This is inspired by the peak metal years thread. Not so much a 'post your band thread' but more of an interest in whether a group of people who are mostly in various shades of middle age are still playing in bands or writing music or not.
During the peak MI years it felt like the majority of the forum was in a band, and I recognize a lot of names here as people who were in bands at the time. Do you still play in bands or solo? Or do you plan to at some point if possible once life isn't so much in the way? Have any of you decided to just leave the playing aspect of it at this point? Doesn't have to be metal, any music activity at all.
For myself I've been in an alt-funk band for the last 10yrs (think Primus/Faith No more), am working on a post-punk project, and did a bit of synthwave over covid. So I'm still very much active and can't see that changing. My metal days may be over however. That said, if a great opportunity came up with the right people I could definitely be interested (the right opportunity being something really fun locally).
I sometimes get some paranoia about being a bit older in the local scene, but it's all in my head. There's tons of older folks along with all the kids in the local scene here and everyone is accepted. I play on regardless!
Also interesting, how was your live playing life back then compared to now?
As I mentioned in the other thread, I've a new album nearly done. Industrial/noise sort of stuff but with actual songs, at least to my ear. Maybe a mix of old Current 93, Trepaneringsritualen and electronic Beherit. I've the next project coming together in my head now as well. Living in Aus, I've made friends with some of the older metal heads here but they've all retired from activity and I'm not arsed getting involved in the active scene here. I just don't have the time or energy. I'm happy (for now at least) to keep ploughing away at my own stuff and I'm loving slowly figuring out the recording gear. Figuring out how to transfer the files back and forth will be the next thing to further enhance collaboration with old allies, but I need to upgrade my software for that. As for gigs, I haven't felt the urge since leaving Malthusian in 2018, but I'd never rule it out entirely. I have always preferred the creative side than the gigging side, but it can have its place.
I don't know what software you're using now but Reaper is free and is a full DAW. I've been using it for years. Very easy to export your project as stems if you need to send it on to someone, and also easy to import stems and music files into your own project.
Edit: How did you ingratiate yourself with the older metal heads in Aus? Just meeting them at gigs or what?
I haven't gigged in almost 10 years but am probably more musically active than I have ever been.
When I moved to South Tipp, almost 20 years ago, I was playing with Acrid Nebula and was commuting to Dublin at least once per week for practices, maybe more if we were gigging. By the time I did a year with TTOW, I was fucking sick of spending 4 hours driving for a four practice where, if you were lucky, you'd play music for maybe 2 hours and finished with them, and any urge to go to Dublin again, in 2016. Young me didn't mind all that driving, in the beginning, but I lost the grá for all that time in the car, the associated expense, and now that I'm in my 50's I have fuck all interest in driving and all the shite that comes with being in bands, despite the craic.
There is very little scope for original bands down this way but where you lose opportunities, you win in other ways. Living in the sticks has enabled me to set up a recording studio in one of the bedrooms, have a drum kit permanently set up and mic'd and can crank amps as the neighbours are far enough away to be out of earshot. I'm a few weeks away from finishing the fourth Homeball album, mostly rock but with the opportunity for weirdness as desired, and I've a couple of Metal albums I'm trying to finish this year too. One is a doom band I was in during the early to mid 90's which died before we got to record, I've recorded our songs from that time and the guitarist will come over from England to record his stuff during the year. The other one is more speed/thrash influenced stuff which I wrote after Acrid Nebula shit the bed and died about 15 years ago. I've all the music recorded, a full album, just need to finish the lyrics and get the vocals done. After that, I've a pile of other stuff in various stages of completion, just need to find the time and get it all done. Better than watching telly anyway :laugh: :abbath:
Ya as I said in the other thread, still active and it occupies a large amount of my waking thought. I took 5 years approx out from gigging, with the recent rotting christ shows as my return, and I felt like I was coming back alive if Im honest!
Had alot in the way for the aforementioned 5ish years, moving across the country, shitty work schedules, going to college at last & the associated lack of money, poor mental health etc. But I really cant see a break like that happening again, I did it out of necessity rather than choice. The entire time without playing in a band on the regular, I felt kinda, lost? So much of my personal identity over the years was tied to music, between performing, writing and earning a living with instrument repairs. When the rug got pulled and I took a step back, it was awful.
Currently, Im still in university on the way to a lvl 10 degree and a very exciting career, but in terms of vocational fulfillment nothing will ever touch writing riffs, lyrics (a recent passion of mine), and just grinding out hours playing tunes with your best mates in the jam room!
Oddly enough I quite enjoy the long commute that killed it for some of ye, for now at least, 2hrs on the motorway to contemplate, listen to tunes, enjoy silence or even an audiobook is nice!
Not done anything since Acrid Nebula ended almost 15 years ago. Had kids in the interim and now that I'm mid 40s I can't ever see myself getting back into anything (the drive from Mullingar to Dublin every weekend is beyond off-putting now).
Frankly I also don't know if I'd be able to dedicate enough time or energy to a project either. I'm 5 nights a week chauffeuring kids to their activities so I'd need to have a band dedicated to driving to rehearse in my own garage and that's not bloody likely to happen down this neck of the woods!
I've been working on a traditional HM project the past year or so which has been creatively very exciting, was/am still hoping for it to become a proper band but that is proving a bit more difficult than expected.
Was hoping to have a demo out and be gigging by this summer but that would be ambitious, but still work goes on :abbath:.
Would love to get back playing even a couple of times a year.
Two young kids at home rules out the regular gigging. I wished I had done more when I was younger and not tired all the bastard time! :laugh:
Quote from: Mooncat on January 19, 2026, 08:44:39 PMEdit: How did you ingratiate yourself with the older metal heads in Aus? Just meeting them at gigs or what?
Darrah put me in touch with Ryan Marauder when I came over and I got to know some of the heads through him. I seldom go out to gigs and haven't bothered joining a local forum so I'm otherwise out of touch with what's going on here.
I was in a band years ago and it fizzled out.
During one of the lockdowns the guitar player sent me music and asked me to write lyrics and sing over it as a once off.
About 3 years ago we went back at and have continued to do so.
2 eps recorded and released digitally to little or no fanfare. the next one we are
currently writing should be called just that.
Still it's more than just fun, it allows us to make noise whilst having some form of creativity.
For health reasons, unfortunately, my band days are likely behind me. That said, this has also allowed me much more time to do my own stuff from the bottom up. There's a lot to be said for being responsible for it all. There is great satisfaction in that. Obviously this means you don't get that magic in the practice room when things "click". That feeling and excitement about trying it out live, it being received well....ya,, there isn't much better than that.
Doing the live thing got to be a real chore though. Outside of the 40mins on stage, most of the rest of it is hassle. I can't but miss it, however. Friends, pints, giving it welly. Ya, fuckin magic!
Glad to still be able to tip away myself and have that creative outlet. It's still class.
It's cool to go for it and try to get a band out there, get noticed, get gigs, tours and festivals. Definitely a buzz around doing that and a sense of achievement if it happens. Family life changes that for many people, I think, but having that creative outlet is such a life enriching thing. Whether that's in a band setting where you're bouncing ideas off each other or you're trying to do it all yourself, it's an adventure every time. I always find it fascinating how you begin with an idea and you end up with something which may or may not approximate that original idea. But the first idea is the catalyst to get the thing moving, I reckon. I'm really getting a lot out of doing the solo-ish thing.
At this point I will drop dead with a guitar in my hands, it's been the thing I love most in life since I was a kid, and while I've had periods where playing music has burned me out a bit, it's been the one real constant in my life. I love going in to the practice room with the lads every week and writingnin my current band. I love making stuff on my own at home. The older I get the more I want to collaborate with people on things that are a challenge to me musically, and that are outside what I usually do. Im looking forward to going full Kenny Rogers in my 60s though.
Having said that, I've reconciled myself at this point to the fact that it's highly unlikely I'll ever play in a metal (or hrdcore) band ever again, and I'm fine with that. I'd also be fine with never playing in front of an audience again too.
I always loved the songwriting side, but I think I've played a grand total three gigs in my life and that was back as a teenager. Life stuff got in the way and never felt the urge to join up with a band and make a go of things after that
The last while though myself and three mates will meet up a every few months, rent out a practice room for a night, and just make a load of noise with a pile of cans. No intentions of gigging, or even recording anything, just a purely social outlet and it's great
I've played one gig since we got back together.
It was brilliant but as I was helping lift an Ampeg 8x10 up the stairs in Fredz I realised that I'm more cut out for being a rock star over being a roadie.
Who needs an 8x10 upstairs in Fredz?
Apparently we do.
I believe we are playing another gig this year.
The tour that never ends.
The older I get the more hassle gigs are, particularly because venues in Dublin are an overly expensive headache to deal with for the most part, even DIY ones at this stage. It's just not worth it when you're playing to less than 30 people at this point in life. Anyhow, yeah the social aspect is as big a reason to do it as anything really. My grandad played golf as an excuse to hang out wth his mates every week or two, I play in a band for the same reason. :laugh:
Still active in a band.
We jam every week, almost without fail. Been in bands on and off since ~1990
I believe that keeping the regular jams is very important, if you let it slide, then it gets easier to make excuses NOT to go jamming.
Also, it's cool to hang out with funny bastards once a week.
I play a little with my son, great to hear him come on, keyboards and drums. I'd like to get back into it, likely a project on my own very few metal folk of my vintage knocking around these parts. I'd like to do something post punk/industrial,kinda Cop Shoot Cop with electronics. It's an idea at least...
I still plan to play for as long as I can. Been doing it for way too long at this stage. I love the writing/rehearsal side, rehearse twice a week, play guitar at home every other day.
Haven't gigged with a band since 2012 - Sometimes you remember the absolute slog at times, just the waiting around etc - but then you remember the great gigs, even the bad gigs where you are playing to 5 people could be treated as a better practice that weekend. Had a great setup big shed out the back of the guitarists house with drums/amps all setup to go every week.
Good fun and memories, part of me wishes I kept it up with a band but as time goes on, career then family comes in and your time gets stretched and priorities shift but my main interest was always the writing & creative aspect. 2013 a year later got the serious itch to go solo, write/record and that whole process is very rewarding, been doing that ever since, no plans of stopping.
And ideas can just pop into your head from nowhere - something that forms from just picking up the acoustic guitar, strumming two chords together, letting that stew & fester, figuring out the next steps to it + not knowing where it will end up is great. Or that it could form a completely different song down the line - it just never bores me. Even humming along with the chords I find that can conjure up something now and again or playing it on the keyboard. Could go 6 months without writing one song and then all of a sudden I've 5-10 within 2 weeks. With young kids now be interesting to see if they show interest when they get older.
Don't think i could ever stop playing, have been at it since a young age and don't really do anything else in life except work. I'd be lost I think
Quote from: Circlepit on January 20, 2026, 10:44:21 AMI've played one gig since we got back together.
It was brilliant but as I was helping lift an Ampeg 8x10 up the stairs in Fredz I realised that I'm more cut out for being a rock star over being a roadie.
Who needs an 8x10 upstairs in Fredz?
Apparently we do.
I believe we are playing another gig this year.
The tour that never ends.
For that reason I went digital years ago. No more hauling an amp from the car to the stage for me. For most gigs these days I show up with just my guitar and a tiny bag :laugh:
This thread has made me realise I have no idea who here is in what bands.
Probably for the best so that I haven't offended people more than normal :laugh:
Yeah, I've been playing consistently in bands since '97, but have totally fallen out of love with playing gigs the last few years, I see it as nothing but hassle, probably down to age and the pandemic. I still like jamming, the banter with the lads, and recording etc, but if we never played live again, I'd be happy with that...
I've never promoted my band here.
I couldn't take the pain.
:laugh:
You could be the new Narcotica
Quote from: Circlepit on January 20, 2026, 07:15:20 PMQuote from: Bürggermeister on January 20, 2026, 06:39:51 PM:laugh:
You could be the new Narcotica
Or Leaher Mike....
Leather Mike is hoping to form a band with David Ellefson. They have a lot of similar influences apparently :laugh:
I've played in bands for over 20 years now and can't really see myself stopping. We don't get to meet up and jam as much as we used to in any of my bands but we're all seasoned enough now to keep working away and get a few shows a year. It's always a great laugh when we do meet up and we fall back into the swing of it in a few mins. Would be nice to get more music released but these things always take time and people have family and work taking up so much of their time.
As for not loving some of the aspects, I've learned to try and enjoy the gigs even if they aren't always the best show of your life. Sure long drives and bad crowds can be a bit of a slog. I just treat them as a night out with mates and I pretty much always have a great time. As for equipment lugging around, just get the new light stuff. No real need to be dragging around mad heavy tube heads and massive cabs if you don't want to. You can get super lightweight tiny heads and light weight cabs that will get you through any gig and sound great. I barley ever take out my big amps now. It's nice to have them but they aren't a requirement like they used to be.
Anyway I plan to keep going until I can't, wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have some gigs or jamming to look forward to!
Still playing and always will. Love the process of bringing something to life. Not jamming fuck all at the minute but have a few projects I want to do start or get back to so that should be change things up a bit.
Covid def did a number on gigs. I think I played 3 gigs over 5 years or something wild like that and didn't really give a fuck about it either but I'm always on for gigging.
It's hard to beat that feeling of when something clicks and everyone is on fire and the dust is shimmering in the dingy rehearsal space.
Good bit younger than most judging by the other thread so thankfully not hit the jaded stage (enjoying it more than ever if anything) and I've no intention of stopping. Busier than ever with bands and I absolutely LOVE gigging. Couple of tours and international dates across the UK/Europe done. Playing live is The Real Thing and I definitely find that experience, both of playing and seeing others play, is essential for creating the lightning in the bottle in the jam room and on the recordings.
Don't give a shit about carrying gear, I just take it as the price of entry, and I'll usually offer to carry as much of everyone else's as I can. Band backline is always a softer job than flight cases full of old amp racks across a muddy field, no matter how much a band may bitch about it. Yeah, Fredz stairs (pr any stairs) and an 8x10 are a bit of a pain, but it's worth it and I'd do it again, for now my back is well able. It's not supposed to be easy, it's just supposed to be class, and big amps are, unfortunately, class. Leave the digital DI shit to the metalcore kids :abbath:
In general, it's fantastic for getting to meet people who have ideas you'd never even thought about before. I'd actually know/have met/worked with a decent amount of people in bands on here, some know, some don't, but don't wanna dox myself any further :laugh:
As an engineer and a musician I reckon I could pack in the engineering tomorrow but not the gigging. It's what keeps me young(ish).
I didn't jam or play the bass for almost 10 years and picked it up again 3 years ago and find myself in 3 bands now. It's a lot but its good craic and I don't know how I lived without it, even if not gigging, its nice to have the 3rd space to be creative and hangout with cool people. Has helped my mental health something serious
I've been in the same (slow and unproductive) band for 20 years now, with absolutely no plans of stopping. We're slow by design, the band has to make room for life outside the band. We played more gigs in 2025 than we have in years and it felt great and it's vindication to get a new album recorded etc.
Gigging isn't what it used to be, I'm afflicted with a lot of nostalgia for the 2000's 2010's DIY scene where there was a lot of crossover and a lot of weirdness. I've been in other bands who were more productive and shorter lived, and I'm craving writing with new people, but it all has to feel right.
I've never been strictly a metal player, anything I've done has been odd in one way or another, and I don't want to change that, but the last few years I've been dreaming of doing something in metal that merges all the stuff I love and feel I don't hear enough of, unfortunately for that to work I think it'd have to be with other people, I don't have that kind of one man band in me.
My old band recently got back together and I have to say the vibe has never been better. I don't know if it's because we're older and have copped on a bit, but we're reaching the end stage of writing our new album and it's been a great buzz throughout. Unlike the second album, where we were ready to kill each other.
I have a couple of one man band things on the go too, although I'm thinking of merging them all into one thing.
I can't imagine a time where I'm not making music of some kind. The love of writing riffs is what keeps me coming back and I've accepted that will never change. If anything I appreciate it more as I get older. It's good to have something that feels real in a world that is becoming increasingly fake and empty.
I've pivoted recently from being in two fairly active bands to just one low-activity band (album recorded and coming out later this year with some very limited local shows).
It's a relief to be honest. With work and family commitments, I was feeling increasingly stretched thin - especially with the drives into a major city, parking, dragging gear around, managing band mates' schedules. More than anything, if you want to move forward, you end up becoming a "band dad" - with other members just looking to you to set things up and fix problems, but nevertheless chasing them for their approval on things. I think I've mentioned the term "male learned helplessness" to the missus more times in recent years than I can remember. I miss the waiting around before and after shows the least, it drives me up the wall.
Slowly tapping away at a very specific death-doom solo project right now, which is great because I just write parts and record when I have time or feel inspired. It's slow going getting a handle on Reaper, but I still feel like I learn something new every time I sit down to it. Having total control is nice but yeah, now I have to be good at everything. :D
Quote from: DecyI've been in the same (slow and unproductive) band for 20 years now, with absolutely no plans of stopping.
What's up Decy! I'd never call SG slow - glad to hear you and the boys are still ripping it up.
Nice one, Lorcan. Are you recording everything yourself with this doom death project or have you a drummer, singer etc?
Quote from: Anton Arcane on January 28, 2026, 04:13:12 PMMy old band recently got back together and I have to say the vibe has never been better. I don't know if it's because we're older and have copped on a bit, but we're reaching the end stage of writing our new album and it's been a great buzz throughout. Unlike the second album, where we were ready to kill each other.
I have a couple of one man band things on the go too, although I'm thinking of merging them all into one thing.
I can't imagine a time where I'm not making music of some kind. The love of writing riffs is what keeps me coming back and I've accepted that will never change. If anything I appreciate it more as I get older. It's good to have something that feels real in a world that is becoming increasingly fake and empty.
When you say your old band, do you mean Arcane? Like with Terry and all?
Quote from: Mooncat on January 28, 2026, 08:12:09 PMWhen you say your old band, do you mean Arcane? Like with Terry and all?
Stereo Nasty... 👊
Quote from: Eoin McLove on January 28, 2026, 07:37:06 PMNice one, Lorcan. Are you recording everything yourself with this doom death project or have you a drummer, singer etc?
Hey Andy! Hope you're keeping well in Oz. It's looking like it'll be all me except drums - I have a drummer in mind as I simply cannot program drums to save my life. Glad to hear you're active and writing/recording yourself!
Sweet man. What end of the doom death spectrum are you aiming for? Retardo Goatlord goodness perhaps?? Keep dem drums fukkin minimal, baby 8)