Stones gig bans 'oldies' (Super Bowl Halftime show to bar attendance to anyone over 45)

The Sun (U.K.) ^ | January 6, 2006 | BECI WOOD

[Stoat]

SHOWBIZ LATEST

Stones gig bans 'oldies'

Energetic ... Mick Jagger on stage
 

By BECI WOOD
Sun Online

 

VETERAN rockers The Rolling Stones are too old to attend one of their OWN concerts - after organisers of their forthcoming Super Bowl gig banned audience members older than 45.

The US National Football League (NFL) is offering 2,000 people a chance to watch the band in action at half-time during the final game of the season on February 5.

But middle-aged fans and pensioners have been barred from the guest list because organisers fear they are not spritely enough to dance, sing and cheer.

The controversial rule means the British rockers, who boast a combined age of 245, would be excluded from their own show.

Adrian Thomas, spokesperson at Help the Aged said: "It's ironic that the organisers of a Rolling Stones gig should be so blatantly ageist when the band themselves are all well over 45.

"The group have shown through their own long-standing success that age is absolutely no barrier to having a good time. 

"This ban is a completely daft and utterly unfair move on the organiser's part - there's no reason at all why a fan over the age of 45 cannot enjoy the show as much as a 25 or 35-year-old."

An NFL spokesman, however, has defended the decision.

He said: "You have to attend rehearsal and be able to stand for long stretches of time.

"And you have to run on to Ford Field with 2,000 other folks."

Do you agree with the NFL's decision? Email your views to www.yourviews@the-sun.co.uk

[Stoat]

Although I used to be a fan, I've lost interest in recent years because of their poor song quality output and Leftist political stance. This effort to surround themselves exclusively with people young enough to be their own children is just another reason to relegate them to a 'jumped the shark into the dustbin of history' category.

[Red Badger]

How are THEY gonna get in?............

[ClearCase_guy]

Does anyone under 45 actually like the Stones??

[Richard Kimball]

I've always got toenails to clean during the Super Bowl halftime show, but good grief, I'd ban anyone over thirty from being out there. It's not about whether or not the dancers are having fun, it's about whether or not people enjoy watching the dancers.

[billorites]

What a drag it is getting old...

[Stoat]

How are THEY gonna get in?............

Perhaps with creative disguises?   :-)

[Red Badger]

This is the beginning of their Steel WheelChairs Tour........

[Emmet Fitzhume]

Spot on.

"But middle-aged fans and pensioners have been barred from the guest list because organisers fear they are not spritely enough to dance, sing and cheer."

If the Stones plan on succeeding as a band, they will surely fail with polarizing decisions like this one.

People aged 45+ compose their central fan base, and alienating them like this is just insulting.

[Stoat]

Does anyone under 45 actually like the Stones??

They might have trouble finding 2000 takers for the tickets   :-)

[RegulatorCountry]

"Does anyone under 45 actually like the Stones??"

They were becoming "old hat" by the time I got to high school, and I'm under their age cut-off, not by much, but I've got a few years left until then.

[Billthedrill]

Oh, us oldies will be able to watch the gig on TV...those of us who aren't using halftime to take a Niagara Falls leak, that is.

Keith Richards, over 45? Wow - you'd never know it to look at him...

[RegulatorCountry]

"This is the beginning of their Steel WheelChairs Tour"

They've already been dubbed "The Strolling Bones."

[Blzbba]

"This ban is a completely daft..."


ANYONE who uses the word "daft" should not be allowed to watch football.

[Red Badger]

Perhaps with creative disguises? :-)

Why? Nobody in the age group <45 would recognize them anyway.......

[horse_doc]

Good for the Stones.

They just spared the nation the agony of watching a bunch of decrepit Baby Boomers, on national teevee, pretend that they are still hip. It would have been horrible.

[RegulatorCountry]

"It would have been horrible."

It can't be any worse than watching Al-bot doing the Macarena.

[television is just wrong]

They are all old enough to be grandpa's themselves. Who the heck are they fooling???

[Red Badger]

Maybe they'll be mistaken for a bunch of homeless drug addicted street people and be barred from entering the arena..........

[George - the Other]

It's blatant discrimination

[stm]

I grew up listening to the stones in the 60's, 70's and 80's and although I would hardly call myself a diehard fan, I would be pretty out out by this. I'm only a couple of years over the limit but it is people my age and older that form the bulk of their fan base. This to me seems to be cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.