The Smiley Smile Message Board

I have been a fan since 1981, and would like to know who I need to speak with in order to secure backstage or meet and greet passes for the upcoming Beach Boys concerts in Germany. Any help would be most welcome. PM if you prefer.

Regards
Dwight

Go to the backdoor of the venue, look for head security guard Jim Thompson, mention the secret password: surfboard, and you're in. 

Kidding.

I'm not sure how many concerts you attend, Mooger but it's never easy to score backstage passes to concerts.  FYI, security guards are  the last people who would grant you backstage access as they are not directly associated with the Beach Boys production  They have no idea about backstage passes nor have the power to grant anyone such access.  They are about 10 layers removed away from the actual people who are responsible for those decisions.

So who exactly would grant access?  People more higher up the chain than a security guard: tour managers, production managers or someone from the band can help.  But asking any of them would still be irrelevant if the band does offer and meet and greets on tour.  If they are not having organized meet and greets on the tour, no one is going to organize a meet and greet for one single fan who scored a backstage pass.  Considering this will be a high profile tour, security and access might be harder than any other act.  I'm not sure Mike and Bruce's Beach Boys even offer a meet and greet---I can't see them having one for the new tour. 

Hope this has help some...I have scored many autographs and meeting my favorite celebs outside of venues and have spent much time learning all this.  Most security guards aren't nice people and as described above, although  you think they might be the most accessible because they're standing out there and you assume they're the key master to the whole thing--- but they almost never are able to help.

You're going to have to show up to the venue 10 hours earlier than doors open, hope you meet a band member, and then hope you can woo the band member enough to give you passes.

If it's at a venue where there's a "pit" as opposed to seats, if you show up early and get right in front of the stage, you can buddy up to the security guards and sometimes they'll go and get you a setlist or get something signed if they're lucky enough.

You could ask Scott Totten, he posts here and there on this board. As far as I know he arranged some kind of "meet and greets" and Mike and Bruce are quite open to something like that.

Basically, anybody that is a member of Smileysmile.net/board gets free access!!   ;)

I know this doesn't help you but I was at a Brian Wilson gig in Portsmouth, UK in 2005 I think and was sat around in my seat after the show, still in awe form the gig watching someone give out the backstage passes near us. He literally got to the end and had 2 left and handed them to my friend and I. I then went backstage, met the man himself, got his autograph and shook his hand. Quite literally one of the moments of my life. I wish I could go back and thank that guy even more than I did.

Again, not to rub it in but to say that these things can happen.

I think I will do the tried and true, "its not what you know its who you know" method and organize this directly via the media organization I work for and deal directly with the concert promoters via a press-pass. Something tells me if all that fails, my "no amount is too much" approach should get someone motivated enough to issue something.

I must be wired different to most but these meet and greets or forced encounters turn me off. An artist knows it goes with the deal but he or she in most cases does not want to be there.

Think about your own job. You put in your 8 hours then someone or group want you to talk the same b/s for another hour or so. You don't want to do it and why should  the artist. Leave them alone. You have shown your respect and admiration for their work by going to the show. Leave it at that!

Well maybe the artist who doesnt like meet and greets ought to consider another less demanding career. I've done book signings and I love chatting to the little folk, because they are the very people who allow me to have an income based on my work. Without them I'd still have a manuscript lying around the house. I will always have time for them, even if I must tell the same story over and over again. If they don't want to meet people, then the promoter should ban back stage acces for everybody.

Fine for legit meet and greets (we have had enough discussions on this site about how much Brian hates them) but the above quote crosses the line IMO.

Brian's band are doing these shows right..

Those guys a are meant to be really cool, never had the luck of running into them but I've read stories where they let people backstage at request

The Germany shows are massive though so the odds might be a lot smaller

Ive gotten backstage by useing the old "Just look like you know where you are going" routine! Met Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins , and the best one was ,sittin with Dennis Wilson and talkin for about 20 minutes. No backstage pass ,just act like you belong there!

Jesus, what a patronizing attitude.

Maybe he's a children's author?  ;D

Come off it you pack of holier-than-thou-crusaders. Cant anyone post anything on here without getting an barrage of hostile attacks? So now what, if I am happy to pay the organizers a significant fee, that is crossing the line is it?

Yeah I'm the most patronizing arsehole that ever walked the face of the earth. Surely this board is not so bereft of english comprehension that with a little bit of imagination one could get what I meant. Simply replace "little" with "most welcome and most normal on the statistical curve" and perhaps your anger may be somewhat abated.

Can we start taking deep breaths and thinking things through before posting. Is that too much to ask. Geez, my original question was not intended to start World war Three. I swear it.

Be sure to make sure your blades are well and truly sharpened before you respond.

I asked for 30 minutes with the band, no response yet. Hope this helps.

Yes, that works very well. Being able to worm your way into the soundcheck has been extremely successful for me. I've found that conditions can be loose with everyone including members of the band just kind of hanging out doing bits of songs and generally fooling around. One such experience netted roughly an hour with Brian which included him doing a 15 minute phone interview-he was sharp, funny and totally relaxed.

Dang what a religiously insensitive and offensive preface.

It's OK, Mooger, there are some kiddies on this board that don't respect their elders. Just let it go - everything's cool. Then down the road on another thread, when they least expect it, just lower the wrecking ball on their heads and there's your reciprocation.   ;D

It's really very simple.

1 - right place, right time, or...

2 - knowing the right people.

The tricky bit is spending years - decades -  getting to know the right people.  :)