I just got done giving my kids a bath after they spent about an hour playing in the mud in the backyard, and I got to thinking about what its like to be a dad and still rock. My daughter gets hurt every time I go to play a show because she can't go to 99.9% of them. She's cried before, "Daddy I want to go to the punk rock show", words that touched my heart. I was wondering if anybody has any rock parenting stories? I'm also wondering if you are a parent, have you gone on tour? How did that work out?

My kids are almost 3, and 1, so they're way too small for shows. And we have another on the way. As for touring, it shouldn't be a problem for you, since you're wife's not in the band, right? My wife and I are the band, so touring is not really a possibility right now. As long as she is willing and able to watch the kids while you're gone, and you can stand being away from them for however long you are planning on being away, then it shouldn't be a problem. We've thought of touring with a friend/nanny and taking the kids with us. Who knows...

It could be done Partridge Family style?

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Originally posted by mc:
My kids are almost 3, and 1, so they're way too small for shows. And we have another on the way.

Good God! We have two girls, ages 4 and 22 months, and we are convinced that that's enough! My 4 year old likes Michale Graves just as much as I do, and was really excited to be offered the opportunity to meet him at the all ages show at which we opened up for him. She chickened out at the last minute. I guess it was kinda like being psyched up to see Santa Claus all year, but when it gets down to it, it's kind of scary.

I remember well the day that the first one was born. It was a long day at the hospital, and she was finally born through Cesarian Section. Mrs. Foodstamps is also a performer, and had no problem with me going to play a RAMS gig that very night. Now THAT'S an understanding wife!

My daughter was born on march 31st so I'm still pretty new to the rock dad arena, but the wife and I discussed this prior to our little girl being born. My family is my world, and music is my life.

My kid cries when she sees us. I guess my singing face is the same as my mad face.

Every time I think about kids, I'm happy I decided not to have 'em. More power to you parents, but I gotta figure the world is better off without any fruit from my loins.

This is a good discussion. I've been a bit worried about how a child would affect my time to make music. My lady assures me that I will still be able to do my thing and tour. She's always been very understanding and supportive but I don't think anyone can top Foodstamp's wife!!! (wow dude!) For the time being we're just gonna keep practicing making babies.

My son is coming up on his first birthday, but since I moved to ABQ a few weeks before he was born, I have never been in an established band here. I've been working on it, but my time is severely limited because I work late Su-W. Between kid duty and only three possible days to practice, it's been a little rough finding people available when I'm available.

That said, my wife knows that I get irritable if I don't play the drums for a few days and is very flexible whenever I have some kind of rehearsal or audition available. She's supportive and always has been, so when the time comes, it'll work out.

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Originally posted by WebMonkey:
I don't think anyone can top Foodstamp's wife!!! (wow dude!)

Foodstamps' story is pretty cool, but Connie played shows nine months pregnant, and played a big show one week after giving birth. That's pretty darn cool if you ask me.

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Originally posted by mc:

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Originally posted by WebMonkey:
I don't think anyone can top Foodstamp's wife!!! (wow dude!)

Foodstamps' story is pretty cool, but Connie played shows nine months pregnant, and played a big show one week after giving birth. That's pretty darn cool if you ask me.

Dude, while your music is not punk, your wife definitely IS!

My wife is fairly understanding, but occasionally complains about late nights at the bar playing music and drinking. I'm not sure how she'll deal with our band touring. She gives me ample time for me, but in turn I have to hook her up too. We try to keep it egalitarian. However, when our last kid was born, I had to take 3 weeks off from practice and gigging.

On another note, my daughter once thought that the air vents on my VOX VTX120 were very similar to the slots on a piggy bank. She dropped a nickel in there and off I went to play Burt's. I turned my rig on and it made a sound like money burning by electrocution. Turns out she blew the power board. Power board + install = $408. She was 4 1/2 at the time, so I couldn't freak out about it (at least not in front of her). I am going to garnish her wages from her first job though (with interest).

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Originally posted by Ditch Troll:
..my daughter once thought that the air vents on my VOX VTX120 were very similar to the slots on a piggy bank. She dropped a nickel in there and off I went to play Burt's...

Not a bad take for Burt's on an off night...

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Originally posted by black:

quote:

Originally posted by Ditch Troll:
..my daughter once thought that the air vents on my VOX VTX120 were very similar to the slots on a piggy bank. She dropped a nickel in there and off I went to play Burt's...

Not a bad take for Burt's on an off night...

Ya, I wish she would have dropped a couple extra free beers in there too for my trouble.

My kid put pennies in the leg holes of our rhodes. No harm, though (even though they call it an "electric piano," there's nothing electric about it). I just heard money rattling around in there as I was loading into the place we were playing that night.

I had the pleasure of having my daughter seeing me play recently for the first time live with a band. It was at an all ages show for the calendar release show at the Outpost. The Grave of Nobody's Darling isn't a loud band, but Jessica brought some earphones and my daughter wore them through the set and clapped at the end of every song and right after our last song she walked up the stairs onto the stage and gave me a big hug and said, "love you, daddy". Most of the time when I play for her at home she doesn't mind for a while, but after a song or two she looks at me, puts a finger over her lips and, "ssshhhhhh, daddy". She's a little over 2 1/2yrs now and I don't think having a kid has inhibited my being able to play music as I would like, but my ambitions do not include playing 250+ shows a year. Really, I now can't possibly imagine a better life without her. She just makes my life, and consequently my music, much happier. At some point I'm sure I'll be touring more than I do now, but my daughter's mother is an amazing mother and is accepting of my inclination to do music. She's an artist and understands the need to answer that internal creative call.

No kids here. I couldn't even imagine a life with one, let alone a clan of 'em.

Well, my boy is 13 and he plays drums and guitar. I think that having a parent/s that play music is really pretty good for the kids. Personally, I'm proud to be the son of a musician and proud to be the parent of a budding musician. Although, when he gets out into my studio, leaves cords, sticks, mics and guitars everywhere they shouldn't be and forgets to power anything down.......

Now if he'd just get some real taste in music. Lord, Emo/Screamo sucks ass.

I don't have any kids just a lazy musician. Props to all of you who have kids and still rock.

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Originally posted by mannydog:
...Now if he'd just get some real taste in music. Lord, Emo/Screamo sucks ass.

Isn't that the natural order of parent/child musical relationships? I mean, what did your parents think of the music you listened to when you were that age? (and for the record, emo/screamo does indeed suck.) Not having children I can't say this is a fact, but it always seemed to me that one of a teenagers duties was to listen to music his parents disapproved or flat out hated. Otherwise, what is the point?

ha! Our boys were force-fed their influences. When in the car, Keith used to pop in a cd of the Stones, Bowie, Dolls, or Iggy and made them guess who it was. If they got it wrong, they had to walk home.