I met Mike Portnoy!

cap'n

Member
And through sheer coincidence! I went into the store where I take drum lessons and it just so happens that he was sitting there doing a meet & greet. Right after my drum lesson I got him to sign my sticks and poster for my buddy.
DT isn't my favorite but I certainly respect his skills.
So, I wonder, what "famous" drummers has anyone else here met through sheer coincidence?
 
I haven't met any from sheer coincidence - yet. I was lucky enough to take a lesson from Navene Koperweis, the drummer of Animals as Leaders. I also got to talk with Billy Rymer from Dillinger on the Warped Tour.
 
Sal Abruscato from Brooklyn hardcore band Life Of Agony


I've also met the drummer of English Hardcore crew Stamping Ground
 
Benny Greb, Dom Famularo, Stanton Moore, Steve Ferrone, John Blackwell, Ray Luzier, Terry Bozzio, Felipe Torres, and Paul Quin, agent to the stars. These were all at clinics at my local music shop so not really coincidence.
 
My girlfriend bumped into (literally) Nicko McBrain before an Iron Maiden gig a few years ago. She had no idea who he was, so she just apologised and went on her way. She was later told who he was :)
 
I personally haven't met any drummers out of sheer coincidence but I just recently heard that a friend of mine did. Funny story... (sort of)

My friend is a police officer near Seattle. He got a call a while back to respond to a bar because some guy was being harassed by several patrons. My friend shows up...and it's Alan White from Yes. He's not a big music fan so he was only casually aware of him. Apparently they talked outside for quite a while after everything was settled. He said Alan was a very nice guy.
 
Last year I went to see Rudder in the gym hall of a school. First of all I asked
Tim Levebvre (of all the people walking around) for the way to the right room,
in German of course. I must admit I didn't recognized him.

Then later, before the show, I went to the toilet and bam, I stood right next to
Keith Carlock who was relieving himself. Funny moment :).
 
I was at Donn Bennett's drum shop a couple years ago to pick up some snare wires during my lunch hour, so I was in kind of a rush. I walked in the door and made I beeline for the side wall where they have all that stuff. There was a half dozen people sort of standing between me and where I was going so I tried to maneuver my way through them (it's a pretty tight little drum shop). Then I noticed a bright light and a video camera. They were filming an interview with Carmine Appice and I walked right into the middle of it! I was like, "Oh shit, sorry guys!" and backed out as quickly as I could. Didn't actually meet him, though.

Another time when I was in San Diego I saw Tommy Aldridge in a record store. I did my best to avoid him thinking he didn't want to be bothered, but I couldn't help thinking, "OMG, that's Tommy Aldridge!" Never did say anything to him.

There are few others that I actually have met (Bill Bruford, Matt Cameron, Sean Kinney, Benny Greb, ...), but they don't make for very interesting stories I'm afraid.
 
No coincidences here either...but I've met Terry Bozzio, Vinnie Coliauta, Gregg Bissonette, Billy Cobham, Louie Bellson, Akira Tana, Buddy Rich, Art Blakey, Jojo Mayer,Tommy Alderidge, Joe Franco,Joe Travers, Steve Gadd, Terri Lynn Carington,....sheesh I know there are others I am forgetting now....

Some stories

Bozzio I have met twice now....nice guy
Bellson...everything you hear about him having been a nice guy is true...talked to him for 20 minutes once
Rich...tried to get autograph 3 times ( "10 minutes at the bus " he kept replying) I actually helped tear down his kit and load it onto the bus in 1986 after being asked if I wanted to by his driver. Great night. Roadie for Buddy Rich? Hell ya-Wow.
Jojo Mayer most recent one i have met was again a really nice guy.
Billy Cobham...very serious demeanor that day...played a clinic while I was in College. Great.
 
Between working in various drum shops, going to PIT, living in Los Angeles, working/attending numerous NAMM shows, the list would take all day to type out of everyone I've met.

Some of the more random ones, that do not involve a clinic, store, NAMM or any actually drumming event would be:

I was once on the same airplane as Greg Bissonette. We weren't sitting together though.

On different occasions, I have ran into John Tempesta and Kenny Arnoff at night clubs.

Once at a small jazz club, I was watching Greg Bissonette, and Matt Sorum came over and asked if he could share my table with me. This was right in the middle of Guns and Roses mania, and Matt was home on a small break in-between legs of their world tour. The waitress accidentally put my beer on this tab and he paid it. I found him in the parking lot to tell him of the error, but he didn't seemed to concerned.
 
Studied with Sonny Emory for a few weeks. Have met Virgil Donati, Ralph Humphries, Smitty Smith, Jeremy Hummel, Eric Singer, Eddie Bayers, Tommy Wells.
 
Dale Crover, not really by coincidence, at a show. He was tuning his drums before gig. Coady as well. Tama star classic bubinga in gold sparkle. He has a 28 inch crash, 2002.
 
I met, of all people, Dave Lombardo in a Catholic church service in Denver Colorado about 8 years ago. I was there with my wife and I looked over in the pew and it hit me who it was. As a huge Slayer fan, I about freaked. I also know how many leave after communion and I told my wife to make sure we kept an eye on him as I wanted to meet him. During the part of the service where you shake peoples hands and say hello, I asked it he was Dave and he smiled and said yes. After the service we spoke out front, I got an autograph and tickets to the show. He told me I was the first Slayer fan he had ever met in a church. My wife met me playing in an oldies act so she about freaked at the look of the crowd that night but I assured her it would be a blast, and it was. Kinda goes to show how much a lot of showbiz is marketing and not "Slayer are satanists"
 
I've met Taylor Hawkins before, really really nice guy! Great guy even!
He signed my Taylor Hawkins album and I got a picture with him.
He's smaller than he looks

Also seen John Tempesta the other night, never met him though. It was at a clinic, I really wanted to stay back and ask him stuff and get his autograph, sadly my dad was being impatient and said "Lets go" :/
 
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