Anyone starting to feel like you're struggling a bit when it comes to live gigs?

[Master Ray]

Or if you're 'too old for this shit' as Roger Murtaugh once said.  Yay, movie references!   

Don't get me wrong, going to gigs is still my favourite leisure activity.  I love the atmosphere, the coming together of the band lovers, the community feel of it all.  The way the sound is so physical and kicks you in the heart and puts a smile on your face, the way the audience reacts to the flow of the setlist, welcoming old favourites and appreciating the newer tracks in the same light.  I'm not remotely religious but this is what it must be like going to church for those who believe in such a concept.  I've felt this way since the late 80's when I decided that gig-going was something I loved and I still love such a thing.

But... I'm 55 years old now and whilst the spirit is willing I'm finding that the body is struggling to keep up.  I'm not talking abut moshpit activity, I left that behind a long time ago!     I'm talking about just attending and how you do so.  I'll elaborate...

A few weeks ago I was seeing Fish (ex-Marillion singer) at Manchester Albert Hall (great venue and NMA should play there one day but I digress), I got a ticket for the upstairs area which is seating, not actually chairs but amphitheater style seating, and within fifty minutes my dodgy knee (had a bad injury a couple of years ago) was in agony.  Found my way downstairs and managed to get through the rest of the show standing, if not terribly comfortable.  Not a big deal, it was a great show.

But, equally, if I go to a fully standing show then by the end of the first hour my back is really starting to ache and both legs are starting to cramp up.

Yes, these are standard middle-aged health problems, this is not a moan about my personal health issues!  But I suspect  many of you might have much the same thing.  But after decades of gig-going, seeing all sorts of bands, I'm starting to feel that whereas in the past I'd go to see anyone who tickled my fancy then nowadays I'm weighing up the comfort factor at the venue in question... personally I like Manchester Ritz, where you've got an upstairs area with sofas available so if you start to creak a bit  you can have a bit of a sit-down and rest-up before getting back to it.  But if there's a venue where such a thing is not available, well, is it worth the pain?

(and just to say that I'll always attend an NMA gig as long as they continue, no matter how many painkillers I have to shove down my throat to make it through the set...  )

Probably a depressing thread to start but we're not young folks anymore and I was wondering if anyone felt the same as me.   

[Shush]

They say you are only as old as you feel. As such, yes, I am too old for this shit. Only a mere 54 years old, but the miles deceive the body work. Kness Knackered. Feet fooked. At  a gig now, I am more worried about the crowd surging back and someone standing heel first on either of my big toes, both of which have arthritis based excessive bone growth that is painful, and easy to break, would take weeks to false-heal. Pit, forget it, not without "pit boots". As much as I like the NMA pilgrimage to Rock City at Xmas time, it is so many bloody hours standing up. The famous massive Rockers queue, then a double set, then hundreds of NMA fans piling into the same pub, no chance of a seat.   

what a drag is getting old. Wish I was as young as Justin Sullivan !!

[Master Ray]

They say you are only as old as you feel. As such, yes, I am too old for this shit. Only a mere 54 years old, but the miles deceive the body work. Kness Knackered. Feet fooked. At  a gig now, I am more worried about the crowd surging back and someone standing heel first on either of my big toes, both of which have arthritis based excessive bone growth that is painful, and easy to break, would take weeks to false-heal. Pit, forget it, not without "pit boots". As much as I like the NMA pilgrimage to Rock City at Xmas time, it is so many bloody hours standing up. The famous massive Rockers queue, then a double set, then hundreds of NMA fans piling into the same pub, no chance of a seat.   

what a drag is getting old. Wish I was as young as Justin Sullivan !!

Oof!  And I thought I was in a bad way!   

I will say that Notts Rockers has that downstairs area where you can relax for a bit.  I used it a bit last time I was there, wasn't long after that knee injury I mentioned.  Yeah, I know that it means taking yourself out of the set for a bit but needs must, eh?

I'm surprised that you're the only one who responded to my post... surely some folks here has an idea of what I was on about?  Or is everyone in denial, they're all like 'No, I am a splendidly healthy specimen, every bit as robust as I was in my 20's, how DARE anyone suggest otherwise!'      

Or maybe everyone still on the NMA Forum is still in magnificent health and we're both like that horse with a broken leg that needs to be 'taken around to the back of the barn'....     

[Ghosttrain]

I am that horse....my Festival/Gig days are well and truly over after having a double hip replacement,double knee surgery needed and 67 years old...need i say more ? ...

[Master Ray]

I am that horse....my Festival/Gig days are well and truly over after having a double hip replacement,double knee surgery needed and 67 years old...need i say more ? ...

You do not, Sir.  But you've gotten to 67 and well done!  I'm 55 and I occasionally wonder if I'll make it to the weekend...  on a Thursday.   

[Ghosttrain]

I have got to 67.......and in the immortal words of The Grateful Dead ''What A Long Strange Trip It's Been''...

[Stephanie]

  What a great topic - thank you for bringing it up!

I turned 56 in February and yeah, going to gigs has not been the same for a while now.  Generally speaking, I guess I'm still doing fine, healthwise - but indeed: standing for hours  is not really something I look forward to - so that in combination with making sure our dogs are not left on their own for too long means that we haven't really seen that many support bands lately. Which is a bit of a shame - but it can't be helped.
My best friend, housemate for decades and, of course, concert buddy is the same age as me but suffering from nerve issues in her leg and back which makes standing for more than, say half an hour, extremely unpleasant, to say the least. Since most shows we go to are standing room only, well, we have to pick them carefully...and she will usually be somewhere towards the side or back where she can lean against something or maybe even sit down on the floor - whereas I still prefer to stand with some wiggle room to move around a bit.However - NOT going to see NMA is NOT an option, we have settled for 3 shows so far this year.  Plus 2 more that are not NMA - and seated...Culture Club (yep, you read that right) and Iron Maiden.

It IS odd that you now have to take all this stuff into consideration - but hey - as long as it's still posiible to go to shows at all, I'm good.

Guys, we still rock! 

[Ghosttrain]

''Guys We Still Rock''...........some of us more gently than others... ....

[jc]

I find standing still is the problem, the bit waiting for the band to come on, once I’m dancing all is good.


Cheers

jc

[Guillaume]

I'm 46 years old and I admit that for some time now standing for a long time during concerts has been tiring me out a little more than before! I feel that my youth years are gradually fading away ha ha I hope to be in good shape and above all to have a lot of money ha ha for the next Paris concerts  of NMA, Samantha Fish, Larkin Poe and Total Recall (the tribute band of the legendary and underrated 80's band The Sound) 

[lupus225]

52 now, still in the pit at NMA shows.
As long as there is some kind of dancing movement in the audience, things are okay.
Not so great are shows like The Cure in 2022 (?) where there is absolutely no movement anymore, i.e. standing for roughly 5 hours incl. support band...that killed my lower back.

Apart from that I often realize that we're among the old folk at gigs but that's okay

[Master Ray]

Some lovely responses here, thanks guys!  Nice to know it's not just me...