Famous musicians you have met ......

digitalscream

Does Gizz Butt (English Dogs/Prodigy) count? Known him for about 20 years...

I spoke to Pat Badger (bassist with Extreme) on the phone a couple of months back, and I'll be meeting the rest of the band in July.

I hesitate to mention Rob Chapman, on the basis that I'll probably get flamed for calling him "famous"...

richardhomer

John Martyn (four times - three of which were an absolute pleasure), Richard Thompson (very quiet but nice enough), Steve Winwood (very approachable, though quite shy) and Mark Knopfler, who was great - really friendly, happy to talk guitars, all round top chap. Also met Albert Lee and Johnny Marr - who were great too.

Monkeybone

Snail's Pace Slim from The Hamsters after a gig in Bridport, seemed a thoroughly nice bloke.

digitalscream;250476" said:

I hesitate to mention Rob Chapman, on the basis that I'll probably get flamed for calling him "famous"...

I auditioned for Rob's old band, The Black Hand. Also a thoroughly nice bloke. Didn't get the gig but he did point me in the direction of World Guitars, where I ended up buying my Tremonti (which Rob did a demo of on the Tube of You, and called me a nice guy. Sadly said video is no longer online).

koneguitarist

Trying to remember some more, Jerry Donahue, actually met Big Jim Sullivan a few times, really nice guy, also Adrian Legg, what a guitarist! Met Paul Young with Robbie MacKintosh at the Bell Inn at Ash near Yeovil a few years ago, Robbie is an ace player, subtle, but just quality.

Elx

Iron maiden, all of them but Dickinson , blaze bayley was a (poor) singer at the time, dream theater, cool guys...
Steve morse, the Cult except Ian and Duffy ...probably a few more, can't remember now...

Nunogilberto

Feeder, Nicky Wire of the Manics (lived near him at the time), Nuno, Gary and Pat from Extreme, and Mr Big. Twice. Billy Sheehan is a great guy to talk to. Paul is somewhat insular offstage but tidy enough all the same.

monquixote

I used to work in a lab under TVC1 where TOTP and Jools used to be filmed which was next to the green rooms so I ended up seeing just about everyone who was on those programs for a few years 02-08. It was considered very bad form to talk to people so generally I didn't, but I have a few amusing anecdotes. 

One of Cliff Richard's backing band made a lecherous comment to one of Girls Aloud (I don't know which one as they weren't very famous at the time) as she walked up a staircase in a PVC catsuit leading her to shout "Fuck off grandad" at him.

I was so excited when I saw Bjork I walked into a door and she laughed at me.

I was standing in the lunch queue with a colleague who apparently recognised and started chatting to the girl in front of us and said "I know her from somewhere, but I can't remember where" to which I said "No you don't, it's Ms Dynamite"

I ended up in a lift with Pete Waterman who accused me of smelling of curry. Irritatingly a couple of days later a mate got stuck in the same lift with Paul McCartney who sang him a song to pass the time while the lift was stuck (Bastard).

Best memory was walking in on Mike Mills and Michael Stipe rehearsing Night Swimming for performance on Jools later that day. Proper hairs on the back of the neck stuff. Only about 3-4 other people in the room. 

kjoke74

Mostly work-related and definitely not blowing my own horn but a few memorable meetings included:

- Hawkwind (such great guys to hang out with...)

- Jimmy Page

- Jeff Beck

- Eric Clapton

- BB King

- John McLaughlin

- Frank Marino (Mahogany Rush)

- Ian Gillan

- Yes (classic line-up)

- Gwen Stefani (at her wedding, no doubt!

- Glenn Hughes (post-Deep Purple)

- Suzanne Vega (a few times)

- Simon Raymonde (1/3 of Cocteau Twins)

- Tristram Cary (EMS, co-developer of early British analog synths)

And my personal faves: Snowy White (ex-Thin Lizzy / Roger Waters band)... 

And Huw Lloyd-Langton (ex-Hawkwind, RIP) and Nic Potter (Van der Graaf, RIP)

...and Jackie Chan!

viz

monquixote said:

Irritatingly a couple of days later a mate got stuck in the same lift with Paul McCartney who sang him a song to pass the time while the lift was stuck (Bastard).

The one by Mötley Crüe?

stimpsonslostson

JayGee;83865" said:

Frank Turner at the Cambridge Folk Festival a few years back.

We were there as a family including my sons, Elliot and Matthew (@MattG) who were/are huge fans. FT was in the signing tent and didn't leave until *every* *single* *one* of a very large number of (mostly young) fans had had a few words of actual conversation, a couple of minutes, a handshake, a hug, and pretty much anything they had signed. 

He must have been there for at least a couple of hours as we left (and the boys got their couple of minutes) pretty much at the end if the event and he was still going strong.

I thought this was pretty damned classy and dropped an email to the address on his website saying so. The next day I got a (very nice, very polite) reply from Frank himself from his tour bus on his way to the next date. I gather this is pretty typical of him, say what you like about the man but he clearly hasn't forgotten who put him where he is and he keeps up his end of the bargain...

It IS typical of Frank Turner. I've met him a number of times & he always has time for his fans.
My brother & I went to a few of his shows as he got his solo stuff off the ground, I bought him a beer as he was thirsty & running his own merch stand. Next time I was at his show he returned the favour.

I worked security at (what is now) the Etihad in Manchester, so met many of the bands who played there in the early 2000s. James Brown was particularly nice. As was John from RHCP.

blobb

I've not met many famous musos..........................but my mum - she was part of the 'youth club' scene in the Midlands in the 60's. She had the job of booking all the bands to play at her yoof club and her list of acquaintances is mega:

Rolf Harris - apparently one of the nicest guys she ever met. He used a mix of local UK musicians for his tours and made sure all of the entourage (including my mum) were looked after (which is why I'm not so sure I believe all the recent accusations leveled against him, but that's another story).

Bev Bevan (ELO) - lovely gent

Robert Plant (before Zep)

Denny Lane (and the diplomats, later Wings) - git, loved himself

Sabbath - lovely lads

Herman's Hermits

The list goes on and on but the classic is that all of the bands, operating under a single 'manager' at the time charged £25 per gig. All that is except a certain new group from Liverpool who wanted £50. To which the club leader goes down in history for saying "No band is worth £50".

Apparently, The Hollies were the best / nicest band doing the rounds at the time.

She collected guitar straps (inc Paul McCartney's via Denny), picks and drum sticks from each of the acts. Sadly, none made it to the ebay generation.

From my own experience, i once saw Terry Griffiths getting out of his car in a Mid Wales town to use the public Loo's.

Sporky

I met Rolf Harris too - I was a gopher at a gig in York. He seemed perfectly pleasant, and it was a jolly good show.

richardhomer

Sporky;978283" said:

I met Rolf Harris too - I was a gopher at a gig in York. He seemed perfectly pleasant, and it was a jolly good show.

And yet he's just been charged with six more incidents of indecent assault....

mgaw

had a few beers with Bjork after cooking her dinner....Derek Trucks in a Manchester chinese restaurant before a gig a few years back.

Went to Uni with one of Bad Manners younger brother met them all at a gig at St Andrews Uni.......

Moss

Most are recent and at festivals or gigs, but:
-Tame Impala (lovely blokes)

-Haim (I swooned)

-Daughter

-Ezra Furman

-Matt Berry

-The Darkness

-Lucy Rose

-Rae Morris

-East India Youth

-All of Radiohead at various points

-Foals

-Stornaway

Vaiai

All of Mr Big (full first album signed too) we (friends and I) used to hang around the Edinburgh Playhouse, usually to see the support bands as were were really into our import US rock albums lol. There was 3 of us and the tour manager came out and invited us in to meet them!

Wendy from Transvision Vamp, Level 42 all at the same venue (free passes from Levis)

Jools Holland and band - a mate of my dad's was Sabian's PR guy for many years and always took me to gigs if he was in town - spent the night talking to the guitarist about politics lol (scouser who hated Maggie...)

Met John Petrucci on Images and Words tour as my mate was interviewing him for a fanzine, we had to loan him some cash for the bus into town as he had no uk currency lol)

Same with Danny Vaughan and Tyketto on first UK tour - really nice guys

Steve Vai - 3 times! with Whitesnake (also said hi to Coverdale and Tawny Kitaen as they jumped in the limo) DLR and then again when solo - Got my Flex-able and Flex-able Leftovers 10" signed - prize posessions! He was pretty surprised to see them here in Scotland.

All of Dio - dad was mates with Jimmy Bain, a fellow Scot and had been in a band with my dad. RIP I was gobsmacked to meet Vivian Campbell too as he was my hero back then.)

Iron Maiden - dad's mate drove a truck with their entourage! 

Van Morrison - Mum sang backing vocals with him, Runrig too - she toured Scotland with them

Eric Martin - recent acoustic tour - he hung around afterwards and chatted to ppl - also met Johnny Vegas the same night as it was during the Edin Festival lol - he was hilarious and steaming

Deacon Blue - Recorded in dad's mates studio in Edinburgh - went in to see the place and they were in.

The Exploited - shared a rehearsal room with them! Scary bunch

BB King - met his manager on a street I used to work on - everyone came down it as it was just down from the Hotel most bands stayed in - chatted with him and he gave us tickets and we met BB after the gig. A privilege.

More recently, met Fish, his model daughter Tara and his band (my mate Dave Stewart used to play drums with him and then Camel) and The Fratellis too as they were both playing at a gig my mates band were on the same bill - I got a press pass Watched them all from the pit, that was fun - got some good action shots too

Prob more but cannot remember Loads of bands back in the day would hang around after gigs so Love/Hate, Jane's Addiction etc would be on the list

Stopped going to gigs while having family etc but back in action and playing live myself again too

Some great lists - the stories behind them are more interesting than the "who"

Reverend

A few friends of mine used to work for One Fifteen management. They manage Jools and Pink Floyd.
I've met Papa Emiratus from Ghost

Dopesick

Hardly met anybody really famous but have met some of metal's finest:

Kirk Windstein and Jimmy Bower from Down/Crowbar/Eyehategod
Ben Falgoust and Sammy Pierre from Goatwhore last year at Temples - Sammy is pure awesome!
Adrienne from Earth - literally moments after they finished their headline set at Temples and she just opens the door and we chatted for about half an hour, lovely stuff.
Devin Townsend - LEGEND
Gene Hoglan - didn't talk to him but I could smell him from a few metres away
Barney, Shane, Jesse and Mitch from Napalm Death - Barney and Shane were really nice, Jesse was crazy, Mitch was extremely moody

quarky

Joe Elliot, Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen, and Rick Savage from Def Leppard. We stayed at the same hotel in the US once. Had a great time in the bar. Incredibly down to earth people. Invited myself to the bar at Wembley after a concert too. Too many industry people there, but still a good evening.

Not a musician, but Gwendoline Christie was on the same Eurostar as me. Asked for a photo with her, but she didn't want to. A bit grumpy, but we all have crappy days I guess.

Deijavoo

digitalscream said:

Does Gizz Butt (English Dogs/Prodigy) count? Known him for about 20 years...

Yes he does. He very much does.