You’ll probably get the reference if you’re of a certain age; if not, don’t worry. I’ll still let you read on…
So, this will be all about music, which is probably no surprise as most of my blogs reference it in some way, shape or form.
It’s definitely safe to say that music is my ‘thing.’ It’s been a constant presence throughout my fifty years, and I am pretty sure it will continue to be the biggest part of my life. If you follow me on Twitter/X, you’ll know that I regularly spurt out a load of tweets that relate to what I am listening to at that particular time. And it can be pretty varied!
My first musical memories are around my Mum and Nan, both always having the radio on when I was a kid. Music always filled the house. My Nan, my Mum’s Mum, had a really eclectic taste. She absolutely loved Boy George. I remember her buying a culture club single with a poster in it. She was definitely a cool Nan. She also was convinced that I got my love of music from her husband, who loved big band music. He died when I was two, and my last time seeing him is my first memory.
Mum was a mod, so her music was all about The Who and The Beatles. I remember a lot of conversations about Roger Daltry in our house! Dad was harder to pin down. He definitely liked to play the 1812 Overture at ear-splitting volumes; I remember shitting myself every time the cannons went off. But he also had a lot of love for ZZ Top!
My first record was Kings of the Wild Frontier, Adam and the Ants, if you don’t know ready… I drove my parents insane with that record (this theme seems to run on and on even to this day!) I absolutely fell in love with him, and the title track was everything. So much so that at junior school, I had percussion lessons. To this day, I regret not keeping that on because I am prime drummer material.
In my younger years, I moved around genres a little, mostly sticking to the ‘alternative’ side of what was popular then. However, I will admit to a massive love of Aha and flirting with Bros for a while (I don’t know if that was peer pressure or what – because that really didn’t fit the form!)
In the later 80s, my tastes moved even more to the alternative end of life. I moved into the metal scene and ended up on the thrash end of the spectrum. I remember the move there, and it happened to coincide with my mental health starting to change. The reasons why are not for now, but I remember the angst of people like Slayer, Metallica, and the other bands I was listening to, and somehow, I felt at ease with what was going on in my head. Much to the dismay of my parents.
I remember sending my Mum crazy when I was revising for my GCSEs, having Metallica’s And Justice for All album on at full blast, and Mum not entirely understanding how I could take anything in with that racket on… Turns out that could be an ADHD thing!
What is also interesting is that I am very much a musical cleptomaniac. I pick up on different artists depending on who I am with at the time. The music changed as partners changed, but ultimately, I always come back to what I know well – usually either metal or 80s.
Not much of a contradiction, eh?
Music has the power to take us places. I have a playlist on Spotify that reminds me of the people I’ve loved and lost. Perhaps not the best thing to have, but every now and then, I listen to it and cry my eyes out. Full-on snotty crying and the reason for that is that it actually helps.
I also have a 145bpm playlist that helps me work. It keeps me focused enough to get on with my day.
I have others that remind me of the tunes I loved when I lived in certain places. The list goes on.
These days, I listen to a much broader range of things than I ever did, with some old-school rap cropping up and a fair bit of African stuff, to odd bits of German music such as Danger Dan… The only thing that I really don’t like is all that manufactured crap, you know the stuff. But in all fairness, I’ll listen to most things once!
I guess the point of this blog is that music has the power to heal my soul.
When times are tough like they are now, I blast out some music, and I can take myself to another place. It allows me to connect to other people and remember people, and it has even been known to be the catalyst for new relationships.
I always said I never wanted to lose my hearing; the irony is that I am. It’s not much, but my years of working gigs at Sheffield Hallam Uni sans earplugs probably have done me some damage. But I’d never change my experiences; some of my best music memories were shared with my uni friends and are tales that are still told today.
Now, did you get the title reference? No? Have a listen here to the 12-inch version…
Not Middle Aged 