I am fortunate enough to go to my fair share of gigs. This has been the case for most of my adult life. Just lately there seems to be a breed of parent who take their kids to gigs. I’m not talking about family-themed picnic/gigs in the park type events but rock concerts. I don’t have any children but I’m sure that if I did, I wouldn’t feel the urge to take them to see the likes of Motorhead, The Cult and The Manic Street Preachers – well, at least not until they’re old enough to drive me there!
The first time I noticed a little ‘un at a concert was at a Motorhead gig. The poor lad was about 9, looked bored stiff throughout the entire support act and then actually SLEPT when Lemmy and the lads took to the stage, being carried out by his somewhat bewildered dad at the end of the night. Similarly, at a Cult gig, a guy had his daughter with him and she looked none too impressed at the thunderous guitars and Ian Astbury’s wailing (which I love, by the way!). And just this last week at a Manics concert, two kiddies standing near us with their parents – on a school night – looked dead on their feet as James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire made our ears bleed.
It’s not just the volume and lateness but more the interaction between band and fans. All of the 3 acts mentioned above spattered their sets with their fair share of bad language – all in good humour and aimed at an adult crowd, It just makes me feel uneasy at little innocent ears hearing, via a fifty million watt PA system, words which they really needn’t know until a bit later in life.
I’m also uneasy about how some children are allowed to dress. Yes, clothing manufacturers are partly to blame, but seeing pretty little girls wearing hot-pants and crop-tops in the summer is just very, very wrong. In the States, junior beauty pageants are a multi-million dollar industry – children as young as 5 plastered in make-up, their hair dyed and piled up high, teetering on a catwalk in kitten heels. It’s just vulgar.
We all grow up eventually (or so I’m told!) Just let nature and time take their course.
Interesting take Deev's. I think you're right overall about children growing up too fast.
ReplyDeleteI think some of the gig issue though is about parents wanting their kids to see certain bands while they are still around.
I've seen KISS and Rush recently were there were a good proportion of under 16's there, but especially at KISS where it was clear they loved it as much if not more than the parents.
But I'm sure there are a few parents out there who are trying a bit too hard to sell their music to their kids.
A