Meeting the Manics - who's "done it"?

[Manualex16]

Originally Posted by Dac X Lee

Almost exactly 10 years ago, amongst my SLSK contacts whom I used to chat often with, there was a Welsh boy who said he spent some time with the Manics and said they were friendly, and that James was very down on earth and taught him some guitar too. But that was a long time ago, you know....

Rechey is that you?

[Takk]

Quite a few times , variously interesting and embarrassing. I think Norway was probably the most interesting. .

[lauren--c]

Me and Karen (Scout Finch) met them on a weird Scottish tv show 2 or 3 years ago. It was hosted by Michelle McManus and one of the other guests was Aggie fron Kim and Aggie. Sean stood with us the whole time while the other two were doing promo. There was a chef section involving a curry which James kept shovelling in and Sean thought was "from Marks and Spencers", whispered slyly to us. They were so friendly when filming was done and stuff and we bumped into James in the city centre after! Definitely one of the strangest experiences of my life.

[Bathtub]

I’ve never waited after a gig, but I have been to signings and met them a couple of times individually around Cardiff. James has a very good handshake. I’ve never met Sean outside of a signing.

I’ve never been nervous, they’re just people.

[Oh Nick...!]

Met them in their dressing room on the PFAYM tour as a competition prize, had a good ten mins w them and they were lovely. James especially down to earth, Sean also v. nice, Nick the most remote which was a shame as I'm a Nicky girl. But he did put his arm round me for a photo.

[Scarecrow]

I've spoken to them on a few occasions, though I usually avoid doing it after gigs because you can't so much as finish a sentence without a crowd of rude or entitlement sods shoving and interrupting. They have got me into a gig free before, nice of them.

[Manicben]

First time was Sean. In 2003 I had won tickets to the Homecoming show, organised by Carling, and shown on channel 4. After the show I hung around in the bar and had a pint. Out of what seemed like nowhere Sean appeared in the middle of the foyer and began signing. I got my lanyard signed and thanked him for the gig. Soon after that a group of girls left me and my friend their drinks as they had to leave, Malibu and Coke, I seem to remember. Can't remember who the girls were, but thanks to them.

Second was James. I attended his solo show at the beautifully intimate Camden Barfly, with Wee Bis, who no longer posts here. That was a wonderful night. It's not often you get to see any members of the band in what is essentially the back room of a pub. After the gig I hung around in the bar with Wee Bis, getting to know her, this was my first foray into meeting other fans. As we were chatting James also came down and had a drink. I made sure before leaving we went over, said hello, and thanked him for the show. He proceeded to shake (crush) my hand, and slap me across the chest to say he liked my t-shirt (God Save the Manics, Nicky Queen).

Third was Nicky. Nothing special just an after show, at the back door of a gig in Newport, which I think was a festival warm up during the SATT era. Sadly I didn't get much time with him as the usual suspects were hounding and following him so others didn't get much time with him.

I've since met him again, which was after the PFAYM show in Leicester. He posed for a photo that night.

In between those two meetings I actually saw him coming out of Boots on Regents Street in London. He was on the phone so I didn't bother him.

[Siouxsie Sway]

twice, both at London-gigs. got my pic taken with Sean and Nicky (hnnnnng) and some stuff signed.

[Louise Mitch]

Nic and I went to Cardiff, and whilst there thought we'd have a look at the Faster studios. Opposite is a little cafe and we popped in for a coffee. While were in there James walked in, he walked past and took a double look then went off to the loo! He came back and ordered food and then came over to us! He asked what we were doing in Cardiff, we said we were off to the museum ( which was the reason we'd gone to Cardiff ) but thought we'd just have a look at the studios. He was lovely, he talked to us for about 10 mins, went to collect the food he'd got for the band and then came back and chatted for a little longer. We did go to the museum after but neither of us could concentrate after seeing him so ended up at the pub instead... It was very surreal. I've met the band several time before and since but that was definetly the best.

[LadyWoodbee]

Wow, thank you all for your thoughts and lovely stories! It seems like none of you has had a negative experience with any of them; I'm not saying I'm surprised, mind, I'd never heard anything bad about them anyway. I was more worried about whether they'd be easy to talk to, or very distant and... hm... sceptical, maybe? But your comments read like they (James in particular) seem to be pretty easy-going.

For me, meeting bands whose music I like has never really been a top priority, to be honest. I used to be really shy when I was younger, so I'd never have dared to walk up to someone I admired; but back in those days it was all boyband crushes anyway, and there was so much hysteria around those groups that there'd never been a chance of that happening anyway. Not that it wasn't a secret fantasy...

When I started listening to "proper" music and going to "real" gigs, I wasn't aware of the fact that you didn't have to get to the venue hours before doors opened in order to get to the front row, so initially I tended to arrive way too early, with only a couple of people there (if any at all) - and, of course, the bands themselves. Which meant that, more often than not, I got to talk to them for the simple reason that I felt stupid about having them walk past me several times with me pretending not to notice, haha! Often they'd come up to me/us themselves, at other times it was me who made some random comments. About 90% of the bands were quite pleasant and easy to talk to, but I think that would have been different had I acted like a hysterical fan girl.

With those bands, I didn't know enough about them to actually care about whether I'd say or do anything stupid or embarrassing. Sometimes I didn't even know what the band members looked like until some other person waiting in front of the venue told me that the guy who'd just walked past was XYZ. Those were the best, as I was really relaxed talking to them as "normal" people, no demi-gods or something. Some of those bands actually invited me/us to hang out after the gig, and turned out to be so lovely that I did turn into a huge fan eventually. This happened with the Libertines, for example; saw them for the first time only a couple of weeks after they'd released their first single, hung out with them before and after a gig (they'd always been really accessible), met loads of nice people there, which really drew me in, made me run a Libertines fanpage, follow them around, etc. I never felt like a silly fan or a groupie or whatever, and the same goes pretty much for almost every other band that came out around that time (all those "The"-bands the NME hyped so much). No nervousness, nothing.

On the other hand, I have met people I'd already admired/been a fan of for quite a while, and that usually ended with me being disappointed. Some of them were complete jerks, others totally f***ed up by drugs and alcohol, others yet just very boring (guess you can't have it both ways, sober AND interesting, haha). Most of them I was persuaded or more or less dragged to meet by my roadie ex-boyfriend, so it wasn't really my decision, and I kind of regret not having put up more of a fight.

None of them, however, were as important to me or have been a part of my life for as long as the Manics. I wasn't really nervous about them either. Actually, I don't really get nervous a lot anymore in "social situations", and maybe I'm underestimating myself and I'd stay cool even before meeting the Manics, but thinking about their first gig I went to, I really doubt it. When they came on stage, I was like: "Whoah, they actually exist!!!" I still had that feeling last time, and each time James or Nicky looked even remotely in my direction, I forgot all the lyrics... Probably blushed as well, haha! Oh, and by the way, having visited the James Dean Bradfield Appreciation Society's website didn't help either; I couldn't help staring at... you know what... (not that there was anything to see...)... Wouldn't want that to happen in a face-to-face encounter. :-D

Oh well, I suppose I've still got some time to think about whether to do it or not; the tenor here seems to be overwhelmingly pro, and I suppose you're right, too.

So, assuming I'd do it, there'd still be the problem that I can't seem to come up with any questions that are clever/not boring and not too nerdy at the same time. Suggestions?

[LadyWoodbee]

Gosh, that turned out way too long - sorry for rambling! I tend to do that a lot...

[Miss Pear]

You're bound to be a bit nervous meeting someone for the first time but in this case don't be. I've heard nothing but good things!

That said, I think they got a bit sick of me, back in the day!! The only time I properly spoke to Nicky (because he tended to get the most swamped) was when he thanked me for a skirt I made him on the Lifeblood tour (which he wore at two gigs - I was so proud ). Sean proved mainly elusive, to be fair. But James always had a word (christening me "the gobby one" at one stage, for shame), and according to Rel once said he loved me, though I'm buggered if I can remember that! I think if I was to meet them now I'd be decidedly calmer about the whole thing, being older and more jaded

[rpmacmurphy]

Met the band several times over the years-first was at Royal Albert Hall in 97 when i hung about stage door and got to meet Nicky and nearly got Seans autograph as well ( no one had a pen ),there have been other occasions as well but the best was Cambridge on the Postcards tour-i got my photo taken with all 3 of the guys and when i got back to my hotel i ended up sharing a lift with Nicky.

All of them-to a man-are lovely chaps-last time i met James he remembered me and said something like "thanks for coming-nice to see you again" !!

[amay]

I've met them all at signings etc, I've met Nicky a bit more after gigs/other events and he's always been really lovely to me - although a few times he kept asking me if I was okay, I obviously looked more out of it than I felt! People always say don't meet your heroes but I think the Manics are exceptions, I've only ever heard good things about how much of a pleasure they are to meet and speak to.

[MarilynRoxie]

I met Nicky after their gig in San Francisco and gave him pink roses. He gives a good hug.