SINGAPORE : Ever since it first began, rock 'n' roll music was the voice of the young ones. Unlike other forms of music such as blues or jazz - for which its musicians apparently had to be elderly before anyone took them seriously - rock 'n' roll was never seen as the home of oldies. As The Who sang on My Generation, their 1964 anthem to youth: "I hope I die before I get old."

But things are a little different these days. When it comes to gigs anyway, young stars face tough competition from the ones who were at the start of the rock 'n' roll revolution and gave it the legs to stand on.

Just look at all the artistes who've defied The Who's early proclamation: The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Aretha Franklin, Sir Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Tom Jones, Neil Young, et al; they've never curled up in a corner and let the young 'uns inherit the stage.

Take Sir Elton John's upcoming performance here. Top tier tickets (S$248 to S$475) for the 61-year-old's concert are practically sold out, said organisers Live Nation. "I think there are only single seats left," said Charmayne Yap, marketing consultant with Live Nation. "Which is good news for us."

It also means that people actually want to watch old folk bang on instruments. Judging from recent attendances - from The Police to Sam Hui to Eric Clapton — it's the "evergreen" acts who are confirmed box-office boons. Yesiree, old rockers don't die or f-f-f-fade away any more, it seems.

So, what gives?

OLD MEANS GOLD

"I think with Elton John, he probably appeals to the older market, those with money to spend," said Yap about the popularity of such "older generation" acts.

Said Martin M, an analyst who bought S$348 tickets: "They've got pedigree, and you know you're going to get your money's worth because they've got a great history."

"It also depends on factors such as whether this is a once-in-a-lifetime show," said 22-year-old undergrad Andy Chan. "How often do you get to see Elton John, The Police, or Eric Clapton?"

Responses such as these are sweet music to the ears of organisers like Live Nation, who say they're taking a risk because although artistes such as Elton are big names, you can't always tell how the market is going to play.

"Some may think 'Oh Elton John, how un-exciting'," said Yap. "It's not easy to get them here, but thankfully, these are the acts that sell. The older acts have more mass appeal.

"Even for the Chinese acts, the older ones are the ones that are selling out. There's no problem selling those tickets, it's the older generation who love going to these shows. They are more faithful to what they like, I guess," she added.

GRANDPA KNOWS BEST

Maybe it's because they have what many blues or jazz musicians in their 80s have - that "been there, done that" street cred. Whom would you rather believe: A crotchety geezer complaining about the injustice paying the cost to be the boss, or a young upstart claiming he knows what it's like when the thrill is gone?

The Rolling Stones, for example, haven't released anything new the better part of two decades, yet they've managed to stay in the public consciousness enough for Martin Scorsese to make a rockumentary, Shine A Light, about them.

According to Chan, it also depends whether the artiste is relevant to the times or not. "I wouldn't bother about acts such as Tom Jones, but if you're talking about Madonna, that's a different story. She's managed to remain pertinent and that's why she's still popular."

For "pertinent", read "Madonna hooking up with Justin Timberlake"; or "U2 embracing dance music"; or "Duran Duran embracing Timbaland". More than a musical experiment, it's a means to stay current.

For concert organiser Andre Alabons of LAMC Productions, it's a nostalgia thing. "It's about reliving the old days. If you tell me Metallica are still touring in 20 years' time, I'll still go and see them," he said. "There's also the fact that for some bands, their music is timeless and lasts for generations - young or old, it doesn't matter; just look at The Rolling Stones."

Whatever the reason, the musicians - and organisers - aren't complaining. Sell-out shows means they'll be singing all the way to the bank.

HOT OLD ACTS COMING TO TOWN

SIR ELTON JOHN

The Rocket Man's gig is set to be one of the top-grossing gigs this year here. Organiser Live Nation has even opened up the normally "restricted view" seats to give audiences an all-round view of the stage, which was designed to give a 360-degree view. "People generally are not open to that idea, but actually those seats are very good, because they are closer to the stage than some of the other tier tickets. And he's going to be facing the side, so you'll definitely get a good view,' said Live Nation marketing consultant Charmayne Yap.

WHEN: May 7, 8pm
WHERE: Singapore Indoor Stadium
COST: Limited seats left for tickets at S$475, S$348, S$248, but S$188, S$148 and S$98 still available from Sistic

JENNY TSENG

The flamboyant and outspoken Tseng doesn't seem to age, does she? The Hong Kong chanteuse is back yet again for another gig that is expected to be just as mesmerising as her last one. Expect all her familiar favourites such as Love Marathon, Pearl of the East and Lovely Rose.

WHEN: 10 May, 8pm
WHERE: Singapore Indoor Stadium.
COST: Tickets at S$68, S$98, S$138, S$168 from Sistic

THE OSMONDS

Yes, arguably the cleanest musical family in the world – Donny, Marie, Jimmy and um, the rest of them – will be celebrating their historic 50th anniversary in the entertainment industry with this special world tour stop.

WHEN: June 17, 8pm
WHERE: Singapore Indoor Stadium
COST: Tickets at S$68, S$88, S$118, S$148, S$178 from Sistic

AIR SUPPLY

Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell first met in May 1975, during the rehearsals for the musical Jesus Christ Superstar in Sydney, Australia, and since then, they haven't stopped. Known for their love songs such as All Out Of Love, Lost In Love and Every Woman In The World, Air Supply are not in short supply of fans over here.

WHEN: June 21, 8pm
WHERE: The Max Pavilion @ Singapore Expo
COST: Tickets at S$58, S$78, S$98, S$128 from Sistic

THE WYNNERS

Often referred to as the Hong Kong Beatles, The Wynners – with original members Alan Tam, Kenny Bee, Bennett Pang, Danny Yip and Anthony Chan – was one of the earliest superstar idol groups to emerge from the Hong Kong Cantopop music scene in the early 1970s.

Now this iconic band is celebrating its 33rd anniversary. Said Tam at an interview last year: "It is so rare these days to have a long-living band such as the Wynners that has witnessed the (evolution) of Cantopop over the decades. Thirty-three signifies the era of the vinyl records – and how music changed from the 1970s to today. So our concert will include the songs of those eras." Should be fun then.

WHEN: July 19, 8pm
WHERE: Singapore Indoor Stadium
COST: Tickets at S$78, S$108, S$128, S$148, S$168 from Sistic

- TODAY/fa