Hear
Live fast, die young and leave a pretty corpse. The phrase, popularized by John Derek in the 1949 film Crime does not pay, was used more than once in the early dawn of rock and roll to refer to the fleeting nature with which its stars seemed destined to fade away. And although examples abound to support this theory, the truth is that practice has shown that many of its greatest exponents not only successfully crossed the tacit border of 27 Club, but they are still in the race and with remarkable vitality five or six decades after the beginning of their careers. In a strange twist of fate, a music that was born in response to a need of a young audience now has its greatest exponents over seventy and even eighty years old.
Paul MCCARTNEYwhich last Tuesday turned 82 years, continues in the race and touring stages around the world. The Beatle will return to Argentina for the fifth time in October, and he will do so in the same way that he has been doing for more than three decades since he embarked on his first world tour as a soloist: leading a three-hour show that It has him as the exclusive protagonist going from bass to guitar and from there to piano to largely review the songs of The Beatles, but also songs from his solo discography and as a frontman for Wings. His former bandmate, Ringo Starrthat will be 84 In July, he is not throwing in the towel either: the musician born Richard Starkey published last month Crooked Boy, a new EP, with guitar by Nick Valensi, of The Strokes. Also, this month the drummer will resume the tour with his All Starr Band, the supergroup he created 35 years ago with a rotating cast of colleagues and which in its current incarnation includes several musicians who crossed the barrier of the seventies, such as Edgar Winter (74); Hamish Stuart, former McCartney guitarist and member of Average White Band, and Colin Hayby Men at Work (he’ll be 71 at the end of the month).
And if it’s about friendly rivalries, the Rolling Stones They are not afraid of numbers either. To the longest-running band in the history of rock and roll (62 years and counting, without any major interruption all that time) nor the loss of Charlie Watts, its historic drummer, in 2021, stopped his march. Their Satanic Majesties not only recorded a new studio album as a trio (Hackney Diamonds, where McCartney also participates as a guest bassist), but also this year they faced the first leg of a world tour that is rumored could have a South American stopover next summer. The ages? 80 in the case of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, and 77 for Ron Wood. The guitarist, who joined the Stones in 1976, became known for being part of Faces, the band with which he rose to fame. Rod Stewartwhich is touring Europe just one year after turning eight decades.
On a similar path, Bob Dylan He also does not seem interested in starting the retirement procedures. At 83 years old, the author of “Like a Rolling Stone” seems to have taken literally the name of the tour he created in the eighties, titled The Never Ending Tour, and that is why he continues in his career. Their next adventure is the Outlaw Fest, a traveling festival in the style of the first Lollapalooza, only with a grid where the ages are different, since its main acts are also Robert Plant (75)R&B star Mavis Stapleswhich will celebrate its 85th in July and Willie Nelsonwhich remains in optimal condition at 91.
The former members of Pink Floyd are also part of the phenomenon. Last year, Roger Waters He was the first artist to perform on the River Plate stage at the age of 80, while at 78 his former partner David Gilmour will release a new album in September, Luck and Strange, with which he will go on tour through Europe and the United States. In a lower profile, the drummer Nick Mason, which also crossed eight decades, keeps Floyd’s legacy alive with Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, a band with which he reviews the group’s first two albums. Other littermates, such as Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend (80 and 79 years old, respectively) have chosen to do exit through the forum and silently shut down The Who, the band they knew how to lead for almost six decades. Others, like the pioneer Dion Di Muccihave retired from the stage but continue to record periodically.
For heavy music there are no limits either. In recent weeks, a video of AC DC in which the guitarist Angus Young (the youngest on this list, at “only” 69 years old) appears playing his instrument live under atrocious rain during a show in Munich. Those who also do not acknowledge receipt are their colleagues from Deep Purplewhich have Ian Gillan giving voice at 78 (same age as the bassist Roger Glover) and the drummer Ian Paice pushing the patches just three years younger. Another example? The current formation of Judas Priestwhich includes three classic members among its ranks (Rob Halford, Ian Hill and Glenn Tipton)aged between 72 and 76. Another valid option seems to be the one announced Kiss last year after the supposed last show of his career (after so many feints it’s hard to believe when it will be serious), which simultaneously included the announcement of his career for posterity in the form of digital avatars.
Once again in the field of classic rock, it is worth highlighting the figure of Neil Young. The Canadian musician remains active on all possible fronts: rescuing lost recordings from his historical archive, recording new albums (alone, accompanied by Crazy Horse or Promise of the Real, his latest band) or carrying an electric guitar to remind the world why he was baptized as the Godfather of Grunge, all this at 78 years old. Just a few months older, at 79 years old, John Fogerty He also does not seem to have any intention of stopping, and that is how the musician has scheduled a US tour in which he keeps the legacy of Creedence Clearwater Revival alive. Along the way, Fogerty will surely cross paths with Cheap Trickwhich also has members aged between 71 and 75 and has scheduled dates shared with Journey and Def Leppard, two bands that will soon join this club.
Argentina is no stranger to this phenomenon. For a few days now, “El piquetero” has been available on digital platforms, the first preview of the new album by Pedro and Pablothe duo made up of Miguel Cantilo and Jorge Durietz, both 74 years old. With one more year, Litto Nebbia not only did he celebrate the five decades of his album Death in the cathedralbut also manifested its validity with the two volumes of Season 75a double album in two installments where there is also a tribute song to his friend Morris81. After navigating a thousand storms and the fragility that passes through it being publicly appreciated, Charlie Garcia can tell at 73 that he still has some sanity left, and the proof is the vigil in which his fans live waiting for the delayed The logic of the scorpion. For its part, Roque Narvaja He also remains constantly active at the same age, and has made touring his natural habitat to present throughout the country. Sea of Tranquilitytheir latest album for now.
Another pioneer of Argentine rock, Hector Starc, is also still valid with an atypical format. under the name Stories in concertthe guitarist of Aquelarre frequently appears in a room in Palermo that combines the format of an interview with that of a live show, which in its last edition featured the participation of Ciro Fogliatta and Alfredo Toth. The first has made a series of presentations at Strummer, while the other keeps the legacy of GIT alive live with his musical partner Pablo Guyot, with whom he also forged a successful studio production duo. And if it comes to producers, it is impossible to exclude from the list Gustavo Santaolallawho at 72 years old finds himself making music for the video game Last of Us and also artistically directing three of the songs on NineMassacre’s most recent album.
And although at first impression the names may seem few, the list begins to expand as the pillars of local rock are reviewed: David Lebon (71) made his first Movistar Arena last month, while Skay Beilinson (72) did the same at Luna Park just weeks ago. Age seems to be just a number for Willy Quiroga, who at 84 years old continues to perform live with the Vox Dei songbook, while his former partner Ricardo Soulé, ten years younger, does the same with his support band, La Bestia Emplumada. And the one who also premiered a band was Victor “Vitico” Bereciartúawho after a decade and a half with Viticus, is now leading a selection of hard rock luminaries called Los Leones, with whom he will also undertake the mission of re-recording the songs of metal wheelsRiff’s historic album.
In This is HardcorePulp’s sixth studio album, Jarvis Cocker included the following comment in his booklet: “It’s okay to grow up, as long as you don’t get old. “Face it, you’re young.” Rock was born to speak to youth and did so for decades. If today a teenager does not feel challenged by it, perhaps it has to do with the fact that many of its exponents are as old as their grandparents could be, as true as that is that these older adults can proudly say that they have been around for half a century or more of artistic validity, something that not many will be able to boast of in the future.
