While my mum (56, likes Rod Stewart) and dad (59, into Jimi Hendrix) think that my band's music could be more melodic and that our singer should enunciate more, they ALWAYS come along when we play in Newcastle. I think they just enjoy the social aspect of it, getting pissed with the young people, though they always say it is great. They are great.

My parents have always been incredibly supportive of my music, even if they don't like it. They're not too keen on the band I'm in just now, but they listened the fuck out of my old band.

My parents were real supportive of my band, back when I actually had a band (about 10 years ago). They paid for some studio time back when I was 16 or so, let me use their van a lot, and let me use the garage as a practice room.

I'm not completely sure whether they thought the music was any good, though. We were real "garage-y."

My dad, however, started getting into the music I like in a big way, which was a but unexpected for a 55-year-old Dylan and Paul Simon fan.

Back when I was 16 or so, he was always borrowing my Big Black and Sonic Youth albums. He liked The Hammer Party a lot, especially Cables.

One day in the summer of 1998, we were sitting around with nothing to do, and my Mom was out of town on business. We heard on the radio that Sonic Youth was playing in Detroit, and we both jumped in the car spontaneously and just went. Sonic Youth's set was not too good, it was right after their instruments had been stolen and they only played 1000 Leaves in its entirety - no old songs.

At that show, however, we discovered The Ex, who was opening, and they blew Sonic Youth off the goddamned stage. We had never heard of them before, and they made a hell of an impression on us, playing mostly material from Starters Alternators. My dad thought it was awesome, and I started collecting their records as fast as I could find them.

my dad came to a show once. after we played, he asked me what the hell we did. he just couldn't understand it. he loves showtunes, musicals, classical, opera. never understood the whole rock thing. he's told me before he doesn't think rock music will last very long.

he's basically clueless.

my mom likes my band, but she's my mom. i don't trust that opinion. she loves journey. she once told me that if she didn't have kids, she would have been a groupie for journey. she keeps trying to get me into them. it's not going to happen.

My parents came to 2 shows in my rock band career. Once at big ol' ballroom because they used to dance there when they were teenagers back in olden times. Their car got towed.

Then they came to the last show we played. My mom sold a good deal of merch, too.

I have no read on what they thought of the music itself. They CAN'T have enjoyed it. Never understood the volume aspect, and I'm told we were fairly loud.

my dad never acted like he gave a crap. i think he heard one of our singles. but it was so abrasive and punky/metally, so far outside his understanding of music, that he just could not relate. (Both my parents are in their mid to late 60s)

My mom, on the other hand, was always quite proud of her son in a band. She drove up to Boston to see us play one of the bigger shows we did - the "WBCN Rock and Roll Rumble" at the Paradise Theatre. I sort of told her it would be a good show for her to come to. The set was shorter, the other bands were likely better than our average bill-mates, and the sound was good. I just couldn't see her coming out for one of our regular Thursday night sets at Bunrattys, or Sunday night at the Rat. So she came and sat with my girlfriend in a booth at the back of the room.

She said she oved it. She tried to psychoanayze me - "I know why you like it. The volume, you can feel the music, like watching fireworks close up, you can feel the sound on your body" She was desperately trying to relate. Which was cute.

Oh, we lost the "Competition" Because we sucked. We always sucked. But we were fucking loud.

cesb wrote:My mom sold a good deal of merch, too.

Oh yeah!

I'm still waiting for the time my parents accept my choice in life, music. I don't think they'll ever come 'round, but, ultimately, it doesn't matter.

My parents have always been really supportive of my brother and me. They have a copy of every record although I don't think they actually listen to them much. They have seen us play only once, it was about 13 years ago. I don't hold this against them because we still (going on 15 years now) practice at their house. I guess, in a way, they get to hear us play live about once a week. I think they like what we do although I think my dad secretly wishes we sounded a bit more like The Carter Family.

Jon

Boombats wrote:

cesb wrote:My mom sold a good deal of merch, too.

Oh yeah!

No sir...