There have always been a couple of unwritten rules that applied to meeting band members (or any kind of “famous” people for that matter): be kind, be appreciative, don’t freak out. Yet at the same time I have witnessed countless of times basically all of them being broken which results in other fans’ and mostly the band’s discomfort. That’s why I decided (with a little help of some of your suggestions through the SP.cz Twitter and Facebook) to do a list of 10 things that you should never let happen, in order for you and everyone else to have a good time with these people. Here it is:
The SP members always take their time to spend as much time as they can with their fans, so they usually never leave without signing everyone’s things or taking pics with all the fans around (of course that always depends on the bus call and schedule in general), so be patient and wait till it’s your turn to talk to them/have things signed/take a picture and don’t try to force your way in. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t like other people to do to you.
Simple Plan are already sharing an incredible amount of information about themselves with their fans and the only thing they ask for is to have at least their personal lives kept private. So please stay away from asking questions about these things. They are truly none of your business.
If they’re currently in your country, chances of them knowing when they’re gonna be back are very slim. Also, they will most probably not reveal to you any tourdates that haven’t been officially announced yet. Try using your precious time with them to ask questions they might actually give you a proper answer to.
I know that meeting people who mean the world to you can be quite emotional, but you don’t wanna ruin this opportunity! Don’t freak out, don’t pass out, just try to stay as calm as you can (you can, of course, fangirl/fanboy on the inside all you want – just try not to let it out).
If you already have your signature and/or a picture and you see that there are still other people in line, be fair and let them have their time with the band member too. Perhaps if you see that a band member has nobody around anymore and seems in no hurry, then you can try to go and talk to him again.
If you meet any Simple Plan member at a place that is not Simple Plan-related, be very careful and consider very cautiously if it is okay to approach them and ask for a picture/autograph. There are cases when doing such thing could be very inappropriate – e.g. when they’re at a restaurant with their families or doing any other sort of private stuff.
Don’t move means don’t move! If you are asked by the band, the crew or the security to do something or not to do something – obey without hesitating! They’re only doing it for everyone’s safety.
With such a busy schedule, it is understandable that sometimes it happens that the guys are not in the best mood ever. Be considerate if you see they obviously have a lot on their minds and are tired as hell. And don’t let that affect your impression of them. Everybody has a bad day every once in a while.
Getting a kiss or a hug is fine as long as you ask for it first and if the band member is okay with it. Never try kissing/jumping anyone without their permission. Same thing applies to flashing your body parts or inappropriate touching.
Probably one of the most important rules that applies to whenever you meet anybody (any band member or any other person in general) – screaming scares people. And you don’t want them to be scared of you and come across as the “crazy fan”, do you? Always remember – they are normal people, just like you and me. If you scream, they’ll run away. If you don’t – they’ll hang out with you and respect you way more. Plain and simple.
