Posted by Mr Tom (213.122.61.140) on April 21, 2004 at 17:33:15:
In Reply to: Re: Cheap Trick posted by Icky on April 15, 2004 at 20:25:05:
Now, a Cheap Trick story in which they break glass (perhaps accidently slipping on Super Drag vomit or something) and everyone giggles and runs away and other such 'rock star' tomfoolery would've been pretty cool with me, but the sting in this tail really stings. This is why I try to avoid 'idol' contact pretty much as much as possible. What if they turn out to be arseholes? That's the music tarnished forever for me I'm afraid. This is why posts by one 'Eric Skodis' might has as well have had 'here be dragons' and approach with due caution' plastered all over them. Mercifully, my caution proved unfounded.
One of the most embarressing moments of my life was when I met Bernard Butler (Suede, Mcalmont and..., The Libertines etc). I say 'met', 'met' is to a cozy word for what happened: went to mini-festival thing in west cork where mr butler was playing, the people I went with knew I was a fan so when he just happened to come into the bar (I had been politely stepped over by Jarvis Cocker earlier in the day when I was 'resting' outside the main tent - it was that kind of festival, it was Ireland afterall) my friends decided, despite all my complaints, to take me over to meet him. Did I really complain? You bet your ass! Why would I want to meet him? Yeah, I owned most of the guys records, so what? I also own anti insommnia tablets, it doesn't mean I need to meet the guys that made them, and the pills effect my life! Anyway, my friends went over, with me staying by the bar and desperately trying to sink into the floor. After a moment they waved me over and I went, seriously dragging my feet. Now, Bernard Butler is a SERIOUSLY nice guy, as luck would have it, and he was very respectful to my obvious discomfort. What did I end up talking to him about? What it was like meeting Johnny Marr? What the reasons were for suedes split? How come his records were so great? Nope. I talked to him about real estate. Fucking REAL ESTATE!!! It was all I could think of. Again, I state, I don't know the guy! What else could I do? We started talking about England and it just came up!
I guess my point is, as a music fan, it's easy to form impressions of artists, there IS emotional empathy to be built up. That's how it works I guess. But, to me at least, it just isn't worth the risk of them turning out not to be what was expected. What if I met Roger Manning and didn't like him (possible)? Jeez, that's about a quater of my record collection fucked. I met Butler and spent the whole time wanting to run away. Yeah, he turned out good, and I have more respect for him now than I did before, but the whole situation wasn't nessacary in the first place.
Oh, I don't know - blah, blah, blah. I've lost the point. Make of this what you will.
Tom