quote:

Originally posted by yemanja:

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Finn Fan ChCh:
Id love to meet Tim but have a feeling Ill be disappointed, plus I wouldnt know where to start anyway.

I think the only way you'd be disappointed is if you placed unrealistic expectations on what you thought this meeting would be. He is after all just a normal person like we all are who will have good days and bad days, with the obvious exception being that he is an amazingly talented musician.

I "met" Tim a couple of times recently whilst over in NZ for the Enz shows. He was very nice both times I spoke with him and obliged with an autograph and pic on one of these occasions, and was just plain nice & quite chatty on the other when all I did was thank him for a great show the night before. It's all about picking the right time and place for sure and I guess I just got lucky

By the way, love all the stories on this thread, well done peeps!

So what is the right time and place? When and where did you meet him? Was it straight after the show at the stage door?

If a stage door is not accessible, then its not the right time.

If fans can get to the stage door, all you can do is choose to go and wait there. Sometimes you can hang around waiting for an hour or more (although sometimes much less than that), and no one turns up. Sometimes someone will eventually come out and will sign stuff.

Sometimes you can hang around waiting and some kind soul will tell you that they've already left, or are not coming out.

If you happen to strike Tim on a night where you haven't had to wait long, and he does exit stage door, he'll usually be willing to sign stuff and have the odd photo taken.

I used to watch others to guage his mood. If he seemed short or whatever, or in a hurry, I wouldn't approach, I'd just hang back and watch.

It took me years to get up the courage to even stand and wait at the back door, let alone do anything once I'd got there.

I'll usually present whatever for signing then move away to allow someone else to get in (or ask for a photo etc). I don't move right away, but far enough that I'm not blocking anyone else.

If you're nervous, you could even aim to turn up the first time without making contact to just watch and see what happens.

If he's been short or sharp or whatever (which he usually isn't), I ignore it. I admire and respect his talent immensely, but he does not intimidate me.

If he makes it very clear that he doesn't want contact with fans I would never push it, because that would be disrespectful.

Its really just a matter of turning up and watching others and going from there. Its what I did.

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Finn Fan ChCh:

quote:

Originally posted by yemanja:

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Finn Fan ChCh:
Id love to meet Tim but have a feeling Ill be disappointed, plus I wouldnt know where to start anyway.

I think the only way you'd be disappointed is if you placed unrealistic expectations on what you thought this meeting would be. He is after all just a normal person like we all are who will have good days and bad days, with the obvious exception being that he is an amazingly talented musician.

I "met" Tim a couple of times recently whilst over in NZ for the Enz shows. He was very nice both times I spoke with him and obliged with an autograph and pic on one of these occasions, and was just plain nice & quite chatty on the other when all I did was thank him for a great show the night before. It's all about picking the right time and place for sure and I guess I just got lucky

By the way, love all the stories on this thread, well done peeps!

So what is the right time and place? When and where did you meet him? Was it straight after the show at the stage door?

The right time and place ... yes that is the question In my case, I was staying at the same hotel as the Enz so the contact I had was there.

quote:

Originally posted by yemanja:

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Finn Fan ChCh:

quote:

Originally posted by yemanja:

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Finn Fan ChCh:
Id love to meet Tim but have a feeling Ill be disappointed, plus I wouldnt know where to start anyway.

I think the only way you'd be disappointed is if you placed unrealistic expectations on what you thought this meeting would be. He is after all just a normal person like we all are who will have good days and bad days, with the obvious exception being that he is an amazingly talented musician.

I "met" Tim a couple of times recently whilst over in NZ for the Enz shows. He was very nice both times I spoke with him and obliged with an autograph and pic on one of these occasions, and was just plain nice & quite chatty on the other when all I did was thank him for a great show the night before. It's all about picking the right time and place for sure and I guess I just got lucky

By the way, love all the stories on this thread, well done peeps!

So what is the right time and place? When and where did you meet him? Was it straight after the show at the stage door?

The right time and place ... yes that is the question In my case, I was staying at the same hotel as the Enz so the contact I had was there.

See I never find out info like that so I never meet them.

I was unaware they were staying there until I got there myself. However in saying that, chances are if you're staying in a 5 star establishment in a city where there are few, you might get lucky

If I found myself staying in the same hotel as Tim, I still would not approach. If he chose to approach me, or us, for a chat or something, fair enough, but otherwise I only ever approach when the guys are working.

I'd be willing to say hi, if he seemed inclined, but otherwise, I'm brilliant at politely ignoring people. Specially Famous People.

Not sure of yemanja's situation, but thanks for sharing with us. What a complete thrill.

I read the whole story elsewhere (can't remember where), and it came across as an open and welcome experience on both sides.

Thie thread is invading my sleep (but I'm certainly not complaining! lol)...I had a dream last night about meeting him.

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Rose:
If I found myself staying in the same hotel as Tim, I still would not approach. If he chose to approach me, or us, for a chat or something, fair enough, but otherwise I only ever approach when the guys are working.

I'd be willing to say hi, if he seemed inclined, but otherwise, I'm brilliant at politely ignoring people. Specially Famous People.

Not sure of yemanja's situation, but thanks for sharing with us. What a complete thrill.

Oh I certainly agree about only approaching when they're working and if I had approached Tim or any of the other band members every time I did see them at the hotel, there would have been charges laid for sure (I am also very good at "ignoring" famous people). I decided to only have the one point of contact for autographs/pictures and that was directly after they'd finished soundcheck. Other fans I know did the same thing too but our location was different, as in me at the hotel, them at the stage door. The other was just a general hi and thanks, and I might add, he came into the area where I had been sitting with my friends for some time and proceeded to sit down next to me (that was very nice too, sharing a sofa with the Finn of my choice and I did keep my cool quite well I thought ).

I guess this post is justifying myself, not that I really have to as I believe I am a sensible person who respects the privacy and rights of others. The whole staying in the same hotel as them was just one of those lucky coincidences and the contact made was done with the sensibility and respect it deserved from my side, no question.



(However whilst on the subject, belated apologies to Neil Finn for almost headbutting him as I was exiting the lift as he was entering same lift. Had my head down, wasn't paying attention, look up and well, yes you can probably imagine so sorry about that Neil ... was a tad embarrassing yep )

quote:

Originally posted by MeltyIce:
I read the whole story elsewhere (can't remember where), and it came across as an open and welcome experience on both sides.

It was, thanks MeltyIce

quote:

Its really just a matter of turning up and watching others and going from there. Its what I did.

Yeah, I find that is the best strategy for me when it comes to approaching Tim. I did that very thing for the one opportunity I had to say hello and get an autograph before soundcheck at an Enz show in NZ. I'd rather let others take the plunge and see how Tim is responding to requests before leaping in with my own. I have had few opportunities to meet Tim and of the few that I've had, he was the more reluctant of the two brothers. Fortunately, we were a very small group asking for a signature/photo and he obliged us politely. I imagine if we were a bigger group, we may not have been as lucky.

Of course, it was helpful that Marie was there and as I was standing next to her, overheard her say in a low voice to Tim, "If you sign one, you'll have to sign them all." You gotta love it when the wife has the final say.

As for Neil, I've never had a bad or iffy encounter with him. Unfailing politeness, respect for his time/energy, and good manners have worked for me and I believe are the obvious best strategies in any Finn encounter.

I'd just love to meet Tim. It's been somewhat of a dream since I saw Split Enz in '06.
I attempted to get an autograph at the IK show at the Enmore, but I got asked to leave by the security guard. Although, after a bit of coaxing I did manage to get my copy of Escapade taken in to get signed.
Hopefully next time I'll have a bit more luck, and know the right place to go. (:

Well, I can't resist adding my two cents here. I've had three Tim experiences in San Francisco. The first time was after a Finn Brothers concert at the stage door/tour bus. People were swarming around Neil and Tim was quietly standing by the bus. I was rather shocked that no one had approached him and thought I had better give him some love. I felt like reminding people, "Without Tim, there probably would have been no Neil!" and I'm a Neil Girl through and through! I spoke with him briefly, telling him I was really glad to see him happy these days and he generously signed my Kiwi Charms insert. He was very nice and low key, and I was relieved because I was a bit fearful as to how he might react. The second time was the second part of that same tour once Everyone Is Here was released. That night Neil was deathly ill and I figured that he wouldn't come out but some of us hung around the stage door anyway. Tim Smith slipped out to smoke and was very friendly and then one of the stage people said Neil wasn't going to talk to us. We just asked if we could leave things for him (I work at a winery and had some wine for them) so I figured we'd just drop things off and leave. But then Tim came out which got our hopes up but he made a beeline for the van, saying that Neil was really sick and that they weren't going to stop. But Neil, wonderful trouper that he is, stayed behind and talked, signed autographs, posed for photos, and even let me give him a one-armed hug even though he felt like hell. Time number three was earlier this year when Tim was solo, just weeks before the NZ Enz gigs. It was a weird night, things were off and Tim seemed anxious to end the show and be with friends. My boyfriend had chatted up the roadie so after the show, my honey politely asked him if Tim would talk to me. I think that because I was wearing a shirt from the Oz Enz shows I went to in 2006, they knew I was a hardcore fan. Again I was a bit apprehensive considering how the show had gone but for no reason. Tim could not have been more gracious and spent a few minutes talking to me (and me only - how cool is that!). I got to shake his hand and he signed a fun Split Enz card to me personally. He was very sweet and when I told him that I swear he's getting more beautiful with time, he seemed surprised and pleased. So my success rate has been pretty good with him!

Met Tim for the first time at De Montfort Hall in 92. He was watching CH from the side of the stage and I scribbled a short message on a screwed up bus ticket, attracted his attention (how stupid was that really), stretched upwards and passed him the note which effectively asked him if he minded coming down into the corridor that surrounds the hall for a couple of piccies and I guess a private audition (is that the right word ? The kind of the thing you get with the Pope). Lo and behold, he did. While everyone else within a few feet were boppin' to the Crowdies, I, my Partner and my brother privately took each others photos with Tim, and for mine he put him arm around my shoulder (remember I am a guy by the way, and at that time a 36 year old one at that) and put on a heck of a cheesey grin, Mental Notes style. I now have one copy of the photo on the lounge wall whilst I have a large blown up copy stored away. I was, and I suppose still am, on quite a high after that. I've met Tim again since, and NEVER been disappointed or had any illusions about my hero shattered. Just plain lucky I guess. Unlike Neil, but that's another bizarre story.