Do you think your age when you discover a band effects how much you relate to their music and personalities? I find that all the bands I really love and connect with I discovered while I was in my teens, not that I don't like lots of new bands now, but I don't seem to get as obsessed with them, maybe with their music, but not the band.
Does your age effect your obsession?
- Thread starter Dub
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I think the reason there aren't any other bands I'm becoming obsessed with is because U2 is such a big obsession that there isn't room for anymore. 
Though...there aren't any newer artists that I'd care to become obsessed with so far.
Though...there aren't any newer artists that I'd care to become obsessed with so far.
Laura M
Blue Crack Addict
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im obsessed with u2 and queen and 70's abnds- bands who were formed before i was born but i like new bands everyday- im obsessed with u2 but started liking them when i was 11- age is irrelevant imo
u2elevatejo
The Fly
PASSION, PASSION - I've spent years convincing my Dad that I have a passion NOT obsession for U2.
lol It all started when I was 11 too. Guess your obsession can start at any age really. I think when you're a teenager you have more time to be obsessed with bands, life cuts in when you hit 20!
But I'm not 20 yet...
Jo
lol It all started when I was 11 too. Guess your obsession can start at any age really. I think when you're a teenager you have more time to be obsessed with bands, life cuts in when you hit 20!
But I'm not 20 yet...
Jo
Tech
War Child
I agree, it's a passion!!! I'm just glad that my "passion" started in my early 20's!! I can just imagine being a teenager with so much time on my hands
As much as I love music and other bands, for some reason U2 just is a great passion, obsession or whatever you like to call it that I like having, though it would be very hard and leave me with no $ if I became "obsessed" or even "passionate" for another band
As much as I love music and other bands, for some reason U2 just is a great passion, obsession or whatever you like to call it that I like having, though it would be very hard and leave me with no $ if I became "obsessed" or even "passionate" for another band
Definitely it's a passion! I guess what I was trying to get at is I "discovered" U2 when I was about 12 years old, they came along like magic and all of a sudden my whole life was illuminated and I felt like I wasn't alone in this world with the feelings and thoughts I had, that someone else understood how I looked at the world and what my purpose could be in life. What I don't know is if I would have had that same type of "revelation" had I discovered them later on when I was perhaps not so impressionable or honest with my feelings. Maybe now I am just a jaded, sceptical adult, but everytime I hear U2 it brings me right back to age 12 and that absolutely wonderous epiphany, that's just one reason why I think U2 is the best, that they can still arouse that kind of emotion. When I stray too far from my path in life, all I need to do is listen to them and it puts me back where I should be.
GypsyHeartgirl
POP for GIRLS
u2elevatejo said:
Not always! I didn't discover U2 until I was 20- but that was because that was in 1981 and when they first hit here LOL! In the 70's as a teenager I was obsessed with the Who and Paul McCartney but also liked other 70's bands. There are newer bands I've liked too, but I just never got that deep emotional feeling for anyone that I have for U2. Maybe because they're my age, maybe because they're so special, or magic, or Bono's magnetism, I don't know. But I have never felt the connection with anyone that I have for U2. That's why I feel so strongly about everything concerning them.
zooropamanda
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
i find this really itneresting actually. i'd like to hear from more older fans that have been following the band since the early 80's.
does the passion wear off?
will i ever stop talking about u2 to friends and family?
will i ever take down my u2 posters?
one of my friends came to stay the other week and said to me "gee i must be getting old, id never think to have posters in my room."
does the passion wear off?
will i ever stop talking about u2 to friends and family?
will i ever take down my u2 posters?
one of my friends came to stay the other week and said to me "gee i must be getting old, id never think to have posters in my room."
I'm almost 30 and I have posters all over my room.
LarryMullen's POPAngel
Blue Crack Distributor
I'm obsessed with ALL music
I was just telling my mom today that I'll be like that when I'm 40!!!
Sicy said:
I was just telling my mom today that I'll be like that when I'm 40!!!
adamswildhoney
ONE love, blood, life
Age does affect my "obbesion" but I do find that i like a lot of older bands vs the newer ones bc the newer ones are just lacking something i dont know what it is tho. I have always like to for as long as i can remember but i like them more now bc i know what they stand for, but years ago i just like U2 bc i thought adam was cute(psst I still do)
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Dub said:
although i think it's mostly because there are good bands out now, but nothing worth obsessing over bands that started hitting it big 10+ years ago.but, i'm still in my teens (almost) so i can't really talk.
follower
Refugee
zooropamanda said:
So I might be a canditate to enlighten you, LOL. My answers...
No way, it only gets worse...and people start thinking you?re being childish all the time, LOL
I seriously doub it Amanda, even though they tend to
all the timeWell...I was "gently" invited to transfer mine to my daughter?s bedroom...but they are still there and I feel proud of both...my posters and my daughter, LOL
btw...I love U2. 17 years of passion, in fact. Another thing I?m proud of.
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HelloAngel
ONE love, blood, life
Great topic, btw.
My passion was affected more by whatever age I was, because in your teens you are more likely to develop intense fixations on things - some last (U2) some don't (Backstreet Boys).
I no longer am at the mercy of my emotions as I was when I was a teen, so while I fervently discover new bands and music all the time, I tend not to fixate on them.
It's a more measured attachment as I've grown older.
My passion was affected more by whatever age I was, because in your teens you are more likely to develop intense fixations on things - some last (U2) some don't (Backstreet Boys).
I no longer am at the mercy of my emotions as I was when I was a teen, so while I fervently discover new bands and music all the time, I tend not to fixate on them.
It's a more measured attachment as I've grown older.
BAW
The Flower
zooropamanda said:i find this really itneresting actually. i'd like to hear from more older fans that have been following the band since the early 80's.
does the passion wear off?
will i ever stop talking about u2 to friends and family?
will i ever take down my u2 posters?
one of my friends came to stay the other week and said to me "gee i must be getting old, id never think to have posters in my room."
I'm 35 and have been obessesed since the early 80's. In answer to your questions...
No..I'm still VERY passionate
No..I've actually lost a few friends because of this but my family just tells me to shut up
You probably will take your posters down after you get married or live with someone. If I was single, believe me, my room would be plastered.
Diane L
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
This is a great topic!
I've enjoyed U2's music since they started getting airplay in the States. Over the years I've gone to four concerts, bought their albums and watched them on TV whenever I could. However, I didn't know much about them as people; they were just a band I liked very, very much.
It was late February of this year when I realized that yes, U2 WAS my favorite band, and I started seeking out information about them in books, magazines and on the Internet. Before then, it wouldn't have occured to me to visit a site like Interference, let alone PLEBA!
I think, in my case, the "passion" is going to last for the rest of my life. U2's music has been a part of my life for so long; I can't picture NOT buying a record of theirs when it is released. As for posters, I've got three that I've recently acquired that I want to have framed and displayed around my apartment. (THAT's how you know you're getting older; you have the posters framed instead of hanging them up with tape!)
And over the last few months, I've come to realize that I think of this band kind of distant, old acquaintances of sorts. It was kind of a warm, familiar feeling that I had while watching them on SNL, the Grammies, the Super Bowl and similar shows. They've sort of been in my life all these years as background music. It's just in the past few months that they've moved to the forefront of my leisure-time activities?posting and reading posts on Interference and such. They are occupying time that I used to spend watching the New York Yankees during the baseball season, every night; a contract dispute has kept the primary channel for games off my cable system
So, yes, this is a band you can enjoy for years to come!
I've enjoyed U2's music since they started getting airplay in the States. Over the years I've gone to four concerts, bought their albums and watched them on TV whenever I could. However, I didn't know much about them as people; they were just a band I liked very, very much.
It was late February of this year when I realized that yes, U2 WAS my favorite band, and I started seeking out information about them in books, magazines and on the Internet. Before then, it wouldn't have occured to me to visit a site like Interference, let alone PLEBA!
I think, in my case, the "passion" is going to last for the rest of my life. U2's music has been a part of my life for so long; I can't picture NOT buying a record of theirs when it is released. As for posters, I've got three that I've recently acquired that I want to have framed and displayed around my apartment. (THAT's how you know you're getting older; you have the posters framed instead of hanging them up with tape!)
And over the last few months, I've come to realize that I think of this band kind of distant, old acquaintances of sorts. It was kind of a warm, familiar feeling that I had while watching them on SNL, the Grammies, the Super Bowl and similar shows. They've sort of been in my life all these years as background music. It's just in the past few months that they've moved to the forefront of my leisure-time activities?posting and reading posts on Interference and such. They are occupying time that I used to spend watching the New York Yankees during the baseball season, every night; a contract dispute has kept the primary channel for games off my cable system
So, yes, this is a band you can enjoy for years to come!
Diane L said:
I feel the same way. I have also been a fan since they first got airplay, but since this last album and tour after all these years I am realizing how much they mean to me! They are like old acquaintances and they are my favorite band! I love these guys!
wertsie
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
For me, at least, I think that getting interested in U2 in my teens has affected my obsession. I was 15 when I first became a hardcore fan. They are still the only band that I really go nuts over.
Interesting topic!
Well, with me it started in primary school. First i only taped their music onto tapes from my brother's CDs (he has all U2 albums - almost!), and i listened to it a lot. Not all the time, but often.
Then came the time i was really into the Beatles and didn't listen to U2 for like a year (or even longer, can't remember for sure).
So one day, i go back to my 90's U2 tape and there it was again... the magic came back. I "discovered" U2's pre-JT albums and made a 80's tape, and listened a lot to that too. Instead of the tape, my brother burned me a 90's U2 compilation CD.
Then ATYCLB came and it became the only U2 album i own (and it's the only album i ever bought on the day of its release). A bit earlier i found this site and it provided me with a brand new dimension of U2: the bootlegs! I never thought i'd ever stumble across any of them. Also, i have been taping various U2 stuff on VCR - which is also something i didn't do before.
So... for me it isn't wearing off. If anything it's getting worse - since ATYCLB came out, i think i probably listened to U2 more than ever before.
I wonder too sometimes if it will last, and also i wonder how experiences in life will afect it. For example, when i'm 30, 40 etc...will JT or AB still represent the same as it does now?
Well, with me it started in primary school. First i only taped their music onto tapes from my brother's CDs (he has all U2 albums - almost!), and i listened to it a lot. Not all the time, but often.
Then came the time i was really into the Beatles and didn't listen to U2 for like a year (or even longer, can't remember for sure).
So one day, i go back to my 90's U2 tape and there it was again... the magic came back. I "discovered" U2's pre-JT albums and made a 80's tape, and listened a lot to that too. Instead of the tape, my brother burned me a 90's U2 compilation CD.
Then ATYCLB came and it became the only U2 album i own (and it's the only album i ever bought on the day of its release). A bit earlier i found this site and it provided me with a brand new dimension of U2: the bootlegs! I never thought i'd ever stumble across any of them. Also, i have been taping various U2 stuff on VCR - which is also something i didn't do before.
So... for me it isn't wearing off. If anything it's getting worse - since ATYCLB came out, i think i probably listened to U2 more than ever before.
I wonder too sometimes if it will last, and also i wonder how experiences in life will afect it. For example, when i'm 30, 40 etc...will JT or AB still represent the same as it does now?
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Bono's shades
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Speaking from my own experience as a U2 fan for the past 15 years, the obsession never really dies even though you may go through periods when you aren't QUITE as obsessed as you once were. When I first became a fan I was so starry-eyed and excited, and I tried to find out everything I could about the band. Then I graduated from college and got a "real job" and became less obsessed not only with U2 but with music in general, which tends to happen when you get older. U2 remained by far my favorite band and I listened to their albums all the time, but I was not longer hunting down every magazine article I could about them or watching the Grammys and VMAs hoping to get a glimpse of them. Even when I first got online a few years back I only visited U2-related sites once in a while. I bought ATYCLB as soon as it came out, and I eventually began visiting U2 web sites a bit more often and tried to catch all their numerous TV appearances - and then one day I realized I was seriously obsessed! So obsessed that if I'm away from these message boards for a day I go through withdrawl! I don't know if it was the Internet that fed my obsession or the band's being in the public eye so much lately or the fact that I'm older now and understand their music in an entirely different way. Maybe it's a combination of all those factors. Who knows?
Lemon Meringue
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Good topic
I am another fan who has been listening to U2 since the early days. I guess I first discovered them in the early 80's on MTV. They were one of many band I enjoyed. There are a few artisits I still listen to including Tom Petty, Bruce and Neil Young. I was also a big INXS fan back when they were big. The truth is I think I am actually a bigger U2 fan now than I was before. They are the only band that I have all their albums (some on vinyl and disc) and some singles and almost everything availble on video or DVD. I have enjoyed every phase of what they have done and look forward to the new stuff.
The only newer bands that have really interested me lately are Garbage and Doves. There aren't really many new bands that do anything for me. There have been a few songs here and there, but nothing like some of the artists I grew up with.
I don't know...maybe it is an age thing. Or maybe everything is just too commercial now. Less emphasis on just creating good music and too much emphasis on marketing and image.
I am another fan who has been listening to U2 since the early days. I guess I first discovered them in the early 80's on MTV. They were one of many band I enjoyed. There are a few artisits I still listen to including Tom Petty, Bruce and Neil Young. I was also a big INXS fan back when they were big. The truth is I think I am actually a bigger U2 fan now than I was before. They are the only band that I have all their albums (some on vinyl and disc) and some singles and almost everything availble on video or DVD. I have enjoyed every phase of what they have done and look forward to the new stuff.
The only newer bands that have really interested me lately are Garbage and Doves. There aren't really many new bands that do anything for me. There have been a few songs here and there, but nothing like some of the artists I grew up with.
I don't know...maybe it is an age thing. Or maybe everything is just too commercial now. Less emphasis on just creating good music and too much emphasis on marketing and image.
exodus
Babyface
you're never too old
i'm 40. and my "problem" (if you want to call it that) isn't a lack of passion. it's having TWO major passions in my life that sometimes cause major headaches.
since i was 18, i've been obsessed with springsteen. i still am. it's just as bad NOW as it was when in 1980. meanwhile, i had always been a casual U2 fan since the unforgettable fire era but last year, i definitely became a full-blown convert.
i don't see either passion or obsession or whatever you want to call it fading away any time soon at ALL. personally, i think it keeps me alive and kicking much more than some of my contemporaries. they either sneer, roll their eyes, think i'm silly, etc., etc. whatever.
meanwhile, they have almost NO life in them. they don't have any passions or interests that brings a spark to their souls. i find that very depressing.
i'll take my passions anyday, thank you.
i'm 40. and my "problem" (if you want to call it that) isn't a lack of passion. it's having TWO major passions in my life that sometimes cause major headaches.
since i was 18, i've been obsessed with springsteen. i still am. it's just as bad NOW as it was when in 1980. meanwhile, i had always been a casual U2 fan since the unforgettable fire era but last year, i definitely became a full-blown convert.
i don't see either passion or obsession or whatever you want to call it fading away any time soon at ALL. personally, i think it keeps me alive and kicking much more than some of my contemporaries. they either sneer, roll their eyes, think i'm silly, etc., etc. whatever.
meanwhile, they have almost NO life in them. they don't have any passions or interests that brings a spark to their souls. i find that very depressing.
i'll take my passions anyday, thank you.
My obsession/passion for U 2 even increases as I'm getting older. I enjoy being a fan more than I did 10 or 15 years ago.
Being the same generation as the boys is very nice (I'm 38). Just as if you're growing older with them. I think I'll still feel as passionate for this band when we will all be getting REALLY old
anna
Being the same generation as the boys is very nice (I'm 38). Just as if you're growing older with them. I think I'll still feel as passionate for this band when we will all be getting REALLY old
anna
zoocarolina
Refugee
I think the passion only gets better as you get older bc there are more songs to draw from, you start to understand them more and growing up with U2, you can definitely relate to the same experiences that they're going through as people and as a band.
And by the way, the posters are now referred to as fine prints as you get older so they're still coll when you're an adult!
And by the way, the posters are now referred to as fine prints as you get older so they're still coll when you're an adult!
Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
Well, seeing as how I just started...
to really get into these guys music, my passion for them is not full-fledged yet, but it's certainly on its way there..
I'm like a lot of the people on the first page during the first few posts who said that they're into bands that came out long before they were born. I'm like that, too.
I'm 17, but I feel that a lot of the older music is better lyrically and musically, and so I can get into it a lot easier. And a lot of the older music is stuff I can relate to, as far as beliefs on the big issues and feelings about certain things go-for example, I believe older artists can put the feelings unrequited love brings into words perfectly, and do so a lot better than a lot of the newer artists today (and I should know from personal experience).
A lot of the newer stuff just isn't really something I can see myself getting into and being a diehard fan of for years to come. There's a few artists out today that I do like, but not many.
And chances are I'll also be one of those people who, no matter what age I am, will still have posters of my favorite bands on my walls..
So age doesn't really have an affect on my passion for a band, I don't think.
Angela
to really get into these guys music, my passion for them is not full-fledged yet, but it's certainly on its way there.
.I'm like a lot of the people on the first page during the first few posts who said that they're into bands that came out long before they were born. I'm like that, too.
I'm 17, but I feel that a lot of the older music is better lyrically and musically, and so I can get into it a lot easier. And a lot of the older music is stuff I can relate to, as far as beliefs on the big issues and feelings about certain things go-for example, I believe older artists can put the feelings unrequited love brings into words perfectly, and do so a lot better than a lot of the newer artists today (and I should know from personal experience).
A lot of the newer stuff just isn't really something I can see myself getting into and being a diehard fan of for years to come. There's a few artists out today that I do like, but not many.
And chances are I'll also be one of those people who, no matter what age I am, will still have posters of my favorite bands on my walls.
.So age doesn't really have an affect on my passion for a band, I don't think.
Angela
NicaMom
Den Mother
It just gets worse but in a good way!
I've been a fan since '89 and every year I get more U2-obessesed.
I feel like I'm in the closet tho, some family members don't know about all my U2 adventures, like my little Vh-1 TV debute, I'm afraid they would think I'm going thru a mid-life crisis.
I've been a fan since '89 and every year I get more U2-obessesed.
I feel like I'm in the closet tho, some family members don't know about all my U2 adventures, like my little Vh-1 TV debute, I'm afraid they would think I'm going thru a mid-life crisis.
verte76
Blue Crack Addict
Definitely not. I've been a fan for almost 20 years. I'd call it a "passon" for me, not an obsession.
BabyGrace
Refugee
you know I wonder about this a lot. more than a lot actually.
I am scared sometimes that the kind of passion we have for things like music when we are young will get lost in the real world. I don't ever want to lose it because I dunno, there's just something about hope in music and I guess all art that is so important to me. I don't want to have to grow up and become a slave to duty and forget that there are things like music out there that can open up your mind and help you get perspective. I don't know what Im saying really right now, so don't mind me.
this reminded me of something my dad said to me after I took him to a U2 concert last summer...we were walking out, and he told me, "You know I got this feeling while I was in there that I've sold out somehow. Bono's a really cool guy, he's never going to sell out on his beliefs." And I look at my dad, he only really listens to the music from his teen years, I've burned plenty of stuff for him to try and just let him have something new and recapture that a bit, but U2 has been the only real success with him, I don't know for sure why but I do have an idea.
anyway, way too much info, Im sorry, but this is a great topic I think
I am scared sometimes that the kind of passion we have for things like music when we are young will get lost in the real world. I don't ever want to lose it because I dunno, there's just something about hope in music and I guess all art that is so important to me. I don't want to have to grow up and become a slave to duty and forget that there are things like music out there that can open up your mind and help you get perspective. I don't know what Im saying really right now, so don't mind me.
this reminded me of something my dad said to me after I took him to a U2 concert last summer...we were walking out, and he told me, "You know I got this feeling while I was in there that I've sold out somehow. Bono's a really cool guy, he's never going to sell out on his beliefs." And I look at my dad, he only really listens to the music from his teen years, I've burned plenty of stuff for him to try and just let him have something new and recapture that a bit, but U2 has been the only real success with him, I don't know for sure why but I do have an idea.
anyway, way too much info, Im sorry, but this is a great topic I think
enggirl
Acrobat
BabyGrace said:
No--I totally get this! (I'm having this feeling like I'm talking to a good friend very, very late at night and just sort of going around in circles, but at the same time making complete and honest sense!)
I first got into U2 when I was 12/13, back in the very early days of MTV. I was still knocking around and trying to find my musical taste--tried on heavy metal and new age. None of it stuck. When I was 16/17 I "rediscovered" U2 and it stuck for good, then. I'm in my 30s now, and I am more passionate about the band than I was 15 years ago. I'll listen to other bands--I like lots of other music--but none of the other stuff "talks" to me like U2 does.
I talk to friends and U2 will come up in conversation, and I am always interested to hear an "outsider's" view. The other day a friend said that she liked U2 but that she didn't like Bono. That is so confusing b/c U2 is the way it is *because* of Bono (and the other 3 of course--they are a unified whole). She complained that he got all "rock star" and "bigheaded." I didn't get into how she didn't get the humor underlying the Zoo message...but I did say that, no matter how he might act at times when he is in Rock Star mode, he means well, and that if it wasn't for U2 I would not have grown up to be the person I am now. It was this band that got me interested in the world--it was U2 that turned me on to Greenpeace and Amnesty International, etc.
I might find other things that distract me in my life--that's part of being a grown-up in the world. But U2 will always be a touchstone for me. They will always remind me of the world that is out there, and the world that is in my heart. So yes, I suppose I am more passionate about U2 now than I was when I was young *because* it happened when I was young. It was important for me then, but it is more important for me now so that I can remember what it is like to be young and new.
Ok, so now I am the one talking in circles!
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