Have you ever met any famous people and what were they like?

Karona

Niall Quinn - Used to drink in a pub down the road from me, a very very nice man.

Gary Kelly, - a bit of an asshole, he's from my hometown, so used to see him everywhere.

Ronan Keating - met him in The Balrothery Inn, he was at a private family gathering but still had time for pictures and autographs and chatted for a bit, he was lovely.

Cheryl Cole - I met her backstage at o2 in the park, she was really really nice.

Jamelia - Again I met her backstage at o2 in the park, really really nice, she didnt know how to use the cornetto ice cream cone thing so I did it for her.

Shane Horgan - I met him in Fusion Nightclub in Drogheda, really sound bloke, was chatting to him for most of the night.

Tommy Tiernan - I cant stand the bloke, he is loud and brash.

Twink - Met her when I sang for a play she was in at the national concert hall. She's very up herself.

We Are Scientists - Went drinking with them after one of their gigs, really funny guys.

Rubberlegs

Ryan Tubridy, lovely man, bit hyper:D
Philomena Lynott, a lady.
Joey Dunlop, was a true gent
Nell McCafferty, mad as a hatter
Terry Wogan, Mick McCarthy, Ronnie Corbett, all very nice and happy to sign autographs. Ronnie Corbett is tiny:D

pappyodaniel

Loads. Most of them are pricks.

yesno1234

hazelhoff wrote: »

Clive Owen
Ray Winston
both really nice
Nikki from westlife (looked pretty hot with a tan and shaved head)
Ciara Knightly, she gawked me and my friends out of it and was a real bitch to the people she was working with, which totally turned me off her. Maybe it was because we were eating hamburgers and she yearned for one. She ie really pretty but even skinnier in real life. So not a fan of her anymore :P

annnnnnnnnnnd loads of people who think their famous not worth mentioning! worst was Spiral tho cause my friend made him look like a king and i wanted to die!

Shaved head on women just doesn't look right really but I suppose your own opinion.

irishgirl19

Bendihorse wrote: »

John Deegan from fair city played by Tommy O'Neill,

Jumped into a taxi in Dublin on way to gig at Marlay park and he was driving, pure sound man, had great craic with him

other people robbing fulltime taxi drivers jobs

summerskin

Tom hanks and his wife, alan rickman, gwyneth Paltrow, all of coldplay, jimmy White, benicio del toro, johnny Vegas, Noel Gallagher many times, all lovely.

Lenny Henry, tosser like you would not believe.

Liam gallagher, Jamie Oliver, Gary Barlow and mark Owen all ok-ish.

Also shifted mark Owen's sister Tracy many years ago( we grew up in the same town, my ex used to sit next to mark at school)

Fago!

summerskin wrote: »

Liam gallagher, Jamie Oliver, Gary Barlow and mark Owen all ok-ish.

no way, you met boyzone?

Absurdum

Best I ever met was Mike Tyson in a New York hotel lobby, I was completely star-struck because he was and is a hero of mine, he was very quiet but polite, I got an autograph and a few pics. I really wanted to ask him if he wanted to have a drink or coffee or something, I could've talked to him forever but alas his entourage decided to get out of there.
)

foxinsox

My list is a strange mix - in no particular order:

Bono - meh
The Edge - ok bloke
Larry Mullen - was really nice and chatty
Chris De Burgh - meh
Dougie Howser - US actor - played a kid being a doc I think - meh meh
Tom Cruise - nice enough - while filming Far and Away
Nicole Kidman - nice - while filming Far and Away
Eddir Irvine - F1 driver - meh
Simon Climie (sp?) - Climie Fisher - 80's band - nice guy
Neil Jordan - meh
Niall Quinn - lovely bloke chatted away
Pierce Brosnan - nice bloke - while filming Remington Steel
Conrad Gallagher - nice fella
Dave Mc Savage - nice bloke
Twink - actually really nice
Nikki from Westlife - not nice - kinda "do you know who I am" I didn't!
Van Morrison - ugh

Can't remember any more names..

MGMTea

Met Kenny Dalglish at a book signing, what a man.

Got to meet Paramore last year at the O2.. Hayley *swoon*

The cast of Dream Team (Remember them!)

that's it so far.

Eroticfishcake

Kurt Cobain
EMF (and yes I do think they're famous...well in the 90's )
Sharon Ni Bheolain taught me Irish in school..hot but c*nt of the highest order!

MGMTea

Eroticfishcake wrote: »

Kurt Cobain
EMF (and yes I do think they're famous...well in the 90's )
Sharon Ni Bheolain taught me Irish in school..hot but c*nt of the highest order!

Kurt Cobain ! What was he like ? I would have loved to meet him.

spagboll

Roy Keane and his brother called to my friends house when my friend had childhood leukemia, no cameras, no fancy car, just kicking a ball around and some lunch. All the respect in the world for Keano.

Eroticfishcake

MGMTea wrote: »

Kurt Cobain ! What was he like ? I would have loved to meet him.

I was only about 13 so I was quite enthusiastic to say the least but he was grand..bit dazed looking

Oh yeh, I met the Chilli Peppers aswell, Flea was mental man

amacca

Jim Carrey in LA at the cinema


was kind of cool.....wouldnt accept complimentary tickets from the cashier.....pulled up in a convertible merc with an asian girl on his arm...she looked like the typical cliched hooker type...i know its bad to jump to conclusions but I think you would agree with me if you were there

didnt have a care in the world...chatted in a friendly way to us J1 paddys briefly in the queue (short queue) to buy tickets before this.....then blasted off in the convertible girl in tow

he was buying tickets for a late show........did not appear to be stuck up his own hole anyway so that made him O.K. in my book

amacca

Eroticfishcake wrote: »

Sharon Ni Bheolain taught me Irish in school..hot but c*nt of the highest order!

yeah but I bet you knew where the fada was supposed to go afterwards!:D

FTA69

Major Celebrities:

Gerry Adams

Bertie Ahern - just grabbed my hand and started shaking it, seemed really chatty and came across as quite charismatic. Still a pr*ck though.

Enda Kenny - wooden plank as you'd expect

Roy Keane- from the same estate as him, quiet guy but a sound man, no pretensions.

David Hasselhoff - met him at a book signing years ago in Dublin, a gas man of the highest order. Exudes happiness.

Amy Winehouse - like another poster earlier, met her in Dublin Castle pub in Camden, seemed quite down to earth. Was p*ssed off her face when I met her though.

Minor Celebrities:

Eamonn Walker (played Kareem Said in Oz) - met him in pub in London, seemed a bit annoyed about being approached but was polite.

Georgia Salpa - was her minder for a night, sound girl, very friendly and chatty and had no bother with people coming up for photos etc

Martin Ferris - top man

Perry Fenwick (Billy Mitchell from Eastenders) - was off his box when I met him in a London bar, sound man. Another one for the aggressive hand shaking.

Jane from Eastenders - was with Billy above.

Mick Flannery - met him while doing security at a concert venue, lovely guy. Gave me a load of his complimentary food.

Don Juan DeMagoo

I went to America when I was finished my leaving cert 10 years or so ago. I decided to take a gap year before I went to college, started off working in an Irish construction company working on redevelopment in the Chelsea market in New York. Donkey work but the one highlight was meeting Cameron Diaz after doing some photo thingy for the chelsea markets. There was myself, two nigerians coworkers and a brazilian coworker drenched in sweat stuck in a daze as she, her assistants and security grabbed a smoke/break before going back out to her awaiting crowd. I sheepishly removed my work helmet and went over to ask her for an autograph ( I had no paper, pen or anything I was only 18 at the time). Everyone started laughing, I was really embarrassed and started to blush. She eventually gave me a signed magazine and had a few words with me before some gorilla of a security man yanked me away. I was chuffed with my self

Then I left that job and went to work for the rest of my time with an Irish moving company. Hardcore work but to this day it has left the fondest memories.
I had the pleasure to meet Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews), such a sweet woman. We worked with her for days packaging her stuff as she moved coast to coast with the seasons. The bought us dinner each day, sat in her chair as we worked and chatted constantly about us about our countries, america, our experiences etc. At the end of it we got an extraordinarily generous tip and a signed pic, that I still treasure.

Next up was Lauren Bacall a 1950s actress, such a stereotypical diva. Having a poor unfortunate assistant running around as she roared and abused her verbally. She had about 4 ****ty little dogs running around the place. Large framed portraits of herself and all of her conquests (husbands),as she put it. But the more we worked for her the more she let down her guard as was actually rather pleasant to us and even dropped an odd joke here and there. The one lasting thing I remember is the constant talking of one of her husbands Humphrey Bogart. Nice tip but no autograph.

Montel Williams was next, normal guy pretty cool. But his wife was an absolute B***h. Horribly mean and racist towards us.

My final one is Sigourney Weaver. As a fan of her previous films meeting was a huge disappointment, very cold lady. Was very patronizing to her husband and treated him poorly. He seemed like a really nice bloke.

Eroticfishcake

amacca wrote: »

yeah but I bet you knew where the fada was supposed to go afterwards!:D

Yeh you would think I would know by now, she scared the bejaysus out of me but obviously not enough to learn where to put a fada.

kylith

Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Cillian Murphy. They're all lovely. Cillian Murphy's a lot shorter than you'd think.

I was in the vicinity of Brendan O'Carroll a while back. He's a big trekkie.

G.K.

Eoin Colfer - nice bloke.

flas

spence101 wrote: »

No joke, saw Mickey Joe Hart hanging around the lane beside coppers last night, just waiting for yang wans to take into his flat he rented around the corner, he's been married for ten or so years.......

suppose its better than having a **** when the missus leaves ya for the night.

his band play in diceys on harcourt street every tuesday night!

meoklmrk91

Twink - met her as a child and even then I knew she was an absolute sickner.

Paul O Connell(Rugby Player) - Met him in Tralee a few years back, my mother who is a huge rugby fan spotted him, he was quiet but an lovely fella.

Paudie O Shea(Kerry Football Manager) - Met him in his pub, came outside with us for pictures even though the pub was busy, Nice fella.

I haven't met any world famous people, just a few minor ones:

Laura Woods - Went along to The Café back in 2006, had a chat with her after the show. She was grand, the accent's hard going but she was quite genuine.

Robert Arkins (played Jimmy Rabbitte Jr in The Commitments) - Dropped his PC into the job for repair a couple of times. We pretended we didn't know him and he said nothing about it himself. Seemed like any normal person, if you didn't know who he was he wouldn't have stood out in any way.

Fiona Mulhall (of Play TV infamy) - Dropped her laptop in for repair on three separate occasions. Sounds a little different in real life than she did on screen. Despite what a lot of people said about her on here and elsewhere, I found her to be really nice to me. Got a photo taken too.

Laika1986

Met most of arcade fire out side the olympia at their gig a few years back. Then just before the gig the lead singer came out and chatted to me and a couple of other randomers and then brought us in back stage got photos etc. Really nice guy

Also in New York a few years back myself and a couple others met Adam Sandler in Central Park. A week in Greenwich village later Tommy Tiernan,

thebostoncrab

Been drinking with too many wrestlers for my own good. Best story involves WWEs Evan Bourne and him getting plastered in Liverpool, scoring a bar maid and the next day walking up and down our bus still hammered declaring "Last night I had oral sex and had two fingers shoved up my asshole!" while his trousers were around his ankles. We stopped at a shopping centre for lunch and he pretended to have a mental problem and knocked over random items. How he wrestled that evening I'll never know.

Met The Mars Volta, pricks of the highest order to be honest. Really rude. I hope I just met them on a bad day.

Friendly Fires were great crack, we had a good chat about tea and the band Anal ****

Have met Dan Le Sac a few times and have always enjoyed his company. Our chats always ended up being about Squarepusher.

Met plenty if other bands, I remember Kittie at Ozzfest having great time for everyone that chatted to them. I do remember meeting Killswitch Engage in Temple Bar just after Howard became the new singer. Myself, Howard and the guitarist were chatting away when this guy came up to the guitarist asking for an autograph. He then told him ge thought the new singer sounded **** and went on a huge rant. Myself and Howard tried not to laugh and he turns to Howard and asks who in the band he was. I've never seen someone run up the stairs in the music centre so fast!

stovelid

karaokeman wrote: »

I've met;

Shane Filan of Westlife - nice guy and very down to Earth. All the girls were asking for photos and the security guards said no. But then they asked Shane when he came down and he said they could. I met him at the VIP area at Oxegen and told him my cousin said hi (she would never forgive me if I didn't tell him that). He just said "thanks a million"

Nadine Coyle (Girls Aloud) - sweetest woman you could ever meet. We hugged and she gave me a kiss and signed my album. She was also not like one of those other celebs who was in a hurry and didn't let you stay around. She let me get a picture with her and all and just treated me like she knew me well

Jedward - out of their minds but I wouldn't really complain. Just seemed like a pair of overgrown kids

Bill Cullen - again out of his mind but in a good way. I just told him how awesome it would be to become the first Irish astronaut. He was just like "it will be great"

The Saw Doctors - middle aged men but at the same time they still had the energy and enthusiasm for performing. I met them at the Hot Press signing tent just before their performance at Oxegen

Dara Quilty (Spin 1038 DJ) - awesome guy. He was great with the rest of the fans, making mad poses for photographs and writing personal dedications on all autographs

All the greats, eh.

phasers

Michael Gambon is an absolute legend, such a funny guy and really friendly. Ronan O'Gara is a douche, at least he was when I met him.

My Mam says Bono is lovely, and so is Tom Cruise. My Dad has hundreds of these stories. Apparently 50 Cent is a gentleman.

emeraldstar

Remembered another: Stephen Fry - nice, funny.

Godsentme

Nelson Mandela. 1996. when he was President of South Africa. Spent about 1/2 hour with him in the Palace grounds. Very strong personality and presence. Beautiful smile.

Don Juan DeMagoo

phasers wrote: »

Michael Gambon is an absolute legend, such a funny guy and really friendly. Ronan O'Gara is a douche, at least he was when I met him.

My Mam says Bono is lovely, and so is Tom Cruise. My Dad has hundreds of these stories. Apparently 50 Cent is a gentleman.

A friend overheard him on a flight boasting about all the women he had that weekend, him being married and all. Seems like a douche alright.

PS who is your pops, seems like a legend

Paully D

Niall Quinn - More than happy to talk and let me take a picture. Absolute gent.

Darren Bent - Sound fella at the time, but behind the impression he gives he's just a twat with an alleged habit of jumping into bed with his team mates girlfriends.

Steed Malbranque - Top man. Asked him for a picture and he replied "when I'm back from the toilet" :pac: Apologised for the wait when he came back and spoke for quite a while when he should have been back out on the field training.

wild_cat

I don't understand this meeting celebrity lark.

Imagine you had all and sundry coming over to chat and looking for photos when you were walking down the street.

If you run into them in work etc. its grand. But those people who will run over to someone screeching... OMG! OMG!.

Da Shins Kelly

Didn't meet her myself, but my aunt used to live beside Amy Winehouse. She said she was a very kind, normal girl, who always stopped to talk to fans and welcomed them into her house for tea and chats and music. Didn't seem to see herself as any sort of "celebrity", just a normal girl living in the same flat she'd always lived in since before she was famous. According to my aunt, the media were awful to her though - chasing her down the street and harassing her and the like.

Mr. Denton

Mr. Denton wrote: »

Ok. Have you ever met any famous people?

Yeah 'cos westlife aren't famous at all...

Don Juan DeMagoo

Paully D wrote: »

Niall Quinn - More than happy to talk and let me take a picture. Absolute gent.

Yep him and his wife seem to be sweet, only saw them from a distance in Galway, when Sunderland visited years ago.

Angron

The band Rise Against - Really nice fellows, was talking to Zach about his time in GWAR too.

George Fisher, lead singer of Cannibal Corpse - Big guy, but really nice. I met him a while before a show in London, he was kinda in a rush but stopped for a short bit to talk to some fans that got there early.


Just remembered I met Daniel O'Donnell when I was a kid - guy was a huge douche.

Shivers26

Niall Quinn - really nice

Sinead O'Connor - such a lovely person

Bill Clinton - seemed lovely but no hope of getting too close to him with all the men in black types around him

Gordon Ramsey - he gave a speech in the hotel I worked in so only saw him from a distance. Others said he was nice enough

Is Eddie Hobbs a celebrity?? Met him briefly anyway, he was ok

Bumped into Des Bishop in Homebase. He is very tall and handsome and has nice manners

Shared a lift with Packie Bonner

Huey from Fun Lovin Criminals - total legend

Thats about it. Nobody super famous

Latchy

Met a few over the years and ones who spring to mind ...

Ringo Starr - On a quiet street in Amsterdam I walked into a fruit shop and there he was with this other dude and chatted with him for a bit .It was a bit surreal meeting somebody whom you never imagine your going to bump into and a nicer bloke in person than his media image sometimes portrays .

Judith Durham - *sings* ('' hey there, georgy girl ...la la la la la la la la'' )

^ she was on her Mona Lisa tour back in the 90s at the time and later came out ,signed autographs and chatted to the fans in foyer of theatre ,a lovely lady .She's getting on a bit now and her autobiography '' Colours Of My Life ' is really interesting telling how she turned her back on all the fame to go back to her jazz roots .Apparently she caught the eye of Keith Moon of the Who fame but she wasn't having any of it .

The cast of Brookside - I was an extra in this soap for two years

Ian Hunter - of ' Mott the Hoople ' fame after a gig ... nice bloke

President Mary McAleese - shook hands with her at a famine memorial occasion .

Alan Williams - The First Beatles manager of whom I purchased an autobiographical cd off for £5

Brenden O Carroll -

^ With the cast of Mrs Brown on the Dublin -Liverpool ferry and he left two tickets at the stage door for me to see the show the following night ,then met them all again later in the local pub for a sing song

Chris Evans ( the actor not the ginger ) :pac:

^ I was part of security detail on the set of Captain America last winter at the Heritage market , Liverpool were some of the scenes were shot and he stopped and chatted a few times .I have an album of the 50s style cars used in the film .

Jan Molby -ex Liverpool FC player

^ at the Liverpool FC expierence in june this year ,got picture taken with him and as nice a guy as you could meet with wicked sense of humor . On hearing me say I was from Dublin said he played his first pre season friendly at Liverpool against Home Farm ,winning 2-0 with he and Ronnie Whelan scoring both goals .I also have a set of pictures taken at the clubs museam .

John Aldridge ,Peter Reid , Ronnie Whelan at some after match events .

4zn76tysfajdxp

Met David Norris once when I was about 18. Also met Roger Daltrey when he played Dublin last week. Both friendly and short.

Norma_Desmond

Sarah Jessica Parker: Met her in San Francisco in 2005, she was lovely, talking about her house in Donegal and stuff like that. Was impressed the time she had for people.
Michael Rapaport: Met him in Beverly Hills in 2003, my mother followed him into a chemist. He was very friendly and a lot taller than I thought.
I've seen a few more like R kelly and one of the guys from Desperate Housewives (or so my sister said it was, I don't watch it)
But the best of all was Terry Wogan when I was like 7 in the Airport, nothing could beat that :pac:

Snowie

yep a fair few of them.. they are all good at what they do so its one of those things but then again there was a bout ten of us smoking a Hooka and getting high, so it was more about, laughing gigleing and listening to tunes just normal people

daysleeper

I met Julian Casablancas from The Strokes while wandering around in a shopping centre last year, was fairly surreal, offered him some KFC at first because I didn't know what else to say but he was really nice and gradually the conversation became more normal... chatted for about 5 minutes in total, as I said he was just really lovely

jenny retro

Russell Crowe - came into a shop I worked in (after closing) said hello to everyone, seemed really nice and normal and non-beaty up-ey.

Michel Gondry - at a book signing, nice guy. very very french.

most Irish singer songwriters- all lovely

Eroticfishcake

daysleeper wrote: »

I met Julian Casablancas from The Strokes while wandering around in a shopping centre last year, was fairly surreal, offered him some KFC at first because I didn't know what else to say but he was really nice and gradually the conversation became more normal... chatted for about 5 minutes in total, as I said he was just really lovely

I adore him...you definitely did the right thing, offering him a bit of breast would've been the first thing that came to my mind too :pac:

harvester of sorrow

Met Roy Keane in a bar in Malta along with the rest of the United team....
Keane was a bit of cnut to be fair,Beckham was sound though and most of the rest of them where too..
Met Sam Tuitupou(Munster centre last season) in CDG airport....sound guy really friendly....

Big Nasty

Have we all night?—Screaming Jay Hawkins, Big Joe Turner, Martha Reeves, Sam Cooke, poor Sam, Sinatra.—Never again. The man is a thug.—Otis Redding, Lord rest his sweet soul, Joe Tex, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Little Stevie then. He was only eleven. A pup.—More?
–Yeah.
–Let’s see.—Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson, Sam an’ Dave, Eddie Floyd, Booker T. and the MGs of course, Joe Tex.
–Yeh said him already.
–Twice. Em—an unusual one, Jimi Hendrix. Although, to be honest with you, I don’t think poor Jimi knew I was there.—Bobby Bland, Isaac Hayes, Al Green.
–You’ve been ****in’ busy.
–You speak the truth, Brother Rabbitte. And there’s more. Blood, Sweat and Tears. The Tremeloes. I know, I know, I have repented.—Peter Tosh, George Jones, The Stranglers. Nice enough dudes under the leather. I turned up for The Stones on the wrong day. The day after. They were gone.
–Yeh stupid sap, yeh.
–I know.—Will that do?—Oh yeah, and The Beatles.
–The Beatles, said Jimmy.
–Money for jam, said Joey The Lips.—ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE—DOO DUH DOO DUH DOO.
–Was tha’ you?
–Indeed it was me, Brother. Five pounds, three and sixpence. A fair whack in those days.—I couldn’t stand Paul, couldn’t take to him. I was up on the roof for Let It Be. But I stayed well back. I’m not a very photogenic Brother. I take a shocking photograph.
By now Jimmy was believing Joey The Lips. A question had to be asked.
–Wha’ do yeh want to join US for?
–I’m tired of the road, said Joey The Lips.—I’ve come home. And my mammy isn’t very well.
Jimmy knew he was being stupid, and cheeky, asking the next question but he asked it anyway.
–Who’re your influences?
–I admit to no influences but God My Lord, said Joey The Lips.—The Lord blows my trumpet.

Godsentme

Oh dream on child of the sixties. You mean you were at gigs by all those guys! Am I right???

Oh jea sus! It's dawning on me now.....:o







Is this from the Vommitments??

someone take this hook out of me mouth pls

cjmcork

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Have we all night?—Screaming Jay Hawkins, Big Joe Turner, Martha Reeves, Sam Cooke, poor Sam, Sinatra.—Never again. The man is a thug.—Otis Redding, Lord rest his sweet soul, Joe Tex, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Little Stevie then. He was only eleven. A pup.—More?
–Yeah.
–Let’s see.—Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson, Sam an’ Dave, Eddie Floyd, Booker T. and the MGs of course, Joe Tex.
–Yeh said him already.
–Twice. Em—an unusual one, Jimi Hendrix. Although, to be honest with you, I don’t think poor Jimi knew I was there.—Bobby Bland, Isaac Hayes, Al Green.
–You’ve been ****in’ busy.
–You speak the truth, Brother Rabbitte. And there’s more. Blood, Sweat and Tears. The Tremeloes. I know, I know, I have repented.—Peter Tosh, George Jones, The Stranglers. Nice enough dudes under the leather. I turned up for The Stones on the wrong day. The day after. They were gone.
–Yeh stupid sap, yeh.
–I know.—Will that do?—Oh yeah, and The Beatles.
–The Beatles, said Jimmy.
–Money for jam, said Joey The Lips.—ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE—DOO DUH DOO DUH DOO.
–Was tha’ you?
–Indeed it was me, Brother. Five pounds, three and sixpence. A fair whack in those days.—I couldn’t stand Paul, couldn’t take to him. I was up on the roof for Let It Be. But I stayed well back. I’m not a very photogenic Brother. I take a shocking photograph.
By now Jimmy was believing Joey The Lips. A question had to be asked.
–Wha’ do yeh want to join US for?
–I’m tired of the road, said Joey The Lips.—I’ve come home. And my mammy isn’t very well.
Jimmy knew he was being stupid, and cheeky, asking the next question but he asked it anyway.
–Who’re your influences?
–I admit to no influences but God My Lord, said Joey The Lips.—The Lord blows my trumpet.

I am ACTUALLY laughing out loud - that post is SO funny!

jill_valentine

Laika1986 wrote: »

Met most of arcade fire out side the olympia at their gig a few years back. Then just before the gig the lead singer came out and chatted to me and a couple of other randomers and then brought us in back stage got photos etc. Really nice guy

He is. Looks terrifying, but he's a really sweet dude.