Lauren Laverne is a slightly divisive character and seems to annoy lots of people, not in a Jeremy Clarkson or Simon Cowell kind of way but more in a Zane Lowe way in that I think most people are quite jealous of their jobs and so get all a bit bitchy. I always think that is a terribly unfair way to treat people who’ve done nothing but tirelessly promote music but that’s folk for you. What it does mean is that her voice probably isn’t given the weight it deserves, she’s rarely the first one to be quoted in pop culture debates (unless it’s an early evening BBC3 documentary). So when last week she wrote an excellent piece for the Guardian I thought it was worth sharing further, so here it is, go read it.
Good eh? For those that didn’t bother it makes an excellent case that those of advancing age, in particular those over 40, shouldn’t be excluded or made to feel outsiders at music events. As someone fast approaching that age, as in indeed is Laverne, it’s partly a view born from self interest, I don’t want to stop going to things just because I’m old and falling apart. But that aside it’s a good point anyway, there is no reason parts of culture should be off limits to anyone, for any reason. You wouldn’t make a comment suggesting a women or a gay guy shouldn’t be at a gig, so you shouldn’t do the same just because a 55 year old civil servant wants to use his free time to get drunk and dance very badly to painfully hip indie electro. If you like the music you should be able to enjoy it without ridicule or insult. This is even more so in the modern music scene when half the world’s top DJs and musicians are well over 35 with a not insignificant portion of the biggest names in music being at least in their 60s. Music may once have been the preserve of the youth but no longer. So next time you see someone of an older generation at a gig don’t make a joke or sneer at them, instead be happy the music you like has such a diverse fanbase.
There is also a larger point outside of music to be made too. As Laverne points out you can enjoy literature at any age and can, of course, enjoy music just the same. You wouldn’t ostracize someone for owning lots of books at 60 so don’t have a go if it’s lots of mp3s instead. But her analogy could be used for many things beyond music too – if older people want to play video games, watch cartoons, dress up in silly costumes, learn to DJ, start a band, start playing a sport, go to university, learn to drive or do anything else that was once considered “childish” or “for those under 30” then they should not only be allowed to but be encouraged to do so. Have fun and enjoy what you want, and celebrate it when others join in, no matter how old – I want to be going to gigs, playing board games and reading Harry Potter to the day I die (aged 157 in my countryside mansion in the loving embrace of my sixth wife). Fun things shouldn’t be stopped due to some bizarre and outdated social convention. Life should be about embracing the things you love to the fullest extent you can, and life doesn’t end when your twenties do, so neither should they.
