Dinners With Dan #1

This week, I’ve been looking back into my past a lot. Reminiscing on songs I grew up with, songs that when I listen to brings me back to when I was a teenager, literally with the world at my feet and with little to no responsibilities.

The first CD I purchased with my own money was Offspring’s ‘Americana’. To be fair, before that I did own a lot of Pop Records courtesy of Birthday’s and Christmas. Groups like Five and Backstreet Boys were on heavy rotation in my much younger days but when I started to become more independent my mind opened more to music in general. I remember the first time I listened to my eldest brothers copy of Metallica ‘Black’ and I just couldn’t get my head around what was going on musically. I had never heard someone play the guitar like Kirk did and I had never really sat down and picked music apart. Sure I had heard some Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper growing up thanks to my parents but I had never really sat down and actually listened to it.

Going to a High School where it was very musical orientated really gave me the opportunity to dive into music that a 12-13 year old wouldn’t usually such as Jazz and Classical music - it was pretty embarrassing for the most part but I enjoyed it in my solitude. As all young teens do, I become rebellious and started to listen to music that goes against society and makes your parents pissed off at you. That’s when Offspring came into play, I felt like the biggest badass singing the breakdown of ‘Bad Habit’ knowing I was dropping the F bomb.

My musical taste changed drastically over the course of high School, due to the people coming in and out of my life. Failed relationships and friendships impacted what I would listen too. From not being able to listen to a band anymore cause of the feelings of failure to finding new bands due to new relationships and friends, but unfortunately my Fashion Sense changed too! Black clothes, studded belts, I was a walking cliché’ of ‘punk’. I became obsessed with bands like Rancid, NOFX, Pennywise, Mest and of course, Good Charlotte. But also became obsessed with Heavier bands such as Underoath, Pantera, Oh Sleeper and System of a Down (I still remember when I tried to purchase ‘Toxicity’ as a young teenager and I needed my Dad to come with me cause it had a Parental Advisory sticker on it). I used to save up the money I was given for lunch to go out to the nearest JB HI FI and purchase a CD I was itching for.

As high school came to a close, I still loved all the Punk/Metal music I listened to in my most formative years, but I started to branch out to other genres. I started to become more aware of Music itself, not just what I thought was cool or sounded good, but what actually went in to create music that didn’t fit the genres I listened too. I feel in love with Hip Hop due to the lyrics of the artist I was listening too, and I also feel in love with Pop bands I never thought I would like or were originally embarrassed to like (Matchbox Twenty). High School was over and I didn’t realise some of my best times and best mates would slowly become distant memories that would come back around when I dove into bands I used to listen to every day of my growing life.

That being said, I’ve made some even better mates in the years after High school and I’ve had some great times, but I’ll always miss the days of discovering music that changed my life. It’s hard to find bands that can change your life as you get closer to Thirty as you are more set in your ways and aren’t necessarily as open to new things (well me anyway).

What songs bring you back to your younger days?

What else would you like me to discuss?

What are you favourite tracks from the local scene?

Dan’s Nostalgic Track of the Week: The Ataris –Last Song I will Ever Write About A girl

Dan’s Local Track of the Week: Being Jane Lane – Sailboat

#TheAtaris #BeingJaneLane