Sociology of the Prog Rock Fan

NetsNJFan wrote: iguana wrote: yer average prog rock fan: predominantly male white caucasian origin nerdy bedroom-boffin type doesn't care about fashionable items and ideas gets nervous in the presence of females writes lengthy essays just for the sake of it hates record companies and radio stations is more nostalgic than he dares to admit passionately about music and other hobbies… anything else anyone? yea thats me

me too, exactly

I had no idea so many proggers (mostly younger one's) don't get high.  I thought at least some of us would be 'potheads'. Of course there could be some around choosing not to respond.  But mostly, i am very proud.....any time someone can ENJOY THE MUSIC, without 'help' and actually listen to the powerful lyrics/messages, it's a wonderful thing (Gatot, Felona, Danbo, Trouserpress... ).  I think it is sad when older people, who are supposed to be wise, and set a good example, urge younger people to do drugs (it can be in good fun, but this is how how addictions start, and peoples lives can get screwed up....i'm sure many of you know someone who has died resulting from drugs/alchohol.). This is why society is in the sh*tter these days..."drinking underage and f**king like rabbits.", as Stonebeard put it in another thread.  Prog = the antidrug

Retroventuremod wrote: Fearless wrote: I had no idea so many proggers (mostly younger one's) don't get high.  I thought at least some of us would be 'potheads'. Of course there could be some around choosing not to respond.  But mostly, i am very proud.....any time someone can ENJOY THE MUSIC, without 'help' and actually listen to the powerful lyrics/messages, it's a wonderful thing (Gatot, Felona, Danbo, Trouserpress... ).  I think it is sad when older people, who are supposed to be wise, and set a good example, urge younger people to do drugs (it can be in good fun, but this is how how addictions start, and peoples lives can get screwed up....i'm sure many of you know someone who has died resulting from drugs/alchohol.). This is why society is in the sh*tter these days..."drinking underage and f**king like rabbits.", as Stonebeard put it in another thread.  Prog = the antidrug What are you talking about? antidrug my arse.   I saw an interview of Yes, where Jon Anderson was speaking where they were talking about a time they had just gotten high or something, then they saw Paul McCartney, and Paul said "I just did acid yesterday" So Jon said they all went and did some acid, cos Paul had done it, so they felt they had to do it to. But your right, I am very surprised, about the lack of young proggers and their lack of drug intake. PS, my original question was only on pot, who dies from pot? Its impossible.

I think you may have misunderstood me....after reading several of the posts here (ie. AHM, and Danbo specifically), i saw that some people don't need drugs to enjoy prog, or listening to it shows them that they no longer need to do drugs. Also, i wasn't being completely serious, that explains the laughing emoticon.....Now for the actual artists, on the other hand, i know they were mostly all on drugs, it was the 70's for cryin out loud, everyone did drugs.  And when i said that people die, i didn't mean from pot, i meant from acid, heroine, alchohol, etc., i have quite a few friends who's lives have changed very much do to drug use.

my parents were 18 when I was born in Dec 1968 in Oakland, California, and both hippies, which is no wonder given time and location. prog only developed just then, and my parents both became big prog-heads who were especially into kraut. I grew up with all kinds of weird music, bead curtains, incense sticks and billowing clouds of "sweet smoke". small wonder I turned into a prog-head; I've known it all my life.

as for drugs: nothing wrong with them as long as they don't become an addiction. it depends a lot on the personality of the person using drugs though; some people are more prone to become addicts than other. and I would never recommend drugs to anyone. but I would neither hold a sermon against them. I have done my fair share of some, avoided others on purpose and still use drugs from time to time

most people use drugs and are not aware of the fact. while cigarettes are generally considered to be drugs meanwhile and alcohol too, hardly anyone speaks of coffee, tea or cocoa, for example.

I use some hallucinogenic drugs (fly agaric) for a shamanistic ritual 4 times a year, on the solstices and equinoxes

BaldJean wrote: my parents were 18 when I was born in Dec 1968 in Oakland, California, and both hippies, which is no wonder given time and location. prog only developed just then, and my parents both became big prog-heads who were especially into kraut. I grew up with all kinds of weird music, bead curtains, incense sticks and billowing clouds of "sweet smoke". small wonder I turned into a prog-head; I've known it all my life. as for drugs: nothing wrong with them as long as they don't become an addiction. it depends a lot on the personality of the person using drugs though; some people are more prone to become addicts than other. and I would never recommend drugs to anyone. but I would neither hold a sermon against them. I have done my fair share of some, avoided others on purpose and still use drugs from time to time most people use drugs and are not aware of the fact. while cigarettes are generally considered to be drugs meanwhile and alcohol too, hardly anyone speaks of coffee, tea or cocoa, for example. I use some hallucinogenic drugs (fly agaric) for a shamanistic ritual 4 times a year, on the solstices and equinoxes

I wasn't 'holding a sermon' against drugs if that's what you think.  I said that it is all good fun. I really don't have much of a problem with adults using drugs, they tend to know what their doing.  Younger people are more prone to addiction because many times, they don't have anything better to do, so they just keep doin it.  When you have your whole life ahead of you, it is unwise to let things such as drugs distract you from school, family,etc.  This is a part of the whole 'dumbing down' of society.  On the other hand, as long as your use doesn't affect others, and you don't use them too much/get addicted, then there is no problem with it....people certainly have the free will to do what they please.

This may be a stupid question.......but what is a "bedroom boffin-type"?

Sorry, i'm just an ignorant american.

yer average prog rock fan: who is now in his 40's but will play the game when he was a teenager, as obviously

predominantly male : yes and no (many women were present at 70's prog concerts)
white caucasian origin : yes
nerdy bedroom-boffin type : is that not making your bedroom into a shrineas a teenager: A bit but nothing nerdy!!! Today , not even my living room and even less my bedroom
doesn't care about fashionable items and ideas : never did care for fashion
gets nervous in the presence of females : every or most teenagers felt that way, as you get laid regularly , this disappears quickly
writes lengthy essays just for the sake of it : I only got into writing recently. Never felt the need to write down my feelings about anything , but lately......
hates record companies and radio stations : It is the industry , I dislike (whether in food, books and other forms of entertaiment - Hollywood among others)
is more nostalgic than he dares to admit : yes, but I have lived those 70's years. I don't grasp how can someone be nostalgic of something he has not lived.
passionately about music and other hobbies… : not that much but a bit, anyway( I would not be im the PA)

anything else anyone? Most of us where weed smokers and used to get drunk but as a social thing , not as a loner. Weed is certainly very communicative. Even if we were to part right after the end of the doobie , we generally always looked for company to smoke one and often it created links. No need to listen to the same music , to be friendly.

Too many youngsters are toooooo busy (IMHO) classifying themselves and trying to find similarities in attitude as to belong in a group. This is a normal teenage thing and it lasts until the mid-20's but it is not a natural state of mind. It is a sort of self-searching thing that make you look for a category to fit. Just be yourselves and you'll avoid the nerdism.....and the fear of the opposite sex.

BTW: Jon Anderson frequently enjoys speaking about smoking up in concert , he once spoke of him starting to smoke tea and another time encouraged the crowd to get the sweet smoke coming to him as he loved the smell.

fly agaric is a mushroom  - amanita muscaria; "musca" is Latin for "fly". the toxin inside this mushroom - muscarin - was used for killing flies in former times. it is the strongest known natural hallucinogenic.

here a pic: