Article on BBC: "Is it worth paying to meet your heroes?"

[greendemon]

So this is interesting: www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47747495

I'll admit that I haven't been following the debate on Twitter (which I barely use) but going by the way the article has summarised it, there's a very obvious problem with the suggestion that this is something that's needed to support struggling artists when the names mentioned as having done this include Lady GaGa, Shawn Mendes and FOB. On both of the last occasions when I've gone to a gig, I managed to meet the band just by hanging around afterwards, for free - and as much as I love The Night Game and Greywind, I'm not sure they are anything like at the level where they could get away with charging fans to meet them.

I think what James did is fair enough - paying for a "behind the scenes" experience rather than just to meet the band.

What are your thoughts? Has anyone here done this, and did you think it was good value for money?

[SheriffFatman]

I met Jim Bob from Carter USM at the bar in the function room above The Crown Hotel in Nantwich a few years back. He had done a solo acoustic gig / book reading at the town's excellent Words & Music Festival. He was supporting Miles Hunt, who I had very little interest in, and after his set he jut went to the bar. I bought him a gin & tonic, which he was quite embarrassed about because he felt like he ought to be drinking something cooler, funny because it's completely on trend these days.

We had quite a chat for about half an hour, covering all sorts from Shampoo's first album to which supermarkets are best in Streatham. They say you should never meet your heroes but it turned out well for me. I think a chat with Bob Dylan is going to prove trickier to achieve...

[Earl Purple]

I haven't met Jim Bob but did meet Fruitbat when he was in Abdoujaporov

Most notably though I met Clint Boon a number of times when he was in the Clint Boon Experience.

I met Tich twice, but when I was supposed to meet her on 13 February 2014 I never got the details of the meet and greet and arrived at "doors open" time and asked where to go and was told I had missed it. I did get a part-refund but that wasn't the point. I had paid to meet her and they should have arranged to let me do so. I hung around and had a long chat with her dad but couldn't meet her.

I also met one of the members of Dodgy around 2000 and had a chat with him.

I've never really managed any real kind of conversation with David Gedge though. I guess I should just say "thank you for the music".

[Shireblogger]

Artists and managers are getting smarter and smarter at finding ways to compensate for the loss of revenue to streaming. This is just another example of that.

For a big name act, playing a large venue:-

Option 1 (cheapest) - seat at the back for the concert
Option 2 - seat closer to the stage
Option 3 - seat or stand in the VIP area, with some food/drink thrown in
Option 4 (most expensive) - meet and greet of some sort

I think this is a great example of the free market in action. You have a set of choices, and if you want to spend more, then you get more in return.

[Shireblogger]

I've spoken to a small number of famous people, all by chance. And all more charming and more down to earth than you'd expect.

I'd only describe one of them as my hero. But I was only 9 at the time. He ran me over. My own fault, as I was chasing his Jaguar round a car park, in an effort to get his autograph. I wasn't hurt, and he laughed at me before signing my autograph book and posing for a photo. (Footballer Mick Channon, by the way).

I can't think of anyone I'd want to pay to meet. But never say never.

[Razzle Dazzle]

Never, I have no intertest in meeting them either really, if people want to pay to meet musicians they like that's fine but I think they are wasting their money

[Roo.]

When I saw Funeral For A Friend in Sacramento with a mate, we got called up as part of the meet and greet, and duly went inside and got our signed poster and had a chat etc. despite the fact we had 100% definitely not paid for any M&G experience.

I think they thought I was some sort of crazed superfan when they asked where everyone had travelled from and I said Manchester we saw them again a few days later in San Fran but sadly no free M&G that time.

Other than that, I've never done any kind of meet and greet, they're not my thing.