sorry if this is in the wrong section.

A little pic of my evening the other night!
Flea, me and Mike Watt!!

another shot from where I got to watch the show. Taken with a disposable camera not zoomed in

I'm still kinda bummed about all this D. Oh, well/ Live and learn. Sometimes I guess childhood idols don't always turn out to be who you think they will be. Mabye he ate a bad pita, ya think?:D
Did the rest of the photos turn out ok?:confused:

I shot you some more in an email. For the most part yes. Some of the distance concert shots are grainy as was to be expected.

The anthony/ball shot turned out okay, and you can see flea there as well.

Should I post this pic of you with the Plower?!?!

He is on the "Zone Diet" book plan. He is looking a hell of a lot better, and was great to be around as always!

Originally posted by dhuffguitars
I shot you some more in an email. For the most part yes. Some of the distance concert shots are grainy as was to be expected.

The anthony/ball shot turned out okay, and you can see flea there as well.

Should I post this pic of you with the Plower?!?! I got the photo of me with the plower. Damn thing is such a short scale it looks like a guitar. Post it if you'd like. I really want to see this one of anthony with the balloon though.:eek:



Edit: got 'em the one with 3 of you guys turned out the best. Good thing to since it was the most important of the bunch. ;)

Cool pictures! :cool: :bassist:

Hmm......anyone think to invite flea to good ol TB? (I'll even buy his supporting membership :D )

Fixer, was flea a jerk? do tell!

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=1181999

Posting the pics so they automatically come up.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=1182005

Originally posted by FiXeR
I'm still kinda bummed about all this D. Oh, well/ Live and learn. Sometimes I guess childhood idols don't always turn out to be who you think they will be.

ooo, do tell.

I'm only posting this because I can't find any other way to subcribe. I wanna hear the Flea story.

Was this in seattle? at the key arena? Im so uninformed.. had to hear about the show the day after it happened. Lets hear this story though... ive met quite aa few rockstars, and alot of em get road worn and unsocial.


On another note.. you got a shop in spokane where I could stop by and check out some of those basses sometime?

AHHG tell us if Flea was a douche,, TELL US!

Well this is Darrin's thread so if he expresses that he wants my opinions shared on this subject in this thread then I will share.

I first off want to convey that the comment was made totally IMHO and Flea may have been having a bad night. Although in a way I am probably more upset and sad by the other night and its events than I should be. Please keep both of these points in mind.

Having said that. I still have too much respect for him and the musical contributions he's made to drag his name through the mud publicly on what could have been a personally bad night for him and his band. If he did not turn out like the person I thought he would be that is my mistake and not his.:(

If Turner or any of you turned out not to be as you potray yourselves for whatever reason I would not share my opinions with your peers and fans since they are in fact my opinions and views.

Although, I think enough conclusions can be drawn from the above comments I've made above though for you to understand I was disappointed........

Fixer and I probably first caught him at a bad time to talk to him. He was sitting in his dressing room by himself, the door was open and was sitting in plain site. I said hi and asked if I could get an autograph. He shook his head no so we just moved on. It's the whole you never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression.

Watt was kind enough to introduce me to Flea, he talked a little to me. I asked for a photo, and it seemed like that was a struggle. SO I didn't bother to ask for his autograph again.

We could of just caught him on a bad night, but yeah we didn't catch the Flea we were hoping to meet.

I also got a death stare from Anthony after taking his pic.........

What a shame, too bad anthony didn't sock you, could of been worth a few bills :D

I guess you never know until you are on that side of the fence, but it would too make me feel bad.

Well, let down or not, at least you got to meet him, to look on the bright side a little bit.

Originally posted by Ryan Lunneborg
Well, let down or not, at least you got to meet him, to look on the bright side a little bit.

hey ryan! welcome back! :)

hey, sometimes folks forget who made their lifestyle possible. :hmm:

:( damn man, i feel bad for you. i have loved flea forever and although i didnt start playing bass just because of hearing him, once i got into bass he was a main influence by far... now, i have seen every movie hes been in, have all the cd's, etc, etc, etc... where i live everyone that knows me knows Flea is my favorite..

i have thought "hmmm, wonder if i could get to meet him or get a pic with him or an autograph.." ..but then i think "even if you had the chance, dont bother, you will just seem like every other Flea-fan out there.. it will just annoy him"... maybe i would catch him on a good day and have a stroke of good luck and get to actually talk to him and whatnot but i highly doubt that would happen, especially during these last days of a long "new album tour"..

oh well, i'm driving 10 hours tomorrow all by myself just to see them in edmonton on the 26th... i have waited forever to see them, and i got tickets right down there in the pit, otherwise i would have just got general admission tickets to see them in vancouver last night with my friends! (only 3hr drive)..

FiXeR, great attitude man, I'm sure if Flea was reading this he would appoligize and feel really bad. Maybe one day you will get to meet him and actually talk to him and whatnot.. things have a weird way of turning out good sometimes.

"EVERYONE ORDER YOU D. HUFF BASSES BEFORE WORD GETS OUT THAT FLEA HAS SWITCHED TO THEM EXCLUSIVELY!"

Thats what I was gonna post before I read the thread. That woulda been wicked though. Imagine if he had talked to you and found out about your buisines.

Peace
Nick

maybe he was doin his pre show meditating?

I can empathize with being bummed about not having a conversation or getting an autograph. I'm the opposite way... I leave people alone. I've met a few famous people over the years and have never asked for an autograph. I also understand the demands that are put on their time and that different people handle that different ways.

Bottom line, they're people. Not immune to the some of the same problems other people deal with. I just give them space, enjoy whatever they're bringing to the table and move on. I met Seal and the Isley Brothers (among others) last week at a TV show taping. Other than saying "Hi, how are ya?" I didn't bug them. Other people that did want to carry on a conversation with some of the other celebs, who did have time to talk, did.

Originally posted by Brad Johnson
I can empathize with being bummed about not having a conversation or getting an autograph. I'm the opposite way... I leave people alone. I've met a few famous people over the years and have never asked for an autograph. I also understand the demands that are put on their time and that different people handle that different ways.

Bottom line, they're people. Not immune to the some of the same problems other people deal with. I just give them space, enjoy whatever they're bringing to the table and move on. I met Seal and the Isley Brothers (among others) last week at a TV show taping. Other than saying "Hi, how are ya?" I didn't bug them. Other people that did want to carry on a conversation with some of the other celebs, who did have time to talk, did.

Im on the same page.

Lauryn Hill came into Guitar Center to buy some DVD's and books and a few of my coworkers were getting pretty excited by it, after all she is a great musician. Well anyways, I decided to give her some peace and leave her alone for the most part but I offered my help as I would to any customer. I helped her find what she needed and let her look for what she wanted without being bothered. When she was done she came to me with a stack of DVDs and books that she wanted to buy I even asked her for her name as I would any customer to get her sale on file. When she told me who she was I just politely told her that I thought was her and that it was a pleasure to help her and she replied in a similar way and thanked me for helping her. She even said that I was more helpful than my department manager who usually takes care of her when she comes into the store.

The whole idea comes from what Ive read about Kurt Cobain when I was a huge NIRVANA fan. It was partlyt he fact that he was no longer treated like a normal person that drove him mad. Im sure Id feel the same way.

Peace
Nick

I'm agreeing with these last two posts, there is a time and a place.

Another guy I really respect is Tony Stewart. While in different realms of the spotlight, the issues are much the same. When not in the big NASCAR races, he likes to go to local dirt tracks, and either compete himself, or help those involved with his own teams (he owns many different teams).

Tony has a lot of bad press over his attitude to fans, but I can't imagine the crap he has to deal with by people who feel he "owes them". When a driver is at a race track, his mind and focus is on one thing, and one thing only.....and a train of selfish autograph hounds is a major side track.

A couple years ago, he was on the ground, underneath his car working on it, when a rather intoxicated lady recognized him, run up to him, and started yelling and pulling on his pant leg. She got called some rather choice names, and understandably so IMO. This is just one of many different instances he has been critisized for his treatment towards others, and I feel it is unjust.

I'm sure all these people would just like to enjoy a night off, without all of the pressures of what their schedules, and having to please others.

I see no difference from one "star" to another......treat them like a human, respect their space, and I think in most instances you will find you will be treated the same.

Yeah, I don't think i'd like to meet my personal idol's. I don't think, no matter what they do, that they could live up to my expectations. I really only have two guys that I immortalize. Eddie Vedder and Steve Yzerman. I don't even want to meet them (well, maybe Stevie Y.):D I do have to give props to Jason Newsted. He was the most polite "celebrity" I could've ever wanted to meet:bassist:

I only met one guy, Tom Morello. I read of people saying he was a douche but when I saw him at Lollapalooza I just said, "man.....your an excellent guitarist!" and he calmly shook my hand and said "Thanks man,(and then said something but I dont remember because I was in freak-out mode)" and I walked away. As soon as everyone asked me what happened I started to go nuts, glad I did'nt do that infront of him!

my experience meeting Flea was quite different...he was actually really a nice guy and seemed pretty chill. i met him and john (frusciante, guitar player for the peppers) backstage before a show in NYC. we talked about sushi and led zeppelin for a few minutes before they had to go. i got their autographs but no pic :bawl:
so that being said...im sure he was just having a bad night and didnt mean to be cold or anything.

I'll tell you something else: I think eBay has f***ed things up for a lot of real fans. What I mean by that is, a lot of celebs are refusing autographs and pictures, because they're afraid they're going to end up on eBay, which probably happens more often than not. I think it sucks, but what can you do. I know I would be flattered if someone ever asked me for my autograph. Maybe it would get old after a while, but I'd like to think it wouldn't.

Edit: I am a giant idiot who is out to destroy Lauryn Hill's career. I'm stupid, I smell bad, I'm not any good at bass, I'm unattractive and I have no friends.

Originally posted by StupidMatt
I unfortunatly cannot see Lauryn Hill in any good way. It's a shame though, she's a great singer but I have no respect for her. She said in an iterview that she would rather watch children starve than have a white person buy her albums.

This is unfortunately, one of those urban legends which just won't die.

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/lauryn.htm

As for Flea, bad night? I've heard other stories where he was very cool, so who knows.

Sometimes the public image isn't a good reflection of the person. Take Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins. A few years ago, early '98, I was outside the Knitting Factory in NYC trying to get in to see Curve. The show was sold out, and noone was selling tickets. Up came a cab, out came Billy Corgan and his partner. Every one tried to play it cool, I asked "Hey Billy, got a spare ticket?". He looked at me for a minute, like this was the last thing he expected anyone to say to him. Then he said "come with me", took me inside and got the ticket people to let me in because "this guy's with me".
That incident has always stuck with me, purely because it's something he didn't need to do. I had asked him out of desparation, half joking, and if he'd just walked by and ignored me or said "no" I wouldn't have been bothered. But if you went by all the press stories about Billy, you'd think him to be an arrogant jerk. And maybe he is sometimes, but obviously not all the time.

I've always wondered why people are so desirous of autographs anyway. I've never understood the autograph thing.

DavidMWilson,

Thanks for the Snopes link. I would have been pretty dissappointed personally had Lauryn Hill said that as she's always struck me as a loving and passionate person.

brad cook

yeah.

I had an opportunity to shake ray browns hand at a jazz fest one year, and decided not to because there was a mob of kids asking for autographs. He died within the year... Thats one thing i will always regret.

Originally posted by StupidMatt



I unfortunatly cannot see Lauryn Hill in any good way. It's a shame though, she's a great singer but I have no respect for her. She said in an iterview that she would rather watch children starve than have a white person buy her albums. Well, this means she's either racist or has a true and deep hatred of children. It's a shame too, Amber (my girlfriend, white by the way) bought one of her albums. :hmm:

One word leaps to mind... THINK!

Did you see the actual interview? Think it would that hard to find? Think she's actually dumb enough to try and alienate a large part of her audience and a reason for her success?

Think she's a complete idiot? That's what she'd have to be IMO.

Again, just step back and think;)

The only thing that I find sad about this is that some people actually seem to want to believe this kind of stuff.


I think Flea, if in a bad mood, should have been a little less of a @$$hole about the autograph issue. He could have explained himself and still been a jerk and I would have understood. He could have said, "Listen kid, I'm having a bad night, my dog has to have its toe amputated, go away." And I would have been cool with it. I think Flea is a bit of a fake personally, he tries to come of as understanding and very mellow, but he seems to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder. I remeber VH1 interviewing him about the Give it Away parody Weird Al did. He said something like, I just don't think it's that clever, I mean, Yaba Dabba dabba do now, it seems stupid to me. Wanna know something? Give it away, give it away, give it away, give it away now doesn't exactly dazzle me either. :hmm:

I didn't think it was all that funny either, kind of predictable actually:D. I didn't think Flea's take on the video was fake at all.

Here's another word: EMPATHY. Try and imagine yourself in his shoes. Probably can't walk outside without a nonstop stream of fans who only want a moment of his time. Sure, fans make you successful but at what point do you just get to have a moment's peace?

If I were a big time celebrity I'd try to make it a point to be so accessible that people wouldn't even want to hound me;)

How does that lyric from Rush's "Limelight" go? Something like, "I can't pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend".

Some celebs live to schmooze, others don't. But regarding Flea, we're talking about just one encounter, and it's correct to give him the benefit of the doubt that maybe he was having a bad night, or maybe you caught him at a time when he was expecting privacy.

I really think that kinda sucks about his having a bad night. I think most stars should suck it up a bit. They went into the whole thing wanting to succeed, knowing full well that you would get fans that would love for you just to say "Hi" to them. Some are obsessive, but it happens. So if people aren'tm ready to have their lives changed drastically, and people fighting for a chance to mmeet you, then don't try and get famous. Don't put your music out there, or do whatever it is you are doing. I think there is no excuse for that. You made the choice, now don't take it out on others that you don't like the way things turned out. If you aren't having a good night, say so, in a respectful way. It's what I would expect out of my fellow man(or woman). Famous people annoy me sometimes.

Yeah and if they can't deal with success they can always do a Cobain.

Personally I didn't get into music to become super famous or rich. I didn't. I didn't get into it because I was shy. I didn't get into music to meet women. I got into music because I really like playing an instrument.

If you got into music for the same reasons and somehow became famous, think about sucking it up for the entire time you were in the public eye.

What exactly do some of you think is "owed" to you? Just curious.

I think a lot may have to do with the atmosphere the performer is in. I met Michael Manring when I saw him play at a very small local club and got the chance to talk with him and get a couple photos of us. Very nice guy. If it was after a big concert however, a performer might not know a fan from a reporter, etc., and having a hundred people with their own agendas coming up to you one after another would be quite frazzling, I imagine.

i still think the whole star mentality is ridiculous. If I had a bad day, I would be an a-hole for acting like some stars do. I have had horrible days at my retail job, and when the next customer comes in, I don't take it out on them. There is no reason to. I work in a guitar store, and often have headaches all day. But I don't take it out on my customers. They don't deserve that. People of status get too much slack. We say things like, "Theres a lot of pressure there. He can act like a jerk if he wants to." I respect that Flea may be going through a lot, but COME ON! I'm sorry you are tired from the traveling. But the money you are getting in for getting up on a stage and playing bass, and running around like you're crazy just makes My yearly salary look like pocket change. Niether the stars or we commoners have any less stressful lives than the other. Lets talk about giving some respect to everyone, unless they give you a reason not to.

Originally posted by StupidMatt



I unfortunatly cannot see Lauryn Hill in any good way. It's a shame though, she's a great singer but I have no respect for her. She said in an iterview that she would rather watch children starve than have a white person buy her albums. Well, this means she's either racist or has a true and deep hatred of children. It's a shame too, Amber (my girlfriend, white by the way) bought one of her albums.


OK, I was proven wrong about this statement. I didn't do any research on it. I never really bothered to think about if it was true or not. I just heard it from a few people, and usually people don't spread rumors about an interview, which is of course recorded evidence. I figured if it was "in an MTV interview" I hadn't see it. I have never thought, "OH BOY, a Lauryn Hill interview. Now that I think about it, I have never said, "Oh boy MTV." If she would have said anything racist, I never would have heard it. Sorry if I pissed off any of her fans, I didn't know.

Originally posted by tmo33
i still think the whole star mentality is ridiculous. If I had a bad day, I would be an a-hole for acting like some stars do. I have had horrible days at my retail job, and when the next customer comes in, I don't take it out on them. There is no reason to. I work in a guitar store, and often have headaches all day. But I don't take it out on my customers. They don't deserve that. People of status get too much slack. We say things like, "Theres a lot of pressure there. He can act like a jerk if he wants to." I respect that Flea may be going through a lot, but COME ON! I'm sorry you are tired from the traveling. But the money you are getting in for getting up on a stage and playing bass, and running around like you're crazy just makes My yearly salary look like pocket change. Niether the stars or we commoners have any less stressful lives than the other. Lets talk about giving some respect to everyone, unless they give you a reason not to.



This is very true. If someone at Wal*Mart would have asked me for help and I would have clearly shook my head no, I would have been fired. Well, I did tell off that loud obnoxious redneck and no one said anything to me?! Hmmm. And I made about six dollars an hour. How much does Flea make an hour when he's working? :rolleyes: :D

Originally posted by Brad Johnson
Try and imagine yourself in his shoes. Probably can't walk outside without a nonstop stream of fans who only want a moment of his time.Oh, the horror! He can't walk outside without a stream of fans worshipping his very existance. How does he get out of bed every day?

Later posted by Brad
What exactly do some of you think is "owed" to you? Just curious.What is "owed" to us? I don't think dhuffguitars was out-of-line at all. All the guy wanted was a scrap of paper with Flea's name on it. How much time does it take to scribble your name on something and thank the guy for being a fan, or buying your music, or watching your videos, or buying a ticket to see you live? In my mind, there are few things s***ier than meeting someone you idolize and having him turn out to be a grade-A, number 1 jerk. If I'd have been treated like dhuffguitars, I'd have taken all my Chili Peppers CDs to the used music store and sold 'em, then I'd have gone home and downloaded every last one of their songs for free off of WinMX (actually, I don't have any Chili Peppers CDs, because I'm not a Chili Peppers fan, but you get what I'm saying). The least Flea could have done if he was in a bad mood was close his dressing room door, so fans couldn't get at him to have their hopes and dreams ruined.

As I said earlier, at this point in my life, I'd give both my globes to be recognized at a nightclub or sporting event. I would be frickin' ecstatic to have someone come up to me and say, "I've heard your music and I think it's great. Hell, I think you're great. Can you sign my jacket for me?" Like Brian Johnson says during AC/DC's Behind The Music, "No matter how big you are, no one is above common courtesy."

Originally posted by Hategear
Oh, the horror! He can't walk outside without a stream of fans worshipping his very existance. How does he get out of bed every day?

Like I said, some people can empathize and others can't. The short-sightedness here isn't at all surprising, it just explains once again why some people don't get it.

Let's say he does have a steady stream of fans worshipping his very existance. Oh, the horror indeed! Multiply that by almost every day of his life, possibly all day long. Can't imagine that getting old, can you?

Try this little exercise and see if it makes a dent: Take some food that you love to eat. Now imagine that's your meal for the rest of your life. Imagine people shoving that in your face and you have to eat it, whether you want to or not. Day after day, from now on. Want to go to a movie? Sorry, you've got some eating to do and hundreds of people waiting to feed you your favorite meal. Want some privacy? Nah, have some more of this stuff you wanted so bad.

Every autograph seeker is not like DHuff. Some are downright nasty about it, as if they actually are owed something because they bought a CD or went to the show. Let's get real, how many go to a show to support an artist and how many go just because they wanted to and if they could've gotten in for free they would've been tickled pink?

What is "owed" to us? I don't think dhuffguitars was out-of-line at all.

I don't recall anyone saying he was. That wasn't the point.

All the guy wanted was a scrap of paper with Flea's name on it.

Multiply that by maybe the 300-400 (or more) other people who "only" want the same thing. Got a watch? Like to deal with that before you, as bassist, have to do a show? How about the same thing after a show?

How much time does it take to scribble your name on something and thank the guy for being a fan, or buying your music, or watching your videos, or buying a ticket to see you live?

If D was the only person asking, cool. Is that really what you think?:D. Again, got a watch?

In my mind, there are few things s***ier than meeting someone you idolize and having him turn out to be a grade-A, number 1 jerk.

That's your fault for idolizing another human being, not his.

If I'd have been treated like dhuffguitars, I'd have taken all my Chili Peppers CDs to the used music store and sold 'em, then I'd have gone home and downloaded every last one of their songs for free off of WinMX (actually, I don't have any Chili Peppers CDs, because I'm not a Chili Peppers fan, but you get what I'm saying).

That would definitely be the adult way to handle disappointment. Right?

Go ahead, sell them. They already got their money from you anyway, who did you think you were hurting?

The least Flea could have done if he was in a bad mood was close his dressing room door, so fans couldn't get at him to have their hopes and dreams ruined.

Were Dhuff's dreams ruined? Oh, the horror!

;)

I seriously doubt it. The funny thing is, celebs get this kind of drama on a regular basis. And most people probably don't think they're being overdramatic.

As I said earlier, at this point in my life, I'd give both my globes to be recognized at a nightclub or sporting event. I would be frickin' ecstatic to have someone come up to me and say, "I've heard your music and I think it's great. Hell, I think you're great. Can you sign my jacket for me?" Like Brian Johnson says during AC/DC's Behind The Music, "No matter how big you are, no one is above common courtesy."

Does that include fans?

Obviously you'd love to be famous. It's also fairly obvious that you haven't given much thought to what being that famous entails.

Originally posted by StupidMatt



OK, I was proven wrong about this statement. I didn't do any research on it. I never really bothered to think about if it was true or not. I just heard it from a few people, and usually people don't spread rumors about an interview, which is of course recorded evidence. I figured if it was "in an MTV interview" I hadn't see it. I have never thought, "OH BOY, a Lauryn Hill interview. Now that I think about it, I have never said, "Oh boy MTV." If she would have said anything racist, I never would have heard it. Sorry if I pissed off any of her fans, I didn't know.

I don't think you pissed anyone off. You were the one who fell for one more urban legend, not any of her fans.

All it takes is someone willing to believe and repeat the rumor as fact. You actually took a strong position against her while not putting any thought into it... and then spread it here.

Originally posted by StupidMatt
This is very true. If someone at Wal*Mart would have asked me for help and I would have clearly shook my head no, I would have been fired. Well, I did tell off that loud obnoxious redneck and no one said anything to me?! Hmmm. And I made about six dollars an hour. How much does Flea make an hour when he's working? :rolleyes: :D

C'mon Matt, think. What does your job at Wal Mart and Flea's have in common...




besides the groupies?

Originally posted by tmo33
i still think the whole star mentality is ridiculous. If I had a bad day, I would be an a-hole for acting like some stars do. I have had horrible days at my retail job, and when the next customer comes in, I don't take it out on them. There is no reason to. I work in a guitar store, and often have headaches all day. But I don't take it out on my customers. They don't deserve that. People of status get too much slack. We say things like, "Theres a lot of pressure there. He can act like a jerk if he wants to." I respect that Flea may be going through a lot, but COME ON! I'm sorry you are tired from the traveling. But the money you are getting in for getting up on a stage and playing bass, and running around like you're crazy just makes My yearly salary look like pocket change. Niether the stars or we commoners have any less stressful lives than the other. Lets talk about giving some respect to everyone, unless they give you a reason not to.

What did Flea do that was disrespectful? Not sign an autograph? Leave a door open presumably backstage?

I'm not saying anyone should get to act like a jerk. OTOH jerk does seem to be in the eye of the beholder.

Originally posted by Brad Johnson
I didn't get into music to meet women.

THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT!!! :)

If there's anything that annoys me, it's musicians who give interviews and say that old cliche saying "I started playing music to meet girls and any musician who tells you different is lying". Excuse, please do not speak for me. You might have got into music for women, I got into music because I....*gasp*....loved music. I'm not saying I'm against female attention because of playing, but that was never what kept me picking up that bass, studying my scales, oh so long ago.

Sorry, I normally don't get indignant about trivial things, but when musicians say that, it's always rubbed me the wrong way.

To be truthful with you, I don't even like mentioning the fact that I am a musician to other people. I guess part of the reason of that is, I'm not a showoff and the other part is, because of my age, I don't think people take me that serious until they hear me anyways. I'm a lot of things, and being a musician is one of those. It's part of what I am, but I don't soley identify myself with being a musician.

Originally posted by Brad Johnson


I don't think you pissed anyone off. You were the one who fell for one more urban legend, not any of her fans.

All it takes is someone willing to believe and repeat the rumor as fact. You actually took a strong position against her while not putting any thought into it... and then spread it here.


First of all, get off my back, I said I was sorry. And furthermore, I said I heard it from a few people and they said it was in an MTV interview and I don't watch MTV. So for all I know, Lauryn Hill could have said that she would rather feed a donkey raisin bran that buy a Fugazi album. BUT the fact that I heard it from multiple sources, I didn't know that the music community was high school and we all spread dirty rumours around. So once again, I'M SORRY. :rolleyes:

I really can't imagine myself getting turned down(or away) by someone who I really look up to. Flea might be having a bad night or something, afterall, he's just human but if I was a big fan of his and finally managed to speak to him, nevermind catch a glimpse of him and then to get a simple request rejected, that would definitely leave a bad taste in my mouth. I don't think I'd look at him the same way. I'm not saying Flea is obligated to talk to fans and meet their requests but it would be a real dissapointment, you know what I mean?

"You met Flea backstage!? I'm so happy for you! How was it?" :bassist:

"Nothing much..I asked him for an autograph and he shook his head..Its okay, he was probably having a bad night.." :(

Originally posted by StupidMatt



First of all, get off my back, I said I was sorry. And furthermore, I said I heard it from a few people and they said it was in an MTV interview and I don't watch MTV. So for all I know, Lauryn Hill could have said that she would rather feed a donkey raisin bran that buy a Fugazi album. BUT the fact that I heard it from multiple sources, I didn't know that the music community was high school and we all spread dirty rumours around. So once again, I'M SORRY. :rolleyes:

:rolleyes: right back at ya.

Most of this thread smacks of a high school mentality.

Originally posted by LiquidMidnight


THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT!!! :)

If there's anything that annoys me, it's musicians who give interviews and say that old cliche saying "I started playing music to meet girls and any musician who tells you different is lying". Excuse, please do not speak for me. You might have got into music for women, I got into music because I....*gasp*....loved music. I'm not saying I'm against female attention because of playing, but that was never what kept me picking up that bass, studying my scales, oh so long ago.

Sorry, I normally don't get indignant about trivial things, but when musicians say that, it's always rubbed me the wrong way.

To be truthful with you, I don't even like mentioning the fact that I am a musician to other people. I guess part of the reason of that is, I'm not a showoff and the other part is, because of my age, I don't think people take me that serious until they hear me anyways. I'm a lot of things, and being a musician is one of those. It's part of what I am, but I don't soley identify myself with being a musician.

Agreed. Besides there are easier ways to meet women than to spend years learning an instrument. For example, you could buy a really cool car. Attention for all the wrong reasons is still attention;)

Originally posted by SMASH
While I agree with the spirit of what Brad writes, it's also true that if Flea's not digging everything that comes with the paycheques he can always stop releasing albums and stop making TV shows.

Too true. I'd bet that people would still be after him, just from his past notoriety.

Just change his name to John Uglymug and play some light jazz. That'll cure the idolatry but quick.

The name change probably wouldn't do it but if he switched to a Kenny G vibe, he'd get the results you mention:D

OR he could end up more popular than ever. Oh, the horror pt. II

Fame is a double-edged sword, but if you don't want to get cut then don't play with knives ... or something.

Sometimes, as I said before, fame is not the goal and when you reach it it may be far more than bargained for.

Fans often need to get a clue, but so too do the famous.

No doubt. Unfortunately we can't get feedback here from any celebs. The fan feedback OTOH isn't surprising. Regardless of the celebs situation, they should just suck it up and make their day. No mention of the fan sucking it up because their dream encounter with their idol was a letdown.

Life is indeed filled with rough spots. May this be the worst of them;)



Does this stuff remind anyone of someone they thought was standoff-ish who instead was just shy?

Living in So. Cal, I've met many, many "big name"
musicians; some are nicer than others; Billy
Sheehan comes to mind; the guy is class act
all the way. Zakk Wyllde is cool too, I drank a few beers with him. The meeting I regret most:
Jaco Pastorius! Talk about a letdown. Back
stage at Playboy Jazz the day Bill Cosby pulled
the plug on him... Took me a long time to
get over that one. I got a snub and a crappy
show to boot... Oh well, the guy was fighting
his demons I guess. I still respect him for
his playing though... Most of these people
are OK, just so long as you're not a pest.

Originally posted by StupidMatt



First of all, get off my back, I said I was sorry.

>>>> Pay no mind, lil' bass bro.. Brad likes
to come on strong and verbally pummel
people on these boards..If you still
want a Flea autograph, I can probably
get you one, but of course you're probably
soured now..


And furthermore, I said I heard it from a few people and they said it was in an MTV interview and I don't watch MTV. So for all I know, Lauryn Hill could have said that she would rather feed a donkey raisin bran that buy a Fugazi album. BUT the fact that I heard it from multiple sources, I didn't know that the music community was high school and we all spread dirty rumours around. So once again, I'M SORRY. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by slugworth
Living in So. Cal, I've met many, many "big name"
musicians; some are nicer than others; Billy
Sheehan comes to mind; the guy is class act
all the way. Zakk Wyllde is cool too, I drank a few beers with him. The meeting I regret most:
Jaco Pastorius! Talk about a letdown. Back
stage at Playboy Jazz the day Bill Cosby pulled
the plug on him... Took me a long time to
get over that one. I got a snub and a crappy
show to boot... Oh well, the guy was fighting
his demons I guess. I still respect him for
his playing though... Most of these people
are OK, just so long as you're not a pest.


That's crazy that both Billy Sheehan and Zakk Wylde are cool guys. They both seem to be full of themselves in interviews. Cool stuff.


Yikes, I didn't hear that Jaco story. You know your career is over when Bill Cosby pulls the plug on you. :(

Originally posted by slugworth
Pay no mind, lil' bass bro.. Brad likes
to come on strong and verbally pummel
people on these boards..If you still
want a Flea autograph, I can probably
get you one, but of course you're probably
soured now..



Oh, I get in little cyber scuffles on here all the time. I don't mind. I'll have completely forgotten about it in a week or less. Life's too short to hold grudges.

Oh, Flea's still cool in my book. I've decided he was probably having a rough night. Maybe he heard some troubling news or something and in fact, he might even feel bad about that night.

and BTW: I'm not the one who wanted his autograph. :p But it would be cool, but I'd only want it if I met the guy. ;) He'll always be one of my bass inspirations.

Originally posted by StupidMatt




Oh, I get in little cyber scuffles on here all the time. I don't mind. I'll have completely forgotten about it in a week or less. Life's too short to hold grudges.

Oh, Flea's still cool in my book. I've decided he was probably having a rough night. Maybe he heard some troubling news or something and in fact, he might even feel bad about that night.

and BTW: I'm not the one who wanted his autograph. :p But it would be cool, but I'd only want it if I met the guy. ;) He'll always be one of my bass inspirations.

>>> Rock on, Matt...

Originally posted by slugworth
>>>> Pay no mind, lil' bass bro.. Brad likes
to come on strong and verbally pummel
people on these boards..If you still
want a Flea autograph, I can probably
get you one, but of course you're probably
soured now..


>>>Pummel this

;):bassist:

Originally posted by StupidMatt
Oh, I get in little cyber scuffles on here all the time. I don't mind. I'll have completely forgotten about it in a week or less. Life's too short to hold grudges.

Cool.

Fortunately, Slugworth has a much longer memory:rolleyes:

Oh, Flea's still cool in my book. I've decided he was probably having a rough night. Maybe he heard some troubling news or something and in fact, he might even feel bad about that night.

That's what some of us have been saying... not just automatically cut him some slack, just understand that he too is human and who knows what might be going on at any particular time.

and BTW: I'm not the one who wanted his autograph. :p But it would be cool, but I'd only want it if I met the guy. ;) He'll always be one of my bass inspirations.

Understandable... what good is an autograph that someone else gets for you anyway, it's usually meeting them that's the biggest deal IME.

I've thought about it (fame) and it would drive me nuts. That's one thing that is great about being the bassists, you can kinda blend into the background. That's one thing that flea never chose to do. He has always jumped around like an idiot, wore outlandish clothing, and basically screamed for attention. Now he's sure as hell got it. Me? I get sick of people I know telling me I'm such a great bassist. My instant reply: I'm not, if you want good bass, check out ________. So fame is not for me. I can only imagine having legions of fans telling me I'm the worlds greatest bassist on a daily basis (no pun intended). Flea doesn't seem like an ego maniac to me, just someone who likes to have fun. But being road weary and night after night of fans and fakes following you around has just gotta suck. It depends on the kind of person you are.


I take it Brad has had some scuffles in the past as well. ;)

Originally posted by StupidMatt
I've thought about it (fame) and it would drive me nuts. That's one thing that is great about being the bassists, you can kinda blend into the background. That's one thing that flea never chose to do. He has always jumped around like an idiot, wore outlandish clothing, and basically screamed for attention. Now he's sure as hell got it. Me? I get sick of people I know telling me I'm such a great bassist. My instant reply: I'm not, if you want good bass, check out ________. So fame is not for me. I can only imagine having legions of fans telling me I'm the worlds greatest bassist on a daily basis (no pun intended). Flea doesn't seem like an ego maniac to me, just someone who likes to have fun. But being road weary and night after night of fans and fakes following you around has just gotta suck. It depends on the kind of person you are.

Exactly, Matt. It's the old "be careful what you wish for" thing. I can say in all honesty that while I wouldn't necessarily mind a successful music career I'd still like to be one of those guys that can still go down to the Piggly Wiggly for some donut holes every once in awhile.

I take it Brad has had some scuffles in the past as well. ;)

I just remembered where this is coming from... the Ed Roman/Lakland/Sadowsky thread last month. That was one weird thread.

>>> Ed Roman... bass savant (http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=100386&highlight=Brad)

Let it go, Slugworth... let it go:D

I've never really understood the whole fan/celebrity thing (no offense to those who do). Just because someone is famous doesn't mean they are any more valuable as a human being than I am. And once I buy their product (CD, movie, concert ticket, whatever), as far as I'm concerned the deal is closed. I trade my money for their art. As long as they give me the show I paid for, they don't owe me anything else. And if I were famous, I would still see it the same way.

Now get the hell out of my dressing room. ;)

[Edit because when I proofread, my brain fills in words that aren't really there.]

I will still always have a warm spot in my heart for Flea since he is the person that made me interested in basses, just as Carl Thompson is for me in making basses. I always knew in the back of my mind that if I did ever meet Flea I might meet the Flea I did that night.

Even after Mike Watt introduced me to him, and he said that he had seen my work on watt's website he still seem standoffish. I got my pic, met him and that chapter is closed.

I hold no hard feelings, and I probably did initially approach him at the wrong time and that was my fault. The door was open, and opportunities seldom happen twice...

Quite a while ago I got Billy Sheehans email address and emailed him. It was'nt to tell him how great he was, I was joking with him about his bassplayer column and the guy that wrote in saying he was having problems with his "G" string. He emailed me back and was really cool.

Back in college I got on this kick where I was trying to find famous people's email addresses using the email address finder from yahoo and I emailed a bunch to see if they would write me back. The only one I can remember is Tim "Herb" Alexander. He never wrote me back...neither did anyone else.

However, I did email Rufus Reid once and he wrote me back. So did Paul Richards from the California Guitar Trio.

brad cook

You kids are silly.

I took an online test once that was supposed to determine the age of one's inner child; mine is 45. Strange.

Nice diversion though. I was going to shut down this thread like a speakeasy, but you folks turned it around. If you wanna bash each other, go for it in PM, k? :D

Originally posted by Brad Johnson
Most of this thread smacks of a high school mentality. And you're doing your part, adding to it, Brad. You're obviously very bitter about something.

Yes, I would like to be famous -- someday. I'd like to experience the constant adulation for myself, before deciding it's a total nightmare. I guess you've already been there and done that, huh?

EDIT: Fellow moderators, have no fear -- I'm done with this thread.

Originally posted by Jay
If you wanna bash each other, go for it in PM, k? :D

One of your fellow moderators wasn't paying attention, so I'll repeat this for him.

Originally posted by dhuffguitars
I will still always have a warm spot in my heart for Flea since he is the person that made me interested in basses.

I hold no hard feelings, and I probably did initially approach him at the wrong time and that was my fault.

Amen. Our mistake not his. I feel the same way. :cool:

Originally posted by Hategear
And you're doing your part, adding to it, Brad. You're obviously very bitter about something.

Why don't you show me the thread you're reading:rolleyes:. It certainly isn't this one.

Right, I'm bitter because I didn't get an autograph and because of that I want to negatively label famous people. I'm complaining about what someone owes me. *** OMG LOL

Please. What does it sound like I'm bitter about?

Yes, I would like to be famous -- someday. I'd like to experience the constant adulation for myself, before deciding it's a total nightmare. I guess you've already been there and done that, huh?

Cool, I hope you get everything it entails.
As for me...

No, I haven't been there and done that. I make decent money playing music when I want to and while I sometimes do move in the same circles I couldn't care less about being a star and basking in the adulation of people who think they know me and that I somehow owe them something. That's pretty childish IMO... and pretty much the way most fans are.

I've also never been homeless but that doesn't make me so dense that I can't EMPATHIZE with someone who is. Obviously you'd have to experience it before you could do that. Just as obvious, you can't even imagine a downside to all of that fame. There's a lot of that going on in this thread.

EDIT: Fellow moderators, have no fear -- I'm done with this thread.

Originally posted by lump
I've never really understood the whole fan/celebrity thing (no offense to those who do). Just because someone is famous doesn't mean they are any more valuable as a human being than I am. And once I buy their product (CD, movie, concert ticket, whatever), as far as I'm concerned the deal is closed. I trade my money for their art. As long as they give me the show I paid for, they don't owe me anything else. And if I were famous, I would still see it the same way.

Same here, lump.

Now get the hell out of my dressing room. ;)

[Edit because when I proofread, my brain fills in words that aren't really there.]

I just saw RHCP last night, Flea sounded amazing, and i was very impressed with Mike Watt. I've been trying to find some stuff by the minutemen so i could compare it, becuase i thought the minutemen were more punk...but what an amazing bass player