I say good luck to people who want to emulate me, but they better realize what they're getting into; they better know that there's more to this than attitude. It's about the music; it's about the blues. That's what sustains me... Everyone talks about rock these days; they forget about the roll.
- Keith Richards

Inspired by a recent newspaper article on whether or not Rolling Stone Keith Richards is a 'good thing', we got to thinking about 'Keef' and concepts of rock 'n' roll in general. It's true, if you imagine a rock 'n' roll lifestyle you tend to think of the elegantly wasted Richards, all black eye-liner, fags, booze and a transatlantic accent peppered with words like 'chick', 'cat' and 'the blues'. But is that all? Or does he represent something more than that? Is being rock 'n' roll still cool, something to strive for? Or is it a meaningless phrase. What is it to be 'rock 'n' roll' these days?

• Who are your rock 'n' roll heroes? And have you ever tried dressing like them?

• Is there a more modern equivalent of being a bit rock 'n' roll? Are C++¹ devolpers the new rock 'n' rollers?

• Who's the coolest, Keith Richards or Mark Zuckerberg²?

• Does living the rock 'n' roll lifestyle basically mean just going to bed very late and being really unhealthy? Can you nibble at houmous with a celery stick while sipping on a carrot juice and still be rock 'n' roll? Is that at all possible?

• Or is there more to it than that, does a rock 'n' roll lifestyle encapsulate a sense of Romance and creativity, purposely living out a creative life on the fringes?

• Is 'rock 'n' roll' simply a media contruct; a tired, clapped-out phrase that really doesn't mean anything anymore?