The Group - nice blokes

[Rusco]

I thought to make a topic about all the different members that have played in NMA and the newest group they have now. It's about what kind of persons they they feel like? Do you have a special favourite over the others?

Ok, most of us could choose Mr. Sullivan for sure. Some of us have met him and talked for a moment or two. But the rest of the group are great persons too!

I have met Nelson, Dean White, Michael Dean (quickly) and Gill Marshall too. Personally, I like Mr. DW a lot. He feels like a guy with a lot of sense of humour. Relaxed and nice bloke. I can see that Shush' comment about Q&A sessions about funniest detail: "Dean White shouting at the computers"... Great fella.

So, please tell about your moments when you've met someone of them.

Cheers

[Red]

First met Justin years ago and have a chat whenever I can, he asks how my family are doing especially as he remembers my partner being pregnant with my daughter (born 7/2/96) is she was born male she would have been christened Sullivan

As for the rest of the current band I went drinking with them in Greece (November 2013) before the gig in Athens, had a good chat with Michael about football, he's a Liverpool fan,if they're about I'll  have a quick chat if they have time before or after a gig.

Never hassle them though as they also need time to relax

Had a good chat with Marshall a few weeks ago when Blackballed played at a private party that I was at in Sheffield

As for others associated with the band etc I keep in touch with Joolz and see her when I can and used to keep in touch with Rev Hammer as he was going to be my daughters god parent but it never happened due to me not keeping up the contact.

 

[Pol]

Never had much contact with the band. Got to shake Justins hand after a red sky coven gig but that was it a brief handshake. All the guys minus Justin were in the pub having their dinner in Glasgow during the bdaw tour didn't want to disturb them so basically just said hello and shook each of their hands as they were leaving. Spoke to Michael for about a minute after the last Xmas gig in Nottingham he seemed really nice. I don't know i find kinda difficult i don't want to come across as a mad stalker or something.

[Rusco]

I know what you mean about a mad stalker, Pol. For example I've had only couple of times I've chatted quickly with JS. One of them was a JS & DW gig in Helsinki. After the gig while Justin was collecting his equipment from the stage I went there immediately. I said loudly: Whoa! What a F****** great gig! Wow, please have a beer with us there! (...) Well, he was maybe a little surprised about the way we Finns tend to talk. He shaked hands and smiled, but didn't answer anything. No wonder why... Eeh.

During the first BDAW tour I went to Ceri to show a photo about him at the stage. It must have been quite strange feeling with him because you know he had started in the band.

Oh, these are nice memories all of them. Also, nice to hear Red all those details about Rev, MD and JS.

[Amandistan]

  As far as band members go the three that I have spoken to most are Dean, Marshall and Justin. All nice guys.
I have spoken to the other two as well but sadly not as much. I never once exected for band members to be geniunley interested in speaking to me when I first started following  but NMA are different.

Let's not forget their crew though. They are great to chat with. Dave Mock, Paul, Matt and Daz and all the rest.  They are some truley amazing people. If ever you get the chance talk to the people behind the scenes who don't get as much attention as deserved.

[Sequoia225]

Since they started coming to the states again in 2002 - gigs were small compared to what you deal with in Europe - so many opportunities to hang out and speak to them, before and after the gigs, and they have all seemed fairly interested in making small connections with the fans here.
I always get a bit shy in those situations, just part of my personality perhaps as I was very shy in my youth, I worked in music studios for a long time and never had a problem working with and meeting many big musicians, of which some were cool, some were not, but I get strangely shy and awkward in the "fan" situations. Maybe because when I was a 14 year old and met Siouxsie and the band in a van behind the theater they played in, the guitar player was yelling that they were still sitting there dealing with fans and that moment forever made me subconsciously feel the fans are just an annoyance. hahaha Actually Siouxsie and Budgie couldn't have been nicer to me and my very young friends.

The little bit I have spoken to Justin and a few of the band members at gigs they have always seemed genuinely interested in interacting with the fans, as opposed to some bands. It cant be easy for them, touring schedules are grueling and some days you just dont feel like being social, but they have always been gracious. Ive seen Justin really hold his patience when a fan started a heated argument with him about some political issue and made a little scene in the venue after a show.
 
One time I made the mistake of asking Justin the meaning behind one of my fave old songs, when I KNOW artists hate to explain lyrics to people. hahaha Sorry Justin. "Far Better Thing" just seems so specific yet vague and the lyrics intrigue me. But fair enough, it was a dumb question.
I remember Michael Dean showing me the wound on his foot from a shark bite after a day of surfing before the gig.   Always a fun time at their gigs and I think we have it pretty fortunate here BECAUSE the crowds and gigs werent so big, esp the early acoustic gigs.

I always take my personality into account too, I mean, I am very nice and talkative and love to joke and laugh with people I know well, but I tend to be more quiet and reserved with a bunch of strangers, esp in bigger crowds, which sometimes comes off mistakenly as snobby or moody, so I think if I was one of the band members, I would get looked at as not the friendliest of the bunch, so I keep that in mind when I notice who is the more quiet and reserved of the group.

[Tony S]

Thanks to my girlfriend getting in touch with the band when it was my 50th birthday, I got invited to go to their soundcheck at the Forum in London a couple of years ago. Met and chatted with Daz Scanlon for a bit, and then he said when the band had finished soundchecking, he'd get someone to come and speak to me. Turned out to be Justin he brought over    Had a little chat with Justin for a few minutes, and when he had to go, I just mentioned how much I was enjoying the BDAW album, but that it had ruined my car's speakers ! He turned and laughed, and said "It would do. It's done the same to mine" 

[Amandistan]

Thanks to my girlfriend getting in touch with the band when it was my 50th birthday, I got invited to go to their soundcheck at the Forum in London a couple of years ago. Met and chatted with Daz Scanlon for a bit, and then he said when the band had finished soundchecking, he'd get someone to come and speak to me. Turned out to be Justin he brought over    Had a little chat with Justin for a few minutes, and when he had to go, I just mentioned how much I was enjoying the BDAW album, but that it had ruined my car's speakers ! He turned and laughed, and said "It would do. It's done the same to mine" 

Nice story!  I am glad you got do that!