Meeting your idols/Best thing you've seen your Idol do (in person)

120_Minutes

Inspired by my reply in another thread, for those of you who've met some famous rockstars...did they do something cool during that time?

I'll start.

Taylor Hawkins (foo fighters) passed me a joint

I played doubles pool with Chad Smith (chilli peppers) in Renards and didnt have to pick up my cue. He single handedly gave the other guys the brush!


I have a longer story about Adam Jones from Tool that i'll tell later.

Have ye any stories?

Links234

120_Minutes wrote: »

Have ye any stories?

Other than "Bounced around like a rabid fangirl", no...

120_Minutes

Links234 wrote: »

Other than "Bounced around like a rabid fangirl", no...

Ok that doesnt sound at all inappropriate. :pac:

The Adam Jones story:

I went to see Tool in glasgow in 2006 and decided to walk down to the venue around soundcheck time to queue up early (depsite having seated balcony tickets) and the bus is at the back of the venue, separated by a single crowd barrier. There are two women standing at the barrier as I approach and I notice one of them is blind, and both of them german. turns out they've been to a few dates on the tour. Soon after, Adam comes out to go to the bus and cops us standing there. He sees me and before i can speak he puts his finger to his lips as if to say "sssh", and walks over to the blind woman. He then says something to her like "hey i saw you the other night but didnt get a chance...etc etc" and next thing he's moving the barrier and bringing her inside. I just get a chance to shake his hand and say something like "love your work" before he says thanks and he's gone.

So i go back to the front doors, and when i get into the venue a while later and take my seat with the rest of my party (who i told the story to by now) who's standing right at the barrier ahead of anyone else? yep you guessed it. It was at that point one of my friends said "imagine being front row at a tool gig...and blind, how intense would that be?"

So the venue fills, the gig starts and a couple of songs from the end, Adam gets the attention of pit security and and nods to the woman. Security immediately escort her backstage.

Adam Jones: class act.

happyoutscan

Had a lock in in the World's End in Camden with Carcass last year in London. Met them after the first night (they were playing three nights) and they put me and my cousin on the guest list for the next night. Ended up backstage and upstairs on the piss with them until 5:30am or so. Top lads, too many cool things to mention here as it's late and I'm up in a couple hours!

stefan idiot jones

Got friendly with Henry from Virus, he and his manager John came down to Swansea to go on the piss with me for a couple of days. Stayed with them in a snazzy hotel and I showed them the dark side of town.

Followed them and Acid Reign around England on a mini tour. Stayed with Acid Reign in Nottingham and went to Rock City. Real good guys.

Also met Zodiac Mindwarp in Cardiff. Great band members but poor old Zodiac thinks he's from California with his accent.

Motley Crue

I don't know where to start

Hanging out with Machine Head in their dressing room before a show was pretty awesome. Talking with Metallica backstage at Sheffield over dinner was another one...meeting Corey Taylor and exchanging stories about our Irish heritage...but I think in general talking to Ron Thal all these years and hanging out with him backstage at a GNR show - where even he couldn't find Axl - is a real highlight for me.

King George VI

Not so much heroes, but band I really liked. At the Trivium gig in the Ambassador years ago, support band God Forbid got out of their tour bus outside the venue and chatted with fans for about an hour so so, signing stuff and getting in pics. They were asking fans about their lives and just seemed to genuinely care.

I was chatting to Byron Davis about bad nights on the booze and their manager or whoever told them to get back on the bus and he turned around and shouted "no **** you, can't you see we're talking here. **** off! Anyway Jimmy, so he just puked on his girlfriend? That's ****in crazy. You Irish are crazy mother****ers". Genuine nice guys. And they killed at the gig.

Lithium93_

Motley Crue wrote: »

I don't know where to start

Hanging out with Machine Head in their dressing room before a show was pretty awesome. Talking with Metallica backstage at Sheffield over dinner was another one...meeting Corey Taylor and exchanging stories about our Irish heritage...but I think in general talking to Ron Thal all these years and hanging out with him backstage at a GNR show - where even he couldn't find Axl - is a real highlight for me.

You lucky son of a gun, how'd you manage to get such access to the following hanging out with Machine Head before a show, have dinner with Metallica & talking & hanging with Bumblefoot backstage at a GN'R show

Motley Crue

Lithium93_ wrote: »

You lucky son of a gun, how'd you manage to get such access to the following hanging out with Machine Head before a show, have dinner with Metallica & talking & hanging with Bumblefoot backstage at a GN'R show

Mostly Journalism connections. The Machine Head thing was part of an interview segment I did with Phil Demmel on two occasions.

On the second occasion Phil personally introduced me to James Hetfield (I was glad I'd brought clean underwear!) and we chatted while the band were having craft services before the concert.

As far as Bumblefoot goes, I've known him on and off since 2003, before he joined the band. We agreed I could do an interview with him on my college radio station that actually collapsed the bandwith for the site when we broadcast. We even had someone turn up that night just in case he was actually there.

A few years later he suggested we meet up in person - as I was going to see them in Dublin anyway - and he came out and spoke to me briefly before a gig. I remember telling the security guy "no, it's OK, I'm here waiting to meet a member of Guns N' Roses" and him laughing at me...five minutes later Bumble strolls out and his jaw just drops...anyway, the band were playing in Newcastle after that alongside some other places in the UK, so Bumble invited me to come along to the gig (gave me a VIP pass) and we just did a short interview before the show as well.

A lot of the people hanging around trying to get Vinyl signed at that show gave me about 50 records before I went backstage, so I lined them up on a table and some of the band signed them all...they were pretty damn hospitable and it won me a few brownie points that day. In hindsight it's a damn shame I had a girlfriend at the time lol

Anyway BBF introduced me to Jarmo (who runs HTGTH) and his security guys and basically just chatted with me for a little while. After the gig they had this thing (it was in the paper's at the time) where they brought a load of supermodels backstage after every gig. I can tell you right now that this was totally true...I was in a room filled with very good looking women...as the ONLY man bar any members of the band, but then Bumble was the only person who showed up and he was only there to see me.

On the night I did go backstage to the "after party" in Newcastle there was NO alcohol, no music, no other band members and we were left sitting in a room for about two hours before being told nothing was happening. To this day I still think I was sent to the wrong room...I don't understand why Axl (allegedly) was paying for all these women to go backstage and just stand in this room doing nothing but complaining lol

Lithium93_

Motley Crue wrote: »

Mostly Journalism connections. The Machine Head thing was part of an interview segment I did with Phil Demmel on two occasions.

On the second occasion Phil personally introduced me to James Hetfield (I was glad I'd brought clean underwear!) and we chatted while the band were having craft services before the concert.

As far as Bumblefoot goes, I've known him on and off since 2003, before he joined the band. We agreed I could do an interview with him on my college radio station that actually collapsed the bandwith for the site when we broadcast. We even had someone turn up that night just in case he was actually there.

A few years later he suggested we meet up in person - as I was going to see them in Dublin anyway - and he came out and spoke to me briefly before a gig. I remember telling the security guy "no, it's OK, I'm here waiting to meet a member of Guns N' Roses" and him laughing at me...five minutes later Bumble strolls out and his jaw just drops...anyway, the band were playing in Newcastle after that alongside some other places in the UK, so Bumble invited me to come along to the gig (gave me a VIP pass) and we just did a short interview before the show as well.

A lot of the people hanging around trying to get Vinyl signed at that show gave me about 50 records before I went backstage, so I lined them up on a table and some of the band signed them all...they were pretty damn hospitable and it won me a few brownie points that day. In hindsight it's a damn shame I had a girlfriend at the time lol

Anyway BBF introduced me to Jarmo (who runs HTGTH) and his security guys and basically just chatted with me for a little while. After the gig they had this thing (it was in the paper's at the time) where they brought a load of supermodels backstage after every gig. I can tell you right now that this was totally true...I was in a room filled with very good looking women...as the ONLY man bar any members of the band, but then Bumble was the only person who showed up and he was only there to see me.

On the night I did go backstage to the "after party" in Newcastle there was NO alcohol, no music, no other band members and we were left sitting in a room for about two hours before being told nothing was happening. To this day I still think I was sent to the wrong room...I don't understand why Axl (allegedly) was paying for all these women to go backstage and just stand in this room doing nothing but complaining lol

Note to self, definitely head into radio & journalism, Phil Demmel PERSONALLY introduced you to James Hetfield, silly question but did you fanboy?, another silly question what's Jarmo like in person, is he as arselicky as he's made out to be on MYGNR?. I actually envy you that you knew Bumblefoot pre GN'R

Motley Crue

Lithium93_ wrote: »

Note to self, definitely head into radio & journalism, Phil Demmel PERSONALLY introduced you to James Hetfield, silly question but did you fanboy?, another silly question what's Jarmo like in person, is he as arselicky as he's made out to be on MYGNR?. I actually envy you that you knew Bumblefoot pre GN'R

Radio and Journalism is great but I never make any money out of it, THAT's the problem

When Phil introduced me to James Hetfield I just sort of froze and shook his hand. Of course, when I was introduced to Gary Numan once, Gary started by saying "hello I'm Gary Numan" and - of course - I shook his hand and said "yes I know who you are..." (he laughed so I don't think he was offended...I met him for an interview actually and he was a lovely bloke)

Jarmo is very interesting...he's a nice guy, the band pay for him to do their photography, so he's kind of like Robert James in the 21st century...so he travels pretty much everywhere with them and basically lives on the road. He's made really good friends with some VIP's in the GNR camp and paid his dues so he's actually a lot more well connected than most people think. Apparently Axl personally thanked him onstage during a concert in Belgium in 2002 and he was rumored to be one of the people who'd heard Chinese Democracy - finished - as it would have been released back then.

Anyway it was Jarmo who came out past the security checkpoint at Newcastle to get me for an interview and chat with Bumble, so after he finds me and leads me to BBF, Ron just asks if I know Jarmo and I think my response was "of course, I post on his site" to which Jarmo smiled and nodded appreciatively and walked off to do something else. It was very weird because GNR just didn't grant Press requests so having the guitarist casually ask Jarmo to go out and find me - so that Ron wouldn't be swamped with requests at the gate - was quite funny lol

I remember a lot of people (at the backstage thing) approaching the two of us when we were talking that night, trying to chance their arm to get an autograph or photograph, and Ron signed something for every single one of them - although they kept apologizing to me for interrupting our conversations lol...the people I'd been hanging around with for most of that day (some of whom befriended me on Facebook afterwards etc) still mention those moments as some of the greatest in their life...which is nice

Lithium93_

Motley Crue wrote: »

Radio and Journalism is great but I never make any money out of it, THAT's the problem

When Phil introduced me to James Hetfield I just sort of froze and shook his hand. Of course, when I was introduced to Gary Numan once, Gary started by saying "hello I'm Gary Numan" and - of course - I shook his hand and said "yes I know who you are..." (he laughed so I don't think he was offended...I met him for an interview actually and he was a lovely bloke)

Jarmo is very interesting...he's a nice guy, the band pay for him to do their photography, so he's kind of like Robert James in the 21st century...so he travels pretty much everywhere with them and basically lives on the road. He's made really good friends with some VIP's in the GNR camp and paid his dues so he's actually a lot more well connected than most people think. Apparently Axl personally thanked him onstage during a concert in Belgium in 2002 and he was rumored to be one of the people who'd heard Chinese Democracy - finished - as it would have been released back then.

Anyway it was Jarmo who came out past the security checkpoint at Newcastle to get me for an interview and chat with Bumble, so after he finds me and leads me to BBF, Ron just asks if I know Jarmo and I think my response was "of course, I post on his site" to which Jarmo smiled and nodded appreciatively and walked off to do something else. It was very weird because GNR just didn't grant Press requests so having the guitarist casually ask Jarmo to go out and find me - so that Ron wouldn't be swamped with requests at the gate - was quite funny lol

I remember a lot of people (at the backstage thing) approaching the two of us when we were talking that night, trying to chance their arm to get an autograph or photograph, and Ron signed something for every single one of them - although they kept apologizing to me for interrupting our conversations lol...the people I'd been hanging around with for most of that day (some of whom befriended me on Facebook afterwards etc) still mention those moments as some of the greatest in their life...which is nice

Just being able to say you met James Hetfield, now that would be a conversation starter. Just from reading the GN'R paragraphs it sounds like your in GN'R managements good books, just curious have you ever asked or casually suggested it about a 1 on 1 interview or casual conversation with Axl.... I'm constantly reading the history section of HTGTH, very well detailed, never posted on HTGTH but i do browse the forum

Motley Crue

Lithium93_ wrote: »

Just being able to say you met James Hetfield, now that would be a conversation starter. Just from reading the GN'R paragraphs it sounds like your in GN'R managements good books, just curious have you ever asked or casually suggested it about a 1 on 1 interview or casual conversation with Axl.... I'm constantly reading the history section of HTGTH, very well detailed, never posted on HTGTH but i do browse the forum

I wouldn't say I'm in their good books but, if they do their job as well as I'm led to believe, I would imagine they're at least aware of who I am and what I did at the time. Ron and myself went to try and find Axl that night in Newcastle and nobody was sure where he was. I met a guy on that tour who later met him, just once, at 4am outside the Manchester Arena. This guy had been on every UK date, as well as the one in Dublin and both London dates, and had literally been sleeping in his car outside the arena for a chance to meet the band and get his merchandise signed. It worked but he lost almost a fortnight's pay.

He's the same guy I heard later remortgaged his house (I WISH I COULD TELL YOU I MADE THIS UP) in order to go and see every single GNR date when they played their Vegas residency.

Hetfield was a nice bloke but he didn't say much. I was much more interested in meeting Lars but sadly it didn't happen...Rob Flynn was alright but a bit stand off, Dave McClain was nice but never said much to me except hello...Phil Demmel is literally the salt of the earth and a lovely bloke....whereas Adam Duce was nowhere to be seen - I was told on both occasions I met Machine Head that he kept to himself and didn't associate with many people unless he was onstage.

Lithium93_

Motley Crue wrote: »

I wouldn't say I'm in their good books but, if they do their job as well as I'm led to believe, I would imagine they're at least aware of who I am and what I did at the time. Ron and myself went to try and find Axl that night in Newcastle and nobody was sure where he was. I met a guy on that tour who later met him, just once, at 4am outside the Manchester Arena. This guy had been on every UK date, as well as the one in Dublin and both London dates, and had literally been sleeping in his car outside the arena for a chance to meet the band and get his merchandise signed. It worked but he lost almost a fortnight's pay.

He's the same guy I heard later remortgaged his house (I WISH I COULD TELL YOU I MADE THIS UP) in order to go and see every single GNR date when they played their Vegas residency.

Hetfield was a nice bloke but he didn't say much. I was much more interested in meeting Lars but sadly it didn't happen...Rob Flynn was alright but a bit stand off, Dave McClain was nice but never said much to me except hello...Phil Demmel is literally the salt of the earth and a lovely bloke....whereas Adam Duce was nowhere to be seen - I was told on both occasions I met Machine Head that he kept to himself and didn't associate with many people unless he was onstage.

Close enough to being in the good books of GN'R management, just one more GN'R related question then i'll stop derailing the thread...... What's Beta Lebeis (think i'm spelling it right) like in person, the guy who was at EVERY U.K show & Dublin, not to mention sleeping in your car & losing 2 weeks wages just to meet your favourite band, & not to mention remortgaging your house to see 'em in Vegas screams dedicated fan.

I'd imagine that James try to keep talking before a show to a minimum, god onl y knows what Lars was doing, i'd have given my left arm just to meet Robb Flynn, Dave McClain & Phil Demmel, you sir are only lucky individual

Motley Crue

Lithium93_ wrote: »

Close enough to being in the good books of GN'R management, just one more GN'R related question then i'll stop derailing the thread...... What's Beta Lebeis (think i'm spelling it right) like in person, the guy who was at EVERY U.K show & Dublin, not to mention sleeping in your car & losing 2 weeks wages just to meet your favourite band, & not to mention remortgaging your house to see 'em in Vegas screams dedicated fan.

I'd imagine that James try to keep talking before a show to a minimum, god onl y knows what Lars was doing, i'd have given my left arm just to meet Robb Flynn, Dave McClain & Phil Demmel, you sir are only lucky individual

That's alright. I saw Beta but never spoke to her. Just a small, unassuming older woman of Argentinian heritage who looked more like a personal adviser or counselor. You can be sure she doesn't clean Axl's house any longer.

As far as the guy who went to every show and took out loans on his house, he seemed like a nice enough chap, though he was certainly obsessed with the band to the point of arranging with people through the website to meet them at every stop. For example, in Newcastle, this girl who he met on the HTGTH website offered him use of her shower. We all thought he'd scored but she just wanted to let him have a hot shower and she was married herself...but the sense of community and the spirit of wanting to help this guy (bringing him hot food, letting him use a spare room one night in London etc) was great to see.

I remember him telling me that he checked the GNR FB every hour for updates. When he saw Axl post pictures about being on the quayside in Newcastle he looked online and saw that only one hotel had the kind of in room sauna Axl must have had. So he just came down and parked outside the hotel. It worked for him in the end though because Fernando's birthday occurred when the band were in Newcastle and they took an extra night to have a party in a hotel. I wasn't invited but a handful of fans knew where it was and just hung outside in the cold hoping for an autograph and a slice of cake.

Good times. You wouldn't do that for any band I'll tell you...

Hetfield just spoke about his photography, asked if I knew any graveyards around where he could take photos in Newcastle (when they were travelling there to play after Sheffield) and I just spoke to him about living in the UK and what I did for a living really. Nice bloke.