The great thing about metal shows is usually people just walk around and there isnt too much 'fan' action going on. so you actually can talk to people and meet bands.. I've met guys from more bands than i can think of offhand.
Met Symphony X and Megadeth at Gigantour last year. Definately wasnt worth standing on line for an hour n missing DT's first song just to meet fuckin Megadeth. Dave Mustaine just gave me a blank stare as if his entire family just died...which is expected I guess...with all the autographs he's signed and all the fans, but still. I met Derek Trucks a few years ago, and got his autograph. Met Eric Sardinas and his drummer. Uhhhh....and I met both guys from Sleep Terror Lol. THAT was fuckin AWESOME.
Jesus, way too many to mention, or even remember. Off the top of my head:
Opeth (A few times) Nightwish Children Of Bodom Dragonforce Sonata Arctica Everygrey Green Carnation Vader Porcupine Tree Blind Guardian Biomechanical My Dying Bride Cradle Of Filth The Haunted Nile Blaze Bailey Darkest Hour Dino from Fear Factory Sinergy Novembre
And god knows how many more that I can't think of. Basically, fucking hundreds!
Yes, that's mostly European bands though.
Oh yeah, and I drank Alexi Laiho's vodka when I met him. He had a bottle of smirnoff in his hand, I asked could I have a drink, he said yes, and I downed it.
I got to meet Dream Theater during the Train of Thoughts tour. Got my pic taken with them here.
Just before the pic was taken, Jordan was joking telling me to get out of there with a Sym X shirt on, James leaned out from the wall to look at it, and Mike said "nah, they're cool. he can stay!" Then I got to chat with John P. and James L. after the photos were taken. They are my fav. band, so I was completely awestruck.
I met DT on that tour too, at the manchester show. Me and a few mates went to the venue about 5 hours before the show and met them as they came in. Interestingly, JP and JR came in separate taxis alone, and the rest come in the tour bus a bit later. Was cool, got to shake petruccis hand and both him and rudess stayed and chatted a while.
Met Vai and sheehan and dave weiner and the last G3 in manchester. Was chatting to dave for a while as he walked past a big line of people and I was the only one to recognise him! He was really cool. Sheehan was quality as well, me and my friend were trying to convince him to get another 'explorers club' album done
i keep a list, so here it is (with a couple more regional/local people taken out....it still includes some "semi-famous" though)
Ray Alder (Fates Warning) Apocalyptica Frank Aresti (Fates Warning) Blind Guardian Calmsite Terri Lyne Carrington Bill Carter (Withersoul, From Within, Garden of Shadows) The Darkness Rhett Davis (Keen of the Crow, Morgion) Division Mattias "IA" Eklundh (Freak Kitchen) Bob Falzano (Annihilator)(personal friend) Jon Finn (Boston Pops, Jon Finn Group) Paul Flynn (Godless Rising, Vital Remains) King Fowley (Deceased, October 31) Jon Fralick (Darkness Remains) Björn Gelotte (In Flames) Dan "Lord Worm" Greening (Cryptopsy) Jeff Gruslin (Godless Rising, Vital Remains) Laurie Ann Haus (Ephemeral Sun, Rain Fell Within) Gary Hoey Eddie Jackson (Queensrÿche) Kerry King (Slayer) Lacuna Coil Peter Lindgren (Opeth) George Lynch Mike Mangini (Annihilator, Extreme, Steve Vai) Matt Mills (Forgotten Realm) John Myung (Dream Theater) Dan Ochoa (Keen of the Crow) October 31 Jay Rigney (Joe Stump, The Reign of Terror, HolyHell) Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment) Joe Satriani Jon Schaffer (Iced Earth, Demons & Wizards) Shroud of Bereavement Joe Stump (The Reign of Terror, HolyHell) Symphony X (except Russell Allen) Todesbonden Tony Taylor (Twisted Tower Dire) Unexpect Steve Vai Withersoul Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth, Bloodbath)
via electronic means such as AIM, internet message boards, phone, email, etc.:
Brian (Garden of Shadows) Mary (Garden of Shadows) Corey Beaulieu (Trivium) Chris Broderick (Jag Panzer) Alex Corona (Revoltons) Norbert Geiseler (Galloglass) Imperanon Pete Joseph (The Absence) Nick Sterling John Tempesta (Rob Zombie) Ron Thal (Bumblefoot) JT Turner (Winter Solstice) Roger Turner (Winter Solstice)
OTHER MUSIC-RELATED PEOPLE (in person) -------------------------------- Trace Allen (Voodoo Amps) Joe Barden (Joe Barden Pickups) Richard Evans (producer) Wolf Ginandes (Musical Instrument Service Center) Robert Godin (Godin Guitars) Roger Hart (Genz-Benz Amplification product manager) Brawner Smoot (former Danny Gatton manager) Alex Strange (Les Miserables, Ragtime Original Cast, voice actor)
OTHER MUSIC-RELATED PEOPLE (email, AIM, phone, etc.) -------------------------------- Pyotr Belov (Belov Amplification) Peter Diezel (Diezel Amplification) Ken Hoover (Zion Guitars) James Peters (Peters Amplification) Doug Roccaforte (Roccaforte Amplification)
NON MUSIC-RELATED (in person) -------------------------------- John DeBella (102.9 WMGK radio personality) Steve Sabol (NFL Films) Chris Wylde (Chris Wylde Show)
Met Dimebag Darrell when they were touring with Megadeth (countdown to extinction tour). Hanging around outside in the rain for 30 minutes for 15 minutes chat time with my then latest & greatest guitar idol. He remained my biggest influence as he was so fucking cool!
Used to jam in a music shop in Devon on a saturday with Chris from Muse and my old band played 30+ gigs with them around Devon before they got really big & signed. Very talented and fun guys. I still count them as friends (saw Chris a few months ago, fame hasn't changed him).
Blaze Bayley from Wolfsbane & Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden.
Chris Kontos (ex-drummer) & Robb Flynn from Machine Head. Robb Flynn rules.