Meeting your guitar hero

[Larz]

I met George Lynch out back of the arena by the tour buses after they opened for Aerosmith's Permanent Vacation tour back in 1988

Very nice and approachable at the time, he signed my Dokken shirt lol

We followed their tour bus out of town to see if they were going to stop and party at any restaurants/bars but they got on the highway for the next tour stop apparently

[MartinBarre]

I haven't really met anyone, you guys have cool stories.
I "met" the classic Sepultura line-up on the Arise tour, still have that LP signed but to be honest I don't even remember if I tried to chat to them or just gave them the disc to sign and fucked off. I do remember being disappointed in their gig that night though, didn't blow me away like Sacred Reich, Kreator and Death had on earlier occasions.

Saw Jeff Waters on his Epiphone clinic in Glasgow a couple of years ago and he signed stuff and chatted after it. Watching him in such an intimate setting playing along to his own backing songs and hitting every fucking note...unbelievable guitar player and seemed very cool too.


The oddest gig experience I had was first time I saw Def Leppard on the X tour. I wasn't even near the front during the gig but I felt really overawed to just be THAT CLOSE to the guys from Def Leppard! I think I must have been too drunk or something, cos I've never felt like that at any gig before or since. It was the best show I've ever seen!

[xenophobe]

Back in 83 when I was like 13, me and my friends ran into Kick Axe hanging out at our spot at the local mall. We talked shit to them how we'd kick their asses and beat them for invading our area. Ended up being a fun convo, they told us who they were, just sat around for like an hour BSing with them. They were all adults, so they must have been amused at a bunch of young high school freshmen acting tough. lol

One of my friend's cousins was the lead backup singer for Motley Crue, Ami Cannon, so we got backstage for Day on the Green. Got to talk to Mick for over an hour.. was sitting at the picnic benches being kind of antisocial hanging with Metallica... most of the people there were glamfags, so we just hung out there most of the night between bands. Met one of my idols, Brad Gillis... got to talk a little bit but I was kinda being shy and starstruck. Also met Heather Locklear that night.. posted for a picture that didn't get taken right, had my arm around her waist but as I was removing it we kinda stepped away but turned toward each other, my hand almost firmly cupped her left buttock... she looked at me with a cheeky surprise reaction smiled and laughed. She probably figured some teenager randomly grabbed her ass but it was purely accidental. And yes, it was perfect firm. This was during her TJ Hooker days and she really wasn't getting a whole lot of attention with all the stars backstage. I forget who else I met... a big name pop diva I didn't care about and don't remember her name... popular like Beyonce is now. A few other people...

I used to hang out regularly at the pizza joint across the street from the Stone on Broadway... sat there and ate pizza with members from a lot of bands, played pinball, etc... Kirk Hamster's girlfriend didn't like me cause I teased him for playing with dolls and Japanese space gun toys. She'd give me evil looks at try to shoo me away but he didn't care, he was always kinda in his own little bubble... It's amazing how intellectual James can sound like in interviews, I guarantee that he was not like that in the 80's... mostly a stoned and drunk typical pothead who didn't really say a whole lot very much. Wasn't really friends with any of them, just kinda hung out at the same places many of them did cause of the music scene but if a place was empty or boring we'd usually chit chat. I've rescued James from the pit a couple of times. Seems like he used to get really drunk, go in the pit, get battered and sometimes trampled on. Would have to personally pick him up and push him out of the pit.. Happened probably a half dozen times over a year or two period... at least. lol But yeah, even in the MoP through Green Hell days he'd still pit.

I wonder how much shit that happened that I completely forgot about. Drug stories, fiending and partying probably... lol

[Venomboy]

Gotta disagree on the Scott Ian being cool. Met him several times. Very standoffish and downright rude. A complete ass. And this was all at meet-n-greets and NAMM.

Just about everyone else...all super cool. Ellefson, Kerry King, Pat Lachman, Paul Crook, Warren DiMartini, Kirk Hammett, Chris Poland, Gary Holt, Paul Bostaph, etc.

[eakinj]

xenophobe - Since you're bay area you'll probably appreciate this - actually first a buddy of mine's dad is friends with Brad Gillis's dad, he's been to his house and seen his studio, apparently an incredibly nice guy miles away from watson. Not sure if both worked at ARB/Nasa or how my buddy's dad knew him, but nothing but good stories about Brad and his family from them.

Anyway
So I used to be friends with Nuclear Rabbit, and Greg the singer knew exactly where James from Metallica lived and kept putting nuclear rabbits on his (if i recall Blazer) to the point one know James chased him down and wanted to kick his ass. I saw James at the fairegrounds in Pleasanton a couple years in a row, he was in his cowboy had and leather vest stage with a blond hair girlfriend, he had been bugged a few times by people that I had seen so when I was in one of the shops and he walked I just did the knowing kind of head nod smile and continued on with what i was doing with out bugging him.

I so miss Day on the Green, I was at the Metallica, Queensryche Faith no more Soundgarden one that Mtv televised pieces from. they did not capture at all the amount of shit that was being thrown around, it looked like popcorn popping from the stands.

[Jackson8090s]

Gotta disagree on the Scott Ian being cool. Met him several times. Very standoffish and downright rude. A complete ass. And this was all at meet-n-greets and NAMM.

Just about everyone else...all super cool. Ellefson, Kerry King, Pat Lachman, Paul Crook, Warren DiMartini, Kirk Hammett, Chris Poland, Gary Holt, Paul Bostaph, etc.

I've never met Scott Ian, but I've read and heard fans that met him like yourself say the guys an asshole more times than, NOT!

[xenophobe]

xenophobe - Since you're bay area you'll probably appreciate this - actually first a buddy of mine's dad is friends with Brad Gillis's dad, he's been to his house and seen his studio, apparently an incredibly nice guy miles away from watson. Not sure if both worked at ARB/Nasa or how my buddy's dad knew him, but nothing but good stories about Brad and his family from them.

That's cool. Yeah, he was nice and politely told me he wasn't teaching. lol

Of course, hanging with Metallica was meaningless the highlight was meeting Heather Locklear. The pop star was like Brandy or Tiffany or someone like that. She was way more popular than Motley Crue, Whitesnake or Poison, who played that show. She had the huge crowd backstage.. lol nobody came up to Metallica for nearly the whole show. I wanted to meet Vince Neil, but he wasn't having any part of being social... probably because the girl he was with was ungodly ugly. He kept to his trailer for most of the night. Probably doing massive cocaine. lol

[eakinj]

That's cool. Yeah, he was nice and politely told me he wasn't teaching. lol

Of course, hanging with Metallica was meaningless the highlight was meeting Heather Locklear. The pop star was like Brandy or Tiffany or someone like that. She was way more popular than Motley Crue, Whitesnake or Poison, who played that show. She had the huge crowd backstage.. lol nobody came up to Metallica for nearly the whole show. I wanted to meet Vince Neil, but he wasn't having any part of being social... probably because the girl he was with was ungodly ugly. He kept to his trailer for most of the night. Probably doing massive cocaine. lol

Yeah I think Vince came down and hung with 'the kids' at the show i was at because I'm guessing he figured most of them weren't allowed to listen to their devil music lol (little did he know) but he was cool and nice to everyone there.

[straycat]

Met Randy Piper of WASP at a Columbus Ohio guitar show I was doing.
Really tall dude no kidding.
I was looking at VHS tapes and picked up a WASP live at the Lyceum tape and he said dude I smoked Chris Holmes's ass at that show.
I turned to my left and all I saw was an arm with tribal tattoos everywhere I looked up and there was Randy.
I asked if he still had the BC Rich exhaust pipe guitar and he just laughed and said I dunno man.
Later he came past my booth and said hey man you got some cool ass guitars I dig this old Mockingbird what year is it?
After a few minutes talking with him he had to go so I said nice to meet you and yeah I bought that tape.
He said enjoy it I hope you got a good copy it was a fun show, good to see you again.
My buddy that was with me said was that Randy Piper? I said yeah and he said dude I didn't know you knew Randy.
I said oh yeah I never told you?
Later I told him I just met him earlier.

[diablomozart]

the list is very long lol...my faves and the nicest were, paul and gene from kiss, vai, satriani, kirk and james from metallica, steve morse...but the coolest of all was john sykes...i'm all of 19 and get an invite to the blue murder cd listening party...after hearing the cd people line up to get his autograph...i ask him how he played so fast on still of the night..."you're learning to play?" he asked...i said yes...for the next 25 minutes (with a line of people waiting) he proceeded to jot down a few exercises on napkins and talk about how vibrato was more important than speed...when his handler reminded him of the waiting people his response was "i'm trying to help out a fellow guitarist, they have to wait"...i was (and still am) completely blown away by his generosity with his time and knowledge...d.m.

[horns666]

My list is too long too. Ummm If I met Eddie, I'd think I shit my pants,..even if he's a dick ..I'll laugh.

I was giddy meeting Uli Roth. He's so nice, and meeting Jeff Loomis is always very cool. Oh, I got to meet Glen Cambell 13 years ago at the Airport..I got his pick. I have a bunch of picks from James Newsted and Kirk. Used ones that were in their pocket..

Glen Drover is very laid back, but very serious. His brother Shawn seems more outgoing.

Joe Satriani has a police badge ..just ask him.

[straycat]

One I would like to meet is Bob Kulick

[Axewielder]

the list is very long lol...my faves and the nicest were, paul and gene from kiss, vai, satriani, kirk and james from metallica, steve morse...but the coolest of all was john sykes...i'm all of 19 and get an invite to the blue murder cd listening party...after hearing the cd people line up to get his autograph...i ask him how he played so fast on still of the night..."you're learning to play?" he asked...i said yes...for the next 25 minutes (with a line of people waiting) he proceeded to jot down a few exercises on napkins and talk about how vibrato was more important than speed...when his handler reminded him of the waiting people his response was "i'm trying to help out a fellow guitarist, they have to wait"...i was (and still am) completely blown away by his generosity with his time and knowledge...d.m.

Awesome story, yes Sykes is the master of vibrato!

[horns666]

Awesome story, yes Sykes is the master of vibrato!

These are facts..

That Eddie guy isn't bad either..haha..

[xenophobe]

Eddie?

Yeah, he's great and all... but Brad Gillis on Speak of the Devil is basically the how-to guide on the proper use of a Floyd.