QueenZone discussion #558921

dimcyril wrote: i was interested to read on brianmay.com that he considers people who ask him for autographs and photos as 'selfish' and a waste of his time. i was surprised by this attitude. if someone has paid £55 to watch your gig plus merchandise expenses. plus the thousands of pounds that many people spend over the years on vinyl, then re buying everything on cd plus videos dvds posters etc. putting money in the pocket of brian may, this attitude is appalling. if he doesn't want this kind of behaviour, maybe he shouldn't go on tour and expose himself to these situations. i would imagine all most real fans want is a signature and maybe 30 seconds recognition from their hero. after all it is only really the very hard core fans who will wait for them at the hotel [i'd rather go for a pint]. i think that his suggestion that all these signatures end up being sold on the internet is absolute rubbish. is this a further sign of brian being miserable in his old age? he also whines that he is inundated with band demos. doesn't he remember what it was like to be a struggling musician? does anyone have any thoughts? does anyone have a defence of brian's opinions?

Mike Preston wrote: no one ever wants the Bass players Autograph... ;p I really think Brian should take a step back and remember WHO made him famous.. was it his manager? His Wives.. The Band? No.. it was US.. so if it takes a few seconds of his life away to scribble something on a piece of paper, then so be it...Just because he is well known it seems he has adopted the ever so familier "I am better than YOU" attitude.. well, this was all I had to see, Queen has just crossed the line and I for one am not going to spend anymore of my money on them, I would rather go see Styx than him now.. and of course I won't be going to see them either. so, what is left for me here? not a blessed thing, Oh well... take it for what it's worth, it WAS a good ride while it lasted... Take care folks... :)

MyHammerIsFalling wrote:

dimcyril wrote: i was interested to read on brianmay.com that he considers people who ask him for autographs and photos as 'selfish' and a waste of his time. i was surprised by this attitude. if someone has paid £55 to watch your gig plus merchandise expenses. plus the thousands of pounds that many people spend over the years on vinyl, then re buying everything on cd plus videos dvds posters etc. putting money in the pocket of brian may, this attitude is appalling. if he doesn't want this kind of behaviour, maybe he shouldn't go on tour and expose himself to these situations. i would imagine all most real fans want is a signature and maybe 30 seconds recognition from their hero. after all it is only really the very hard core fans who will wait for them at the hotel [i'd rather go for a pint]. i think that his suggestion that all these signatures end up being sold on the internet is absolute rubbish. is this a further sign of brian being miserable in his old age? he also whines that he is inundated with band demos. doesn't he remember what it was like to be a struggling musician? does anyone have any thoughts? does anyone have a defence of brian's opinions?

If I were you I'd be tempted to e-mail your opinion to him!

micktronix wrote: lol!!!! i was behind the stage at wembley 86 and when you see what goes on, you realise it is a business first and foremost. i wish i hadn't been there as it changed my perception of the band.

dimcyril wrote: yes i know, no one really cares much about the bass players [and drummers]. but where would the fancy Dans out front be without the pounding rhythm section behind them [ and slightly out of time with them]

MyHammerIsFalling wrote: [ How did your view change? What did you witness/experience while backstage...? How did you even get backstage you lucky duck!!!

MyHammerIsFalling wrote:

micktronix wrote: lol!!!! i was behind the stage at wembley 86 and when you see what goes on, you realise it is a business first and foremost. i wish i hadn't been there as it changed my perception of the band.

How did your view change? What did you witness/experience while backstage...? How did you even get backstage you lucky duck!!!

Arlene R. Weiss wrote: BTW...Rosie O'Donnell LOST her fans and got ALOT of BAD press..for very vocally saying the same stuff as Brian...She says she HATES doing and giving autographs. Yeah...and now her fans deserted her. Her TV show was cancelled, Her career is going nowhere....

teleman wrote: I don't think he's obligated to sign autographs. Autograph signing is mostly Public Relations. I don't know too many musicians who are really into PR. It may not have been be prudent to express disdain for autograph seekers since most are loyal fans. If he'd said nothing you all would still think he's a great guy.

Arlene R. Weiss wrote: BTW...Rosie O'Donnell LOST her fans and got ALOT of BAD press..for very vocally saying the same stuff as Brian...She says she HATES doing and giving autographs. Yeah...and now her fans deserted her. Her TV show was cancelled, Her career is going nowhere....

Arlene try and get your facts straight for a change. Rosie O'Donnell quit because she was tired of doing the show and wanted to spend more time with her family. The show was not cancelled because of her comments.

Arlene R. Weiss wrote:

teleman wrote: I don't think he's obligated to sign autographs. Autograph signing is mostly Public Relations. I don't know too many musicians who are really into PR. It may not have been be prudent to express disdain for autograph seekers since most are loyal fans. If he'd said nothing you all would still think he's a great guy.

Arlene R. Weiss wrote: BTW...Rosie O'Donnell LOST her fans and got ALOT of BAD press..for very vocally saying the same stuff as Brian...She says she HATES doing and giving autographs. Yeah...and now her fans deserted her. Her TV show was cancelled, Her career is going nowhere....

Arlene try and get your facts straight for a change. Rosie O'Donnell quit because she was tired of doing the show and wanted to spend more time with her family. The show was not cancelled because of her comments.

She "quit" because her ratings dropped to zilch after a PR fiasco when her "real" side as not the "queen of nice", but as Howard Stern calls her "the queen of mean" came out. Then Oprah's show hammered hers in the ratings, so she "quit".

RohemianBapsody wrote: After a long day at work...

teleman wrote:

Arlene R. Weiss wrote:

teleman wrote: I don't think he's obligated to sign autographs. Autograph signing is mostly Public Relations. I don't know too many musicians who are really into PR. It may not have been be prudent to express disdain for autograph seekers since most are loyal fans. If he'd said nothing you all would still think he's a great guy.

Arlene R. Weiss wrote: BTW...Rosie O'Donnell LOST her fans and got ALOT of BAD press..for very vocally saying the same stuff as Brian...She says she HATES doing and giving autographs. Yeah...and now her fans deserted her. Her TV show was cancelled, Her career is going nowhere....

Arlene try and get your facts straight for a change. Rosie O'Donnell quit because she was tired of doing the show and wanted to spend more time with her family. The show was not cancelled because of her comments.

She "quit" because her ratings dropped to zilch after a PR fiasco when her "real" side as not the "queen of nice", but as Howard Stern calls her "the queen of mean" came out. Then Oprah's show hammered hers in the ratings, so she "quit".

Yes Oprah hammered her in the ratings. She did not quit because of that. In fact she had a chubby Canadian comedienne replace her and that is when the show was dropped. You love to take the piss out of celebs with inaccuracies. As far as celeb behaviour and autographs ... everyone wants an autograph but it isn't always fair to expect it. And when a celebrity chooses not to sign autographs for whatever reason we assume we have the right to one. Nobody owes us anything. See how you feel when people constantly make demands on your private time. And then add in that some people do not care about you but want to make a buck on your back. I doubt that it's an easy thing but if Brian May chooses to not sign autographs then that is his perogative. If he is rude or abusive toward people then you might have a valid complaint. On a lighter note if he ever writes a book and goes on a book signing tour he may have to rethink this.

Arlene R. Weiss wrote:

teleman wrote:

Arlene R. Weiss wrote:

teleman wrote: I don't think he's obligated to sign autographs. Autograph signing is mostly Public Relations. I don't know too many musicians who are really into PR. It may not have been be prudent to express disdain for autograph seekers since most are loyal fans. If he'd said nothing you all would still think he's a great guy.

Arlene R. Weiss wrote: BTW...Rosie O'Donnell LOST her fans and got ALOT of BAD press..for very vocally saying the same stuff as Brian...She says she HATES doing and giving autographs. Yeah...and now her fans deserted her. Her TV show was cancelled, Her career is going nowhere....

Arlene try and get your facts straight for a change. Rosie O'Donnell quit because she was tired of doing the show and wanted to spend more time with her family. The show was not cancelled because of her comments.

She "quit" because her ratings dropped to zilch after a PR fiasco when her "real" side as not the "queen of nice", but as Howard Stern calls her "the queen of mean" came out. Then Oprah's show hammered hers in the ratings, so she "quit".

Yes Oprah hammered her in the ratings. She did not quit because of that. In fact she had a chubby Canadian comedienne replace her and that is when the show was dropped. You love to take the piss out of celebs with inaccuracies.

Apparently you like to not thoroughly read my posts and take the piss out of them as I said earlier...
The Only thing I agree with Brian on, is if people ask for autographs..ONLY to sell them for profit and NOT for their own keepsake, then THAT is wrong.
But as long as fans are not violent, intrusive (like stalking a star at home or with their family), and PATIENTLY and POLITELY ask..and want the autograph only for themselves as a sentimental keepsake and NOT to sell, then any star should be ok with it.
No...a celebrity does NOT owe fans anything. But there is something called courtesy, giving back, being appreciative..to the fans who made their careers and are in fact, THEIR source of income, tahnk you very much.
Read my earler posts about people from SUPERSTARS like Tom Cruise, to Lucille Ball, to country music stars, to actors & authors who appear at conventions and book signings, what they do, and WHY they do it, BECAUSE they understand and don't lose their value system or appreciation of WHO buys or pays for their records, movies, books, concerts, etc., and WHO is their source of Income, getting to do WHAT they love, in a lavish lifestyle...far above the working class everyday joes who work a 40-60 hour crap job doing what they HATE to barely put food on the table...
...and STILL buy the celebrities' records, movies, concerts, books, etc.....
No celebrity OWES me a damn thing. But...if you also read my earlier post about The Allman Brothers Band....Brian does sounds suspiciously similar to them....happy and grateful to sign autographs and mingle with the fans...when the artist is struggling to ESTABLISH a NEW career or REBUILD a FADING career....then when they become successful, they become full of themselves and lose their value system and get snotty when they are famous....
...but watch what happens when some of these stars fall...like The Allman Brothers have done MANY times in their career, they have gone UP and DOWN and UP and DOWN, and UP again...
..always gracious on the bottom, always jerks at the top.
And I have experienced this meeting other celebrities who have gone up & down & up the food chain as well...they all did the same thing...
Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Guess Who, The Atlanta Rhythm Section, Exile, Neil Schon of Journey, James O'Barr (author of "The Crow"), etc.....

wstüssyb wrote: I dont think Brian would mind signing a boob or ass off a hot chick, all rock star seem to love that.

iron eagle wrote: Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins." Cheyenne

Oberon wrote: It's difficult. A lot of what he seems to write on his soap box is written in haste. he could do well to have someone to vet his postings. But, what he said in this is largely about people who either sell signatures or who seem to want him to sign their whole back catalogue. and that is asking too much. i mean, you've got to remember that at any one gig, there may be only one such person, but over a tour there may be many and that would have an impression on the person - Brian - who experiences it. Imagine if you left your place of work every night to have people asking for more of your time. Yes, you can say they're well paid for it, but I still don't really think that they deserve the intrusion. Even Posh and Becks - I think that they should be allowed to court the press when they want it, but be left alone when they don't. the press is part of their work, but it shouldn't mean that the press have a right to follow them around 24 hrs 7 days a week. there should be laws to stop them tipping off the press and the press from intruding. this could be achieved by having legal documents available agreeing to a press opportunity. without this it would be illegal for press to "hound" a celebrity at home or whatever. it means they couldn't tip the press off themselves because the press would need an official press release or invitation. it would open up the media and mean there was more true and unbiased press. But celebs and the press don't want this because the way it works is, overall, best for both parties. Even Brian subscibes to this to a certain extent by allowing the press he derides for intruding on his personal life to promote his professional life. Although it could be more his management team interacting with the press than him. but the point is, that I can understand his view point. The general opinion of Brian is that he's a nice person, but night on night, he's bound to be irritated with people who seem to want lots of his time when he's already spent a day working. A gig doesn't start when he walks on the stage and end when he leaves the stage. There's a lot more to it than that, I'm sure of it. I'm not saying he's perfect. He definitely could be a little more subtle in his soap box, but try and think of it from his point of view. He might be a multi millionaire 'cause of all the stuff we've bought, but he's put his fair share of work into it, and given himself over to this thing called Queen over the years, so cut him some slack and forgive his rather rash comments. YOU TRY IT, AND THEN SEE HOW YOU HANDLE ALL THOSE DEMANDS!!!

Lisser wrote: If I had a talent to be some sort of super star, I'd never make it very far bc I'd be in jail for assault!!! I could never handle anyone staring at me, following me, snapping pictures of me and my family, etc. I couldn't do it for any amount of money or fame. Let Brian vent. It's a small price to pay to for what we get from him.