An apology to all members of TRF concerning NEP.

[RUSHHEAD666]

I went through a sudden loss in 1996 at a similar time NEP did. I remember thinking I should write him a letter explaining how I coulld relate to his situation . And how my faith got me through it . I am glad I didn't now . It wouldn't of fared well with his beliefs. Sure I had been a fan for over a decade and here is the shocker , I didn't pay that much attention to the lyrics or was smart enough to realize his stance on religion. Truth is I just listen to the great music . The lyrics are a extra fun aspect also but I never took the time think them through.Neil got from us what he wanted and we go what we wanted .

 

I'm very sorry for you loss! I have to reply because I have been wired for over 35 years to focus merely on the music. Yes I've been playing the drums for about 33 years.

My point is I never tuned into the lyrics until now! I'm 40 frigging 7 now and I am finally understanding lyrics. I am talking about ALL BANDS.

I am going through a very horrible time with my wife of 18 years. She is probably going to leave me because of my obsession with music. Also she grew up. I'm still a kid at heart.

Anyway I am listening to lyrics now that I ignored for thirty years. I can't believe how many of them relate to my cliche situation.

Heartbreak and loss of love.

It's insane man. I was so clueless. I was so in love with my wife and I took it for granted.

I took her to too many shows man. Flying all over the country to see RUSH.

Taking her to Iron Maiden, Dave Weckl, Ozzy. Hundreds of shows.

I'm a selfish idiot.

Now she grew up and is done with me.

 

Music is a blessing and a curse.

 

Anyway I better shut up man. I could go on for hours.

 

You see it's not about me. It's about you and I'm rambling. Dumb.

 

You are a stranger to me but I hope you know that I feel for your loss.

 

Life is short. We will all go through "Good Times Bad Times."

 

 

Led Zeppelin

[Tombstone Mountain]

I have met David Lee Roth. And I expected him to be a dick. He was anything but.

Did you have your girlfriend with you? See the US Festival 1983

No. Though I did spray water on him and then felt bad for the guy next to me who DID make the mistake of bringing HIS girlfriend.

Oh so that was YOU? You bastard. Ruined my night back in '83

[matthewpartrick]

The definitions for antisocial and introvert are not the same so there must be a difference?

 

The objective definitions are indeed different. However, one that sees himself as an introvert may very well be seen as antisocial by others. I tend to alienate people at social functions, not because I think I'm above them, but because it makes me nervous. Food for thought.

 

I think the general public's idea of antisocial is a bit different than the reality. If somebody is truly antisocial they don't really like other people. I agree that someone who is shy can come across that way to others but the big defining difference is that someone who is antisocial doesn't really care what affect their actions have on others. Someone who is introverted usually cares very deeply about how their actions affect others. Sometimes too much, which can lead to avoidance.

 

Big plus 1. You said more eloquently than I could.

[andreww]

Meh, ever since the time in the early 80s when Neil kind of blew me off when I met him behind Maple Leaf Gardens I've kind of just ignored him. He's a private guy and I get that. I tried to read a few of his blogs and found them long winded and boring, which is no surprise because I really haven't been blown away by his lyrics for about the last 20 years either. I was really drawn to his early sci-fi lyrics but since then he really isn't anything special. Is he a genius? maybe in his own mind.

[RUSHHEAD666]

Everyone is a hypocrite in some way. We criticize some people and ignore the faults of others - especially our own. We're biased towards the people close to us. It's standard operating procedure for human beings.

 

Neil Peart is a normal human being. I don't have a problem with him. I'm too busy trying to fix my own hypocricies..... :) :)

 

 

Roll away the stone

Roll away the stone

If you could just move yours

I could get working on my own

 

When I was in college I wanted to somehow prove that every human is a hypocrite. The book was going to be called "Hypocritical Mass." Sadly I never got around to it.

 

I used to love to read but I majored in English and I read too much and I just fuckking hate it now. Maybe I have ADD.

Anyway I too bought all the Neil books. I couldn't get past one chapter.

 

Beyond boring and quite college word over the top worthless. JMO

 

I will love Neil forever even though he blew me off backstage on the "Vapor Trails" Tour. LOL! Most of you know that fuckking story.

 

Lol...now that would be a great Album title.

 

Haha! Thanks amigo!

[RUSHHEAD666]

Meh, ever since the time in the early 80s when Neil kind of blew me off when I met him behind Maple Leaf Gardens I've kind of just ignored him. He's a private guy and I get that. I tried to read a few of his blogs and found them long winded and boring, which is no surprise because I really haven't been blown away by his lyrics for about the last 20 years either. I was really drawn to his early sci-fi lyrics but since then he really isn't anything special. Is he a genius? maybe in his own mind.

 

Yep Andrew I get it to man. "Meh" says it all. I mean I was still excited to actually meet him with eye contact but then when I decided to walk up to him he slithered back onto his tour bus and shut the door. I just wanted to tell him that I had been playing the drums for about 25 years thanks to his influence.

I know's it's a cliche but that's all I wanted to say.

 

FAIL

[Digital Dad]

He could tell you were crazy!!!

 

 

[CJW]

Meh, ever since the time in the early 80s when Neil kind of blew me off when I met him behind Maple Leaf Gardens I've kind of just ignored him. He's a private guy and I get that. I tried to read a few of his blogs and found them long winded and boring, which is no surprise because I really haven't been blown away by his lyrics for about the last 20 years either. I was really drawn to his early sci-fi lyrics but since then he really isn't anything special. Is he a genius? maybe in his own mind.

 

Yep Andrew I get it to man. "Meh" says it all. I mean I was still excited to actually meet him with eye contact but then when I decided to walk up to him he slithered back onto his tour bus and shut the door. I just wanted to tell him that I had been playing the drums for about 25 years thanks to his influence.

I know's it's a cliche but that's all I wanted to say.

 

FAIL

 

Damn. I feel bad for you guys. Reading these stories, I'd just keep walking if I saw him now I guess.

 

I guess that's why they say don't meet your hero's.

 

[thirteen]

If am was ever to be famous/recognised for doing anything good, I think I would at least make myself available for a quick "thank you" for a 'fan'.

 

 

Dio was known to stay behind meeting fans for hours, his saying being "without you (the fans) we are nothing".

 

But each to their own.

I just wish Neil would get back to more drums / less blogging lol.

[MusicHead]

IMO, perhaps NEP finds the blogging necessary to retain his focus. I'm a writer, and I use music and movies to keep mine intact. ;)

[Disembodied Spirit]

If you want a good, true example of anti-social, do some research on Ginger Baker.

That Ginger Baker Documentary was awesome.

Angry whacky dude

[goose]

Many of us on TRF are introverts and even have personalities similar to Neil's. I can empathize with his emotions and his discomfort. I do have to admit that I don't understand his actions, though. I don't operate at a level of fame that Neil does, obviously, but i hold a high-profile position in my community and rarely can go out with out being recognized and approached numerous times by people I hardly know. While it's uncomfortable, I understand that it's a choice I made when accepting the position I have. The part I don't get about Neil is that he has clearly drawn a line that he refuses to cross, even though it's what he signed up for.

 

Great, great drummer. Not such a great person.

[ReRushed]

I don't think Neil Peart "signed up" for anything other than wanting to be a professional musician. Is there a rule or mandate somewhere that dictates an entertainer needs to acknowledge any fan that approaches or requests time?

 

Let him be.

[goose]

I don't think Neil Peart "signed up" for anything other than wanting to be a professional musician. Is there a rule or mandate somewhere that dictates an entertainer needs to acknowledge any fan that approaches or requests time?

 

Let him be.

He is not just a professional musician (i.e. a session guy). Neil is an entertainer that relies on a fan base. Yes, I believe there is a reasonable expectation of giving attention to fans, a social mandate, if you will.

[ReRushed]

I don't think Neil Peart "signed up" for anything other than wanting to be a professional musician. Is there a rule or mandate somewhere that dictates an entertainer needs to acknowledge any fan that approaches or requests time?

 

Let him be.

He is not just a professional musician (i.e. a session guy). Neil is an entertainer that relies on a fan base. Yes, I believe there is a reasonable expectation of giving attention to fans, a social mandate, if you will.

Why? He's a drummer in a rock band. Personally, I never understood the expectation of an artist acknowledging someone. To each his own, I guess.

[goose]

I don't think Neil Peart "signed up" for anything other than wanting to be a professional musician. Is there a rule or mandate somewhere that dictates an entertainer needs to acknowledge any fan that approaches or requests time?

 

Let him be.

He is not just a professional musician (i.e. a session guy). Neil is an entertainer that relies on a fan base. Yes, I believe there is a reasonable expectation of giving attention to fans, a social mandate, if you will.

Why? He's a drummer in a rock band. Personally, I never understood the expectation of an artist acknowledging someone. To each his own, I guess.

You may not understand it, but the expectation exists.

[ReRushed]

I don't think Neil Peart "signed up" for anything other than wanting to be a professional musician. Is there a rule or mandate somewhere that dictates an entertainer needs to acknowledge any fan that approaches or requests time?

 

Let him be.

He is not just a professional musician (i.e. a session guy). Neil is an entertainer that relies on a fan base. Yes, I believe there is a reasonable expectation of giving attention to fans, a social mandate, if you will.

Why? He's a drummer in a rock band. Personally, I never understood the expectation of an artist acknowledging someone. To each his own, I guess.

You may not understand it, but the expectation exists.

Obviously, I know it exists. I'm satisfied wuth a musician making music. And Neil gives plenty of interviews.

[goose]

I don't think Neil Peart "signed up" for anything other than wanting to be a professional musician. Is there a rule or mandate somewhere that dictates an entertainer needs to acknowledge any fan that approaches or requests time?

 

Let him be.

He is not just a professional musician (i.e. a session guy). Neil is an entertainer that relies on a fan base. Yes, I believe there is a reasonable expectation of giving attention to fans, a social mandate, if you will.

Why? He's a drummer in a rock band. Personally, I never understood the expectation of an artist acknowledging someone. To each his own, I guess.

You may not understand it, but the expectation exists.

Obviously, I know it exists. I'm satisfied with a musician making music. And Neil gives plenty of interviews.

He does do great interviews. :goodone:

[WorkingAllTheTime]

I don't think Neil Peart "signed up" for anything other than wanting to be a professional musician. Is there a rule or mandate somewhere that dictates an entertainer needs to acknowledge any fan that approaches or requests time?

 

Let him be.

He is not just a professional musician (i.e. a session guy). Neil is an entertainer that relies on a fan base. Yes, I believe there is a reasonable expectation of giving attention to fans, a social mandate, if you will.

Why? He's a drummer in a rock band. Personally, I never understood the expectation of an artist acknowledging someone. To each his own, I guess.

You may not understand it, but the expectation exists.

 

Define "reasonable" in the context of celebrity/fan interaction.

 

Actually, never mind, that's subjective.... which is going to be my point.

 

I will give you an example. Personally, I do not think it is at all reasonable for someone to go up to a celebrity while they are dining with their family or friends and expect an interaction. Unfortunately, though, I see that happen quite a bit.

 

Just this past Easter Sunday, in fact, my son and I stopped by a local restaurant for breakfast. At the table near us was a Spurs player with his family. My son and I noticed him, but just went about our own business. Unfortunately, though, a number of fans either tried to get the player's attention and/or interrupted the player and his family. Frankly, I just don't think that is right.

 

I believe fan interactions and experiences, unless initiated by the celebrity or by a genuine interaction (e.g., a typical hello while holding a door for someone, etc.), should be left to events that are specifically designed for that kind of interaction.

[Rutlefan]

I think this is only my second foray into the Neil question. The fan interaction, or lack of, on Neil's part has never bothered me really. I think his girlish sprint to the tour bus, or beyond the lighted stage or wherever, is a little weird (I don't think he could run faster from a zombie horde, though maybe that's how Rush fans appear to him after a show), but I get that he is an extreme introvert, by all appearances. What I've come to not like about him, based mostly on what I've learned over the past year or two reading his blogs and excerpts from his books, is that he really does appear to be a pompous prick, regardless of anything else he might or might not be. Very condescending, especially towards the unwashed masses, especially the unwashed American masses living in their trailer parks with their potato chips and mayonnaise and bad wine and bibles, except if they are returning long-lost bike bags, then he's ok with them.

 

I used to think I'd like to meet him to talk about classic cars because he seems to be an enthusiast and it's fun to share enthusiasms with co-enthusiasts, but I really wouldn't any longer. People have noted that he's a nerd, as he's professed himself, but there's nothing wrong with that at all. People insist that he's very private and a definite introvert. Nothing wrong with that at all either; I've known plenty of people like that and most have been friendly people. The thing is that, besides everything else which might or might not be true of him, he is by all appearances a pompous, condescending d*ck. I really wouldn't be eager to talk to him if I ran into him at Summit Point, the local race track for example (strangers often approach others in that setting, for various reasons). I used to think I'd like to meet him, but no longer. Since he no doubt has no desire to meet me, I guess that makes us even.

[RUSHHEAD666]

Meh, ever since the time in the early 80s when Neil kind of blew me off when I met him behind Maple Leaf Gardens I've kind of just ignored him. He's a private guy and I get that. I tried to read a few of his blogs and found them long winded and boring, which is no surprise because I really haven't been blown away by his lyrics for about the last 20 years either. I was really drawn to his early sci-fi lyrics but since then he really isn't anything special. Is he a genius? maybe in his own mind.

 

Yep Andrew I get it to man. "Meh" says it all. I mean I was still excited to actually meet him with eye contact but then when I decided to walk up to him he slithered back onto his tour bus and shut the door. I just wanted to tell him that I had been playing the drums for about 25 years thanks to his influence.

I know's it's a cliche but that's all I wanted to say.

 

FAIL

 

Damn. I feel bad for you guys. Reading these stories, I'd just keep walking if I saw him now I guess.

 

I guess that's why they say don't meet your hero's.

 

 

Well stated CJW.

 

I should have kept walking. You see we were able to park backstage in the parking lot. We pulled right up next to Neil's bus. It was quite surreal.

I had to maintain control as I walked right by his two motorcycles were were out of his trailer.

We went in the back lot building to get our tickets. My brother in law knew the guy who ran the Concord Pavilion.

So when we got our tickets we walked right by Neil's bus again. As we were walking away I all of the sudden heard this deep voice, "hello, hello?"

That's when I turned around and it was frigging Neil in front of his bus door. He was dressing all in black. His hair was greasy and his face looked red and bloated.

I thought he was saying hello to me so I started to walk up to him. That's when Neil the recluse spider retracted in his few steps and climbed back on the bus and closed the door.

The best thing was when I stopped dead in my tracks and Neil stood there frozen in time. I gazed into his bloodshot eyes. We were like two deer in headlights. LOL!

 

Then he was gone in a flash.

 

Many people who I tell this story to think that it was quite a negative experience. I tend to think how lucky I was.

 

But I guess at the end of the day it was indeed a FAIL! LOL!

[RUSHHEAD666]

I don't think Neil Peart "signed up" for anything other than wanting to be a professional musician. Is there a rule or mandate somewhere that dictates an entertainer needs to acknowledge any fan that approaches or requests time?

 

Let him be.

He is not just a professional musician (i.e. a session guy). Neil is an entertainer that relies on a fan base. Yes, I believe there is a reasonable expectation of giving attention to fans, a social mandate, if you will.

Why? He's a drummer in a rock band. Personally, I never understood the expectation of an artist acknowledging someone. To each his own, I guess.

You may not understand it, but the expectation exists.

Obviously, I know it exists. I'm satisfied with a musician making music. And Neil gives plenty of interviews.

He does do great interviews. :goodone:

 

It's amazing how wonderful it is to listen to him talk. He is so friendly and animated. He's an intellectual nerd. I will love him forever.

[RUSHHEAD666]

He could tell you were crazy!!!

 

HAHAHA! I wasn't crazy until he shut the bus door! I raised my hands into the air and gave him two devil horns! Yeah I'm an idiot but the "adrenaline surge" was shooting through my quivering body.

 

Damn! I just wanted him to know that I was a "fuckking drummer." Drummers are crazy anyway! LOL

[RUSHHEAD666]

If am was ever to be famous/recognised for doing anything good, I think I would at least make myself available for a quick "thank you" for a 'fan'.

 

 

Dio was known to stay behind meeting fans for hours, his saying being "without you (the fans) we are nothing".

 

But each to their own.

I just wish Neil would get back to more drums / less blogging lol.

 

Thirteen! That is soooooooo funny! You mentioned Dio and I just wrote that when Neil shut the door on me I gave him two devil horns!!

 

RIP RONNIE JAMES DIO!

 

Was one of the most gracious men on the planet. I miss him dearly.

Edited April 9, 2015 by RUSHHEAD666

[Tony R]

I think the problem with Peart's fear of fans, and it does appear to be a real phobia, is that most of us believe we would behave differently. Whilst I genuinely believe he has some sociopathic traits I admit that it could be Asperger's. It's easy to dismiss someone as a "dick", especially when it gets such a rise out of the fanboys, when in reality many of us probably share his tendency to disparage certain types of people we just don't get to share our thoughts in the way he does. Fanboys creep me out, I only get to share that amongst a small group of friends and on a message board, he has his books and interviews. My problem with him is that because he feels it is injudicious to wait to assess "the fan threat level" he tars us all with the same broad brush whilst falling over himself to express his admiration for certain other musicians, authors etc face to face. He says he is uncomfortable with praise yet eulogises the concept of "praise from the praiseworthy". It's a double standard and comes across as snobbery and he spoils himself with it.