Artists you are certain are nice and friendly even though you've never met them or talked to them

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sonic youth
new pornographers

― emekars (emekars), Saturday, 29 April 2006 14:48 (twenty years ago)

leonard cohen

― alexandeer (advanced-stathopoulos), Saturday, 29 April 2006 14:49 (twenty years ago)

neil young.
(not sure about leonard cohen though)

― maybe the times, Saturday, 29 April 2006 14:50 (twenty years ago)

I've heard that Neil can be a bit prickly and I know from experience that the Sonic Youth guys will make fun of you if you're not up to their standards (at least they did this during interviews; I ran into Steve Shelley once in line for a show in NY and he was indeed quite nice).

― Brian O'Neill (NYCNative), Saturday, 29 April 2006 14:54 (twenty years ago)

Yeah I met Steve Shelly once too, I couldn't imagine a nicer guy!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Saturday, 29 April 2006 15:09 (twenty years ago)

Metric
wyclef jean

― Blue Filters (Gilkannon), Saturday, 29 April 2006 16:01 (twenty years ago)

Jon Langford
Craig Finn
Ringo Starr
the Beastie Boys

― A|ex P@reene (Pareene), Saturday, 29 April 2006 16:01 (twenty years ago)

Richard Youngs, Simon Wickham-Smith, Edith Frost, John Darnielle, Van Dyke Parks, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Mo Tucker, Wolfgang Flur (dear god), the B-52s especially Cindy, Kimya Dawson, Robert Wyatt, Robyn Hitchcock, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, james Blood Ulmer, Daniel Smith

... so many.

Gotta realise though that if actually do meet some of these people (the more famous) that what y're bringing into it plays a role, ie.
Do not let Mr Thomas stand around like a lemon.

― elizabeth anne marjorie, Saturday, 29 April 2006 16:06 (twenty years ago)

Did an interview with Sonic Youth over dinner at a deli many years ago, and they were very easy going and more or less as you'd expect; Thuston going on and on about rare records with occasional interjections from Kim and Lee, while Steve got some slices from the pizza joint next door. They came accros as music fans as much as musicians, lots of wisecracking about the music scene without being elitist or snarky.

― bendy (bendy), Saturday, 29 April 2006 16:14 (twenty years ago)

Gedge

― van igloo (van smack), Saturday, 29 April 2006 16:15 (twenty years ago)

Nelly

― ramon fernandez (ramon fernandez), Saturday, 29 April 2006 18:01 (twenty years ago)

David Yow: friendly chap

― Washable School Paste (sexyDancer), Saturday, 29 April 2006 18:15 (twenty years ago)

alice cooper seems really nice

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Saturday, 29 April 2006 19:58 (twenty years ago)

Coldplay and Travis. So nice and sympathetic some people consider them "boring" because there are never any scandals and never likely to be any.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 29 April 2006 20:35 (twenty years ago)

wyclef jean

My cousin ran into him in an elevator in a hotel in Oslo once, and at least from the impression she got she had nothing bad to say about him. :)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 29 April 2006 20:37 (twenty years ago)

dave grohl
dave matthews
john mayer
les claypool

(all of whose music i kind of hate, oddly enough.)
(okay, i'm slightly less sure about matthews i guess. but he seems nice in interviews.)

david yow, the one time i hung out with him (back when he was in scratch acid) was indeed extremely friendly.

― xhuxk, Saturday, 29 April 2006 20:44 (twenty years ago)

Spiral Stairs.

I've met Thurston Moore once and he was very nice even as I was drunk and a bit delirious.

― strom (strom), Saturday, 29 April 2006 21:25 (twenty years ago)

jonathan richman!

also my friend met thurston moore and kim gordon, and said they were assholes, but i think she met them by breaking into their house or something, so that sort of nullifies her opinion.

― sublime frequency (sublime frequency), Saturday, 29 April 2006 21:40 (twenty years ago)

sparks

― nique (nique), Saturday, 29 April 2006 22:12 (twenty years ago)

Sufjan Stevens.

"Oh, hey, thanks, yeah it is a nice hat. I got it over at Urban Outfitters on sale when I was shopping for clever novelty t-shirts that feature states. Did you ever see the Oklahoma one, you know with the palm tree? That cracks me up. So yeah, do you want it? The hat...hey man, it's yours. Looks better on you anyway. Yeah, so if you have a pen I'll give you my e-mail. Those were some great ideas...I mean I was holding off of New Jersey becasue of The Boss and Bon Jovi and Sinatra and Whitney Houston and everything...oh man, I almost forgot Yo La Tengo and the Misfits, they're awesome too. But now maybe I'll put Delawho? Delawhat? Delaware on the backburner."

― M. Biondi (M. Biondi), Saturday, 29 April 2006 22:15 (twenty years ago)

david bowie
jonathan richman
peter gabriel
chris martin
the lead singer dude from flaming lips
joey ramone (it's OK to name dead people, right?)

(someone upthread mentioned nelly. a friend of mine has met him and, yes, he IS a really nice guy IRL.)

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 29 April 2006 22:31 (twenty years ago)

I've heard from people who met the Clash that they were all incredibly nice and friendly and accessible. Mick Jones especially, though.

― musically (musically), Saturday, 29 April 2006 22:33 (twenty years ago)

Shiina Ringo
Cheo Feliciano

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 29 April 2006 22:42 (twenty years ago)

Elizabeth, that David Thomas link you posted was extremely entertaining.

― ratty, Saturday, 29 April 2006 22:54 (twenty years ago)

regina spektor is just about the sweetest gal you'll ever meet.

the hold steady
bjork
david byrne
mark mothersbaugh

― Emily B (Emily B), Saturday, 29 April 2006 23:05 (twenty years ago)

Rockist_Scientist, have you seen the Shiina Ringo backstage clips on google video (or elsewhere, i guess)?

― sublime frequency (sublime frequency), Saturday, 29 April 2006 23:41 (twenty years ago)

I'm not sure I've seen backstage clips. Some interviews and stuff.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 29 April 2006 23:56 (twenty years ago)

Pete Townshend

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 30 April 2006 00:35 (twenty years ago)

Syd Barrett and Brian Wilson. Just don't expect being able to have a sensible conversation with either.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 30 April 2006 00:43 (twenty years ago)

Alice Cooper sure seems OTM. As well as Ozzy Osbourne. I have to totally agree with whoever said the people whose music you hate the most always seem like the nicest. Hillarious!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Sunday, 30 April 2006 02:50 (twenty years ago)

I just realized that the thread topic invalidates my very positive opinions of Win Butler and Clint Conley, so I'll have to answer with:
Stockhausen, Bjork, Jeff Mangum, Bob Pollard ("hey, wanna beer?")

― davelus (davelus), Sunday, 30 April 2006 03:51 (twenty years ago)

Dave Grohl
Paul Simonon
Dave Murray (Iron Maiden)
Steve Earle
Eddie Spaghetti
Willie Nelson

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 30 April 2006 05:32 (twenty years ago)

sonic youth

Going only off the Thurston clips in We Jam Econo, dude seems like a douchebag, but mostly in a full of shit way, I guess, as opposed to a specifically mean.

Speaking of which... The Minutemen, of fucking course.

Also, Wu-Tang Clan, especially RZA, Ghostface, Method Man, Raekwon.

― regular roundups (Dave M), Sunday, 30 April 2006 05:58 (twenty years ago)

Dee Dee Ramone was probably nice.
Geza-X must be nice.
Varg is probably nice if he isn't killing you.

― shieldforyoureyes, Sunday, 30 April 2006 06:30 (twenty years ago)

Stockhausen

you're joking, right?

― elizabeth anne marjorie, Sunday, 30 April 2006 08:17 (twenty years ago)

Stockhausen was very friendly and chatty when I met him in Barcelona at the SONAR festival.

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Sunday, 30 April 2006 08:53 (twenty years ago)

Thurston Moore was pretty cool when me and my friend approached him one time. We introduced ourselves and he seemed like a nice normal guy. My friend asked him a question and as Thurston pondered for a moment some stupid fanboy type of guy came out of nowhere and interrupted asking something like, "oh what's your new favorite pedal?" We didn't want to bug him so we just went on our way.
The thing that makes me laugh about this is I overheard this guy asking Lee Renaldo the same question. He seemed pretty cool about it and gave him a thorough, detailed answer and then paused for a moment, saying, "ummm, I'm gonna go over here now."

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Sunday, 30 April 2006 09:29 (twenty years ago)

my faith in humanity would be completely and irrevocably shaken if I found out Don Van Vliet wasn't in fact a warm, compassionate human being

also, all three of Saint Etienne seem like they're really nice

and if I was presenting a graduate thesis to New Order, I would expect to get torn apart by all of them except Stephen Morris, who would find some really positive, constructive things to say...

― hank (hank s), Sunday, 30 April 2006 14:41 (twenty years ago)

mortiiiiiiis

― huygyug (scarlet), Sunday, 30 April 2006 15:07 (twenty years ago)

beck

― Chris Wright (DrFunktronic), Sunday, 30 April 2006 15:28 (twenty years ago)

Sarah Martin
Ludacris

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 30 April 2006 15:31 (twenty years ago)

a friend of mine had a bad experience chatting up craig finn! i think he was trying to give finn a CD after a show, and finn was like, "uhhhh, why don't you just mail that to me? talk to my label" etc.

― jaymc (jaymc), Sunday, 30 April 2006 15:38 (twenty years ago)

Nick Cave is very very friendly.
just to let you know.

― cop shoooooot, Sunday, 30 April 2006 16:34 (twenty years ago)

Rob Zombie and Dee Snyder are probably really cool dudes.

― jason. (jason.), Sunday, 30 April 2006 17:35 (twenty years ago)

Camel
AC/DC

― JohnFoxxsJuno (JohnFoxxsJuno), Sunday, 30 April 2006 17:47 (twenty years ago)

that's not rude, it's called "the traditional way of doing business."

― flea market economy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 30 April 2006 17:57 (twenty years ago)

Dee Snider seems kind of full of himself on VH1 Classic. I never liked her music but I always imagined Sarah McLachlan would be the greatest person if you met her. I feel the same way (on both counts) about Mirah. Other people I imagine to be really cool include: Bruce Cockburn, Han Bennink, Bill Frisell, Mike Mills, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Joni Mitchell, and Norah Jones. Also Robert Plant and John Paul Jones provided you were to meet them now and not in the 70s.

― Sundar (sundar), Sunday, 30 April 2006 18:44 (twenty years ago)

joni mitchell is supposed to be a real asshole (i can hear it in her music too).

sarah mclachlah looks like she would be kind of a bitch, but i'm not really sure what i'm basing that on.

― flea market economy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 30 April 2006 18:49 (twenty years ago)

um, Larry Mullen Jr?

― dr lulu (dr lulu), Sunday, 30 April 2006 19:01 (twenty years ago)

Lisa Marie Presley is incredibly nice--I had always expected her to be at the least standoffish and weird and at worst "I'm ELVIS' DAUGHTER" superbitch but there you have it.

Ghostface and Devendra Banhart.

― Jessie the Monster (scarymonsterrr), Sunday, 30 April 2006 19:06 (twenty years ago)

i bet britney spears is nice. she seems too obsessed with herself to harbor any ill will towards anyone else.

― flea market economy (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 30 April 2006 19:14 (twenty years ago)

The Finn brothers (Neil and Tim) both seem really nice and approachable. So do Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri, and Mick Karn. (David Sylvian seems really intensely private, though.)

― See Me, Repeat Me (Dee the Lurker), Sunday, 30 April 2006 20:19 (twenty years ago)

The Finn brothers are really nice. I met them in Glasgow when they were doing the tour for the first Finn brothers album.

― JohnFoxxsJuno (JohnFoxxsJuno), Monday, 1 May 2006 10:09 (twenty years ago)

I've been told that Jonathan Richman is not all that friendly, but who knows..

David Thomas protocol is OTM. I have met him a few times - and if you're asking him questions, he's very cool. If there's an awkward silence, there's no recovering.

I'll bet John Doe is a good guy...

― dave's good arm (facsimile) (dave225.3), Monday, 1 May 2006 11:39 (twenty years ago)

any of the hank williamses, dwight yoakam. dolly parton kind of takes the cake though.

― AaronK (AaronK), Monday, 1 May 2006 13:35 (twenty years ago)

Hank Williams?...I don't know...that famous shot of him, drunk and shirtless, gin-crazed eyes...I'd certainly approach with caution...

― hank (hank s), Monday, 1 May 2006 13:52 (twenty years ago)

buck owens too. i still think he'd be nice and friendly, but his progeny probably moreso.

― AaronK (AaronK), Monday, 1 May 2006 13:56 (twenty years ago)

Dolly Parton not only seems nice, but very funny as well.

Robert Smith (Shy but friendly)
Neil Tenant (Well mannered)
Elisabeth Fraser (Sweet)
Lisa Gerrard (Soft)
Céline Dion (Down to earth)

― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Monday, 1 May 2006 13:57 (twenty years ago)

Céline Dion (Down to earth)

AH hahahahahahahahaha, so incredibly OffTM I can't believe it.

― regular roundups (Dave M), Monday, 1 May 2006 15:37 (twenty years ago)

I've never met her, I think she looks goofy but funny and I'm sure she's very kind and generous.

― LeRooLeRoo (Seb), Monday, 1 May 2006 15:43 (twenty years ago)

I met Jonathan Richman in the early 90s--approached him after a show, and despite the fact that all through the show he seemed to be superfriendly and excited about EVERYTHING, he was pretty aloof.
I don't hold it against him, I mean, it's showbiz.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 1 May 2006 15:46 (twenty years ago)

I'm not exactly sure why, but Rob Thomas is the first name that immediately came to mind.

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Monday, 1 May 2006 15:48 (twenty years ago)

He seemed affable when Trailer Park Boys shook him down for a cut of his merch.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 1 May 2006 15:52 (twenty years ago)

Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright.

But yeah, Alice Cooper makes me want to pat him on a shoulder and say ~~"oh, wrinklepaws"~~ "aww it's gonna be alright"

― scnnr drkly (scnnr drkly), Monday, 1 May 2006 16:08 (twenty years ago)

If I knew how to golf, I'd love to golf with Alice Cooper.

― dave's good arm (facsimile) (dave225.3), Monday, 1 May 2006 17:22 (twenty years ago)

Agreed on Jonathan Richman - he's an engaging live performer but notoriously cranky offstage.

Bruce Springsteen seems like he'd be a cool guy to run into and chat with for a few minutes.

― mike a, Monday, 1 May 2006 17:25 (twenty years ago)

It's my personal experience, btw, that the musicians that most project "niceness" in their music/image are often the most rude or aloof - indie rockers especially. But I don't want to make this into a onstage/offstage dichotomy, as we've done that before.

― mike a, Monday, 1 May 2006 17:28 (twenty years ago)

Kate Bush.

She would offer me some tea and cakes, and we would talk of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings and why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings.

― scnnr drkly (scnnr drkly), Monday, 1 May 2006 17:37 (twenty years ago)

Ron Sexsmith. Definitely Ron Sexsmith. And Neil Finn.

― Jubalique (Jubalique), Monday, 1 May 2006 17:51 (twenty years ago)

jon anderson -- in his new-age frootloop kinda way, of course.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 1 May 2006 18:03 (twenty years ago)

The one time I met Robert Smith he was really nice, the fellow i was with was horrible to him and he was still really nice and even ended up writing to him, so i gotta think he's alright. Joe Strummer was of course the kind of bloke who would give you his last cigerette or roll you one. The only other musical person I met who did that was someone from Crass! (and that was a VERY long time ago...but they were all very friendly as well, naturally).

I've never met any of New Order as I would probably wet myself if I did (and that is so not a good look for a 40 year old) but from accounts of friends they're nice enough, esp 'ooky.

It's difficult to know really what these people are like, catch any of them on a bad day and your view of them is tainted forever.

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Monday, 1 May 2006 18:10 (twenty years ago)

The Finn brothers are really nice. I met them in Glasgow when they were doing the tour for the first Finn brothers album.

Aw, sweet! It's awesome that they live up to that kind of expectation. :)

The one time I met Robert Smith he was really nice, the fellow i was with was horrible to him and he was still really nice and even ended up writing to him, so i gotta think he's alright.

Aw, I would love to meet Robert Smith then! I'd love to give him a big hug and tell him The Cure are geniuses but would probably just end up blabbering semi-coherently to him.

FYI: Nick Rhodes and John Taylor? Nary a negative story regarding fan interactions with either one of them. And Simon Le Bon is nice to you if you're a slim, attractive young female in your early 20s, though he'd probably be attempting to get in your pants.

― See Me, Repeat Me (Dee the Lurker), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 00:15 (twenty years ago)

George harrison - very friendly.
John Lennon - asshole.
Paul mccartney - friendly but hypocrite.
Ringo star - friendly.

― white album - is it, Tuesday, 2 May 2006 15:26 (twenty years ago)

Hmm - always figured George would be the most aloof, given how many of his Beatles songs have titles like "Don't Bother Me," "If I Needed Someone" and "Think For Yourself."

― mike a, Tuesday, 2 May 2006 16:07 (twenty years ago)

never met him, but I always had assumed Luther Vandross was a great guy...(I based this on his LP cover photos and his appearance on Beverly Hills 90210)...

― hank (hank s), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 18:43 (twenty years ago)

Madness?
Surely nice people?

What about Lionel Ritchie? Bizarrely I saw him play at a private function and he was stupendously nice to the audience and I wondered what he was like backstage. I couldn't imagine he was all "right, give me my fckng money now motherfckrs" but i suppose he might have been.

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 19:29 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...

jack, the drummer from mclusky is the nicest artist i've ever had personal contact with. we shared a few pints after i spotted him in the audience at a liars show in paris, and he put me on the door for the mclusky show in sydney!

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Thursday, 17 August 2006 13:33 (nineteen years ago)

I've never met any of New Order as I would probably wet myself if I did (and that is so not a good look for a 40 year old) but from accounts of friends they're nice enough, esp 'ooky.

I met them all bar Bernrd at a J&MC gig, 1986 or so. Yep.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 17 August 2006 13:38 (nineteen years ago)

robert fripp. misjudged for 40 years.

― Scourage (Haberdager), Thursday, 17 August 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

Robert Forster & Grant McLennan of course!!!!!!! (I have met Robert Forster tho, so that's cheating)

― Dadaismus (a rattly old puffin who remembers ILX in the days when...) (Dada), Thursday, 17 August 2006 13:43 (nineteen years ago)

Most folk singers but esp. Martin Carthy... and also Robin Williamson. The overall winner is Robert Wyatt however.

― Dadaismus (a rattly old puffin who remembers ILX in the days when...) (Dada), Thursday, 17 August 2006 13:45 (nineteen years ago)

Madness?
Surely nice people?

well, interviewing people probably isn't the same as meeting and/or talking to them informally. I interviewed Suggs and some other dude from Madness in 1984 and they pulled the classic "cheers mate" for forty five minutes then when my time was up, boom it was like I wasn't there anymore, they just looked and talked right past me. I was young & naive enough to be offended but learned my lesson. journalists aren't your friends, really can't blame Madness.

conversely, I just hate it when a reviewer -- usually the indie-rock cheerleader type -- allows that artist X is an absolute sweetheart IRL. an admission of corruption/mediocrity in my book. lots of great art/music/film/literature comes from total assholes.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Thursday, 17 August 2006 13:54 (nineteen years ago)

The Dandy Warhols were the nicest musicians I ever met; Sugarcubes next - In fact I've never met anyone from Portland i didn't like (or Iceland)

― sonofstan (sonofstan), Thursday, 17 August 2006 14:08 (nineteen years ago)

but "Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole"

though Kingsley Amis & Philip Larkin called him Prickarso

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Thursday, 17 August 2006 18:20 (nineteen years ago)

And Derek and Clive, with explanation...

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 18 August 2006 07:05 (nineteen years ago)

Agreed on Jonathan Richman - he's an engaging live performer but notoriously cranky offstage.

Jonathan Richman totally just asked me for a ride home

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 18 August 2006 07:08 (nineteen years ago)

The McGarrigle Sisters - they'd be like the cool, dotty aunts you wish you had.

― timmy tannin (pompous), Friday, 18 August 2006 07:11 (nineteen years ago)

I dunno if Jonathan Richman would be alright. I'm sure he'd be a nice guy but I can imagine him lecturing you after a while.

― wogan lenin (dog latin), Friday, 18 August 2006 07:20 (nineteen years ago)

eight years pass...

Hitler

― stoomcursus rockisme (unregistered), Friday, 3 July 2015 05:24 (ten years ago)

ban 2006 ilx

― 2 jazz boys 1 jazz cup (Noodle Vague), Friday, 3 July 2015 06:16 (ten years ago)

I have told that Madness interview story (not as if it was me), as a cautionary tale about the 'niceness' of celebs. It doesn't mean Suggs and Chas aren't nice, but there's professionalism and sociability, and friendship is something else.

I'd also like to say, off topic, that this David Thomas document is still awesome.

http://www.ubuprojex.com/protocols.html

― Mark G, Friday, 3 July 2015 14:15 (ten years ago)

Alex Lifeson

― 29 facepalms, Friday, 3 July 2015 14:42 (ten years ago)

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