Eddie Trunk states that most rock stars don’t want to meet their fans

Eddie Trunk states that most rock stars don’t want to meet their fans

Eddie Trunk recently spoke on the Eddie Trunk Radio Show on or about April 11, 2018 about how most rock stars don’t want to meet their fans. Metal Sludge appears to be the first to have reported about this a little earlier today. Sleaze Roxx offers you the transcription of the entire audio interview below.

Trunk starts off by stating (as transcribed by Sleaze Roxx): “But you look at that. You look at these VIP experiences that are out there now. Literally, every single thing is for sale. The front rows are sold to the people who have the most money because they’re pulled aside immediately because they’re put into the VIP packages. The VIP package often includes or does not include a meet and greet. If you buy, if you bought the Van Halen or Guns N’ Roses VIP, it is clearly stated “No meet and greet.” When Mötley Crüe was active, if you bought their meet and greet, you got everybody but [drummer] Tommy Lee. Tommy Lee did not feel right about charging people to meet him so he sat out the meets and greets. You’d only get [singer] Vince [Neil], [guitarist] Mick [Mars] and [bassist] Nikki [Sixx]. Tommy would never do that. Some people don’t feel right about it. Some people quite frankly don’t want to meet you [laughs].”

Trunk continued: “[Referring to Rush drummer Neil Peart] He’s a shy guy. He’s awkward. He’s not, not awkward. He’s shy. He’s a great guy. I spent a couple of hours with Neil Peart like ten years ago. We did a TV shoot together and he was the most wonderful guy but he’s not… The only time that Neil would get weird  is when you made a big deal over him being Neil Peart.”

Trunk went on to state: “If you were chilled out, and hanging out, and acted like he was just anybody else, he spent two hours having a cigarette talking with me on a street in New York. No problem. People that come running up saying, ‘Holy shit.’ That’s it man. He goes into his shell and he’s out of there…. So there are different reasons why these guys don’t do that. They don’t want to deal with it. They’re not comfortable in a situation like that or they just feel ethically, it’s not right to charge money to meet fans. But here’s the truth you know. People go, people go when they have these meet and greet experiences, sometimes they’re not the best experiences and they can;’t figure out why and whatever. And I’ve said this before you guys. Just being honest about it. These guys don’t want to meet you [laughs]. Don’t take it personally but they don’t.

Ninety percent of these guys talk to you about how important the fans are and the fans, the fans, and yes, the fans are important but that doesn’t mean that they want to meet you before or after a show. I can tell you that 90% of them would MUCH rather be doing something different. Relaxing, warming up, meeting with people they actually do know, that they actually do want to see — friends, family. And after a show, they you know want to be having a beer, relaxing and getting ready to head to the next city. They do not want to meet you. Hate to break that to you. They don’t. You are valuable fans to them but you are also a total stranger, and they don’t want to meet you. But they’re going to do it because it’s gonna mean some extra money. They’re going to put their best face on and do it. So it’s, it’s not… Don’t take it personally.

It’s always a weird thing when people come to me. It’s weird enough when people come up to me and ask them — I’m talking friends, family asking me to get them tickets to shows — because that courtesy is extended to me because of what I do. It’s hard to make that transition for somebody else unless you have a really good relationship and you feel comfortable asking that for somebody. But it’s even weird when people say to me, ‘Hey! Can you get me backstage?’ If these artists don’t know you, and they don’t know you, there’s nothing… They’re not going to want to engage with you backstage. It’s like meeting a total stranger. There’s no connection. Its awkward. Yes, they understand that it’s a big deal for you to meet them but it’s a weird thing. They don’t want to be doing it but they’re doing it now because there is a lot of money on the table. There are people, that as a result, are good at it, and that have had great experiences in these VIP situations, whether they be private concerts. whether they be tutorial things, whether they be the VIP package, the pre-show, the post-show. Whatever it may be. There are guys who are real good at it and put a great face on it and run it well.

Then they’re guys — and I get e-mails every day about this — about the VIP. ‘They guy was a total dick. He didn’t even look at me in the eye. We got moved in and out like cattle.’ Because I hate to tell you but that’s kind of what you are to them. No one is ever going to tell you that [laughs]. No one would ever tell you that. But they MUCH rather be doing something else. But hey, you’re going to pay a couple of hundred bucks… ‘Alright, I’ll give you your 30 seconds.’ And by the way, I’m not saying that any of this is right or wrong but there are people — I guess — that feel great about the fact, that now, if they have the money, they can meet their heroes. You just hope that experience is a good one, especially if you’re paying for it. And then there are people that sometimes, its better not to meet the people that you are a fan of. Keeps the mystique going. If you had a bad experience, it could taint how you feel going forward. So I want to hear from you guys about this because they’re very few acts that aren’t doing some sort of fan interactive thing, whether it be something like a rock n’ roll fantasy camp or something like Tool and The Winery Dogs have done. And Megadeth has done. Or something like any of these VIPs at every level — club, theatre, arena, stadium — almost every band is offering that. So today, for the balance of the show, I want to hear about your experiences, if you had one, if you bought one of these things, if you attended one of these things — good, bad or otherwise — would you do it again? Was it worth the money?”

Audio portion of Eddie Trunk speaking about “rock stars not wanting to meet their fans” on or about April 11, 2018:

– YouTube

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