Father, yes. 5th Grade Teacher, check. Coworkers? 💀💀💀 when you've been stabbed in the back over and over for 10 years, you're not too fond of coworkers after a while. And not one of them would I ever consider a hero. What a sad life that would be.
Without having to pay a dime, I've met the Scorpions, Dio, Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith among others. All were class acts and grateful and happy to meet their fans.
I ran into George Michael in late December of 1985, I was a 16 year old boy, I was working in the Wembley Hotel making up the rooms. He was the sweetest, kindest guy you could ever wish to meet. He would have been about 22 himself, he was at the height of his fame. George took time to speak to me and he asked what my favourite WHAM songs were, he gave me a drink from his mini bar and sat me down to talk, I was a fan I have to say, but he was a good guy and he was from my part of the world as well. George was a really handsome guy then, he was wearing his leather jacket, he was moving into the im your man look. Respect to him.
Guitar/musician heroes and celebrities in general are all human beings just like you and me. Some of them think that they are more than that, but that's their problem. so many of them are truly grateful for their fans and go out of their way to show their gratitude. Even the best of them have bad days or are tired, angry, hungry, etc.. I met Brian Setzer from the Stray Cats at an airport in Las Vegas many years ago. he is one of my childhood guitar heroes and still is and seeing him in person was good for me to experience. He was a regular guy doing regular things living a regular life. He has bills to pay work to do and a life to live just like me. We only talked for a minute and he signed a piece of paper that I had in my pocket and it said, "rock this town! Brian Setzer" it was super cool! I met Michael Sweet from Stryper after one of his shows in Denver. He loves his fans and it shows. He was super humble and took the time to look you in the eye, shake hands, smile and listen to your story. he made my daughter feel like she mattered and i was so impressed. I watched him as he was approached by another fan who was extremely annoying. This guy whipped out a Bible and began to correct Michael and the theology of some the Stryper lyrics. Michael was so gracious to the guy and listened, and I will never forget that!
Ran into Billy Gibbons at a Tiki Bar and worked up the courage to say hello. I had this internal dialogue where i said "hes shaken lots of hands and met lots of fans. So just be yourself" And he was genuinely one of the kindest people ive ever met. I didnt want to take up his day, i just thanked him for the inspiration as a guitarist and he was so great to chat with for that moment. I always felt part of that exchange (especially on a random day in a public setting) on meeting a "hero" is how you approach it as well. Not always the case but if You give respect, you get it in return.
67 years old….over 1,800 concerts….met many of my musical hero’s…some good, some not as good….many were fucking wonderful. Never paid for a single one…..meet them by being a fan. Would not take anything for a single experience. Just wonderful…every single one.
Not my hero, not a musician, but I did meet Brad Pitt by chance in London and spent 30 minutes alone with him. He was very cool and seemed like a very normal guy. I didn't treat him like a celebrity and he didn't treat me like a fan. We had a normal conversation and he seemed genuinely interested in me.
I've met Bono several times and I can tell you he is absolute CLASS. Glad my hero is Bono 'cause one super chill, funny ass mofo when all the lights and cameras are not in his face.
I was fortunate to meet Ray Davies a few times and he was pleasant and friendly…I was awkward. Had a brief interaction with ELVIS as a 6 year old in the front row of a concert in 1975…oh, met Dee Snider and he was cool at the time….TCB⚡️
Your just a nice guy...and your trying to get your golden experience....but your right....I know what your talking about meeting famous musicians that are jerks...you honest and spot on....thank you for speaking up about this issue!
I usually won’t go up to a famous person. I figure they want to be left alone. Due to playing in bands, I had been on the same bill as some famous musicians, but I would only converse with them if they initiated the conversation. Years ago, I was sitting at the bar of a venue after a show. The main guy from the band I had seen that night was hanging out, waiting to be called to his tour bus. We began chatting and had a nice, 20 minute long talk. When the tour manager called him to the bus, he grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down his number. He told me to call after his tour was over to continue the conversation. A few months later, I called and we picked up right where we left off that night after the show. About a week later, he sent me demos of a record he was working on and asked for feedback. The guy and his band had a single that sold 10 million and album that sold 6 million - he was still human enough to be cool to a fan. I’m still surprised he trusted me with his telephone number and home address.
Really enjoying your videos! I haven't met many musicians, but years ago, I was lucky enough to go to a meet and greet with CCR's John Fogerty. He couldn't have been nicer! He was genuinely happy to meet his fans, funny, down to earth, and very kind! At the end of my life, i can always look up at the pictures and the memorabilia he signed for me and remember how cool it was to meet my all-time favorite rocker! 10/10 experience for me!
Hey Zack, grumpy old drummer here. I've been lucky meeting my heroes in the past. I got to meet Glenn Hughes in the early 90s when he was doing backing vocals for my friends band in Los Angeles. He spent quite some time answering my questions about his time in Deep Purple and even talked about his recovery. I met Ian Paice also outside the Rainbow while he was waiting for the valet to get his car. If they turned out to be assholes I would've been bummed out big time, and thankfully, they weren't. Digging your channel, brother, and nice guitar work. Rock on!
I wouldn’t say Never Meet Your Heroes. But don’t get to KNOW them. Cuz that’s when you’ll see a side of them you may not like. Granted it’s not like most of us won’t become best buds with our rock icons, but I think you get my point.
@theconcertcruizer I would say that this is true for almost anyone you meet. Sometimes you meet someone that seems cool, and then you dislike them eventually.
I ran into Steve Perry of Journey who was aloof. Meeting him gave me a clear idea of why the guys in Journey clashed with him. I met actor Henry Winkler and he was wonderful. Great guy. I met actor Danny Bonoduce who was friendly. Meeting your hero’s all in all is not a priority because some I really like and they could never live up to my admiration.
my heroes never disappointed me thankfully. Saw British Lion in 2020 on their opening night and the band had the hardcore fans who got there early chow down with them and chat. Freakin Steve Harris of all people just as friendly as could be. Only like 80 people showed up for the concert at the small venue. Nicko and Adrian I have met multiple times, including in Nicko's rib shack. Nicest blokes and nicko sat at my table and stole my french fries.
Met Joe Perry and Brad Whitford of Aerosmith (they were my first concert, one of my two all time favorite bands EVER, Joe inspired me to play guitar). I was 17 at the time and told him, I still remember how humble and thankful he was that I was inspired by him. He gave me a guitar pick that I still have to this day. One year later I met Brad, and he couldn’t have been more humble or nice. Increased my love for Aerosmith by a TON!
Five years ago I met Ron Keel, been a huge fan of his music since I was in high school when KEEL The Right To Rock came out. Seriously one of the best people in the business. Now 5 years later we have been in a Fantasy Football League together the past 4 years which two years ago when I won the league he bought me a championship jersey, he occasionally has sent me CDs out of the blue for free, he mentioned me in an interview, he did an accoustic show and before the show took me, the woman i was dating at the time, and another friend out to dinner. We are friends now. I've met many musicians and have become friends with many. So Yes , meet your heroes...because you just never know if they will be cool or not if you don't
I’ve met several. Every single one has been very nice. I would say especially U2. They were in our town for 10 days prior to a world tour, and they often came out to talk with us, sign everything. One night Edge came out at 2 a.m. and talked to the 6 of us still there. Signed an lp for me. Nice people.
So between opening for some of my favorite bands & meeting them after shows..... Opened for Kiss they were surprisingly great talked to Gene for a while he wanted to make sure we were being treated well, opened for Queensryche talked to Geoff before show great guy also on the cool to meet & they were great....Chuck Wright & Franky Banali, Honeymoon Suite, Enuff Znuff, Jeff Pilson, Winger Cinderella, Bullet Boys & a ton of 60s bands...Grass Roots Association etc....
I’ve met Chris Buck, Josh Smith, Mark Letteri, and Andy Timmons. And they were all the nicest and humble people I’ve met. They even loved to take photos and sign stuff. For me it was totally worth it! (So far)
I think a big part of it is, people forget that these musicians, actors, athletes, etc. are just people. If you're a fan for many years and follow this person and watch/read their interviews, digest their art, and develop an idea of them, you've got those years of experience and knowledge and built-up opinions going in to meeting them. They're only JUST meeting you, know nothing about you, and you could be the tenth person or the hundredth person they're meeting THAT day. You just can't expect them to meet your interest level. I think you're spot on. Go in with reasonable expectations and remember that, although you have a parasocial relationship with this person and feel like you know them, you're a stranger to them. Just treat them as a human being, say you're a big fan, ask them a good question or two, and you'll probably have a good experience. When I've been lucky enough to meet people that I've really admired, that's all I've done, and it's almost always been cool. Sometimes they're less interested than other times, but they're human beings, living out of a tour bus, and probably exhausted. I'm not surprised hearing your Ace Frehley experience though. Lol. I've heard stories from a few people that have met him and played with him that he's... something. Still, I feel like he's one of those guys that if you get a chance to meet him, you take it, because it's fuckin' Ace Frehley. The Spaceman.
There is one guy that I'd love to meet in person....I've actually done a zoom with him thru intro... because I love his story about how he overcame addiction and his family helping. Because of my brother, who was an alcoholic and a guitarist, it really hits close to home for me. I lost my brother 9 years ago to his demons, but super glad that this individual broke free from his!! Enjoyed the video.... keep on keeping on!!❤
My heroes since I was a kid was KISS I met them all, at separate times throughout life. However I did meet some people I never expected to be my so called "heroes" or people I never expected to be on a platform. I work security for a large venue for many years, and met so many people in the music biz. I have met some slimy dirty jerks, but there are some true genuine people out there as well. Snoop Dogg, Tim McGraw, Kenny Rogers, Bret Michaels, Eric Singer, and Coolio. These people were the best of the best and even had contact info for a couple of these guys for a few years and even did private security for Snoop Dogg for a tour. I can say I was very very disappointed in the way a lot of stars handle themselves and what they really thought about fans among other things, I will leave those names quiet. Anyway like Zach said, Meet your idols/heroes just go into it with low expectations and when you do meet them just be normal, do not fan boy out. These STARS just want to be normal, so the more normal you act during a meeting the better response you will get from them. Anyway enough from me. Take care everyone go meet people and enjoy those few minutes because you never get them back.
Many years ago I interviewed Mark Farner from Grand Funk Railroad for my school paper. And I think you're right. The experience is something you never ever forget. The interview was very very hard to get and involved lots of phone calls and letters to record companies and talent agents. But when the big day arrived and I finally got it, wow, wow, wow! Of course we had some good laughs and talked about all of the hits "We're an American Band, Foot Stomping Music, Some Kind Of Wonderful, Bad Time, Locomotion, etc.
@@ZachAdkinsGuitar Hey Zach. The interview may be buried somewhere in the internet but it’s anyone’s guess. If you want I could send you a copy. Do you have a preferred email? Thanks for your channel!
Agree. I've had far more pleasant interactions with people I admire than not but, like you said, either way you come away with a story and you had that experience. Assuming people are just going to disappoint you so you're dumb to even bother is a pretty lame way to go through life.
Here are a few individuals that i've met that were super cool. Edgar Winter, MIchael Sweet, Robert Sweet, and Oz Fox of Stryper, Chad Green of Frozen Soul, Don Dokken and Mick Brown of Dokken, and Danny Joe Brown of Molly Hatchet twice.
I’m not guna lie. I got to meet my musical idol about 7 years ago and we’ve remained friends this whole time. He’s not a super huge celebrity or anything but he’s been in all kinds of places in his career and he’s the most genuine person I’ve ever met.
I think this applies to anyone you meet for the first time. A few will rub you the wrong way, while most interactions will be either a fine or cordial and few will be great. Back in the 90s, I wrote to John Ricci from Exciter and he responded to me with his phone number. At the time, I chatted over the phone quite a few times, went to see him at his work place in Ottawa (music store), and he invited me to a show they were doing in San Antonio, Texas (after I moved there to work). It was great! Also, it depends on the context you meet them (meet & greet where the artist sees one fan after another or at the airport while waiting to board an airplane when met members of Overkill, which was a positive encounter).
Like you, I met Ace Frehley when he supported Gene with his The Gene Simmons Band a few years ago when they toured Australia $600 Australian dollars. I loved it, he was great and we had a few laughs too. I also got my arm signed and tattooed as well. I also did an MG with Hugh Jackman which I got for my 50th birthday present, he was cool both pleasant experiences
i've met a lot of famous musicians...most of them were actually very nice...john sykes spent a lot of time with me when i asked him a guitar question...paul gilbert could have done stand up comedy...james hetfield was super nice...only ones i was disappointed with were ace frehley and mark st john, i chalked it up to them having bad days
It can depend on the day too. I’ve met a few celebrities who I thought were very ignorant, but then I talked to other people who’ve met them and said they were absolutely amazing.
It's true you need to have a reasonable expectation because remember the person doesn't know you they just met you. You may know tons of information about them and if you do that I think it's great to meet your heroes and let them know I have met a lot of people from Music and TV Swhich are two of my passions. Most of the time they were working meaning they were at an official and event like a con or in-store appearance I've only met a few in every day life.
One of my biggest dreams was meeting the Harp Twins, and be it only once. I was a fan of them since 2020 and since they live in the USA and I in Germany I was totally convinced that I could ever meet them. In February 2024 they came to Europe, and as unbelievable as it could be they had a show an hour and half away from my home. I finally met them and it was all I had ever hoped for, even much better; it was not a fan meeting his stars, it was more like a family reunion.
hey man, I saw Gene's solo tour in 2018 in MN...and the ticket was about 80 bucks...I was about the 4th row, my left of the stage ...and Gene (Simmons from Kiss) invited anybody to come up on stage, meet him, take a picture with him...he was joking around with people...he was hugging them...and that part of the show was free...I could've gone up there...but I wouldn't know what to say to him..
Ive met loads of rock stars over the years, ive been lucky everything always turned out ok,the best one was at a queensryche meet and greet back here in the uk,michael wilton was just a fantastic person nothing was to much trouble the best rock star ive met
With the meet and greets, you have to keep in mind that it’s transactional. But in the rare instances where I’ll meet a musician and we can speak organically, I live for those moments. Talking to Matt Pike about cigars, chatting with Ohgr about cats and horror movies, chilling with Praga Khan about Pink Floyd and cemeteries, this is all memorable stuff. It’s important that I don’t fanboy over them and just treat them like people and not gods… I can always bounce up and down over it when they’re not around, haha!
I met my life-long hero: Glenn Kaiser from the Resurrection Band, and he was such a blessing to me. I will never forget. He spend hours with me. A wonderful man. As I mentioned on your last video, I met Nita Strauss numerous times now and she is an absolute sweetheart, as is the drummer from her former band The Iron Maidens: Linda McDonald. All the guys in Stryper are super nice. In fact, to be honest, I don’t think I have met a celebrity that was a jerk. Not yet anyways...
Got to meet Tom Araya in early 2019. Son and I went to WV show and walking thru the hotel lobby. He was standing there alone. Told him we were huge fans in town for the show. He shook our hands and allowed a few pics. Nice dude. We actually did a vip meet and greet about 2 hours later and he said something about meeting us in the hotel lobby. He is very soft spoken and very delicate with his hands.
I met Dave Williams, the original singer of Drowning Pool, April 2002. I was 17. This was a smaller venue called the Sunshine Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He talked to me what had to be a good 5 minutes outside of the venue near their bus, he couldn't have been nicer. I didn't pay to meet him or anything and me talking to him didn't bother him at all. He was super excited about the album they were working on, when he died a few months later that really hit me. Same theater the previous year I met all of Static-X, only one that didn't sign or talk to anybody was Wayne(rip). Met all of SOIL there too. Great theater, mostly great musicians.
@@ZachAdkinsGuitar It absolutely was, I turned 18 a month after meeting him. On a side note, the previous year I thought the radio station had said LOSTPROPHETS show was $1.87, the call numbers of the station, I get there, it's $12. Im out back wearing a LOSTPROPHETS shirt, Ian comes out to smoke, asks why I'm not in the show, he pays for me to get in. Was cool at the time but oooooooof.
Thank God I’ve met everyone that inspired me in my life,Music,.Lee Ving’FEAR’…Art,Tom Wright’NightGallery..both I now call DAD,…I’m blessed in that sense,.thank God!…I also have met /toured/worked with too many people to mention that mean the world to me that have been Salt of the Earth’Ive also decided NOT to meet a few of my heroes,.literally in the same room…I choose to keep the Fantasy‘and I’m sure they would have been absolutely the Koolest,.one was Gene Simmons..I’ve seen every KISS concert since 1976,Anaheim Stadium…I literally had to keep myself to not go up to Gene,.I had to keep my favorite band of all time at a distance…no regrets.X
I got to meet Bobby Blitz from Overkill and James Murphy while he was in Testament. Both huge heroes to me at the time and they were awesome!!! Got to meet Carcass on the Heartwork tour on my 18th birthday and man they were dicks lol. There was definitely some kind band drama going on at the time. But I still love their music still and no hard feelings lol 😂
Being an old bass player, they were always my focus. Met many great ones. Peter Baltes from Accept brought me a large coffee to my booth at Summer NAMM....that was stupid cool. Met Rocco Prestia from Tower of power a year before his passing randomly at Dunkin Donuts, again before Summer NAMM, he came by my booth 3 times that year just to talk and take a break. That was huge. Besides Geddy Lee, Rocco was my first bass hero. Lots of great stories, and a few clunkers, like Jeff Berlin(meh) and Rex Brown. Its definitely a crapshoot, but most are good folks. Oh yeah, Go Lions! 👍🏼🇺🇸🍻
I got to meet my celebrity hero, we actually got on really well for a while to the point where we chatted nearly every night and he even invited me to stay at his home for a weekend. We ended up falling out a little while back, which is disappointing but I learned a lot from the whole experience. If anyone has seen 30 Rock, it was a bit like that episode where Tina Fey develops a friendship with one of her heroes played by Carrie Fisher, it's not what you expect but that's OK you still learn from it. I still watch his work as a fan too, even if I think he's a bit of a dick.
Learning from the experience is good. You only live once, and if someone is important to you... You should go for it. Disappointment is ok, sometimes the pursuit and goal is the point 💪💪
Rodrigo y Gabriela are my favorite guitar players. Having seen them for the past 20 years, I always wanted to meet them. They are always friendly and cordial; and by 2015 they always say hello to me from the stage these days or we catch up after one of the shows. Just good down to earth people. We DM occasionally on Instagram and have done face time etc. Social media can be a big plus when meeting band(s) or artists.
I agree with a hero of mine, Neil Peart, in "Limelight", “I can't pretend a stranger / Is a long-awaited friend”. However, a friend who has met the Maestros in Bad Company, they are very normal and down to Earth.
Nah - have met plenty of rock stars and famous actors - all have been polite and cordial possibly because I’ve treated them with respect - the three standouts were Alice Cooper and Jackie Chan and actor Tom Savini - they were all FANTASTIC !
I watched your video about the meet and greets. The Vai/Satriani was very surprising to me . I met Vai a few years ago at Sweetwater Gearfest. He had an organized signing earlier in the day that i couldn't make it to. I still showed up later in the day with my copy of Passion and Warfare in hand. Watched his three song performance in the pavilion was blown away. I ran into a friend afterwards and she knows how much i loved Vai when we were growing up ( and still do). She took me backstage and mentioned to Steve that her friend is standing there and missed out on the signing earlier in the day. He came over and said " i gotta go do something really quick. I'll be back in a few". I was thinking, at least he was nice while blowing me off To his word, he came back, shook my hand, asked my name, took a picture and was more than happy to sign my album. I was blown away. Sucks that the V.I.P. thing was so lame. Just thought I'd share my experience with him. And you're correct. Nita is the most polite and coolest person you could ever meet.
Met my heroes back before iPhones. The biggest were from some of the biggest in rock today. One was a guitarist, one a singer, one a drummer all on separate occasions. These encounters were fucking incredible. I don’t like talking about it to strangers because it was so incredible that they think I’m lying. I have tangible proof and know that it happened so I don’t really care who knows about it. I’m sure with cameras, phones and social media that these people are on guard at all times.
I"ve been thinking about this since seeing your other video. Meeting Lars Ulrich at the Blackened Whiskey event was a special experience for me even though we barely conversed. He greeted me and signed my bottle in front of me. He gave me a gift of his time, and I got an autographed memento. Time is something valuable, especially for someone who has millions of fans. In contrast if you are paying thousands of dollars or even hundreds of dollars to meet someone, you are not getting a gift. You're giving THEM something when they have 100-1,000x as much money as you do. I would never pay unless the money was for charity. I also don't buy Snake Pit tickets. I can see the band fine from the basic floor area and they don't look different from 3 feet away than they do from 30 feet away. Maybe if I still played guitar I would feel differently, but for an average fan it is not necessary to be that close because it's still not a personal experience even from 3 feet away. What we all crave is something personal and meaningful.
I met my favorite guitar hero Alex Skolnick and it was a good experience. I paid $12 for a ticket to see his jazz band and I was able to meet him and get a picture with him.
I met mybhero Jeff Loomis randomly At a metal concert in Seattle. He was just hanging out so i got close, introduced myself and had a quick chat with him. Told him i have his signature guitar and blah blah blah and he was sooo nice and polite. Asked for a picture, he said yes and that was it. I was a fan before...and will always be.
Hey Zach! This is my third vid of yours I've watched (first 2 were balding rock stars, I'm bald too). I think you're great, very real. Liked & subscribed. FYI- You can meet me for nothing! 😁
Met Motley Crue thru a friend of mine back in '85. He was invited to Tommy Lee's wedding, I still personally have negatives from Tommy and Heather's actual wedding! Thats a whole other story. Tommy and Nikki were really cool (during Theatre of Pain tour) being 19 at the time, they were my favorite band. A memory that lasted 40 years so far. Im glad I did, definately.
I have meet some of my hero's. Met Cannibal Corpse minus Corpsgrinder, also met Glen Benton they all are awesome people. Shook my hand bullstitted for a while. Also I was lucky enough to meet Pantera in the 90s once at a record signing for far beyond driven and again later the the 90s at a show. Pantera are(was) cool and humble. Everyone I have mentioned above are (was) class acts and good folks. They did not have the rock star attitude. Met Max Calavera and Gloria at a show also nice people. Met all these people without paying for a meet and greet.
I met my favorite guitarist and singer Michael Sweet, of Stryper, many times, I go to meet and greets, I truly believe they sort of supplement the bands income. I said all of that to say this. Michael Sweet is my favorite guitarists and singer! Many, Many years ago (the 80’s) Stryper led me to what my faith is today so it’s kind of a little more personal in that aspect! Now he is AWAYS, as is the entire band, very personal and cordial to all of his and their fans! I mean he called my wife on her birthday a few years back! So he is one of the best people you will meet ever. I also met Ace Frehley and he was great also, he told me thank and appreciated me coming to the show! I think with some artists it might also be timing and moods, just guessing! I had a friend who met Alec Baldwin, we have all seen some of his highlights in the news, my friends met him and said he was awesome very cordial and took pictures with him and signed a autograph.
Then don’t charge people a fortune for something they don’t want to even do. By putting those Meet and Greet tickets for sale it’s basically saying it’s something you want to do. So to act like it’s an inconvenience is garbage.
I have met quite a few few at dive bars or in the street , even while lining up for a gig, they are just people and I think if you treat them that way they are fine to talk to you.
Ive done a handful of meet n greets, and had some pretty awesome experiences. I met John5 last week for $50 after his show and he was AWESOME. Such a great guy, and very nice. Talked to me for a solid minute, and he took a video for me to send to my friend because he’s a huge fan and couldn’t make it. That right there is a great experience! He made you feel welcome , and was genuinely appreciative that you were there seeing his show. Also, Nita Strauss probably wins for the best meet n greet. Sweetheart of a lady, does a Q&A , you get merch with it and you get pictures/personal items signed and get to chat for a while all for like 60 bucks… you can’t beat that. She was the best, I’d highly recommend hers if you’re a fan. I just can’t justify spending a grand for kiss. I’ve heard their meet n greet is awful. They don’t even say anything to you. They just whip you in a room in a line of 200 people, snap a picture and your moved down the line so quick you don’t even know what happened. That seems insane to me for over a thousand bucks.
I’m a huge Mike Portnoy fan! I set my drums like him and have tried to steal every lick I could from him. I have actually shared the stage with him opening for Adrenaline Mob and Winery Dogs. Was a total let down to never get to talk musician to musician. Chopped it up with his drum tech Jose. The bass player from Disturbed who was playing for AM at the time actually took time to watch a couple of songs from my set! Turning around to see him throw up the metal horns was a great moment!
I think you should definitely seize the opportunity to meet musicians if you can. Obviously if they're in a restaurant with someone, doing something with family or clearly in the middle of business just leave them alone. There's social media now and getting in touch with figures is easier than ever. However if they're at a venue and there's means to meet them then go for it. I'm a passionate metalhead guitarist and have met MANY figures in the genre and the vast majority were chill. The absolute best though was meeting Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom. Not only is that my favorite band of all time but AYDY is the soundtrack to my life. Seen them front and center four times and the final time I saw them I felt like I wasn't going to get the opportunity to again (sure enough he passed from longer term alcohol abuse four years later and it was the last time they played my city). I hung by the buses behind a barricade and sure enough he came out after a few minutes. Got a pic with him that's my phone screen saver, he just offered to sign my ticket even though I don't ask for autographs and I got it laminated. After the show I got a pic with both the bassist, keyboardist and actually got to chat a little. Musicians are just people and you need to understand touring is exhausting, they meet people all the time, get sick, have moods, and personal shit. Celebrities though I couldn't care less and many mainstream musicians are definitely a different breed.
I had great experiences and bad experiences. Like you said. The expectations need to be always low. Back in 2018 with Ozzy was great but there was a teenage who simply didn’t really understood what she was paying for and got really upset afterwards. She thought she was meeting ozzy from “the Osbornes”. Wasn’t the case.
Want to add a comment about Black Sabbath...I "met" Tony Iommi in a Q&A that took place on his website...didn't cost a dime. That was in 2015 or 2016. Also got some type of VIP package for The End tour, but I got it for being a member of a fan club and it didn't cost anything extra. Included a photo book with souvenir guitar picks and "concierge" service. Turned out my ticket cost less than some other people's. I think things are getting worse and worse and some of the biggest acts are money hungry in a way that doesn't even make sense to me. There's only so much money you can spend, and "giving back" should start with your fans.
Why in the world would i wanna waste my time and money to spend a few min with someone who doesnt know i exist or even care that im there. Nah man. Got better things to do with my time and bread. But ill still listen to the music. And just bc i dont wanna pay to do a lame meet and great doesnt mean i dont take any other chances or risks in life. They just have to be worth it.
Everyone has already met their heroes . They are your parents, friends, teachers, coworkers etc.
Unless their parents were abusive, they have no friends, their teachers didn't care, and their coworkers are terrible.
Everyone had a different story
@@ZachAdkinsGuitar
Always exceptions for sure. I still remember great teachers from 40 years ago and terrible ones also.
Amen to that!
Father, yes. 5th Grade Teacher, check. Coworkers? 💀💀💀 when you've been stabbed in the back over and over for 10 years, you're not too fond of coworkers after a while. And not one of them would I ever consider a hero. What a sad life that would be.
Without having to pay a dime, I've met the Scorpions, Dio, Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith among others. All were class acts and grateful and happy to meet their fans.
I met Tom Scholz from Boston at a coffee house in the mid 1980s. I sat and talked with him a few minutes. Nice guy!
I ran into George Michael in late December of 1985, I was a 16 year old boy, I was working in the Wembley Hotel making up the rooms. He was the sweetest, kindest guy you could ever wish to meet. He would have been about 22 himself, he was at the height of his fame. George took time to speak to me and he asked what my favourite WHAM songs were, he gave me a drink from his mini bar and sat me down to talk, I was a fan I have to say, but he was a good guy and he was from my part of the world as well. George was a really handsome guy then, he was wearing his leather jacket, he was moving into the im your man look. Respect to him.
The dudes from Suffocation were down to earth and super cool. Trevor from Black Dahlia was also very nice. RIP Trevor.
Iron Maiden were really cool to meet,seem like good guys.
I've heard they are pretty cool!
Alice Cooper, cool and nice: direct opposite of his stage MO.
Met Lemmy, he didn’t know me from Adam, lovely guy
Honestly? If lemmy wasn't dick? I would be pissed 😂
Having a hero like Neil Peart, I’ve always known that he wasn’t a guy who wanted to meet & greet fans. So I would have never approached him.
Geddy Lee, Steve Hackett, Rick Wakeman…all absolute sweethearts when I met them.
As was Jon Anderson, Chris Squire & Alan White of YES were very friendly & personable, it must run in YES’s DNA.
Guitar/musician heroes and celebrities in general are all human beings just like you and me. Some of them think that they are more than that, but that's their problem. so many of them are truly grateful for their fans and go out of their way to show their gratitude. Even the best of them have bad days or are tired, angry, hungry, etc.. I met Brian Setzer from the Stray Cats at an airport in Las Vegas many years ago. he is one of my childhood guitar heroes and still is and seeing him in person was good for me to experience. He was a regular guy doing regular things living a regular life. He has bills to pay work to do and a life to live just like me. We only talked for a minute and he signed a piece of paper that I had in my pocket and it said, "rock this town! Brian Setzer" it was super cool! I met Michael Sweet from Stryper after one of his shows in Denver. He loves his fans and it shows. He was super humble and took the time to look you in the eye, shake hands, smile and listen to your story. he made my daughter feel like she mattered and i was so impressed. I watched him as he was approached by another fan who was extremely annoying. This guy whipped out a Bible and began to correct Michael and the theology of some the Stryper lyrics. Michael was so gracious to the guy and listened, and I will never forget that!
Love that story!
The whole LA GUNS BAND....what a bunch of polite humble nice guys!
I've heard that too!
Your a class act....I like your style....your an incredible guitarist too!
I've met Ace many of times sometimes hes cool...but most of the time hes not....
I met Robert plant and he was awesome
Ran into Billy Gibbons at a Tiki Bar and worked up the courage to say hello. I had this internal dialogue where i said "hes shaken lots of hands and met lots of fans. So just be yourself"
And he was genuinely one of the kindest people ive ever met. I didnt want to take up his day, i just thanked him for the inspiration as a guitarist and he was so great to chat with for that moment.
I always felt part of that exchange (especially on a random day in a public setting) on meeting a "hero" is how you approach it as well.
Not always the case but if You give respect, you get it in return.
67 years old….over 1,800 concerts….met many of my musical hero’s…some good, some not as good….many were fucking wonderful. Never paid for a single one…..meet them by being a fan. Would not take anything for a single experience. Just wonderful…every single one.
I have been to over 700 shows. I never knew anyone that has been to more than me. I think I have some work to do.
@@bobperry2578 thanks for the response. 700 is a big number. I love going. Many weeks I have one per week. Keep rocking.
@@kendellshropshire9153 me also !!!
Soooo true!
I'll go a step further and say do not dig too deeply like reading autobiographies and biographies. Just as bad a letdown.
Not my hero, not a musician, but I did meet Brad Pitt by chance in London and spent 30 minutes alone with him. He was very cool and seemed like a very normal guy. I didn't treat him like a celebrity and he didn't treat me like a fan. We had a normal conversation and he seemed genuinely interested in me.
I've met Bono several times and I can tell you he is absolute CLASS. Glad my hero is Bono 'cause one super chill, funny ass mofo when all the lights and cameras are not in his face.
He didn't push you to donate to rainforests, did he?
I always enjoyed meeting some of heroes. Never a bad experience. All were cool. Lots of good stories
I was fortunate to meet Ray Davies a few times and he was pleasant and friendly…I was awkward. Had a brief interaction with ELVIS as a 6 year old in the front row of a concert in 1975…oh, met Dee Snider and he was cool at the time….TCB⚡️
Wow! Meeting Elvis would be sweet
Your just a nice guy...and your trying to get your golden experience....but your right....I know what your talking about meeting famous musicians that are jerks...you honest and spot on....thank you for speaking up about this issue!
@chrisbohner1092 thanks for the comment, glad you dig my videos :)
I usually won’t go up to a famous person. I figure they want to be left alone. Due to playing in bands, I had been on the same bill as some famous musicians, but I would only converse with them if they initiated the conversation.
Years ago, I was sitting at the bar of a venue after a show. The main guy from the band I had seen that night was hanging out, waiting to be called to his tour bus. We began chatting and had a nice, 20 minute long talk. When the tour manager called him to the bus, he grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down his number. He told me to call after his tour was over to continue the conversation. A few months later, I called and we picked up right where we left off that night after the show. About a week later, he sent me demos of a record he was working on and asked for feedback. The guy and his band had a single that sold 10 million and album that sold 6 million - he was still human enough to be cool to a fan. I’m still surprised he trusted me with his telephone number and home address.
That's badass!!
That sounds like something EVH would do. There are similar stories about him.
I met Ray Davies in 1998. He was super cool. He actually went out bar hopping with my friends after his solo gig in Lexington, Kentucky.
That's awesome!
Really enjoying your videos! I haven't met many musicians, but years ago, I was lucky enough to go to a meet and greet with CCR's John Fogerty. He couldn't have been nicer! He was genuinely happy to meet his fans, funny, down to earth, and very kind! At the end of my life, i can always look up at the pictures and the memorabilia he signed for me and remember how cool it was to meet my all-time favorite rocker! 10/10 experience for me!
I watched an interview with former Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman where he said “love the art, not the artist”
Hey Zack, grumpy old drummer here. I've been lucky meeting my heroes in the past. I got to meet Glenn Hughes in the early 90s when he was doing backing vocals for my friends band in Los Angeles. He spent quite some time answering my questions about his time in Deep Purple and even talked about his recovery. I met Ian Paice also outside the Rainbow while he was waiting for the valet to get his car. If they turned out to be assholes I would've been bummed out big time, and thankfully, they weren't. Digging your channel, brother, and nice guitar work. Rock on!
Thanks for the comment!! Glad you're here 💪
I wouldn’t say Never Meet Your Heroes. But don’t get to KNOW them. Cuz that’s when you’ll see a side of them you may not like. Granted it’s not like most of us won’t become best buds with our rock icons, but I think you get my point.
@theconcertcruizer I would say that this is true for almost anyone you meet. Sometimes you meet someone that seems cool, and then you dislike them eventually.
I ran into Steve Perry of Journey who was aloof. Meeting him gave me a clear idea of why the guys in Journey clashed with him. I met actor Henry Winkler and he was wonderful. Great guy. I met actor Danny Bonoduce who was friendly. Meeting your hero’s all in all is not a priority because some I really like and they could never live up to my admiration.
I feel that way about anyone though.
Alice Cooper is one of the nicest people you can meet.
Alice coopers spiel on Milwaukee in Wayne’s world was the best part of the movie.
Not every celebrity is a jerk....there is alot of nice people in the biz....but there are there jerks ....!
@chrisbohner1092 you're absolutely right
my heroes never disappointed me thankfully. Saw British Lion in 2020 on their opening night and the band had the hardcore fans who got there early chow down with them and chat. Freakin Steve Harris of all people just as friendly as could be. Only like 80 people showed up for the concert at the small venue. Nicko and Adrian I have met multiple times, including in Nicko's rib shack. Nicest blokes and nicko sat at my table and stole my french fries.
Met Joe Perry and Brad Whitford of Aerosmith (they were my first concert, one of my two all time favorite bands EVER, Joe inspired me to play guitar). I was 17 at the time and told him, I still remember how humble and thankful he was that I was inspired by him. He gave me a guitar pick that I still have to this day. One year later I met Brad, and he couldn’t have been more humble or nice. Increased my love for Aerosmith by a TON!
Never got to meet my hero.. jimmy Buffett.. saw him in concert 20 times.. rip
Five years ago I met Ron Keel, been a huge fan of his music since I was in high school when KEEL The Right To Rock came out. Seriously one of the best people in the business. Now 5 years later we have been in a Fantasy Football League together the past 4 years which two years ago when I won the league he bought me a championship jersey, he occasionally has sent me CDs out of the blue for free, he mentioned me in an interview, he did an accoustic show and before the show took me, the woman i was dating at the time, and another friend out to dinner. We are friends now. I've met many musicians and have become friends with many. So Yes , meet your heroes...because you just never know if they will be cool or not if you don't
I've seen many videos from Paul Gilbert. Even if he wasn't a great guitar player, I could see me liking this guy.
He is a super nice guy
I’ve met several. Every single one has been very nice. I would say especially U2. They were in our town for 10 days prior to a world tour, and they often came out to talk with us, sign everything. One night Edge came out at 2 a.m. and talked to the 6 of us still there. Signed an lp for me. Nice people.
So between opening for some of my favorite bands & meeting them after shows..... Opened for Kiss they were surprisingly great talked to Gene for a while he wanted to make sure we were being treated well, opened for Queensryche talked to Geoff before show great guy also on the cool to meet & they were great....Chuck Wright & Franky Banali, Honeymoon Suite, Enuff Znuff, Jeff Pilson, Winger Cinderella, Bullet Boys & a ton of 60s bands...Grass Roots Association etc....
My daughter has that same shirt and another similar one with cats and KISS❤❤❤
Love that
I’ve met Chris Buck, Josh Smith, Mark Letteri, and Andy Timmons. And they were all the nicest and humble people I’ve met. They even loved to take photos and sign stuff. For me it was totally worth it! (So far)
I think a big part of it is, people forget that these musicians, actors, athletes, etc. are just people. If you're a fan for many years and follow this person and watch/read their interviews, digest their art, and develop an idea of them, you've got those years of experience and knowledge and built-up opinions going in to meeting them. They're only JUST meeting you, know nothing about you, and you could be the tenth person or the hundredth person they're meeting THAT day. You just can't expect them to meet your interest level.
I think you're spot on. Go in with reasonable expectations and remember that, although you have a parasocial relationship with this person and feel like you know them, you're a stranger to them. Just treat them as a human being, say you're a big fan, ask them a good question or two, and you'll probably have a good experience. When I've been lucky enough to meet people that I've really admired, that's all I've done, and it's almost always been cool. Sometimes they're less interested than other times, but they're human beings, living out of a tour bus, and probably exhausted.
I'm not surprised hearing your Ace Frehley experience though. Lol. I've heard stories from a few people that have met him and played with him that he's... something. Still, I feel like he's one of those guys that if you get a chance to meet him, you take it, because it's fuckin' Ace Frehley. The Spaceman.
There is one guy that I'd love to meet in person....I've actually done a zoom with him thru intro... because I love his story about how he overcame addiction and his family helping. Because of my brother, who was an alcoholic and a guitarist, it really hits close to home for me. I lost my brother 9 years ago to his demons, but super glad that this individual broke free from his!!
Enjoyed the video.... keep on keeping on!!❤
My heroes since I was a kid was KISS I met them all, at separate times throughout life. However I did meet some people I never expected to be my so called "heroes" or people I never expected to be on a platform. I work security for a large venue for many years, and met so many people in the music biz. I have met some slimy dirty jerks, but there are some true genuine people out there as well. Snoop Dogg, Tim McGraw, Kenny Rogers, Bret Michaels, Eric Singer, and Coolio. These people were the best of the best and even had contact info for a couple of these guys for a few years and even did private security for Snoop Dogg for a tour. I can say I was very very disappointed in the way a lot of stars handle themselves and what they really thought about fans among other things, I will leave those names quiet. Anyway like Zach said, Meet your idols/heroes just go into it with low expectations and when you do meet them just be normal, do not fan boy out. These STARS just want to be normal, so the more normal you act during a meeting the better response you will get from them. Anyway enough from me. Take care everyone go meet people and enjoy those few minutes because you never get them back.
Absolutely!
Many years ago I interviewed Mark Farner from Grand Funk Railroad for my school paper. And I think you're right. The experience is something you never ever forget. The interview was very very hard to get and involved lots of phone calls and letters to record companies and talent agents. But when the big day arrived and I finally got it, wow, wow, wow! Of course we had some good laughs and talked about all of the hits "We're an American Band, Foot Stomping Music, Some Kind Of Wonderful, Bad Time, Locomotion, etc.
That's awesome! Is the interview somewhere?
@@ZachAdkinsGuitar Hey Zach. The interview may be buried somewhere in the internet but it’s anyone’s guess. If you want I could send you a copy. Do you have a preferred email? Thanks for your channel!
adkinsguitarandmusic@gmail.com
You can send there or Google drive link. Whatever is easier for you
Agree. I've had far more pleasant interactions with people I admire than not but, like you said, either way you come away with a story and you had that experience. Assuming people are just going to disappoint you so you're dumb to even bother is a pretty lame way to go through life.
Digging their talent is one thing,.. Thinking how things are going to play out and make you feel is a make believe Tea Party in your head.
Here are a few individuals that i've met that were super cool. Edgar Winter, MIchael Sweet, Robert Sweet, and Oz Fox of Stryper, Chad Green of Frozen Soul, Don Dokken and Mick Brown of Dokken, and Danny Joe Brown of Molly Hatchet twice.
I’m not guna lie. I got to meet my musical idol about 7 years ago and we’ve remained friends this whole time. He’s not a super huge celebrity or anything but he’s been in all kinds of places in his career and he’s the most genuine person I’ve ever met.
I think this applies to anyone you meet for the first time. A few will rub you the wrong way, while most interactions will be either a fine or cordial and few will be great. Back in the 90s, I wrote to John Ricci from Exciter and he responded to me with his phone number. At the time, I chatted over the phone quite a few times, went to see him at his work place in Ottawa (music store), and he invited me to a show they were doing in San Antonio, Texas (after I moved there to work). It was great! Also, it depends on the context you meet them (meet & greet where the artist sees one fan after another or at the airport while waiting to board an airplane when met members of Overkill, which was a positive encounter).
Never got to meet Joni Mitchell. Not likely to, but I can always dream about it. She'd be all chill and tell cool stories. I would eat it up.
Like you, I met Ace Frehley when he supported Gene with his The Gene Simmons Band a few years ago when they toured Australia $600 Australian dollars.
I loved it, he was great and we had a few laughs too.
I also got my arm signed and tattooed as well.
I also did an MG with Hugh Jackman which I got for my 50th birthday present, he was cool both pleasant experiences
i've met a lot of famous musicians...most of them were actually very nice...john sykes spent a lot of time with me when i asked him a guitar question...paul gilbert could have done stand up comedy...james hetfield was super nice...only ones i was disappointed with were ace frehley and mark st john, i chalked it up to them having bad days
I agree better try and fail and have a bad experience and wonder what if. Sure I respect if some just want some things to just stay as a dream.
QUIT IDOLIZING OTHER HUMAN BEINGS.
I met Slayer a few times. Tom was cool.
I've heard that too!
It can depend on the day too. I’ve met a few celebrities who I thought were very ignorant, but then I talked to other people who’ve met them and said they were absolutely amazing.
Last weekend I met Jason hook formerly of 5FDP VERY COOL GUY shook our hands and talked to us like people great guy
i was lucky to meet mine here in the UK and see him play 3 times in a week. Frank Marino. nice guy and super talented
It's true you need to have a reasonable expectation because remember the person doesn't know you they just met you. You may know tons of information about them and if you do that I think it's great to meet your heroes and let them know I have met a lot of people from Music and TV Swhich are two of my passions. Most of the time they were working meaning they were at an official and event like a con or in-store appearance I've only met a few in every day life.
Ry Cooder, and The guys from stone temple pilots, and randy Jackson from zebra, and Warren demartini,all were cool guys
I bet Warren was super cool!
@@ZachAdkinsGuitar he loves talking about his guitars, we were talking about his SD pick ups that were made just for him
I was lucky enough to meet Koran and they were all so cool and kind.
I use to live in the same town as Eric Adams from manowar. He is a really awesome guy.
One of my biggest dreams was meeting the Harp Twins, and be it only once. I was a fan of them since 2020 and since they live in the USA and I in Germany I was totally convinced that I could ever meet them. In February 2024 they came to Europe, and as unbelievable as it could be they had a show an hour and half away from my home. I finally met them and it was all I had ever hoped for, even much better; it was not a fan meeting his stars, it was more like a family reunion.
hey man, I saw Gene's solo tour in 2018 in MN...and the ticket was about 80 bucks...I was about the 4th row, my left of the stage ...and Gene (Simmons from Kiss) invited anybody to come up on stage, meet him, take a picture with him...he was joking around with people...he was hugging them...and that part of the show was free...I could've gone up there...but I wouldn't know what to say to him..
Ive met loads of rock stars over the years, ive been lucky everything always turned out ok,the best one was at a queensryche meet and greet back here in the uk,michael wilton was just a fantastic person nothing was to much trouble the best rock star ive met
I've heard Queensryche were great!
By the way I'm new to your channel really enjoying it
@davehodson6288 much appreciated. Glad you're digging it! 💪💪
With the meet and greets, you have to keep in mind that it’s transactional. But in the rare instances where I’ll meet a musician and we can speak organically, I live for those moments. Talking to Matt Pike about cigars, chatting with Ohgr about cats and horror movies, chilling with Praga Khan about Pink Floyd and cemeteries, this is all memorable stuff. It’s important that I don’t fanboy over them and just treat them like people and not gods… I can always bounce up and down over it when they’re not around, haha!
Damage Uncontrollable!
I met my life-long hero: Glenn Kaiser from the Resurrection Band, and he was such a blessing to me. I will never forget. He spend hours with me. A wonderful man. As I mentioned on your last video, I met Nita Strauss numerous times now and she is an absolute sweetheart, as is the drummer from her former band The Iron Maidens: Linda McDonald. All the guys in Stryper are super nice. In fact, to be honest, I don’t think I have met a celebrity that was a jerk. Not yet anyways...
Got to meet Tom Araya in early 2019. Son and I went to WV show and walking thru the hotel lobby. He was standing there alone. Told him we were huge fans in town for the show. He shook our hands and allowed a few pics. Nice dude. We actually did a vip meet and greet about 2 hours later and he said something about meeting us in the hotel lobby. He is very soft spoken and very delicate with his hands.
I met Dave Williams, the original singer of Drowning Pool, April 2002. I was 17. This was a smaller venue called the Sunshine Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He talked to me what had to be a good 5 minutes outside of the venue near their bus, he couldn't have been nicer. I didn't pay to meet him or anything and me talking to him didn't bother him at all. He was super excited about the album they were working on, when he died a few months later that really hit me. Same theater the previous year I met all of Static-X, only one that didn't sign or talk to anybody was Wayne(rip). Met all of SOIL there too. Great theater, mostly great musicians.
Wow. That's super cool you got to meet him before he died. I can imagine it was a shock when he died and you just met him.
@@ZachAdkinsGuitar It absolutely was, I turned 18 a month after meeting him. On a side note, the previous year I thought the radio station had said LOSTPROPHETS show was $1.87, the call numbers of the station, I get there, it's $12. Im out back wearing a LOSTPROPHETS shirt, Ian comes out to smoke, asks why I'm not in the show, he pays for me to get in. Was cool at the time but oooooooof.
The most gracious celebrities I met were at The Hollywood show.
Interesting 🤔🤔
Thank God I’ve met everyone that inspired me in my life,Music,.Lee Ving’FEAR’…Art,Tom Wright’NightGallery..both I now call DAD,…I’m blessed in that sense,.thank God!…I also have met /toured/worked with too many people to mention that mean the world to me that have been Salt of the Earth’Ive also decided NOT to meet a few of my heroes,.literally in the same room…I choose to keep the Fantasy‘and I’m sure they would have been absolutely the Koolest,.one was Gene Simmons..I’ve seen every KISS concert since 1976,Anaheim Stadium…I literally had to keep myself to not go up to Gene,.I had to keep my favorite band of all time at a distance…no regrets.X
I got to meet Bobby Blitz from Overkill and James Murphy while he was in Testament. Both huge heroes to me at the time and they were awesome!!! Got to meet Carcass on the Heartwork tour on my 18th birthday and man they were dicks lol. There was definitely some kind band drama going on at the time. But I still love their music still and no hard feelings lol 😂
Being an old bass player, they were always my focus. Met many great ones. Peter Baltes from Accept brought me a large coffee to my booth at Summer NAMM....that was stupid cool. Met Rocco Prestia from Tower of power a year before his passing randomly at Dunkin Donuts, again before Summer NAMM, he came by my booth 3 times that year just to talk and take a break. That was huge. Besides Geddy Lee, Rocco was my first bass hero. Lots of great stories, and a few clunkers, like Jeff Berlin(meh) and Rex Brown. Its definitely a crapshoot, but most are good folks. Oh yeah, Go Lions! 👍🏼🇺🇸🍻
With Ace Frehley you got ripped off!
@chrisbohner1092 👀👀
I just met Dave Pirner and he was super cool to me.
@luckyjones22 that's badass!
I think if you go into it with the mindset of they’re not your friend you’ll be fine. So if they’re extra friendly and engaging it’s just a bonus.
Depends on if the value meets or exceeds the price
I got to meet my celebrity hero, we actually got on really well for a while to the point where we chatted nearly every night and he even invited me to stay at his home for a weekend. We ended up falling out a little while back, which is disappointing but I learned a lot from the whole experience.
If anyone has seen 30 Rock, it was a bit like that episode where Tina Fey develops a friendship with one of her heroes played by Carrie Fisher, it's not what you expect but that's OK you still learn from it. I still watch his work as a fan too, even if I think he's a bit of a dick.
Learning from the experience is good. You only live once, and if someone is important to you... You should go for it. Disappointment is ok, sometimes the pursuit and goal is the point 💪💪
Rodrigo y Gabriela are my favorite guitar players. Having seen them for the past 20 years, I always wanted to meet them. They are always friendly and cordial; and by 2015 they always say hello to me from the stage these days or we catch up after one of the shows. Just good down to earth people. We DM occasionally on Instagram and have done face time etc. Social media can be a big plus when meeting band(s) or artists.
I agree with a hero of mine, Neil Peart, in "Limelight", “I can't pretend a stranger / Is a long-awaited friend”. However, a friend who has met the Maestros in Bad Company, they are very normal and down to Earth.
Nah - have met plenty of rock stars and famous actors - all have been polite and cordial possibly because I’ve treated them with respect - the three standouts were Alice Cooper and Jackie Chan and actor Tom Savini - they were all FANTASTIC !
👀👀👀
@@ZachAdkinsGuitar 😊😊😊👍
I watched your video about the meet and greets. The Vai/Satriani was very surprising to me .
I met Vai a few years ago at Sweetwater Gearfest. He had an organized signing earlier in the day that i couldn't make it to. I still showed up later in the day with my copy of Passion and Warfare in hand.
Watched his three song performance in the pavilion was blown away.
I ran into a friend afterwards and she knows how much i loved Vai when we were growing up ( and still do). She took me backstage and mentioned to Steve that her friend is standing there and missed out on the signing earlier in the day. He came over and said " i gotta go do something really quick. I'll be back in a few". I was thinking, at least he was nice while blowing me off
To his word, he came back, shook my hand, asked my name, took a picture and was more than happy to sign my album. I was blown away.
Sucks that the V.I.P. thing was so lame. Just thought I'd share my experience with him.
And you're correct. Nita is the most polite and coolest person you could ever meet.
Met Alice Cooper and Ozzy. Super nice
I've met a few with no complaints, however, Roger Daltrey and Trey Anastasio were two of the most friendly and humble.
Love that!
Met my heroes back before iPhones. The biggest were from some of the biggest in rock today. One was a guitarist, one a singer, one a drummer all on separate occasions. These encounters were fucking incredible. I don’t like talking about it to strangers because it was so incredible that they think I’m lying. I have tangible proof and know that it happened so I don’t really care who knows about it. I’m sure with cameras, phones and social media that these people are on guard at all times.
I"ve been thinking about this since seeing your other video. Meeting Lars Ulrich at the Blackened Whiskey event was a special experience for me even though we barely conversed. He greeted me and signed my bottle in front of me. He gave me a gift of his time, and I got an autographed memento. Time is something valuable, especially for someone who has millions of fans. In contrast if you are paying thousands of dollars or even hundreds of dollars to meet someone, you are not getting a gift. You're giving THEM something when they have 100-1,000x as much money as you do. I would never pay unless the money was for charity. I also don't buy Snake Pit tickets. I can see the band fine from the basic floor area and they don't look different from 3 feet away than they do from 30 feet away. Maybe if I still played guitar I would feel differently, but for an average fan it is not necessary to be that close because it's still not a personal experience even from 3 feet away. What we all crave is something personal and meaningful.
@HKIPIsVk love this response, you're absolutely right 💪
I met my favorite guitar hero Alex Skolnick and it was a good experience. I paid $12 for a ticket to see his jazz band and I was able to meet him and get a picture with him.
I met mybhero Jeff Loomis randomly At a metal concert in Seattle. He was just hanging out so i got close, introduced myself and had a quick chat with him. Told him i have his signature guitar and blah blah blah and he was sooo nice and polite. Asked for a picture, he said yes and that was it.
I was a fan before...and will always be.
Jeff is awesome!
Hey Zach! This is my third vid of yours I've watched (first 2 were balding rock stars, I'm bald too). I think you're great, very real. Liked & subscribed. FYI- You can meet me for nothing! 😁
Welcome aboard! Thank you. 🙏🙏
Met Motley Crue thru a friend of mine back in '85. He was invited to Tommy Lee's wedding, I still personally have negatives from Tommy and Heather's actual wedding! Thats a whole other story.
Tommy and Nikki were really cool (during Theatre of Pain tour) being 19 at the time, they were my favorite band. A memory that lasted 40 years so far. Im glad I did, definately.
I have meet some of my hero's. Met Cannibal Corpse minus Corpsgrinder, also met Glen Benton they all are awesome people. Shook my hand bullstitted for a while. Also I was lucky enough to meet Pantera in the 90s once at a record signing for far beyond driven and again later the the 90s at a show. Pantera are(was) cool and humble. Everyone I have mentioned above are (was) class acts and good folks. They did not have the rock star attitude. Met Max Calavera and Gloria at a show also nice people. Met all these people without paying for a meet and greet.
I met my favorite guitarist and singer Michael Sweet, of Stryper, many times, I go to meet and greets, I truly believe they sort of supplement the bands income. I said all of that to say this. Michael Sweet is my favorite guitarists and singer! Many, Many years ago (the 80’s) Stryper led me to what my faith is today so it’s kind of a little more personal in that aspect! Now he is AWAYS, as is the entire band, very personal and cordial to all of his and their fans! I mean he called my wife on her birthday a few years back! So he is one of the best people you will meet ever. I also met Ace Frehley and he was great also, he told me thank and appreciated me coming to the show! I think with some artists it might also be timing and moods, just guessing! I had a friend who met Alec Baldwin, we have all seen some of his highlights in the news, my friends met him and said he was awesome very cordial and took pictures with him and signed a autograph.
That's badass! 👍😁💪
They're just people who make music. That doesn't mean they have to be the most charismatic, nicest or coolest person ever. They make music. That's it.
If they charge for it, then they should
Then don’t charge people a fortune for something they don’t want to even do. By putting those Meet and Greet tickets for sale it’s basically saying it’s something you want to do. So to act like it’s an inconvenience is garbage.
I have met quite a few few at dive bars or in the street , even while lining up for a gig, they are just people and I think if you treat them that way they are fine to talk to you.
Ive done a handful of meet n greets, and had some pretty awesome experiences. I met John5 last week for $50 after his show and he was AWESOME. Such a great guy, and very nice. Talked to me for a solid minute, and he took a video for me to send to my friend because he’s a huge fan and couldn’t make it. That right there is a great experience! He made you feel welcome , and was genuinely appreciative that you were there seeing his show. Also, Nita Strauss probably wins for the best meet n greet. Sweetheart of a lady, does a Q&A , you get merch with it and you get pictures/personal items signed and get to chat for a while all for like 60 bucks… you can’t beat that. She was the best, I’d highly recommend hers if you’re a fan. I just can’t justify spending a grand for kiss. I’ve heard their meet n greet is awful. They don’t even say anything to you. They just whip you in a room in a line of 200 people, snap a picture and your moved down the line so quick you don’t even know what happened. That seems insane to me for over a thousand bucks.
John 5, Nita Strauss, and Tremonti. Amazing!
John 5 is a great guy
I met John 5 at Sydney airport in 2011, he was the nicest dude. Had a chat about iron maiden, handed me a pick, got a photo. Super cool dude
I’m a huge Mike Portnoy fan! I set my drums like him and have tried to steal every lick I could from him. I have actually shared the stage with him opening for Adrenaline Mob and Winery
Dogs. Was a total let down to never get to talk musician to musician. Chopped it up with his drum tech Jose. The bass player from Disturbed who was playing for AM at the time actually took time to watch a couple of songs from my set! Turning around to see him throw up the metal horns was a great moment!
I think you should definitely seize the opportunity to meet musicians if you can. Obviously if they're in a restaurant with someone, doing something with family or clearly in the middle of business just leave them alone. There's social media now and getting in touch with figures is easier than ever. However if they're at a venue and there's means to meet them then go for it. I'm a passionate metalhead guitarist and have met MANY figures in the genre and the vast majority were chill. The absolute best though was meeting Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom. Not only is that my favorite band of all time but AYDY is the soundtrack to my life. Seen them front and center four times and the final time I saw them I felt like I wasn't going to get the opportunity to again (sure enough he passed from longer term alcohol abuse four years later and it was the last time they played my city). I hung by the buses behind a barricade and sure enough he came out after a few minutes. Got a pic with him that's my phone screen saver, he just offered to sign my ticket even though I don't ask for autographs and I got it laminated. After the show I got a pic with both the bassist, keyboardist and actually got to chat a little. Musicians are just people and you need to understand touring is exhausting, they meet people all the time, get sick, have moods, and personal shit. Celebrities though I couldn't care less and many mainstream musicians are definitely a different breed.
A world w/o heroes is like a world w/o...
Sun
I had great experiences and bad experiences. Like you said. The expectations need to be always low. Back in 2018 with Ozzy was great but there was a teenage who simply didn’t really understood what she was paying for and got really upset afterwards. She thought she was meeting ozzy from “the Osbornes”. Wasn’t the case.
Want to add a comment about Black Sabbath...I "met" Tony Iommi in a Q&A that took place on his website...didn't cost a dime. That was in 2015 or 2016. Also got some type of VIP package for The End tour, but I got it for being a member of a fan club and it didn't cost anything extra. Included a photo book with souvenir guitar picks and "concierge" service. Turned out my ticket cost less than some other people's. I think things are getting worse and worse and some of the biggest acts are money hungry in a way that doesn't even make sense to me. There's only so much money you can spend, and "giving back" should start with your fans.
I've met RJD, Doug Aldrich and Simon Wright in 2002.they were awesome, funny, kind. It was100% worth it!
Why in the world would i wanna waste my time and money to spend a few min with someone who doesnt know i exist or even care that im there. Nah man. Got better things to do with my time and bread. But ill still listen to the music. And just bc i dont wanna pay to do a lame meet and great doesnt mean i dont take any other chances or risks in life. They just have to be worth it.