Shaun Says: We are going to rave all the way to the grave!

With the sad passing of Marianne Faithfull, I started to reflect on all our generation’s musical icons, most of whom are now passed away or in their seventies and eighties, our contemporary icons, and imagining how we will age, what changes we will undergo, and how we will spend our golden and twilight years.

For example, Sir Paul McCartney, The Rollings Stones, Willie Nelson, all still performing (I can seriously imagine a post-apocalyptic scorched earth where the only survivors of the great extinction will be Keith Richards, Willie Nelson, Dick Van Dyke, and cockroaches) The Gallagher Brothers are, like me, in their 50s, the punk rock icons like John Lydon, Debbie Harry and Siouxie Sioux are well over pension age and U2, U2 are almost 50 years into their long, ponderous, never-ending career.

One of the great things about being this age is that we were blessed with the legacy of the rock and roll era, the swinging 60s, our formative years were filled with disco, glam rock and punk rock, our teenage years were the 80s (arguably the greatest decade), our wild oats were sown in the fields of the rave scene and the cool hip indie venues, sadly, most of which are closing at an alarming rate. We can pass on an immense back catalogue to our children and grandchildren, and they are in turn having their own musical and cultural journey mapped out for them as we speak.

The downside is that now, listening to current pop and rock music, I find myself becoming daily more of a curmudgeon, hearing my dad’s words “what the bloody hell is that rubbish” pouring out of my mouth like vinegar onto a bag of chips.

I take comfort in the fact that there is a very real reason why I find the huge majority of current songs appallingly turgid and bland…

THEY AREN’T FOR ME!

Just like Culture Club and The Smiths were not for my dad, just like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were not for my grandad and why my great grandfather would probably have given George Formby a clip round the ear!

One thing I know for sure, the Care Homes of the next 50 years should invest in a decent sound system, some DJ decks and throw out Vera Lynn’s wartime favourites. We are going to rave all the way to the grave!