Pet Shop Boys Community

Met them a couple of times.

At wembley in 1989 when I was too shy to talk to them. Well, I was only 15.
Met Neil at TFI Friday a few years later and had a good old chat.
Met them at the Tower reissues signing, they couldn't have been nicer. And they were quite bemused by the loud Irish petheads.
Met Neil after the Astoria show. Got interviewed by Chris Heath for throwing a massive pair of Y-fronts at Neil during the gig.
Met Neil before the Brixton Release gig.
Every time, Neil has been charming, warm and polite. Chris has been very funny, but mostly, I just spot him running past, dodging the fans.

Pet Shop Girl wrote:My goodness, that was depressing to read! But you know what, record signings like that are not always the best times to meet them and talk to the artists. If you look at other people who have met them, its either been finding them in the area or at the airport or at a meet n greet. Those are the best times to catch them at their best. So don't give up on the idea of meeting them again.

She's right. Some 'stars' just seem to do these signing sessions as part of their contract or to sell a few extra copies of their latest album, and really make it obvious they hate doing so. When Morrisey appeared for a signing session at the Virgin Megastore in Belfast, he got up after a few minutes and complained the store was too busy and that we needed to close it for an hour....following that, he got royally pissed and left the building when a fan showed up with a toilet seat for him to sign!

"Writing my name on your $hitter seat" does sound like a catchy Morrisey title.

P.S. My four year old wants to be a Pet Shop Girl when she grows up! Can she have your name?

ClyCly wrote:I had occasions to meet them in a couple of occasions during their 1999 and 2002 tours and my best memory was backstage in Toronto in 2002.

I have met Neil three times, Chris twice:

1.Neil and Chris - Toronto Show 1999 - With Cly Cly
2.Neil - Montreal Show 1999 - Neil outside a club (also with Cly Cly)
3.Neil and Chris - Toronto 2002 - Backstage Passes (again with Cly Cly)

Impressions - Chris on both occasions was really nice, down to earth. No ego, no feeling he thought he was some sort of star. In Toronto in 2002, I had to go across the room, ask him to come back to the other side of the room to meet my friends. He was more than happy to. He was really nice guy.

Neil on the other hand knows he is a pop star. In 1999 he was rushing out the door, and Sylvia Mason James berated him to come back and pose for photos. Chris has stopped happily and joked around.

But once we had managed to get Neil to stop groaning and see us, he was very nice, signing autographs.

In Montreal, we saw Neil in his Minivan. He said we could pose for pictures "as long as he did not have to get out of the van". Again, nice conversation with him until he had to go.

In 2002, at the Release show in Toronto, we met Neil and Chris at the meet and greet backstage. Again, very pleasant, down to earth, and polite. Easy to approach as well.

Cly Cly's english is better than she thinks. And I swear she is my good luck charm, as everytime I am with her, we get to see them. She is very resourceful!!!

Rorie

alp3 wrote:Am I the only one with a bad experience?

Met the duo during the NightLife US tour. Signing venue was at Tower Records @ Sunset Blvd.

For gods sakes, you're at a signing, they have what, a 1000 things to sign, and you want to have a discussion with them?

No time, this is sign and dash time. You think they like it?

Meet them at a backstage thing, or on the street, and they are quite nice.

Signings are great to get stuff, well, signed, but to hold the line up, expect some indepth conversation?? Nuts.

Rorie

RexMundi wrote:

Pet Shop Girl wrote:My goodness, that was depressing to read! But you know what, record signings like that are not always the best times to meet them and talk to the artists. If you look at other people who have met them, its either been finding them in the area or at the airport or at a meet n greet. Those are the best times to catch them at their best. So don't give up on the idea of meeting them again.

She's right. Some 'stars' just seem to do these signing sessions as part of their contract or to sell a few extra copies of their latest album, and really make it obvious they hate doing so. When Morrisey appeared for a signing session at the Virgin Megastore in Belfast, he got up after a few minutes and complained the store was too busy and that we needed to close it for an hour....following that, he got royally pissed and left the building when a fan showed up with a toilet seat for him to sign!

"Writing my name on your $hitter seat" does sound like a catchy Morrisey title.

P.S. My four year old wants to be a Pet Shop Girl when she grows up! Can she have your name?

Hey, she can have it. I am not the first person to name themselves that nickname.

I've met them twice, both times at record signings. They were thoroughly pleasant and I left with a big smile on my face. They made time to say hi. Neil started to hi to my wife and she blanked him!!! "I'm just here to take the photo" she said. Didn't she realise she was in the presence of two legends. Obviously not.

Rorie wrote:

ClyCly wrote:I had occasions to meet them in a couple of occasions during their 1999 and 2002 tours and my best memory was backstage in Toronto in 2002.

Cly Cly's english is better than she thinks. And I swear she is my good luck charm, as everytime I am with her, we get to see them. She is very resourceful!!!

Rorie

My english is horrible. When I went to UK in 98 they had to bring a french interpret to ask me questions because they didn't understand a word of what I said. It was in the airport.

You are my good luck charms because everytime I am with you, we have great occasions to meet the boys. When I am alone, I don't apart the time in Montreal in 2002 that I and a friend (Clemence) talked to Chris for about an hour in this club but I was very drunk lol.

I agree with you signings are not the best way to be in contact with an artist. I went to the NYC Virgin signing in 1999 and I waited 3 hours for 3 seconds simply saying hi and bye and then got pushed out but I wanted to see how it was and I did.

Drem wrote: This scene deserved to be imagined for the sake of my shattered nerves, thank you for a nice story and good laugh!

LOL, your welcome it was the best day of my life and also the most embarrassing too

Remark and I met PSB at the Tampa, Orlando and Atlanta segments of the Nightlife tour. We actually went down to the dressing room area in Orlando and hung out with Neil and Chris. Sylvia Mason James was in a nightgown like thing and all the backup singers were hanging out. It was very casual and intimate. Wine was passed around and they were signing everyone's albums and cds. Only a handful of us got back there. Luckily, Mark and I had met Dainton, their bodyguard in Tampa and he helped us in Orlando and Atlanta. The Atlanta meeting was an after concert party of sorts in a bar at the Tabernacle. The whole 3 concert trek was surreal and we have so many amazing photographs.

I also met the boys briefly in Melbourne FL during the Release tour. Lots of fans waited behind the concert venue and they pulled over and signed things by their tour bus.

Meeting Neil and Chris is a great experience. They are very approachable and kind to their fans in these situations. I always feel a little silly making such an effort to get an autograph or say hello, but PSB have been such a vital part of my musical world that I find it a necessary part of every tour. I will definitely be going to the NYC signing after the Radio City concert.

Meet them in 1990 in a Gay Disco here in Munich,the Time when they produce "Behaviour" in Munich,they both was very nice and i get an Autograph.

11/11/94 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
Neil and I spoke for a couple minutes about the NEW ZEALAND POINT OF VIEW and 'Heart' single (Number 1 in New Zealand), got both autographs and Chris said nothing. Don't we think he's grand!