He's over 30. that's good enough for me.

I veto thios honorary member thing. The guy is 31 so still has to sit out a further 4 years. If we let him in we might as well let Dismaleuphony and other 31 year olds in.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.10.2009 at 04:06

we might as well let Dismaleuphony in.

Oh for the love of all that is holy, we wouldn't want that!

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.10.2009 at 04:06

I veto thios honorary member thing. The guy is 31 so still has to sit out a further 4 years. If we let him in we might as well let Dismaleuphony and other 31 year olds in.

You EVIL old fart, you're gonna make me cry.
A bit more seriously, I'm sitting under the porch right now, beer in hand... Won't you join us?

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.10.2009 at 04:06

I veto thios honorary member thing. The guy is 31 so still has to sit out a further 4 years. If we let him in we might as well let Dismaleuphony and other 31 year olds in.

Come on Marcel, the post that earned him honourary membership is every bit as curmudgeonly as anything I've seen from you. It was the quality of his grumpy old guy attitude that spurred me to offer him that. He may be 31 chronologically, but that post shows the attitude of a 73 year old.

Written by Derwood on 24.10.2009 at 20:53

Come on Marcel, the post that earned him honourary membership is every bit as curmudgeonly as anything I've seen from you. It was the quality of his grumpy old guy attitude that spurred me to offer him that. He may be 31 chronologically, but that post shows the attitude of a 73 year old.

And I thought I was - relatively - neutral. But maybe saying Amon Amarth instead of Edge Of Sanity might have made me sound younger
But yeah I was grumpy as the stupid debate was boring me to no end

Written by Irritable Ted on 24.10.2009 at 22:20

I have no idea what he was on about, so he must be getting senile and thats good enough to join the ranks of the "Learned Ones" isn't it?

you'll find it all here

So hello everybody. It was nice to read a few stories from you folks here.

I started listening to hard rock and metal in 1983 or so, when a friend gave me his Maiden LPs for religious reasons and other friends supported me with Priest and Accept tapes. Else in the eighties I recorded stuff from from the few hard rock radio shows. Concertwise until the year 2000 I only saw a handful shows like from Deep Purple in 1985, Metallica and Manowar.

It were Nightwish around the year 2000 who opened my eyes for the various metal genres. I went to metal nights in clubs and from 2002 onward going to metal shows of all sizes became part of my lifestyle. Since then metal T-shirts and hoodies have been part of my everyday clothing, as aviation and space related T-shirts used to be in the nineties.

I have always sought for an individualistic approach to life and for the time being I've found my spiritual home in metal. I cherish the friends I've made here and travelling to metal concerts has simply become an alternative form of tourism for me.

However I think since 2006 I'm done with huge multiday open air festivals. I'm ready to listen to metal 12 hours nonstop on a festival, but then I want my sleep. The small and intimate club shows are my favourites anyway. So like Hanna said, I'm still learning a lot ...

Welcome to the club, albatros. Pull up a rocking chair on the porch with the rest of us and join us in yelling obscenities at the kids who keep walking on the lawn.

Written by albatros on 25.10.2009 at 23:20

Concertwise until the year 2000 I only saw a handful shows like from Deep Purple in 1985, Metallica and Manowar.

How was Deep Purple in 85? Was that the Perfect Strangers tour?

Sniff Purple in 1985... I missed them because it was sold out.

I think it was the tour supporting the album after Perfect Strangers though.


But, to get back to pensioners' problems. Do you guys also have the problem that T-shirt-wise you have grown a couple of sizes.
Whereas when I started buying shirts in 1983 I could still fit into a Medium and a little later a Large I now will actually have to go for XXL. A XL is even too tight most of the times. Although it does fit around the shoulders it does accentuate the biceps that have descented towards my waste due to gravity.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 30.10.2009 at 19:25

But, to get back to pensioners' problems. Do you guys also have the problem that T-shirt-wise you have grown a couple of sizes.
Whereas when I started buying shirts in 1983 I could still fit into a Medium and a little later a Large I now will actually have to go for XXL. A XL is even too tight most of the times. Although it does fit around the shoulders it does accentuate the biceps that have descented towards my waste due to gravity.

You're a scrawny one, Marcel. I needed XL by the time I was 13. If I'm going to wear it in public these days, it's a XXXL for the sake of decency, and it's not often I can find those. Occasionally I find an XXL that fits, but not often.

My biceps haven't started drooping, but I do have trouble remembering what my feet look like.

LOL - I do sympathise with you all.

I have a similar problem - although I do have the excuse of having had several children to account for my shape .

But I always think that in the event of nuclear holocaust we will last longer ( assuming we are not fried of course ) as we have more food reserves in our bodies to fall back on

Written by Derwood on 30.10.2009 at 03:37

How was Deep Purple in 85? Was that the Perfect Strangers tour?

Must have been. We played "Perfect Strangers" all the time from cassette tapes. It was in summer, I did my compulsory military service and I had hitchhiked from my barracks to the concert. I don't remember any song from the setlist of the concert though, except "Smoke On The Water". I had no idea what a rock concert was about. I had only been to Jethro Tull before, in 1984 in Munich. The venue was the Zeppelinfeld in Nuremberg, a stadium like a minor airport. Only a small part of it held the couple 10000 visitors and somewhere in the rear of the unused major part of the field some folks played some American sports, don't remember what, maybe American Football or what. I thought, that was pretty decadent. My friends brought cheap wine in canisters and we all had made ourselves comfortable somewhere on the steep tribune. It was great to see the famous band play, but we were too far away so I wasn't really impressed by the musical experience. It was just great to be in the open with my friends and listen to some good music. I never owned Deep Purple LPs, I just had copied cassette tapes, which was good enough for me.

PS: ... and thanks for the welcome :-)

Written by hanna of steel on 31.10.2009 at 12:31

...

But I always think that in the event of nuclear holocaust we will last longer

...

Amen to that (from a similar afflicted)

I always resented the nuclear holocaust because I don't have much of a belly.

I don't have so many memories about my metal career before 2000 ...

1992 I went to see Manowar near Frankfurt. I was still an unexperienced concertgoer and to see those walrusses live was sheer adventure to me. I readily drank beer after beer when suddenly there were tumultous scenes at the bar after a fan cried out: "The beer here is free of alcohol !!!" The concert was very enjoyable, though and I liked the Intro from tape, which was "Crown And The Ring".

So are we all a bunch of crotchety grumps who insist we are always right?

I remember seeing a sign once that said "Once I thought I was wrong but I was mistaken." I've taken it as my motto.

Actually, until joining up here, I considered myself young. (sort of). I was wrong.

But you are right, apart from that I am always right. Always.

If you're all crochety now I don't know what you will be like when you reach 50 and start getting junk mail about " funeral plans "

So , what is it that makes you angry ?

My favourite rant is against people who don't do the job they are supposed to do - helplines etc
I won't go into detail , I'm sure you all know what I mean ...

Written by hanna of steel on 12.11.2009 at 12:09

If you're all crochety now I don't know what you will be like when you reach 50 and start getting junk mail about " funeral plans "

So , what is it that makes you angry ?

My favourite rant is against people who don't do the job they are supposed to do - helplines etc
I won't go into detail , I'm sure you all know what I mean ...

If I'm already going off on such rants on a daily basis, is that a bad sign?

Written by hanna of steel on 12.11.2009 at 12:09

If you're all crochety now I don't know what you will be like when you reach 50 and start getting junk mail about " funeral plans "

You're kidding right? Do you really get that kind of targeted junk mail in the UK... how utterly depressing, not to mention tasteless.

Written by Jan on 12.11.2009 at 13:14

Written by hanna of steel on 12.11.2009 at 12:09

If you're all crochety now I don't know what you will be like when you reach 50 and start getting junk mail about " funeral plans "

You're kidding right? Do you really get that kind of targeted junk mail in the UK... how utterly depressing, not to mention tasteless.

No , I'm not joking - we really do get junk mail like that .

It's either funeral plans , will writing or "herbal" medicine to cure arthritis , rheumatism etc

Oh , and once in a while we get things about computer courses for "silver surfers" - did you know you can store pics of your grandchildren on your computer LOL

My recycling bin is full of junk like that .


Oh , and I have to mention it's Neil Young's birthday today - 64 years young

Written by hanna of steel on 12.11.2009 at 12:09

If you're all crochety now I don't know what you will be like when you reach 50 and start getting junk mail about " funeral plans "

So , what is it that makes you angry ?

My favourite rant is against people who don't do the job they are supposed to do - helplines etc
I won't go into detail , I'm sure you all know what I mean ...

That's something I've been doing for years...among loads of other things. Actually my girl friend calls me a grumpy old man

Written by GT on 12.11.2009 at 21:45

That's something I've been doing for years...among loads of other things. Actually my girl friend calls me a grumpy old man

She calls you 'Marcel'?

Written by Darkside Momo on 12.11.2009 at 21:59

Written by GT on 12.11.2009 at 21:45

That's something I've been doing for years...among loads of other things. Actually my girl friend calls me a grumpy old man

She calls you 'Marcel'?

haha that just made my evening

No... but what the hell are the kids doing in the grown-ups' room? Get the hell out before I hit you with my cane or zimmerframe.

Hmmm..... maybe we should have a grumpiness test - anyone over 30 is eligible to take it and if they are grumpy enough they are allowed in ?

Oh , I just realised that GT is only 27 - so that does not apply to him anyway

Bring on the test! (sitting in the sofa in 'too old to get up' mode ;P)

Written by Irritable Ted on 13.11.2009 at 01:28

Written by Darkside Momo on 12.11.2009 at 23:54

Bring on the test! (sitting in the sofa in 'too old to get up' mode ;P)

Why do we suddenly get grumpy in our 30's? Is it something we ate? Or drunk? I reckon it must be something in red wine, you don't drink it when you are young and suddenly get the taste for it when you hit 30. Either that or cheese.

There might be something true in what you say... While I'm still not fond of red wine, I however like cheese a lot more. A few years ago I couldn't eat roquefort or any other blue cheese, but now I really like them.
So maybe it's in the cheese

Written by Irritable Ted on 13.11.2009 at 01:28

I reckon it must be something in red wine, you don't drink it when you are young and suddenly get the taste for it when you hit 30. Either that or cheese.

Okay, then I must be weird or something cause I having been loving red wine since I was 18. And smelly cheesy and non-smelly cheese, and stuff like Roquefort since I was 3 (according to my parents)

Written by Irritable Ted on 13.11.2009 at 01:58

I think this explains everything, it is true, cheese is the cause of grumpiness! Our test patient Marcel is the epitome of the walking stick waving old git (no offense). So eating cheese before bedtime not only gives you nightmares, it turns you in to Marcel.

Shit, no wonder Marcel and I get on well, it's all the cheese!

We may actually be on to something here. Cheese is known to cause constipation...

Wow - Marcel has been a bitter old dude since he was 3


I have the same experience with cheese - when younger, I only liked the mild stuff - now, I happily munch old matured blue cheeses.

I did not know it made me grumpy though... perhaps I will have to cut back - or investigate whether scotch works as an antidote