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Unexpected Encounters with Band Members Thread


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And yes, Steve Z - thanks for posting a great story. It must have been an amazing experience for you all - good on yer! :thumbsup:

Thanks!! (and Aspensound too). "Amazing experience" doesn't even come close! As a lifelong Zep fan, to have Jimmy check out our whole show then come meet us afterwards, was truly indescribeable. And it was that experience which led to us being able to go to the O2 show as well, and meeting JPJ and Jason there. I still freak out a little when I stop to think about it all! :D

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A lot of you have probably seen this, but if you haven't, Jimmy came to see our band, Led Zepagain, back in 2004. You want to talk nerve-wracking, performing a whole set of Zep in front of the man himself! I wrote up a full account of it HERE.

Some cool stories have been posted here, great reading! Especially Dave, awesome!

Great story. :thumbsup:

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So there I am at a big meeting with some faceless outfit or other in say 1992 and my brother rings to tell me that he wont be playing the Kings Head in Fulham (West London pub between Hammersmiff and Fulham) that night as his gig has been cancelled (I was to to go watch him). So I tell him how disappointed I am and he says nah it's brilliant mate because: "Robert Plant Secret Gig and you have 4 tickets behind the bar"

So I am running some big knobber from my own facelss outfit to Heathrow after the meeting and say "just got to pop down the Kings Head to pick up some tickets". He gives me the third degree and I say "listen mate it's a Robert Plant Secret Gig you are just going to have to wait". He almost wets himself as I pull up just past the round about, get out of the motor and there's Percy looking hairy, paisley and leather groovy walking along the pavement into the pub. I say (get this, dressed in chalkstripes and wing tips) "mate I am really excited about your gig tonight" and Percy nods at this city twat (er me) and says "yeh" in that way of his "so are we". Big smile and in he goes to do a sound check. I get my tickets from the barman and have to run to the bloody airport. Big Knobber says "my god I am going to cancel my flight if you give me a ticket." I told him no chance. I Bring a mate and the girls. Awesome semi acoustic gig with material from one of his solo albums plus lots of Zep. Great band. Awesome lead guitarist (apparently from "It Bites"). Cannot remember much else except that there were only 200 people in there and about 400 outside. The mate I took was a freeelancer for Kerrang but he never wrote it up.

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What's the best way to the performer at the concert? I heard that sometimes they sign stuff afterwards, but I don't really know how to go about it. I'm going to a RP/AK concert and I would really like to get an autograph and maybe a picture. How do I go about this?

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What's the best way to the performer at the concert? I heard that sometimes they sign stuff afterwards, but I don't really know how to go about it. I'm going to a RP/AK concert and I would really like to get an autograph and maybe a picture. How do I go about this?

Unless there is a meet and greet or you get invited back stage, it's not so easy as artists generally have pretty tight security with them and understandably, they're not going to let every fan back even if it's simply to get an autograph or shake their hand. Certainly there are those that manage to talk their way back stage but beyond that, I would say best you can hope for is a chance encounter if he's around town.

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I think that was neither "kind" nor called for on a thread about meeting the members of Led Zep.

Alric:

I never said that about this band and further, I have never seen them perform. LED ZEP AGAIN, that is...

Alric is not imparting any truth here but using me as a scapegoat to express his own feelings (probably feelings that are jealousy based).

Alric, you requested to be my freind on this site and I added you like a fool, now you will be deleted!

Mistress Tyre

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"listen mate it's a Robert Plant Secret Gig"

Fri, May 14th 1993 at the King's Head pub in Fulham.

Billed as "Fate of Nations" for this European tour warm-up gig.

Plant and band, including guitarist Francis Dunnery (formerly of the band It Bites, who opened a few UK Plant shows in '88) gave an interview prior to the soundcheck to Pip Dann of MTV Europe. Segments of the interview and the soundcheck aired later that

month on MTV Europe's Rock Block telecast. MTV Europe also ran at least two news

reports on the gig.

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Although I've never met any band members directly, I want to relate an urban legend that I grew-up with:

During the 1970s, the band Fog Hat owned a recording studio in Port Jefferson, NY called the Boogie Hotel. As the story goes, a kid, perhaps a teenager, was in the vacinity when a limosene pulled up and lowered its window. Somebody with a huge mane of golden hair stuck his head out and flipped a coin saying, "Here's a silver dollar from Led Zeppelin."

Now, before dismissing the story right away, the area does have a rock-n-roll connection beyond the Boogie Hotel. Just to the west is Stony Brook University, where many bands in the late 60s/early 70s played including Hendrix, Joplin, Pink Floyd, etc. To the east, is a town called Mount Sinai where Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple bought a house in the mid-90s. In fact, I used to see him and his entourage on occasion at a local bar in Port Jefferson. So, considering the context, it may just be possible that Robert Plant, let alone the whole band, had come through the area and spread around a little gold, I mean silver, from his pocket.

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An indirect meeting:

I went to the John Paul Jones/King Crimson concert in NYC a few years back with my wife and a couple of her brothers. We had great seats within the first few rows but got to the show a bit late, right after JPJ had taken the stage, so we walked down the aisle and took our seats in the small venue with all eyes upon us (at least it felt that way). At some point during the concert, JPJ brought out this tiny instrument, perhaps a mandolin of sorts, and the oldest brother shouted out, "size doesn't matter!" JPJ paused, smiled straight at him, and said "oh yes it does!" We all got a kick out of that.

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Fri, May 14th 1993 at the King's Head pub in Fulham.

Billed as "Fate of Nations" for this European tour warm-up gig.

Plant and band, including guitarist Francis Dunnery (formerly of the band It Bites, who opened a few UK Plant shows in '88) gave an interview prior to the soundcheck to Pip Dann of MTV Europe. Segments of the interview and the soundcheck aired later that

month on MTV Europe's Rock Block telecast. MTV Europe also ran at least two news

reports on the gig.

Ahaha!

Thanks for the reminders!

H

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  • 1 year later...

Yes, it's the bookstore across from the tube station.

As for other encounters, I once got an unexpected tour of Jimmys house in Windsor.

It was 1982, I lived in Manchester at that time. Four of us drove 200 miles to Windsor in the hope of getting an autograph. My friends were too nervous to get out of the car and sent me to the gates of the mansion to press the buzzer. I was nervously awaiting a voice on the intercom and was pressed up against it....then I heard a voice shout 'hello?' ..but not from the intercom. I looked towards the house and was astonished to see Jimmy! I was expecting his secretary or minder or somone ....

I smiled but couldn't speak!! Luckily, I was wearing a Zep Euro 1980 tour sweatshirt and carrying a Zep book. He smiled and the electronic gates parted. I was in !!

We shook hands and went inside...Jimmy said he thought I was the electrician he had been waiting for. He said Charlotte and Scarlet were in France and his assistant was off so he was the only one in. I expected him to sign the book and then I would be sent on my way but Jimmy went through every page of the book ( In The Light) ...commenting on the photos " ooh don't remember that" "that was in France ???" "Ha Ha Look at Robert !! " Stuff like that.

We then talked about Death Wish 2 and how he only had eight weeks to do the whole thing. Then we talked about Roberts new album ..which wasn't out yet (Pictures at Eleven) but jimmy had heard it and liked it.

I suddenly remembered my friends outside beyond the gates. They would kill me. I told Jimmy there were 3 more outside. Obviously, in hindsight, he would be wary of inviting three more into the house when he was on his own...but he didn't say as much...after a pause he said "OK let's go and meet them...I have to find some shoes though..come on"...and he beckoned me to follow him. He couldn't find them at first and I got a bit of a tour around the house whilst he looked.

Once he found them we went outside to see my friends peering through the gates...jimmy was carrying a remote control and opened the gates. He greeted all my friends...and one of my friends started taking photos of us all.

Conscious of taking up more of his time...every time there was a lull in conversation one of us would say "Thanks Jimmy..it's been great " and we would start to leave..but Jimmy kept coming up with more stories and anecdotes. It was fantastic. How Robert was "very shy" in the early days "but then when he grew his hair he became...." ( Jimmy puffs up his chest and does a strong man impersonation).

At one point Jimmy pointed to the book I was carrying...I gave it to him. He pointed to John Bonham and said "but HE was the governor!! I still can't believe he's gone." Lots of Bonzo stories followed.

Finally, Jimmy made to leave. He said "God Bless" as he moved towards the gates. He had already flicked the switch and the gates were closing...he ambled up to them and by the narrowest of margins casually, just in time, got through them. It looked incredibly cool and deliberate. We watched as he walked towards the house...then he paused, turned to us and in a piece of pure Michael caine said " do you know..one day those gates will take my f......g head off !! Laughter all around. We had permanent disbelieving smiles all the way home.

Fantastic story! It's just the way I'd like to meet him. Were you all sat dumbstruck and silent on your trip home? Have you got any of your pics?

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Am I just so unlucky or why do I have to feel like the only one who never met one of them before?? :'( :'(

So many people talked to Robert Plant before! Or at least bumped into him

I feel exactly the same! :'(

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  • 2 years later...

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