I have met alot of cool 'celebs' of the punk new wave scene.....to name a few
Bruce Foxton of The Jam
Micheal Stipe REM....early indie REM !
Marky Ramone
Hugh Cornwell of The Stranglers
etc..
All great experiences too!

In 1981 I interviewed Mark E. Smith of The Fall at Evangelos' -- a downtown bar in Santa Fe owned by a Greek family. I expected a loutish snotty punk, but he was really a nice guy. We talked about our mutual love of Captain Beefheart and Johnny Cash.

Not sure why but it took me some time to get into The Fall's music. My review of the show admitted I felt a little like Dylan's Mr. Jones -- I knew something was happening there but I just didn't know what it was. But now The Fall are among my top favorites. (So are Beefheart and Cash.)

I met all the guys from the Mooney Suzuki one time before a show. Just saw them all walking down the street a couple hours before the gig. Sammy was a pretty cool guy and all of them were really friendly.

More famous though, I met Monoman from the Lyres. He was an interesting dude to say the least. I don't know if he's deaf from 25 years of garage punk, or if he's had a few too many Diet Cokes, but he and I were definitely having two different conversations when we met.

I met Phil May and Dick Taylor of the Pretty Things in NYC, I think it was one of those cavestomps. Good blokes too, they really were your average guys. I like the music a ton but really have no interest in the lifestyle of the famous or how these musicians live their lives. It's just about hearing the music for me and learning the songs for fun.

There's others I forgot:Fugazi back in the early 90s, the Smugglers, Nardwuar the Human Serviette, during garageshock I met the Phantom Surfers, A-Bones, and The Untamed Youth, I'm friends with the Boss Martians, and some of the Surf Trio when they were in a group called the Wicked Ones, and Seaweed. Oh and Satan's Pilgrims and the Ghastly Ones and Jake Cavilierre from the Lords of Altamont. And I got a Cramps autograph but I wasn't allowed to meet them so I guess that doesn't count.

Geez, who haven't I met or became friends with? I've always thought living in Washington State has given me a chance to meet lots of cool people. The Young Fresh Fellows, Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening, Shadowy Men from A Shadowy Planet, Girl Trouble, almost meeting Paul Westerberg (but Scott McCaughey was worried I'd ask him too many embarrassing questions so he didn't introduce me), Peter Buck, Mudhoney, Kurt Cobain (when he was Kurdt Kobain), Billy Childish, The Mono Men, The Mummies, The Makers, The Sinister Six, Gas Huffer, The Fastbacks, Dave Day of The Monks, Sky Saxon, Fred Cole and the rest of Dead Moon, The Cynics, Supercharger, The Woggles, got autographs from the Sonics, met Pat Denizeo from the Smithereens Peter Zaremba and Wayne Kramer at a free show. When it comes to underground rock, life's been good.

I helped Drum Wolf drink a 40oz of duty free Jack Daniels, that was fun, neither knew what the fuck each of us were saying to each other, thank god for the international language of booze. Had a great talk with Charlie Parker from UK Subs, He's a super nice guy, that was uber cool. And I meet Jack White, that was super boring and he kept saying things like "we're from America you know" and I kept thinking 'I might live in a country the size of a pimple thats in the arsehole of world but I'm not fucking thick mate!'

david j and kevin haskins of love and rockets and bauhaus

By My Side is such a great song. One that inspires many covers. It's always funny to me how people who were actually in the bands are completely shocked to find out there's interest in their music after all these years. Usually, they don't even have their own singles anymore. Fuzzmeister said:

Met Lobby Loyde - in fact he produced my band Arctic Circles first proper recording session in 1985. We walked into Richmond Recorders after work at about 5 in the afternoon and walked out at about 5 the next morning - 4 tracks recorded and mixed all in that timespan. Lobby was a fun guy who had a lot of funny stories. He liked to listen to everything up full blast.

The Arctic Circles first demo session was done by Greg Heenan, the bass player in The Elois. He had a little demo studio called Fitzroy Sound. Nice easygoing guy. He played us the Elois single while we were at the studio. He was kind of bemused when we told him about the whole 60s garage revival scene.

Met the Damned when they played Canberra in '97. My wife and I had a long chat with Patricia Morrison, nice lady.

Met Chris Bailey of The Saints, circa the "Monkey Puzzle" days. He noticed I had a Lurkers badge on, we had a talk about the Lurkers who he seemed to know well from The Saints' early days in London.

ummmm.... i met Frank from the Sons of Hercules, that was pretty awesome!

I was at the Dirty Water club when I did meet Billy Childish, and honestly I thought of you PJ Dirty Water when I replied, knowing that this would sound incredibly mundane....... however for this little Denver girl it was quite a mind blowing moment.......

I met Billy Childish once in London, quite an exciting day for a Denver girl~! But I was star struck, and horribly awkward and couldn't say a thing. I think I commented that I liked his jacket, he said thanks, and that was that.

In 1995, my first South by Southwest, I heard there was a Roky Erikson booksigning at Ironworks BBQ. He'd just had a book of his lyrics published by Henry Rollins' company. So I walk down there and standing out in the parking lot all alone is none other than Roky. Apparently he'd been inside about ready to sign some books but he got freaked out and bolted. I said, "Hey Roky, I'm a fan ..." "I know," he said. "My name is Steve ..." "I know ..." We stand around talking for awhile. He bums a cigarette from a stranger. Austin guitarist Will Sexton walks by and Roky calls out his name, so he stops for awhile. Then Henry Rollins comes out, gently trying to lure Roky back into the restaurant to sign some books for all the people there. Roky says he can't go back in. Henry finally convinces him to sit inside a car and sign books. "I'll get you some ice tea, Roky ..." he says. I bought a book and had him sign it. I don't think he ever went back inside. (Don't have digital images of the photos I took then, but here's one of Roky playing in Austin at last year's SXSW)

Years ago when I was working in a record store, which had a "Don't take the vinyl out of the sleeve unless at the counter" policy. I had to hassle a guy about mis handling the (expensive) vinyl a few time.
He was very rude and arrogant, and I told him so. When he bought some stuff and gave me his credit card it turned out to be Ed Kuepper of the Saints, Laughing Clowns etc. Love his music, but he is still an arsehole.

I got to interview heaps of musicians when I was doing a radio show on 3PBS-FM, here in Melbourne, but meeting Rob Younger of Radio Birdman/New Christs was the only time I was truely lost for words due to hero worship.

I will have to save my story about Kim Gordon's dirty underwear for another day!!!!

Joenzy said:

but not nearly as exciting...
I saw Eric Burden picking out eggplants at a grocery store near Joshua Tree, Ca.
My mother knew him.

even less exciting though, my grandad met Alan Price on a flight somewhere! said he had a lovely conversation with him about Jarrow, where they both grew up.

Met Dee Dee Ramone in a bathroom, 2 weeks before he died.
He was using again with members of his band who all looked like Sid Vicious.
This was in Las Vegas.
Talked to the guys from the weirdos.
I've talked to various members of Brian Jonestown.
Also, I've met scores of newer generation members of bands...
but not nearly as exciting...
I saw Eric Burden picking out eggplants at a grocery store near Joshua Tree, Ca.
My mother knew him.
went to a party with Dead Moon in Portland...
they drove me to the party... it was on Halloween.

I met Nigel Lewis of Meteors/Tallboys fame the other saturday. what a gent!

Met Lobby Loyde - in fact he produced my band Arctic Circles first proper recording session in 1985. We walked into Richmond Recorders after work at about 5 in the afternoon and walked out at about 5 the next morning - 4 tracks recorded and mixed all in that timespan. Lobby was a fun guy who had a lot of funny stories. He liked to listen to everything up full blast.

The Arctic Circles first demo session was done by Greg Heenan, the bass player in The Elois. He had a little demo studio called Fitzroy Sound. Nice easygoing guy. He played us the Elois single while we were at the studio. He was kind of bemused when we told him about the whole 60s garage revival scene.

Met the Damned when they played Canberra in '97. My wife and I had a long chat with Patricia Morrison, nice lady.

Met Chris Bailey of The Saints, circa the "Monkey Puzzle" days. He noticed I had a Lurkers badge on, we had a talk about the Lurkers who he seemed to know well from The Saints' early days in London.

Humm, I met Hugh Cornwall as a teenager, I think he lived in the local area. Not a hero of mine though. I met Kurt Cobain in Bristol before the Nirvana explosion, again I was not really a fan and was more interested in seeing Tad (who they were supporting).

The only band I have met that I actually liked I think was Guitar Wolf. I guess this is the only one that counts.

The Branded said:

met reg presley once in salisbury, no one else interests me

sainsbury?at the reduced to clear section?...

met reg presley once in salisbury, no one else interests me

Amazing band and such down to earth guys too!!! And all of them were willing to sign autographs all nite when i saw them a few weeks back.... JackieRoman said:

I love photographing people who played on great records of yesteryear, and new stuff too. My catalogue of photos has a lot of faces in it. NYC can get pretty "name-droppy" which is annoying, but my favorite recent encounter was a couple glasses of wine with sammy yaffa (formerly of finnish glam outfit hanoi rocks, and currently the bass player for the new york dolls). Also in 2007 I had The Hives hanging out at my pad during Cavestomp, that was fun! Check out this fun photo of Magic Christian too! I definitely heart Cyril Jordan!

I met Fred Cole (Weeds, Lollipo Shoppe) 2 times when he played here neirby.

I love photographing people who played on great records of yesteryear, and new stuff too. My catalogue of photos has a lot of faces in it. NYC can get pretty "name-droppy" which is annoying, but my favorite recent encounter was a couple glasses of wine with sammy yaffa (formerly of finnish glam outfit hanoi rocks, and currently the bass player for the new york dolls). Also in 2007 I had The Hives hanging out at my pad during Cavestomp, that was fun! Check out this fun photo of Magic Christian too! I definitely heart Cyril Jordan!

I have "met" a few at shows in the sense that someone introduced me (or I introduced myself) when we happen to be in proximity to each other. Even had a beer with some. But the only one I have met that would recognize me walking down the street is Earl the Pearl Hudson of Bad Brains. Come to find out, he lives only 2 miles from me. Small world.