Would you recommend meet and greet?

[Bill]

So, I am a new fan - 56 years young, and only discovered them a year ago. I'm going to see them for the first time in Manchester in April. Have a great seat in the front stalls. Can't wait!

Would you recommend meet and greet? £159....Be great hear about your experiences.

[Madman Shepherd]

I bit the bullet and got the meet and greet during the first leg of the ADTOE tour.  I think it was $275 and that included a ticket in the first 5 rows.  I ended up getting second row center.  At the time that was a big chunk of change for me but it was very worth it, although now that I can say I've done it I don't have a desire to do it again.  That, and prices of gone up quite a bit.   From when I looked into it for the second tour it looks like the stuff you get isn't as cool despite the higher cost. 

But hey, if you got the money, it's definitely cool doing it once. 

[Setlist Scotty]

Honestly, I think it all boils down to how badly you want to meet the band and how much cash you're willing to spend to do so. The one thing I will mention, is that from the accounts I've read from the last few tours (even going back to when Mike Portnoy was in the band), the meet 'n' greets are not super personal.

Madman Shepherd or someone else who's done it within the last 8 years can correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I understand, generally the whole band sits at a table, you line up and get some things signed. You get probably a minute to chat with each of them (if even that) while they're signing your stuff. And then you get to have your picture taken with the whole band (by the photographer provided - not with your own camera). I don't think there's much else to it.

[DT_1928]

I went for the meet and greet on the ADTOE tour (at the Apollo, great venue to see them btw!!) and it was pretty much exactly as Scotty has said ...

The band were sat at a table, I got a quick "hi, thanks for coming" from the guys as they signed my album and then the photo at the end. I'm sure many people will have had different experiences and again it all really comes down to how much you want to meet the band but it's something I'm really glad I've done. 
I ,personally, wouldn't do it again due to the increase in price & having done meet & greets with other bands since for considerably less money & getting a better overall experience. 
But still ... It's DT! 

[bl5150]

I did one recently with Queensryche and it was similar to that described above.  They were running late , you could tell they really didn't want to be there.  A quick "Hi" while they sign some stuff and a quickie photo.

The only reason I did it was that it was a fraction of what most bands (incl DT) charge on top of the regular price and , even then , I think that once is enough for me.

[Anguyen92]

In recent years of me watching youtubers/streamers, I've seen a fair amount of people giving hundreds of dollars to those people through platforms like donating, dropping bits on Twitch, supporting patreon, and the youtubers/streamers always greatly appreciate it.  They always mention that they never require a viewer to donate, but they will greatly appreciate it.  That sort of stuff gives me a perspective when it comes to bands doing meet-and-greets and big bundle deals when they are crowdfunding an album.

The way I see it is this.  If you want to meet the band, and you have the money that you are willing spend it on, and you read the terms and conditions of the meet and greet, and you have no problem with accepting those those conditions, and you want to support the band this way, I say go for it.  If not, no harm no foul, it doesn't make you any less of a fan.

[Lethean]

I've done it, and it is as described above, except at mine you had time for more than just saying hi. The woman who ran it told people to take their time with each member and make sure you said what you wanted to say or asked what you wanted to ask. Obviously you can't spend a lot of time, but you can, or could at mine, have a nice interaction with each one. This was at a pretty crowded one too; I heard that there were less people at some others and everyone got a little more time.

[bosk1]

It can be really cool.  But as mentioned, the time and exposure to the band is limited.  To get the most out of it, I would go through a little mental exercise with yourself.  For each band member, ask yourself, "If I only had 20 seconds to spend with him, what is the one thing I would want to make sure to talk to him about?"  But then flip it around as well, and ask, "If the band member that I said this to had only 20 seconds to talk to me, would me saying/asking X make him want to have a conversation with me?"  If you get the band members talking to you, it not only makes it memorable for you, but it also makes it harder for security to speed you through the line than if you are just standing there fumbling for something to say while band member X just silently smiles and awkwardly waits for you to try to finish a thought.  Bottom line is, if you do it, prepare a bit, and you will likely get more out of it.

[red barchetta]

As for me, I would not do it because it's not worth it. 159 sterling pounds is about 200$ can. That for a couple of minutes, a signed picture?

Every year, former NHL players are in Montreal for that kind of thing. This year, former Chicago Black Hawks Bobby Hull, a rare visit, was here and since he is my father alltime favorite player, I asked him if he wanted to go there for a picture with him. The cost was $40.00. My father said, are you kidding me? In the old days, I used to get autographs from players and pictures easily. Now you have to pay?

Times have changed. Sometimes you have to put a stop at all those unjustified prices. For a band, they have to make a living and having 25 persons at 200$ is 5000$. So it's like selling quickly 5000 cd's at a dollar profit each.

Not for me, any band, any star, I will keep my money to buy your tickets and albums guys.

[El Barto]

In my experience pre-show M&Gs are superficial and not something I'd spend money on. Plenty of bands still do post-show M&Gs with the people they actually want to hang out with. One is for people who pay for access and one is for people who naturally have it for one reason or another. The latter is the only variety I'm interested in.

[bosk1]

^Yup.  After-show M&G is where it's at.

[rumborak]

I went to the Star Trek Convention in Vegas last year, and there you can get a photo and a quick convo for money as well. I actually went to the booth of one of the B-list actors, partially because she was really cute in Deep Space Nine, and partially because the photo op only cost $20.
Man was that awkward, the whole thing. Forced meaningless conversation, awkward photo, absolutely everything was terrible about it. Frankly, to some degree I felt I was paying a hooker.

So yeah, I would only be interested in meeting DT the way I met Frost*, i.e. at the pub across the street after the show.

[MirrorMask]

I understand that a meet n' greet is a source or revenue for the band, and a way to support them, but I attended some free ones and I would never payed to be coached into how I have to behave, and I think the fact that I am paying to be there would make me feel very awkward too.

I've never met DT except James in 2005, when he was touring solo; he was super nice and kind, listened to me, took a photo with me, and signed both DT and his solo albums. It would feel weird to pay to get less than that.

Another non DT example, the first time I saw Halestorm I waited for them at the end for them and met them all, Lzzy Hale included. She was super nice and she even allowed me to kiss her on the cheek, and later posed for a photo in which she was kissing me, with her lips actually on my cheek as well. I believe they do meet n' greets as well, people pay to stand in a line and get told what to do and what not do while I almost go first base with her for free? I'll always be a romantic when it comes to band meetings, waiting around at the end it's the only way. And if I can't catch them or they're not in the mood, fine, I got the concert anyway.

[Lethean]

The after show is probably way better indeed, but most probably aren't going to be able to attend that.

So based on my experiences with DT's preshows, I'd say it is worth doing it at least once if you really want to meet them. Bosk's advice is very good. I think you'll have more than 20 seconds anyway, but especially if you engage them and are friendly but respectful.

I had specific things to talk about with some of them, and thus had a nice conversation with those members. With MM I wasn't so prepared so I just thanked him and told him how much I enjoyed his performance and he was very personable in return and it was still a nice interaction even though it was shorter. The person in front of me had a very detailed drum question and he answered it thoroughly (which gave me more time to talk to JR in the meantime). 

Also my friend's perspective was that it was in a way worth it just to see them in a different environment than the stage - he hadn't wanted to go at all (just wanted the good seat), but found he enjoyed just seeing them interact with each other and different fans. So there's that too.

[Adami]

I went to the Star Trek Convention in Vegas last year, and there you can get a photo and a quick convo for money as well. I actually went to the booth of one of the B-list actors, partially because she was really cute in Deep Space Nine, and partially because the photo op only cost $20.
Man was that awkward, the whole thing. Forced meaningless conversation, awkward photo, absolutely everything was terrible about it. Frankly, to some degree I felt I was paying a hooker.

So yeah, I would only be interested in meeting DT the way I met Frost*, i.e. at the pub across the street after the show.

Jadzia?

[rumborak]

Correct on the symbiont, but Ezri. Jadzia is not a $20

[Adami]

Correct on the symbiont, but Ezri. Jadzia is not a $20

Ohh the cuter Dax. Niiiice.

[rumborak]

For her age she's holding up mighty fine too. Honestly, all of them do, except Kes. Kes is not looking good these days.

[Adami]

For her age she's holding up mighty fine too. Honestly, all of them do, except Kes. Kes is not looking good these days.

Bet she could use that 20 dollars though.


Anyway, for some reason I'm not a huge fan of meet and greets, even though all of my experiences have been good. TSO (free after the show for everyone) was really cool (both bands at the time). Metallica was cool minus James who was.....weird. Lars was surprisingly personable and nice. Nightwish was very nice as well. However, it does feel like a lot of them often are doing this begrudgingly. They'll smile and shake your hands and laugh at your random comment, but they're likely thinking "god I want a ham sandwich and a cold beer....elsewhere". Not all of them, but it seems that's a prevailing attitude for bands of a certain stature.

[rumborak]

I don't blame them. To quote Rush, "I have no heart to lie, I can't pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend".

[cramx3]

I understand a lot of bands need to do this to become profitable during a tour and I totally get why people would pay for it.  However, I personally don't have interest mostly because of what people said in this thread.   Obviously I would love to meet DT, but I would rather it be natural and not a paid/forced experience.  I'm also not totally interested in autographs, but I would love a picture. 

[7th]

I'm not a big believer in paying to meet famous people, but I've done a few M&Gs over the years including DT mainly to get good seats.  The M&Gs are as described above (even the after show ones can be awkward).  Side note, paying to jam with people like at a DT camp or RRFC or Megadeth camp can be very cool and well worth the money.  I did the wooten woods weekend jam things one year and it was awesome and well worth the money to jam and learn from many pro musicians.  But to just be shuffled through a line to get 20 seconds of "hello" and an autograph?  Not worth the dough in my opinion - but I'd say do it once so you can have the experience for yourself.

The economics of M&Gs are interesting.  I think one DT VIP package I bought cost around $300.  For this I was supposed to get early access to the venue to get preferential GA placement.  That didn't happen.  They had a VIP section taped off and we were told that was for "real" VIPS.  I wasn't miffed about any of that because a DT show is awesome and could be in the last row of the top balcony and still have a great time so I found a spot near the mixing desk and enjoyed a fantastic concert.  The stab through the heart came after shuffling through the line to shake hands with the band, who were all gracious and cool, I was walking beside the venue where the buses were parked and a huge pack of people were waiting by the buses.  A band member came out the side door and said loudly, "now here are our *real* fans".  I found this attitude unfair considering the 50 or so "VIP" package holders spent the extra dough on the band getting little in return for it.  What's 50 x $300?  $15000 dollars a night revenue off the VIP scam, yet the band appeared to appreciate and spend more time with the freeloaders waiting by the bus.  So, that is the other option: Skip the expensive autograph line and instead just wait for the band by the bus if you really need to meet them face to face.

[rumborak]

In no way, shape or form do I deny or corroborate the above story, but at the same time I wouldn't be surprised in the least if that was their feelings towards the whole VIP business. I mean, in general people who can "just" buy themselves into something are not the most highly regarded people, and particularly bands who will have survived on scraps for a long time will sympathize with the people who stand outside in the cold for a long time to see their heroes more than the ones who just opened their wallet to do the same. Of course this will do injustice to the ones who really spent their last dime to get the VIP package, but I'm just saying, it sounds like human nature to think the way you just described.

[cramx3]

In no way, shape or form do I deny or corroborate the above story, but at the same time I wouldn't be surprised in the least if that was their feelings towards the whole VIP business. I mean, in general people who can "just" buy themselves into something are not the most highly regarded people, and particularly bands who will have survived on scraps for a long time will sympathize with the people who stand outside in the cold for a long time to see their heroes more than the ones who just opened their wallet.

While that is probably true, if this is true then that is really messed up just because it's hugely disrespectful to the people who paid who may just be as big of a fan as the person waiting outside:

A band member came out the side door and said loudly, "now here are our *real* fans".

[Lethean]

But are you sure they meant real fans "as opposed to the fans who paid for the meet and greet?". I've been told that the after shows sometimes have, in addition to friends/aquantances/people the band are comfortable with, people that are neither fans nor friends. Maybe a somewhat popular musician or industry person that they have to greet, but who may well not be a fan.  So maybe that's what they meant. Or maybe they were simply trying to say that to make the fans by the bus feel acknowledged for having waited around so long. But not as a comparison to the VIP fans.

[7th]

As a first hand experience, and yes it did happen as I have no reason to make shit up, it seemed to me that at least one member of the band was uncomfortable with the formal M&G process and had no problem expressing that he appreciated those who would instead wait in the cold to meet him the old school way - but it was innocent enough and I may have said the same exact thing in that situation.  I have no issue with that really, what I took issue with at the time was the notion that just because some can afford good seat packages makes them "less of a fan" than the next punter who waits for the band at the bus.  It told me that the autograph line is just part of the gig for money, but the autograph hounds by the bus give something intangible back to the band that makes them feel less awkward than shaking someone's hand simply because someone paid for the privilege.  Meanwhile, a fan like me pays for the good seats because I like the band and want to support them but could care less about photos or autographs.  But hey, it wasn't like I was just going to leave after the show and pretend I am too good to stand in line to meet them. :-) 

[Madman Shepherd]

You can't take one throwaway comment so seriously.  Like Vakaren said, maybe they met somebody before that was a jerk.  Maybe the guy was just being goofy.  I mean, if I have a friend that's pretty handy I might say, "He can fix anything" but in truth, he does have limitations. 

BTW, this made me think of a funny M&G story that happened to my friend.  This was during the DT12 tour.  They were waiting for the band and he knew they were supposed to stay put so they didn't have to chase fans down.  He really had to piss though.  Like, bad.  So he knew he probably couldn't hold it past when the band was signing autographs so he asked if there was a bathroom he could use.  There was one just outside of the waiting area and as he walked down a short flight of stairs he sees John Petrucci with his assistant or whatever walking through another door into the bathroom.  He was rubbing his forearm and said, "I must have signed 5000 autographs today," since he already had an in store signing earlier.  So, it was kind of awkward and my friend didn't know what to do.  He thought it would be kind of awkward to see him in the bathroom or take a piss next to him.  So he went back to the M&G area and decided to try to hold it. 

He successfully did. 

But not before accidentally stepping on JLB's foot when they had the picture together.  James was cool about it even though I think he was kind of in pain.  I think they even joked about it later when they got back in line for the autographs. 

[7th]

I wouldn't be surprised in the least if that was their feelings towards the whole VIP business.

I think it is a money maker for many bands with dedicated fan bases and working musicians have few revenue streams left to tap.  I am sure many musicians feel like the M&G thing is kinda sleazy, but then again so is pirating music which is now the standard for the industry.  If I were a working musician I'd be like "hey, you don't want to spend $10 on my album?  Fine, spend $150 for an handshake then, I have kids to feed!"

 

[El Barto]

The economics of M&Gs are interesting.  I think one DT VIP package I bought cost around $300.  For this I was supposed to get early access to the venue to get preferential GA placement.  That didn't happen.  They had a VIP section taped off and we were told that was for "real" VIPS.  I wasn't miffed about any of that because a DT show is awesome and could be in the last row of the top balcony and still have a great time so I found a spot near the mixing desk and enjoyed a fantastic concert.  The stab through the heart came after shuffling through the line to shake hands with the band, who were all gracious and cool, I was walking beside the venue where the buses were parked and a huge pack of people were waiting by the buses.  A band member came out the side door and said loudly, "now here are our *real* fans".  I found this attitude unfair considering the 50 or so "VIP" package holders spent the extra dough on the band getting little in return for it.  What's 50 x $300?  $15000 dollars a night revenue off the VIP scam, yet the band appeared to appreciate and spend more time with the freeloaders waiting by the bus.  So, that is the other option: Skip the expensive autograph line and instead just wait for the band by the bus if you really need to meet them face to face.

Could be worse. I saw The Who in Phili a few years ago, and they were selling six or eight different VIP packages. They went through the precious metals and half the gemstones. I had 2 extras way up close so I wandered around looking for somebody that might like the seat upgrade. Naturally picked two pretty girls, cuz I'm a dirty old man and all, who were all the way back in the rear floor section. They'd purchased the Sapphire package or something, and all they got for it was crappy seats and maybe a poster or something. My recollection is that they did sell a package where you'd meet some of them, excluding Townshend I suspect, but you're probably into the rhodium territory for that.

Also, at that level post-gig M&Gs don't happen. My experience is that the super-rich bands are out of the building three minutes after the group bow.

[7th]

Also, at that level post-gig M&Gs don't happen. My experience is that the super-rich bands are out of the building three minutes after the group bow.

Yep, the infamous Iron Maiden "runner".  While the lights stay dark and the stage still smoky, like there will be another encore, the band dashes for vans who radio back when they are clear of the venue, then "Always look on the bright side of life..." over the PA, house lights on and the roadies get to work.

It's kind of sad how routine and formal it has all become.  BTW, I've heard that Roger Daltrey is very approachable and hangs around with fans at The Who concerts, even to be known to partake of BBQ in the parking lot with fans at times.  Also, I was able to go to a couple Prince after parties in San Francisco back in the 90s.  He split the venue right after the show, but anyone could get into the after parties if you showed up and didn't act a fool.

[noxon]

Meet and greet is the bread and butter of the current climate in music. While DT is one of the absolute most successful band in their genre, they're still mostly doing mid scale shows (2-3000 seaters is the norm rather than the exception). DT is a band who has a pretty extensive apparatus around it so that it can function. Each member has his tech. There's sound and light guys, production managers, tour managers, band managers, tour bookers, and what have you that need to get paid for what they do. Add into this the production costs of staging a show, and the fact that the money from touring is basically all the money the artists are getting (as residuals from royalty checks are pretty darn low nowadays, and most band tour just to reimburse the costs of making an album).

This interview quote from Devin Townsend is interesting (and relevant):

You've always had a good connection with your fans, your meet-and-greets being one example. Your packages have always been reasonably priced, but some people disagree with the idea of meet-and-greets in general; what's your take?
I have two thoughts on the matter and they cancel each other out, so that kinda sucks. The music industry is really difficult. The overhead for me to do this is fucking crazy; we have to pay around $14,000 a month just to function. We didn't tour for a year so I had to come up with fourteen grand a month just to keep everything going, then when we do tour, it's fucking expensive. $1,000 per person to fly shit class from Vancouver, too. A lot of the times, fans may think bands are taking the piss by simply doing a meet-and-greet, but if we don't do them we simply can't do what we're doing. It's not like we do them then get a bonus at the end of the tour.

On the other side of it, if you're in the band and you're hypersensitive to people's energy, like I believe I am, meet-and-greets fucking beat the shit out of you. Not because you don't want to meet people, but because in order to do it correctly, you really have to invest yourself and be present and ready to talk to people and sometimes accept hyperbolic praise or criticism, and you have to be emotionally resilient enough to not let either… I mean, it's about them. They're paying for a moment and your job is to be present and that's really challenging on tour. If you think meet-and-greets are fundamentally stupid then you're never not gonna think that. Some bands are like, "Fuck that, you can come meet me at the bar." I never go to the bar and if I am at the bar, please don't talk to me because I'm there to hang out with my friends. We try to do the best with our packages, but at the same time there's still people who are critical of it.

So basically, the bands need to draw money from any additional sources they can. One way would be to hike the ticket prices (by adjusting the price they charge the promoters for their work). But instead, there's a way to have people contribute what they can - merch and meet and greet packages.

If you decide to go to VIP meet and greet package, think of it first and foremost as a way for you to thank the band. That's my #1 reason to do it for any band I do it with. The service they provide at the meet and greet may be poor or may be great - i've had both experiences. DTs can vary a lot - some cities have like 80 people in the VIP, others may have only 10. Needless to say, the latter is much more relaxed and fun.

As for the whole "who's the best fan" - of course the band appreciates those who pay to meet them, but there's always something special about those who wait outside the bus. They're the hardcore. I think I know who said that thing though

Aftershow passes is a nice private session, but the downside is that theres no guaruantee as to who shows up. Maybe noone shows up. I think most of you can guess in which order of likelyhood there is for certain members to actually show up at these things. And you have to come by someone who actually can give you an aftershow pass. Of attend a fan club event where we're likely to give away a few (i think we gave away something like 50 passes last year)...

TLDR; Musicians need food, buy shit from them so they can eat. Don't go to VIP meet and greet if this isn't your primary reason for doing so.

[rumborak]

Yep, the infamous Iron Maiden "runner".  While the lights stay dark and the stage still smoky, like there will be another encore, the band dashes for vans who radio back when they are clear of the venue, then "Always look on the bright side of life..." over the PA, house lights on and the roadies get to work.

I'm imagining this Ocean's Eleven scene right now, where there's three decoy limos leaving the venue driving towards a random place, while the band, dressed in dirty overalls, carry audio cables to a van saying "Ferrite Virgin" on the side, and then make off unnoticed.

[El Barto]

Also, at that level post-gig M&Gs don't happen. My experience is that the super-rich bands are out of the building three minutes after the group bow.

Yep, the infamous Iron Maiden "runner".  While the lights stay dark and the stage still smoky, like there will be another encore, the band dashes for vans who radio back when they are clear of the venue, then "Always look on the bright side of life..." over the PA, house lights on and the roadies get to work.

It's kind of sad how routine and formal it has all become.  BTW, I've heard that Roger Daltrey is very approachable and hangs around with fans at The Who concerts, even to be known to partake of BBQ in the parking lot with fans at times.  Also, I was able to go to a couple Prince after parties in San Francisco back in the 90s.  He split the venue right after the show, but anyone could get into the after parties if you showed up and didn't act a fool.

When I had passes for a Maiden show Bruce and Nicko showed up. Hung out for 45 minutes or so. Bruce signed autographs and basically held court. Nicko sat on a roadie case, drank from a bottle of Beam and recorded an interview with Redbeard. It wasn't like a social gathering or anything, but they were both on hand an approachable. Though in retrospect our 14 year old selves would have much rather been next door with the WASP guys. I suspect there was much more fun to be had.

I've seen Daltry come out after a show. Watched him teach a little kid how to play a harmonica. His assistant wouldn't let anybody else approach him, though. We left after that but From what I heard he did hang out and mingle. Never seen Townshend. After the Phili gig it was a ghost town.

I recall Yes essentially throwing a party after a gig here in Dallas. Nice, approachable guys drinking and hanging with the fans. That was the Big Generator tour (I believe) so there was no Howe. That probably makes a big difference. 

[cramx3]

Yep, the infamous Iron Maiden "runner".  While the lights stay dark and the stage still smoky, like there will be another encore, the band dashes for vans who radio back when they are clear of the venue, then "Always look on the bright side of life..." over the PA, house lights on and the roadies get to work.

I'm imagining this Ocean's Eleven scene right now, where there's three decoy limos leaving the venue driving towards a random place, while the band, dressed in dirty overalls, carry audio cables to a van saying "Ferrite Virgin" on the side, and then make off unnoticed.

And I can't stop imagining the scene from Flight 666 where they get out of a concert and are all in a van with Nicko in the back eating some not so tasty looking pizza 

[7th]

As for the whole "who's the best fan" - of course the band appreciates those who pay to meet them, but there's always something special about those who wait outside the bus. They're the hardcore. I think I know who said that thing though

Well yeah, it's quite obvious who, but I don't think it is necessary to single out anyone and I do believe the statement was harmless, just provided me some perspective that I hadn't thought about myself much.  The kid who saves for a year for a M&G, who is genuinely excited to say hello to their hero for 10 seconds and cherishes the picture and the guitar pick is every bit the hardcore as a bus waiter in my book.

Reminds me of a friend of mine who used to dis a certain band constantly saying how they sucked and he couldn't see why anyone would listen to them, then he posts on facebook a selfie snapped with a member of that band by their bus and he's throwing the horns and shit.  I was like, "hey, did you mention to him how you think his music sucks ass?"  Which gets to the very bottom of this issue: being fake.  Like the fans waiting by the bus, fans who pay are just as likely to be "real" fans, but it is the artist who is being fake at the M&G if they really don't want to be there.  If they do want to be there, and they appreciate the money, the interaction with the people, then it's all good.