Hi

Who here has ever met a member of split enz or Crowded house?

I had one late last year. I met paul Hester (R.I.P) at the palais theater. I my legs turned to jelly when i saw him walking near me. I finally got enough courage to talk to him.
I was glad i did because he was such i nice person and he signed some of my Crowded house and Slpit enz jackets. I do this just in case.
We had a great time and we were talking about music and other things. For about 10 minutes.

Mark

I am so jealous Crowded ENZ! My lifetime ambition was to meet Paul and I came close once.....but it just didn't happen.

It was many, many years ago, in fact I think it might have been 1989. I went to see an acoustic set at RMIT uni(?) in Melbourne. It was Neil, Paul, Mark Seymour and some other guy I don't remember (sorry). I claimed my position backstage and waited and waited.....thinking it was the only way on. I was wrong unfortunately...... Hessie didn't walk past me but Neil did.......he was lovely - asking us our names and were we having a good time. So I am thrilled to say that although short and sweet, I have actually met Neil!

I can't beleive this apart from paul. Neil is always been one of the members i have always wanted to meet. You'r so so so lucky

I can't beleive this apart from paul. Neil is always been one of the members i have always wanted to meet. You'r so so so lucky

On March 18, 1989 I saw Crowded House perform at The Center IN The Square in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada ( my home town ). Afterwards I, along with a few others, waited by the loading area instead of with all the others by the back entrance. We lucked out and got autographs of Nick and Paul, but not Neil.

I and another girl that had gone to the show decided to walk with each other downtown, though we didn't know each other.

As we reached Queen Street, we saaw the tour bus parked along the road. Of course we ran as fast as we could, but when we reached it, only the bus driver was aboard.

We begged him to let us on and really see if it was empty...and he did! Of course, we didn't think to take anything (probably because we're Canadian and just too darn polite), but as we exited, who should we see, but Nick running up the street! He paused only long enough to look at us, as if to say "what do you think you're doing?", and then he went onto the bus, which drove off.

The next morning, I was still full of energy from the night before, so I headed downtown. Back then I lived on the edge of town, so it took over a half hour by bus.

As the bus turned towards the terminal, I spotted the tour bus parked in front of the Walper Hotel. Wouldn't you know it, Paul,Neil & Nick were in the dining room having breakfast.

I was too shy and intimidated to just walk in ( this place is rather ritzy by Kitchener standards), so I froze out on the stoop.

Neil came out first and stopped to sign an autograph. He took the time to ask me what I thought of the show, to which I replied "It was great!" Well duh. Then he mentioned a malfunction, but I told him I'm sure no one noticed. He signed it 'Have a good life. Neil Finn'.

Nick never did appear, but Paul was next out. He remembered me from the night before, as I was cracking jokes with the others waiting on the side. He then said he couldn't believe that I was standing out in the cold and why wouldn't I just have gone in?
I was visibly shivering, so he took my hands and starting warming them up with his. I'm sure I blushing madly, as I had never even dated a guy, much less had a world class musician take my hands in his.

As luck would have it, my pen conked out, so he had to use lipstick (mine), to sign it. I thanked him, and the bus was ready to go.

Just before boarding, he turned and said " Anna, you have a lovely face." Of course I was instantly in love, just a young girl (18) who had never been anywhere.

Since that Sunday morning in March, (hence Sundaymarch)I had wondered over the years how things were for him. My life had taken very unexpected turns, some bad, some good, and due to those circumstances, I lost track of CH after 1989. The last thing I heard about them was in 1996 when Paul left. After that, I had no desire to go out of my way to find anything - though I did google Paul's name back in the fall of 2004. What I found was scant. Untill March of this year of course. R.I.P Paulo, you were truly special.

You are so lucky to have met all of them.
Did you ever meet eddie rainer keyboard player from split enz, who allways toured with Ch. He had blond hair. But now it's short and grey LOL.

I totally agree with you when i met Paul Hester he hadn't changed a bit. We talked for about 10minutes. Just having a good yak. It is sad what happened to him thoe.

I don't know what was going on with Nick. He might have had a bad day.

From

Mark

General Frenz is for introductions and questions about this forum. I'll move this to All I Ask.

Lucky enough to have met them twice.....

First time, Virgin store in Nottingham prior to CH show at Royal Concert Hall there in 1992 or '93. Neil, Nick and Paul were signing stuff after in store promo and then found Mark peering at CDs in the classical section - what a nice guy

Last time - Heart FM in Birmingham August last year - met both Neil and Tim in the 'green room' before a recording session for the station. Never been tongue tied before, but as a friend would say, all I could do was 'wibble'. Lovely guys, got my photo taken with them and from it you can see how gob smacked I was.

I met Neil before his show in Chicago in 2002. The line to get in was wrapped around the block, and my party was at the end. Just out of curiosity I walked a bit to peer behind the building (I believe it was the Park West), and I saw a sort of trailer parked in the alley with music pumping out--it was sort of a mobile recording/broadcasting station for whatever radio channel was sponsoring the concert. I could see someone standing in the doorway, and a mixing station in front of him with a few tech-types doing their thing.

Of course it was Neil, listening to the band's sound check. He gave some farewell remarks to the techies and hopped out and started briskly walking down the alley. For some reason he turned (is Neil psychic?) to see me standing dumbly about 25 feet away holding my "Together Alone" booklet. He changed his course toward me and said, "Well, hello--quickly now, got to get going before they start without me." I was so surprised he had noticed me and taken the time to come over I really gave him nothing to go on, so he basically signed the booklet and said "Enjoy the show, mate" and left.

Personally, if I were Neil and saw a fan standing there creepily holding a CD booklet, I probably couldn't stomach such friendliness.

Hi,
I met Neil and Tim after their show last year in Detroit. I waited at their tour bus with a few other fans. I had rehearsed what I would say to one/both of them. When I saw Tim approach the bus, I was so happy that I was not alone because I froze! I asked him to sign the freebie CD of their CD and told him that I thought the show was awesome. (Nothing that I had rehearsed, of course.) He said that they were "on" tonight. Something about the Detroit vibe, etc...Then, Neil came out. He signed the CD, too. I told him that the show was awesome He was nice enough to add that they were going to Phila. soon, and that's where I'm from. So, I said, I wish I could be there. So articulate, aren't I??? But...I fulfilled my dream of "meeting" them. They were both very gracious, and, I thank them for that.

I've met them all on various occasions and I was totally cool around everyone but Neil. The first time I met them was in the late 80's, and Paul was just fantastic. I got to chat to Paul many times after that, he even came into my work to buy some shoes once and hugged me like an old friend which made me feel incredibly special and it's something that will stay with me for as long as I live.
Tim got us into a secret Split Enz gig at the State Theatre in Sydney once which was great. We were content to sit in the alleyway and listen, but he insisted we go inside which was great.
Nick was incredibly humble and very gracious towards us when I met him, and I own one of his paintings which hangs proudly in my dining room, another treasured possession that will stay with me forever.

So many memories of my encounters with the guys, all of them special.

I *kinda* did after the Dunedin show recently. Shook hands with Tim and Neil, got autographs and photos. Does that count?

Back on their 20th Anniversary tour I went to Il Casino here in Wellington for a cocktail party with Split Enz.
I was so excited I turned up with absolutely nothing to get autographed.
As it turned out I had a big white "canvas" on my back.
I got my shirt signed by Neil, Paul, Tim, Noel, Nigel and Eddie.
It was pretty cool.

Hi!
i have spoke to neil finn at the plymouth pavillion gig in england in 1992(woodface tour)
i asked him if he could play chocolate cake and he replied "calm down little fella dont get so excited"
i was aged 20 at the time.
Last year i met tim finn at the same venue for the finn brothers gig on two occasions.
on the second occasion he asked me what song would you like to hear and me being clever said"prodigal son" to which he replied"way to obscure"
i did manage to get the set list as well.

I was lucky enough to play the piano with Neil once at the Bush Hall concert (I played no Anytime).
It's still a mystery how I didn't fall of my piano stall but there you go...
I will never forget that experience!

quote:

Originally posted by clanlesscaracal:
I was lucky enough to play the piano with Neil once at the Bush Hall concert (I played no Anytime).
It's still a mystery how I didn't fall of my piano stall but there you go...
I will never forget that experience!

I hope you realize you are now a virtual legend on these boards! I've listened to the youtube clip of that performance. Congratulations -- and well played!

I met Matt but that's as close as I've got.

Hey IP2 -- I met Liam when he was 14 !!

It was during the Try Whistling This tour and he was hanging around with Eddie Vedder. (I was sitting at a table with the wife of drummer Matt Cameron).

awwhh. That would have been cool double-H

I hope to meet Liam at Homegrown next week

quote:

Originally posted by Watney Sideburns:
I hope you realize you are now a virtual legend on these boards! I've listened to the youtube clip of that performance. Congratulations -- and well played!

Thankyou, Watney