Over 50s Brits who go to gigs and concerts live an extra 14 years, says study

23 December 2019, 11:00 | Updated: 23 December 2019, 11:01

Research undertaken at UCL found middle-aged Brits who enjoyed "receptive arts" events monthly had a 31% lower risk of dying.

Britons over 50 who attend live concerts and shows have been found to live longer, according to a study.

As reported by The Sun, experts at University College London followed over 6,700 Britons for 15 years, and found that those who attended gigs, concerts, galleries, the theatre, the opera, museums and exhibitions regularly had less chance of dying early.

When these activities and events - which came under the umbrella of "receptive arts" - were attended monthly by participants, the study found they had 31 per cent less risk of dying over the next 14 years compared to those who never went out at all.

Lead researcher Dr Daisy Fancourt said: “We found that arts engagement could have a protective association with longevity in older adults, which could partly be explained by differences in cognitions, mental health, and physical activity.”

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With more bands rocking into their old age than ever, there's no shortage of contempories to see on the stage.

Foo Fighters Dave Grohl, who turned 50 this year, is prouder than ever to be uncool and "dad rock".

The famous frontman was interviewed by iHeartRadio's Good For You podcast, where he disagreed that the Foos are a cool band.

After host Whitney Cummings suggested they were cool, Dave countered: "You know the whole Dad rock thing? [...] We're totally dad rock."

The My Hero singer continued: "First of all, we are all dads, and you’re right, we’re a rock band… Look, I’m 50 years old, I have fucking grey hair… But you know, the thing is, I have never considered our band cool, and I like that."

He added: "We've just never been hip or cool, we just really haven't".

Speaking about his band's longevity, Grohl said: "I think that the reason why we're still here is because we do kind of disconnect ourselves from the popular stuff that's going on, but also because, what the fuck do we care? I just want to fucking play music."

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