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Topic ClosedIs Prog fan base getting older and older?

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twosteves View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 27 2018 at 16:36
Yes is always looking for new ways to make money so I guess a Yes Nursing Home tour is right around the cornerLOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 27 2018 at 17:05
Sorry all you young whipper snappers But can you use a larger font so I can read what you youngins are sayin!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 27 2018 at 17:42
Originally posted by twosteves twosteves wrote:

Yes is always looking for new ways to make money so I guess a Yes Nursing Home tour is right around the cornerLOL

That's cold!!  Funny, but cold!!  LOL

My wife and I just bought a new home in a 55+ housing community in southern Arizona (very near to Mexico, a country I dearly love), and there is an American Indian casino up the road near Tucson.  Morris Day & the Time are playing there, and I saw the old road warriors Foghat (what's left of them) coming, so a Yes appearance wouldn't be a stretch. 

I'll probably put on my own prog show for the 55+ grey hairs, and treat them to my own guitar versions of "Red," "Your's Is No Disgrace" etc.  I rather doubt they'll be appreciative however.  We'll see. 


Edited by cstack3 - February 27 2018 at 17:43
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 27 2018 at 22:13
Originally posted by WeepingElf WeepingElf wrote:

Well, music doesn't mean the same thing to the young people today it meant 40 years ago. I mean, back then, few teenagers had their own TV set, and video games were unheard of. Also, pop music is no longer predominantly based on rock. Rather, it is now mostly based on R&B, hip-hop and EDM, making rock a specialist genre much as jazz has ever been since WWII - a genre predominantly listened to by adults.

There probably is a difference between the audiences of classic prog acts and those of more modern ones - the latter will be younger on average, but still mostly above 20.



While this may appear to be true, I know of a young band Perfect Strangers (named after Deep Purple indeed) who fuse classic rock and prog but attempt to apply it to contemporary themes (including a track about the 'Selfie' phenomenon). I THINK there's no hard and fast thing that people have to enjoy and emulate current trends in music. That is a carryover from the 60s to 80s when the big labels exerted enormous control over music. Films like Godfather or Taxi Driver have a cult following while literature students are asked to read Jane Austen. Why would it be any different in the case of music? Maybe some styles like 60s/70s rock hold an aesthetic appeal that is more enduring and is revisited even by people born long after the era when these styles were born.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2018 at 04:14
I'm 28 and consider myself a pretty big prog fan. I'll be attending steven wilson, jethro tull, roger waters, camel and king crimson gigs this year....some of those will be with my brother who is 3 years younger than me.

It's a funny thing. Most older people find it weird when they encounter us younger fans.

The amount of older people I've met who can't comprehend or even believe that I like this music is pretty shocking, they've said things like ''...nah you're not old enough to get it.'' or ''you won't understand, you weren't there.''

I know, I'm fully aware of how old I am and when I exist in this timeline... I always feel like saying, put yourself in my shoes, or a younger persons shoes, we didn't get this music handed to us when it came out like you guys did (maybe it wasn't handed to you, but it was definitely more accessible) we had to really search to find this stuff initially. The amount of music (or what passes for music) that's out there these days can be overwhelming if you really think about it.

To have discovered music of this quality, which carries the messages it does, is something almost unheard of anywhere else.

It's going to be hard for teenagers and future generations to discover Prog music because they are so heavily programmed from birth now that the thought of going back and discovering older music wouldn't even enter their head, so not just prog but older music in general. I've spoken to teenagers who think the 90's is super old.

Some young people these days even think that the earth is only 2018 years old.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2018 at 04:21
^I am just thinking it´s only great when younger people find prog!

But on the other hand I think we have more common than difference, I wasn´t also there (I am "only" 45 years old). I think also most young people just don´t want to listen 20st century music, but I believe there always going to be ones who want.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2018 at 05:56
Originally posted by dbeckton89 dbeckton89 wrote:

I'm 28 and consider myself a pretty big prog fan. I'll be attending steven wilson, jethro tull, roger waters, camel and king crimson gigs this year....some of those will be with my brother who is 3 years younger than me.

It's a funny thing. Most older people find it weird when they encounter us younger fans.

The amount of older people I've met who can't comprehend or even believe that I like this music is pretty shocking, they've said things like ''...nah you're not old enough to get it.'' or ''you won't understand, you weren't there.''

I know, I'm fully aware of how old I am and when I exist in this timeline... I always feel like saying, put yourself in my shoes, or a younger persons shoes, we didn't get this music handed to us when it came out like you guys did (maybe it wasn't handed to you, but it was definitely more accessible) we had to really search to find this stuff initially. The amount of music (or what passes for music) that's out there these days can be overwhelming if you really think about it.

To have discovered music of this quality, which carries the messages it does, is something almost unheard of anywhere else.

It's going to be hard for teenagers and future generations to discover Prog music because they are so heavily programmed from birth now that the thought of going back and discovering older music wouldn't even enter their head, so not just prog but older music in general. I've spoken to teenagers who think the 90's is super old.

Some young people these days even think that the earth is only 2018 years old.


I am only a few years older than you and was just over 20 when I got into prog rock. Keep on progging.
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Jzrk View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2018 at 17:52
Good for you go with the music you like no mattter when it was made
A lot of people were into the old blues and jazz greats of the 50’s in theb79’s and 80’s and beyond
And nothing worse than someone telling a young fan they don’t get it because they weren’t there
That’s a bunch of bs doesn’t matter when you heard it if you like it!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 02 2018 at 08:16
Originally posted by dbeckton89 dbeckton89 wrote:

I'm 28 and consider myself a pretty big prog fan. I'll be attending steven wilson, jethro tull, roger waters, camel and king crimson gigs this year....some of those will be with my brother who is 3 years younger than me.

It's a funny thing. Most older people find it weird when they encounter us younger fans.

The amount of older people I've met who can't comprehend or even believe that I like this music is pretty shocking, they've said things like ''...nah you're not old enough to get it.'' or ''you won't understand, you weren't there.''

I know, I'm fully aware of how old I am and when I exist in this timeline... I always feel like saying, put yourself in my shoes, or a younger persons shoes, we didn't get this music handed to us when it came out like you guys did (maybe it wasn't handed to you, but it was definitely more accessible) we had to really search to find this stuff initially. The amount of music (or what passes for music) that's out there these days can be overwhelming if you really think about it.

To have discovered music of this quality, which carries the messages it does, is something almost unheard of anywhere else.

It's going to be hard for teenagers and future generations to discover Prog music because they are so heavily programmed from birth now that the thought of going back and discovering older music wouldn't even enter their head, so not just prog but older music in general. I've spoken to teenagers who think the 90's is super old.

Some young people these days even think that the earth is only 2018 years old.

Hats off to you my friend!Clap

Although I rabbit on like an old bloke, being in my mid 50's meant I was actually the annoying much younger brother / kid at school who heard this music and loved it and tried to engage with old sibblings/ kids at school who tended to scoff, look down their noses and say f*** off kid, you cant like this sort of music.. but there were older kids and friends older brothers who did encourage, make tapes for you etc.. and I guess its probably the same today. I know there are lots of young musicians and fans out there making and appreciating quality music of all genres and periods (my 22 year old son is one), a lot of respect and willingness to explore and mix it up. Any old fart who says 'you don't understand, you needed to be there' is best ignored as all the history, atmosphere, sense of age and place as well as philosophy, politics, spirituality and science of the age (if you want to see it) is contained in the ready made 'time capsules' that are, basically, any lps from any age. 

But reminiscence and nostalgia are inevitably linked with getting older and, sadly, often with neural degenerative syndromes (my mother suffered from this) and although it was distressing in many ways to hear, the clarity with which she could recall landscapes, events, peoples faces, poetry and music from her youth brought her much joy and became brighter and more vivid as the every day present retreated.. When music that has meant so much and moved one so deeply is so ingrained with ones youth its hardly surprising people revel in and cherish its memory as they get older.



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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2018 at 14:22
Originally posted by Mortte Mortte wrote:

^I am just thinking it´s only great when younger people find prog!

But on the other hand I think we have more common than difference, I wasn´t also there (I am "only" 45 years old). I think also most young people just don´t want to listen 20st century music, but I believe there always going to be ones who want.

Yes, it's just sad that the already tiny younger audience is getting even smaller the further we progress.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2018 at 14:24
Originally posted by rogerthat rogerthat wrote:



I am only a few years older than you and was just over 20 when I got into prog rock. Keep on progging.

Oh I will my friend, I will. Thumbs Up
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2018 at 14:29
Originally posted by Jzrk Jzrk wrote:

Good for you go with the music you like no mattter when it was made
A lot of people were into the old blues and jazz greats of the 50’s in theb79’s and 80’s and beyond
And nothing worse than someone telling a young fan they don’t get it because they weren’t there
That’s a bunch of bs doesn’t matter when you heard it if you like it!

Exactly, also I think people can get very defensive with music especially if it's something that's had such an impact, it maybe comes across as patronizing when they're just being passionate.


Edited by dbeckton89 - March 03 2018 at 14:30
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2018 at 14:40
Originally posted by Cosmiclawnmower Cosmiclawnmower wrote:

Hats off to you my friend!Clap

Although I rabbit on like an old bloke, being in my mid 50's meant I was actually the annoying much younger brother / kid at school who heard this music and loved it and tried to engage with old sibblings/ kids at school who tended to scoff, look down their noses and say f*** off kid, you cant like this sort of music.. but there were older kids and friends older brothers who did encourage, make tapes for you etc.. and I guess its probably the same today. I know there are lots of young musicians and fans out there making and appreciating quality music of all genres and periods (my 22 year old son is one), a lot of respect and willingness to explore and mix it up. Any old fart who says 'you don't understand, you needed to be there' is best ignored as all the history, atmosphere, sense of age and place as well as philosophy, politics, spirituality and science of the age (if you want to see it) is contained in the ready made 'time capsules' that are, basically, any lps from any age. 

But reminiscence and nostalgia are inevitably linked with getting older and, sadly, often with neural degenerative syndromes (my mother suffered from this) and although it was distressing in many ways to hear, the clarity with which she could recall landscapes, events, peoples faces, poetry and music from her youth brought her much joy and became brighter and more vivid as the every day present retreated.. When music that has meant so much and moved one so deeply is so ingrained with ones youth its hardly surprising people revel in and cherish its memory as they get older.



Well said.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2018 at 16:48
Yeah, I would just think that most younger people who are into music at least know about prog but only a handful of them are really into it. Why? Because there's so many genres out there and unless they connect the dots from Pink Floyd or Rush(assuming they are fans of them in the first place)to the more obscure stuff they are likely to just say "oh yeah, prog, that's like Pink Floyd" and not explore any further. They might even go through their life thinking Pink Floyd and one or two other bands(probably Rush and Dream Theater)are the only prog bands out there. Prog is off most peoples radar in general though not just younger people. Typically it's something you find out about by accident or like I said before connect the dots from a well known band. However, there's probably a lot of fans of Pink Floyd, Yes, Genesis, ELP etc who never become big prog fans. I think a lot of it is how much you are into it and how much you want to explore new music.

I myself first got into prog in the eighties as a teen so I wasn't really there from the beginning(no ELP pun intended ;) )either. Sometimes I wonder how many other forty something prog fans are out there. It seems to me that there might actually be more prog fans in their twenties these days then those in my age range. I guess I'll never know for sure. 

I think ultimately it's about exposure. Some younger folks are discovering prog but they are probably finding out about it through the association it has with other genres such as prog metal or post rock.  The younger folks aren't exposed to Yes, Genesis, ELP, KC, GG etc much but they are exposed to the fringe prog and or nu prog(ie Radiohead, Muse, Umphreys, Tool, etc)and prog metal such as Haken, Between the Buried and Me, Mastodon, etc. 


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - March 04 2018 at 07:56
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 03 2018 at 18:06
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by twosteves twosteves wrote:

Yes is always looking for new ways to make money so I guess a Yes Nursing Home tour is right around the cornerLOL

That's cold!!  Funny, but cold!!  LOL
... 

Hi,

Well, at least they will have colorful clothing, and above all ... some make up to make the colors more attractive!

Well, if you know how to sue pancake, you can hide some wrinkles ... and color makes it nicer ... it's a form of Hollywood, you know?

Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 15 2018 at 12:45
I'm new to this forum. But just wanted to add that I just recently saw Steve Hackett and Carl Palmer. At 26 I was the youngest person at the shows. I also met Carl and he seemed really happy to see a younger fan. I don't mean that in a disrespectful way. I WISH I could have seen everyone in their prime! I also know of a few teens on instagram that are into prog. I do feel kind of bummed and wished the fan base was bigger. I don't want this beautiful music to disapear and prog metal/post rock just isn't the same for me. It sucks that's what younger people are into. I also wonder if one's location comes into play. I have never known anyone that was into prog and found out about it through Crimson. I have heard prog was really big in Philadelphia. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 15 2018 at 21:13
I have 5 kids, all have grown up listening to mom & dad's music (prog, electronic, krautrock, jazz, fusion, classic rock, classical, you name it).

We started taking them to shows as they got a little older... my kids have seen Magma, Jean-Michel Jarre, King Crimson, Stick Men, Steve Hackett... we're all going to see Jarre again in April.

Three of the five show some dedication to the cause.  My oldest daughter (24) typically likes more mainstream stuff, but she was pretty blown away by Magma's show.

My second oldest girl (22), after seeing King Crimson's 2014 show, exclaimed directly after the closing encore of 21st Century Schizoid Man, "I don't think I'll ever get over how good that was."

My son, who is 17, is a full-fledged prog-head, and it's been fun to see him open his ears to new things.  His first ever concert was Magma.  Then Stick Men, then JMJ, then KC... but his favorite band is Ayreon, and he's really starting to get into Rush a lot now too.

My two younger daughters are unimpressed, and I have to listen to Panic at the Disco, 21 Pilots, and various other pop artists when it's their turn at the stereo.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 15 2018 at 23:17
^You have a great family! From your post came into my mind that near my home village there is small town, where few years ago young guys (about 20 years or so old) founded Zeuhl-group called Dai Kaht. They´ve released one album, haven´t seen them played yet live, but I have seen clips from the internet and they´re really good! Anyway I was in a Magma gig and recocnized one of the player of Dai Kaht. He was there with his parents and what is funny, those parents were sixties-seventies music lovers, but not haven´t listened much prog that time. They said to me even King Crimson wasn´t known in Finland that time at least in their hometown. So their son has started to listen prog and introduced also his parents to it!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2018 at 16:58
Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:

Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

All fan bases are getting older.......

This is correct, and the dr beat me to it! Wink

I'd say overall, appreciation for classic 70's progressive rock is less and less for the younger crowd. I was 20 when I got into Yes, and I just turned 30 this year. It was cool amongst my college friends and bandmates to hit up the record stores and scoop up the back catalogs of all these killer bands!

Now when I ask peers if they like progressive music, they almost always assume/link me to some sub-par extreme djent-core stuff.


Agree, I was 20 when I got into Yes, but I just turned 66 this year Cry
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 18 2018 at 06:00
I think I'm one of the younger members of this forum (turning 19 in a few days) and I agree with the fact that prog audience might be getting older. While new younger fans may pop up from time to time I still don't know any real-life friends or acquaintances who listen to it. Been trying to get my best friend into it and I'm still waiting for the how it turns out. 

As people above me said there's just so much oversaturation of music nowadays, that even though you can discover any type of music anytime, the chance of ending up listen to prog is very very slim. I think newer and younger fans of prog are more getting into it by following youtubers or suggestions from friends. And this type of spread won't really expand their audience that much.
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