Are you sure you want to meet your heros?

[Thunder Bay Rush]

I've read a few posts about the meet and greet affairs that people go to so they can meet Alex and Geddy or their other favourite rockers. From what I hear, there is normally disappointment after because of the lack of personal touch, etc, and people go away with a different opinion of their "heros."

 

I met David Lee Roth in 1981 in a Holiday Inn in Savannah, GA, and he was a real ass. Drunk, loud and rude. I really liked VH back then and it bummer me out that one of my high school-period idols was a jackass.

 

I also met Neil Young in Toronto years ago. He wasn't drunk, loud or rude, just didn't want to give two seconds of his time. So, I went away thinking that he wasn't a very nice guy, when in fact, he probably is. I would hate to have people constantly wanting to tell me their life story and how "learned all your songs!"

 

Knowing how Neil avoids any type of fan interaction when possible I think I'd be afraid to meet him in case I said the wrong thing... even, "Hi Neil." So, I'll leave my opinion of Neil as it is - a "great guy" who I've never met. A friend of mine met him backstage in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on the Hemispheres tour and he said Neil was not exactly the way he thought he'd be. So, he was slightly bummer out about his "hero."

 

So, here's the question -

 

Instead of taking a chance that when you meet Geddy or Alex (for example) they might not be the people you envisioned, would it be safer to NOT meet them and keep them in your mind as they are?

 

 

 

 

[LyndseyG]

From what I've read here on TRF meet and greets with Geddy and Alex seem to be nice experiences.

 

I would love to meet all the guys if I could but I'd be a bit more nervous around Neil as opposed to the other two.

 

I've met a couple of famous people before and got a bit over excited - no, not like that! - I just went away thinking " why'd I say THAT?!"

[gangsterfurious]

Well, with David Lee Roth you can see that coming from a mile away, haha.

 

I think the Geddy and Alex are probably really nice guys. And I think they would be polite enough meeting their fans but since they aren't the type of rockers to live in the public eye very much, it might feel a little cold.

 

I was looking at pictures of the meet and greets earlier. It looks a bit like, you walk up to them, say hi, I don't even think you get to shake their hands. They stand close enough to you to be in the frame with you and then you're done and it's onto the next fan.

 

I don't know. For some fanatical people this may be a huge disappointment but on the other hand it's kind of cool that they do this without charging extras on tickets or something to that effect.

 

Personally, I'm kind of on the fence.

[Tommy Sawyer]

 

Of course meet-and-greets have the possibility to ruin your "image" of an artist. It's not like you knew who they actually were beforehand.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Tommy Sawyer

[gangsterfurious]

QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Sep 18 2012, 12:35 PM)

Of course meet-and-greets have the possibility to ruin your "image" of an artist. It's not like you knew who they actually were beforehand.

I guess when you meet somebody like that you don't want to feel like they're just going through the motions with you to make it appear that they are really nice and whatnot.

 

Kind of like when the politicians hold babies for photos but they are really just giant assholes.

 

Not that I'm insinuating that about Rush.

[Sir Lerxst]

The last time I was at a meet and greet (not rush), I formed no additional opinion of the people I met. 40 seconds under the watchful eye of a tour manager is simply not long enough to create a strong, lasting opinion for me.

[Mystic Slipperman]

I've met a few of my musical "heroes"...and later wished I hadn't.

 

 

That said, I would like to meet the guys in Rush at some point. I'm older now and less likely to be starstruck. It would be nice to tell them to their faces how important their music has been to my life, and just say 'Thank you'!

[CygnusGal]

I like Neil's take on it. Neil said he loved Keith Moon, but would never have dreamed of meeting him.

 

I don't really have a desire to meet any celebrities. I've been lucky in my few interactions with them and have found them to be positive experiences.

 

Sadder still to watch it die than never to have known it, imo.

 

[Ancient Ways]

If they are you're "heroes" something is wrong. They are a great band and 2 of them are great guys and the 1 is not really sociable but they are not heroes. If you go to meet a couple of good guys from a great band I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[apetersvt]

I guess I consider myself lucky in that I have met my two favorite 'guitar heroes' - Alex Lifeson and Warren Haynes.

 

I won a meet and greet for Rush on a radio station content. Considering I only got my 15 seconds of fame with them, my expectations were very low so I was not disappointed.

 

I met Warren Haynes back in '97 at a music store promotion. He hung out and chatted with us for awhile. What a great guy. He signed my guitar as well as a cd.

 

Many of my other favorite musicians I don't have a desire to meet. As a Deadhead back in the 90s, I never really had an urge to meet Jerry Garcia. Same holds true with the atheletes on my favorite sports teams. I guess I have the urge to meet those that have the reputation of being really cool dudes/chicks, but no desire to meet those that I probably would have nothing in common with.

[thesweetscience]

I am not into people worship so there really isn't anyone I am all that interested in meeting that I don't already know. Actually I wish I could unmeet many of the people I know now.

 

 

[spock]

QUOTE (gangsterfurious @ Sep 18 2012, 03:24 PM)

Well, with David Lee Roth you can see that coming from a mile away, haha. I think the Geddy and Alex are probably really nice guys. And I think they would be polite enough meeting their fans but since they aren't the type of rockers to live in the public eye very much, it might feel a little cold. I was looking at pictures of the meet and greets earlier. It looks a bit like, you walk up to them, say hi, I don't even think you get to shake their hands. They stand close enough to you to be in the frame with you and then you're done and it's onto the next fan. I don't know. For some fanatical people this may be a huge disappointment but on the other hand it's kind of cool that they do this without charging extras on tickets or something to that effect. Personally, I'm kind of on the fence.

 

I think the Boys in Brazil footage from Rush paints a good picture. They obviously care enough to take the time and they seems genuine, but it also looks like they aren't pretending that 'strangers are long-awaited friends'.

 

I've never had the chance and never tried hard to make it happen. I figure the situation would be too slanted: I'd have waited 30 years to see them and I'd be just another 60 seconds out of their day.

[snowdogged]

QUOTE (Thunder Bay Rush @ Sep 18 2012, 02:41 PM)

I've read a few posts about the meet and greet affairs that people go to so they can meet Alex and Geddy or their other favourite rockers. From what I hear, there is normally disappointment after because of the lack of personal touch, etc, and people go away with a different opinion of their "heros." I met David Lee Roth in 1981 in a Holiday Inn in Savannah, GA, and he was a real ass. Drunk, loud and rude. I really liked VH back then and it bummer me out that one of my high school-period idols was a jackass. I also met Neil Young in Toronto years ago. He wasn't drunk, loud or rude, just didn't want to give two seconds of his time. So, I went away thinking that he wasn't a very nice guy, when in fact, he probably is. I would hate to have people constantly wanting to tell me their life story and how "learned all your songs!" Knowing how Neil avoids any type of fan interaction when possible I think I'd be afraid to meet him in case I said the wrong thing... even, "Hi Neil." So, I'll leave my opinion of Neil as it is - a "great guy" who I've never met. A friend of mine met him backstage in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on the Hemispheres tour and he said Neil was not exactly the way he thought he'd be. So, he was slightly bummer out about his "hero." So, here's the question - Instead of taking a chance that when you meet Geddy or Alex (for example) they might not be the people you envisioned, would it be safer to NOT meet them and keep them in your mind as they are?

I don't want to meet Rush. I want their money!

[goose]

QUOTE (Thunder Bay Rush @ Sep 18 2012, 02:41 PM)

I also met Neil Young in Toronto years ago. He wasn't drunk, loud or rude, just didn't want to give two seconds of his time.

My buddy's brother met Neil Young at a party. Neil had his John Deere hat on, and myfriend's bro starts chattin'. "What line of work you in?" Neil reportedly just said, Music." They apparently talked for quite some time, and Neil didn't let on who he was. The guy found out later.

[Amy Farrah Fowler]

I would love to meet all three and just shake their hands and thank them for being there when I needed them.

[Union 5-3992]

I met Ron Paul back in April. I shook his hand and got a photo with him. His smile was genuine, yet the words he spoke didn't feel sincere. He said a small "thank you" and sent me on to the next guy. I did eat near him and got a few things autographed by him (he made an exception for me). He didn't treat me as a long awaited friend, yet he did try to show some kindness towards each person he met. Was I disappointed that our interaction wasn't very interesting, but that hardly matters. I actually got to meet him and hear him speak. That was worth it all. The same could be said about Rush. After seeing them live, (or is it before the show), you still get the opportunity to meet them and wish them luck or congratulate them on a great show. Though paying for a ticket is enough to show support. I say it's worth the experience just to meet a person who's ideas you value or music has made an impact on your life.

[Thunder Bay Rush]

Hmmmm, some very interesting comments on this. I think I'd likely shy away from meeting the guys at a meet and greet when I know it'll be an assembly line affair.

 

But, I'll take the guys on a fishing trip anytime!!!!!!

 

[SlyJeff]

I wouldn't say no to meeting them, but it's not a dream of mine.

 

I'm not big into having heros. I prefer to concentrate on real people of flesh and blood- those people I can know unfiltered by media.

 

I think Rush makes amazing music, but that's what they are to me- musicians whose music I dig. It might be cool to get to know them in another context, but there are lots of people who are far more accessible to me and probably just as cool to know.

[OGr8imL84AD8inF8sBlackSedan]

I'm not gonna say I have no desire to meet them, but I'm happy having never met them.

 

A friend of mine ran into Alex outside of their hotel one cold snowy day in New Haven, CT back in like '88. He said Alex was as nice as could be. They spoke for a few minutes (after going inside the hotel lobby) and Alex even sent him a letter thanking him for the kind words after my friend gave Alex his address.

[HowItIs]

Having grown up in Las Vegas and then my husband working in the TV biz, I've met many celebrities. From Jan Murray (gold star if you know who he is) to Mickey Dolenz (wonderfully nice) to Graham Kerr (darling!) to Robert Fulghum (rather snobby) to Joel McHale (silly and sweet). None of these was a "hero", though. I don't tend to get a twitterpated when meeting a celeb, though. Must be something I'm inured to.

 

That being said, I think meeting Alex and Geddy might make me a bit nervous. Maybe. If I expect to work with Alex in the future, though, I better get that under control right the F now. I would love to meet Neil, too, but since I "work" for him (on his website) I doubt that our conversation would be about Rush. I'd likely ask him what he's reading and go from there.

[JohnnyBlaze]

The worst that could happen is they're assholes. So yeah, I'll take the chance and meet them.

[Syrinx]

I met Buddy Rich about 30 years ago and it is a memory that will stay with me forever. He was great.

[noisorroCmrotS]

I met Rick Wakeman after an intimate concert a few years back and he was very courteous to me and my wife. Rick even stood to shake my wife's hand. Rick also took the time to listen to some of my banter in response to a joke he made on stage. Great experience!

[noisorroCmrotS]

QUOTE (HowItIs @ Sep 19 2012, 06:09 AM)

I would love to meet Neil, too, but since I "work" for him (on his website)...

Are you serious?

[Animate]

QUOTE (noisorroCmrotS @ Sep 19 2012, 10:20 AM)

QUOTE (HowItIs @ Sep 19 2012, 06:09 AM) I would love to meet Neil, too, but since I "work" for him (on his website)... Are you serious? Yeah- details! Do you really? That is so cool!