brian may - autographs

micktronix wrote:

lol!!!!
i was behind the stage at wembley 86 and when you see what goes on, you realise it is a business first and foremost. i wish i hadn't been there as it changed my perception of the band.

How did your view change? What did you witness/experience while backstage...? How did you even get backstage you lucky duck!!!

@Arlene R. Weiss

Totaly agree with every point you stated...

Many artists still know where they came from, they still know their roots and never forget how blessed they are doing what they do and earning "big bucks" with it...

Brian used to be the most gentle, polite and probably open-minded guy of them (Queen) all ... but that was then!
Let´s face it... Brian is getting old... but is he getting wiser?
Was my Grandpa a wise man when he was getting older and finally died at the age of 81? ;-)

Anyway, I still like Brian very much though.. he doesn´t owe me anything!

dimcyril wrote:

yes i know, no one really cares much about the bass players [and drummers].
but where would the fancy Dans out front be without the pounding rhythm section behind them [ and slightly out of time with them]

Cheer up, as a guitarist I fully appreciate the bass players and drummers. Without a good rhythm section you are left with a couple of wankers making a racket.

i agree too, i know loadsa people here have probly succeeded in getting Brian's, Roger's and John's autographs but I have tried constantly - particularly Brian but have never managed it. S'pose you've gotta have the knack, but of course it doesn't help when he doesn't even want to sign anything :(

MyHammerIsFalling wrote: [
How did your view change? What did you witness/experience while backstage...? How did you even get backstage you lucky duck!!!

it's a long story.
the reason for my change of view was that how many ego's were present from the crew to the band
with the exception of john deacon who was very pleasant and had plenty of time for people.i have lots of stories to tell of things that went on but not on this post....

MyHammerIsFalling wrote:

micktronix wrote:

lol!!!!
i was behind the stage at wembley 86 and when you see what goes on, you realise it is a business first and foremost. i wish i hadn't been there as it changed my perception of the band.

How did your view change? What did you witness/experience while backstage...? How did you even get backstage you lucky duck!!!

I want to know too, don't let us hang, tell us...ok, you just posted...I have all the time in the world to read what you have to say.

I don't think he's obligated to sign autographs. Autograph signing is mostly Public Relations. I don't know too many musicians who are really into PR.
It may not have been be prudent to express disdain for autograph seekers since most are loyal fans. If he'd said nothing you all would still think he's a great guy.

Arlene R. Weiss wrote:

BTW...Rosie O'Donnell LOST her fans and got ALOT of BAD press..for very vocally saying the same stuff as Brian...She says she HATES doing and giving autographs. Yeah...and now her fans deserted her. Her TV show was cancelled, Her career is going nowhere....

Arlene try and get your facts straight for a change.
Rosie O'Donnell quit because she was tired of doing the show and wanted to spend more time with her family.
The show was not cancelled because of her comments.

[I want to know too, don't let us hang, tell us...ok, you just posted...I have all the time in the world to read what you have to say.[/QUOTE]
i will tell you all another day but i can tell you that i did not dare to try and get autographs
and i had to secretly take photos............

That's right! I agree! That isn't nice of Brian!

teleman wrote:

I don't think he's obligated to sign autographs. Autograph signing is mostly Public Relations. I don't know too many musicians who are really into PR.
It may not have been be prudent to express disdain for autograph seekers since most are loyal fans. If he'd said nothing you all would still think he's a great guy.

Arlene R. Weiss wrote:

BTW...Rosie O'Donnell LOST her fans and got ALOT of BAD press..for very vocally saying the same stuff as Brian...She says she HATES doing and giving autographs. Yeah...and now her fans deserted her. Her TV show was cancelled, Her career is going nowhere....

Arlene try and get your facts straight for a change.
Rosie O'Donnell quit because she was tired of doing the show and wanted to spend more time with her family.
The show was not cancelled because of her comments.

She "quit" because her ratings dropped to zilch after a PR fiasco when her "real" side as not the "queen of nice", but as Howard Stern calls her "the queen of mean" came out.

Then Oprah's show hammered hers in the ratings, so she "quit".

Something I would like to add in how artists' change as their "star" grows...even though that star grows directly due to we the fans.

When I first saw The Allman Brothers Band, it was 1989, on a reunion only tour for their 25th Anniversary and to promote their "Dreams" box set.

They had not been together as a band in a decade, with NO new material for release and their "star" and success had considerably fallen.

I won backstage passes from radio station DC101 who promoted the show.

After the show, I was personally escorted to a lovely lounge area with a huge buffet table with fresh fruit, bottled water, carved roast beef...couches and chairs.

Each band member came out, Gregg Allman & Dickey Betts (the main stars) included, signed autographs for me, took photos with me, and spoke one on one with me, the radio crew from DC101 (who hosted the concert) and several other fans.

They actually caled me Maam and Miss, were exceedingly gracious and polite.

A year later, they released their first NEW record in over a decade, "Seven Turns" and I was covering them for a magazine. They were still nice, but mostly to me (and I was with the press), and I saw them leave a room full of fans who had backstage passes, in that room..and the fans never got to meet the band at all.

Over the next decade, The Allmans rose back successfully, releasing New records every few years, touring regularly worldwide, and I got backstage passes over the years as I knew them and continued to cover them in the press,...but...

...I saw how they completely stopped mingling with the fans, did not go to the backstage area, or even meet fans who had OFFICIAL VIP backstage passes. The band would sneak out and hop on the tour bus.

At most Butch Trucks or Jaimoe, the drummers might stay to sign autographs (right not the stars and the drummers got a chance to be in the spotlight)....

So the band changed their attitude through the years...as their success went from zilch to great again...forgetting..WHO...got and put them there..

..WHO buys their records, who buys their concert tickets, WHO pays for their lavish star lifestyles, limos, fancy jet set life....WHO loves their music and remained loyal to the band...

..even when the Allman Brothers broke up, fought, didn't release records..were has beens..the very people who stuck by them through thick & thin...

...THEIR FANS!!!!!!!!!!!

i agree with your post here,i realise theres a time and a place for anything,but if theres not a lot of folk about,what's a few seconds of his time,ive been luckily enough in the past tours to have met & got him to sign a few things,but in this queen/paul rodgers tour,i met him twice at brixton,once at newcastle and again at manchester,all the rest of the band took time to chat & sign quite a lot of item's,but brian would'nt even sign one item.i even tried to make him feel sorry for me,after travelin to these shows all the way from glasgow,but he still would'nt sign,even showing him for example,the tour programme signed by all the rest of the band,twice..inside photo's & the front page,he was'nt interested.he's alway's been my least favourite in queen,ever since the 70's,but now i think even less of him,i should add of the 3 recent times i met him (mentioned) on 2 of the occasion's there were only 3 or 4 people...thank's for reading..

Arlene R. Weiss wrote:

teleman wrote:

I don't think he's obligated to sign autographs. Autograph signing is mostly Public Relations. I don't know too many musicians who are really into PR.
It may not have been be prudent to express disdain for autograph seekers since most are loyal fans. If he'd said nothing you all would still think he's a great guy.

Arlene R. Weiss wrote:

BTW...Rosie O'Donnell LOST her fans and got ALOT of BAD press..for very vocally saying the same stuff as Brian...She says she HATES doing and giving autographs. Yeah...and now her fans deserted her. Her TV show was cancelled, Her career is going nowhere....

Arlene try and get your facts straight for a change.
Rosie O'Donnell quit because she was tired of doing the show and wanted to spend more time with her family.
The show was not cancelled because of her comments.

She "quit" because her ratings dropped to zilch after a PR fiasco when her "real" side as not the "queen of nice", but as Howard Stern calls her "the queen of mean" came out.

Then Oprah's show hammered hers in the ratings, so she "quit".

Yes Oprah hammered her in the ratings. She did not quit because of that. In fact she had a chubby Canadian comedienne replace her and that is when the show was dropped. You love to take the piss out of celebs with inaccuracies.


As far as celeb behaviour and autographs ... everyone wants an autograph but it isn't always fair to expect it. And when a celebrity chooses not to sign autographs for whatever reason we assume we have the right to one. Nobody owes us anything. See how you feel when people constantly make demands on your private time. And then add in that some people do not care about you but want to make a buck on your back.
I doubt that it's an easy thing but if Brian May chooses to not sign autographs then that is his perogative. If he is rude or abusive toward people then you might have a valid complaint.
On a lighter note if he ever writes a book and goes on a book signing tour he may have to rethink this.

i really disagree with what BM said of signing autographs. i mean like it would be my dream to meet him let alone have his autograph.

like im a BIG stones fan and last summer i was shopping and mick jagger walked past me. after i fainted (lol) i plucked up the courage to go and ask him for his autograph. so i went up to him, and like i didnt sort of start screaming in his face to draw attention to him (not a lot of people noticed him) and i was very discrete. and anyway i walked up to him and said hi! nd he just told me... "oh go away"

and i must say it put me off a bit

i think he may have problems at the moment making him pissed off, we all get like that sometimes.
its only a scribble anyway wouldnt you rather chat to him instead.