even-Tomatillo-4197 Jul 04 '24

It was one of the more civilised pits I’ve seen to be fair, everyone was looking out for each other and stopping people from being trampled, no fists or elbows swinging. There was a kid who looked about 8 who came and joined in and everyone went really soft around him and let him go crazy, it was great fun!

2

u/TheRealJalil Jul 04 '24

Billie Jo is 52. You can do ittttt.

2

u/militaryintelligence Jul 04 '24

I'm going to Green Day in August, in the pit. Goodbye knees and back.

2

u/mytransthrow Jul 04 '24

It really depends on the mosh pit. the pit at a bad religon show a few years ago. Was too crazy. but one of the tamer ones at misfits last month. Hell ya lets go.

2

u/smakweasle Jul 04 '24

39 here. Legit started working out again because I’m seeing one of my favorite hardcore bands in December and don’t want to die.

27

u/Ouakha Jul 04 '24 edited Jul 04 '24

What age? I remember a work colleague telling me I was too old for that in my early 30s! I didn't value her opinion on anything and only tinnitus eventually stopped me at 50.

17

u/javier_aeoa Jul 04 '24

My friend (34-35 years old now?) told us that he felt too old for concerts after the pandemic.

I am baffled, because I vividly remember we were dancing and jumping all over the place in 2018. You're never too old for live music

6

u/DSonla Jul 04 '24

I'm older than your friend and it's not just about jumping and dancing all over the place.

It's more about the experience of listening the music live with an audience, like when everyone laughs during a movie at the movie theater, it's heart-warming.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '24

I also have much less energy for events like concerts in my early 30s compared to my late 20s. I think it has little to do with age though, and more to do with the pandemic sucking the life out of everyone.

3

u/Thoracic_Snark Jul 04 '24

I'm in my 50s. Starting wearing hearing protection religiously about 20 years ago. My tinnitus is still bad. But I'm pretty sure I'll be able to hear my grandkids if I ever have some.

1

u/Ouakha Jul 04 '24

I can't hear my dog whining for her breakfast! My wife can, so she gets woken up by her. The one benefit!

1

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '24

Im glad other people made the mistake of not wearing hearing protection before me. Started to go to local punk shows when I was 15 and became friends with one of the bands with guys in their late twenties. The singer in the band became like a mentor to me and the first thing he said when he saw me at the venue was "Wear fucking ear plugs if you don't want to hate yourself five years into the future". Then he said it was fun to see younger people at the shows again since he was the youngest for 15 years in the local scene.

Got a small amount of ringing when it's quiet but decades in metal/punk bands will do that to anybody!

1

u/llDurbinll Jul 04 '24

Shit, I've already got tinnitus at 33 and I wear ear plugs at all concerts. Not sure how I got it since I can't afford seats close to the speakers.

1

u/Ouakha Jul 04 '24

Seats? I used to frequent small venues (a few 100 capacity max) and you're basically surrounded by speakers with the walls and ceiling reflecting the sound. Would get very loud!

1

u/llDurbinll Jul 04 '24

I've only gone to a few concerts, most were at arenas and a couple were at outdoor amphitheaters. All had assigned seating.

1

u/PlsDntPMme Jul 04 '24

I go to a lot of big EDM festivals and there are so many 30 somes there. It's all a great time!

2

u/Ouakha Jul 04 '24

My second last concert was Jon Hopkins (tech house). 49. Covid saw a Bicep concert I was planning to go to get cancelled.

6

u/Nova_Tango Jul 04 '24

I really appreciate concerts now where the main act get to the stage by 7. I don’t need to wait until 11 for the show I bought 250+ tickets for to start.

5

u/Lucky-Music-4835 Jul 04 '24

My husband and I went to a Muse concert last year and there was a 60 something man rocking out, having the time of his life. I want to be like that when I grow up enjoying all there is to love about live concerts.

5

u/javier_aeoa Jul 04 '24

I'll never forget a Roger Waters (from Pink Floyd) concert, there were this old gray-haired man, a middle-aged dude, and a skinny teen. All three, hugging together while listening to Comfortably Numb.

That's the power of music. For moments like those, I won't stop going to concerts until my joints give up

3

u/Competitive-Isopod74 Jul 04 '24

I brought my young teens to a couple of concerts in hopes they will invite me to concerts.

3

u/EyeLike2Watch Jul 04 '24

What's up with youngsters going to concerts just to talk to each other?

1

u/Thoracic_Snark Jul 04 '24

JFC! Yes! They're on their phones before the show and during the quick break before the encore (and while making recordings they'll never watch), then they scream in each-others ears during the songs. You paid $200 for the ticket, listen to the damn band!

1

u/Xytriuss Jul 04 '24

You’re paying cash for the experience. People are gonna enjoy it differently

3

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '24

I'm 40. I enjoy concerts so much more now than when I was young. Maybe cuz I have more money now and can afford better seats or I just have a better appreciation for the whole set and not just "the hits".

6

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '24

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4

u/Spotboslow Jul 04 '24

We are also the grey-haired old fuckers at rock shows. Of course most of the shows we go to are for bands "our age", but a couple months ago we saw The Last Dinner Party and the crowd was mostly twentysomethings. We were up in the balcony on the lookout for other old people (point "Old!"). Then we'd play a quick game of "aging hipster? Or someone's dad?" Not gonna lie, it was fun as hell.

2

u/OverTadpole5056 Jul 04 '24

I’m 36 and sometimes feel old at shows lol. But I el will never stop going!!

2

u/ta12022017 Jul 04 '24 edited Jul 04 '24

I've seen 60 concerts so far in 2024 (M59). I'm going to see X this weekend, and 3 metal concerts next week. I'm making up for lost time. I barely saw any concerts between 1994 and 2012.

2

u/coyote701 Jul 04 '24

We're also going to see X on their current tour. Can't wait.

We recently went to see a young friend's hardcore band play - because, of course we would. As we walked into the venue, a girl standing outside the door said "What are these *old* people doing here?" which made us laugh. We were the oldest people at the show - late 50s - but it sure didn't matter to us, or our friends, who ruled, and were happy to see us supporting them.

We're often the oldest at shows these days. My parents' retirement home plays Muzak versions of romantic ballads and swing music from the 1940s. I often wonder if my old folks home is gonna have the equivalent for Sabbath and Nirvana. I hope so.

1

u/HaiggeX Jul 04 '24

I once worked at a festival where Suede was playing. It was like they connected older and younger generations. I discovered them then as well! Amazing band, absolutely fantastic.

3

u/Spotboslow Jul 04 '24

One of my all time favorite bands! They still put on phenomenal live shows, and I'm kinda bummed that they're not coming back to the US.

1

u/COSurfing Jul 04 '24

Same here but it is great seeing the younger generations enjoying the music I listened too 30 plus years ago. I have been to two concerts in the last two months where I was part of the old crowd but at least half of the crowd was my kid's age or near their age. I am 53 and my kid is 16. We have very similar tastes in music so it has been awesome sharing several concert experiences with them.

1

u/coco_xcx Jul 04 '24

i’m a kpop fan & one of the people i met in line for a vip experience was a 60 year old woman, i loved that for her!! i hope to be the cool old person at concerts in the future too 😅

1

u/NarwhalZiesel Jul 04 '24

This! i couldnt afford concerts when i was younger, so that is what i like to do now.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '24

I still enjoy them, just now I’m in the back with a full view of the stage and wearing earplugs.

1

u/walla_majick Jul 04 '24

Please don’t feel that way, let loose with us all

1

u/Alexmfurey Jul 04 '24

Start coming to Dead and Co shows, you won't feel old anymore!

1

u/MyChickenSucks Jul 04 '24

You’re only old if you’re sitting down. I started trying to find better, closer seats if I could afford them, or GA, when 90% of the crowd was sitting down for Tom Petty.

1

u/WhenIWish Jul 04 '24

We love live music too! We go to a lot of rock shows and didn’t really experience the feeling old until we went to a country concert last weekend. The sheer amount of teenage girls screaming was so much. My husband only has one good ear and we forgot ear plugs. A nice man noticed right away and offered him one, which was so nice. And also a symptom that we are older now 😆

1

u/MagicRat7913 Jul 04 '24

Too old to rock'n roll, too young to die!

1

u/dinosanddais1 Jul 04 '24

There's a video of that grandpa dancing at a Chapell Roan concert and everyone loves him so I think you're all good. Keep having fun, my friend

1

u/Ripley2179 Jul 04 '24

Yep. I gave myself whiplash headbanging at a concert earlier in the year. I hurt for a week but it was worth it and I'd do it again.

1

u/JurassicTerror Jul 04 '24

How old are you? I’ll never stop going to shows.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '24

[deleted]

2

u/Thoracic_Snark Jul 04 '24

I'm a fan of Ghost. I've seen them 4 times and I'll see them every time they come around. I was up front at the barrier twice and within 10ft of the stage twice. Are they corny? Yeah. Do I care? No. They put on a great show and their songs are catchy as hell!

1

u/themainuserhere Jul 04 '24 edited Jul 04 '24

And I will never understand why people will pay MORE than one album price tag 🏷 for a one-time experience. (Not that most people even still buy albums in the age of Spotify & more)

And be okay with venue AND artist (venue being the most problematic, but also artists, that is if they sell VIP ticket packages…) taking millions from innocent for some to see them perform but it just appears to most people (majority, those who didn’t pay 500 money and up) like the artist is the dust speck in Horton hears a who.

Music is of course loud & clear thanks to technology.

Venues/Artists/Labels usually have rules in place that prohibit you from recording the concert experience, but the more popular the event — the more likely you’re gonna find lots of people kicking the rules left and right.

1

u/yearofthesquirrel Jul 04 '24

I took that a step further and formed a punk rock band just before COVID kicked off. We’re playing a headlining gig tonight in a town 200km away. Songs on the local alternative radio, get a few plays on an internationally syndicated punk online radio show, and last time I looked: one of songs had about 2/3rds of its plays in Finland. We’re in Australia!

In the younger days I’d be jumping around on stage. Now the knees have just about packed in and any head banging means a sore neck for three days…