A Book Of Led Zeppelin

BEING A CLASSIC ROCK FAN

So I'm not sure if these moments are any that anyone can relate to, but I made a list of little things that have happened to me because of or linked with me being a classic rock fan. 

Editing note: I made this list when I was 14, just keep that in mind.

1. One thing I like to do that seems quite sad is going into music shops with my cousin (one of the few people I know who's around my age and likes classic rock) and going straight to the vinyl section and having a loud, technical and in depth discussion about a classic rock band, making sure the other people around us - usually middle aged men - hear us. This can be hilarious, the surprised looks you get are great, but can actually be heartwarming too; we once had this lovely conversation with this little old man who heard us talking and joined in, telling us about the time he saw The Yardbirds in the Clapton days, and he said before he left how glad he was that he'd met us and that we gave him hope that the music from his youth wasn't lost on our generation. That conversation remains one of the sweetest ones I've ever had.

2. As much as I love my best friend, her music taste is actually shit (her favourite artist is this guy called Left Boy, look him up if you want to lose complete faith in modern music). I've been trying for years to get her to at least appreciate classic rock and push our friendship to the limit in the hope she'll end up liking some decent music for a change. For example, going on and on about Janis Joplin, showing her pictures of Led Zeppelin (she's admitted they were good looking, progress!) and playing Black Sabbath really loud whenever she comes over. Weirdly enough this has never worked. I was so proud of her a few weeks ago when she came to me and said she'd found this song called All Along The Watchtower that she really loved, but then to my horror I found out that no it wasn't the Hendrix version, or even Bob Dylan, it was by bloody Ed Sheeran. I don't dislike his music at all (his folky stuff is actually good) but he absolutely butchered this song and it turns out my friend doesn't like the Hendrix version at all...

3. Another thing I love to do is dragging my friends, who all like either rap or pop, into all these old record shops whenever we go to town. This is always fun, honestly I'm surprised they still invite me to go out with them from the amount of time I make them wait for me to stop digging through records, that I don't even have the money to buy, in a random dark shop I like the look of.

4. Now this is something that really annoys me. There's this one boy in my music class who's a very technical guitarist, has had lessons since he was 4, knows every scale etc etc, and as much as I hate to admit it he's pretty good. But for whatever reason, he looks down on me because he doesn't think a girl is able to play a guitar very well, especially one like me who's - god forbid - self taught. I know that traditionally the guitar is seen as more of a male instrument (I don't know why ffs look at Joni Mitchell and Joan Jett) but this kid honestly needs to pull that stick out of his arse and not make comments like 'are sure you can manage that, love?' whenever I pick up a guitar. Yes, he actually says that. As you can imagine, that makes want to beat his face in with his own stupid guitar and I don't think I'm the only one.

5. On a much happier note, I just found out today that my grandads band (I think I mentioned them in the how I got into classic rock chapter) actually opened for THE KINKS on one of their tours!!! Mum just casually dropped that bombshell at dinner last night and I think I choked on my drink. I have no more words I was so shocked I can barely even believe it now.

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Picture: I'm not the only one who loves vinyl... The other people in that photo look like they can't believe Jimmy Page is standing next to them