This is really cool, thanks for sharing joyful, and would love to hear more about your encounter with Thom? How did it make you feel?
Ok, so here's what happened.
I'd heard that the band was signing stuff for fans by the tour bus every night, but I knew I wasn't going to do that. It's never a goal for me, though it has happened a couple of times by chance. But I generally tend to abide by the "never meet your idols" advice.
So, I deliberately did not go stand in the long line by the bus behind the theater. I was simply standing to the side in front of the theater about to call an Uber when suddenly a security person shouted "no Jonny tonight but Thom is coming out shortly." Then I realized a line had formed behind me while I was busy texting with a friend, and that I was 5th in that line. The word soon reached the bus line, and I felt bad for them as they came around front to join the real line, whereas I had unintentionally, effortlessly, landed at the front of a line I didn't know existed.
And suddenly he was standing right there. It all happened so fast I didn't have time to be nervous, nor time to think of anything to say, and had nothing for him to sign. When it was very quickly my turn I just walked up and said "Hey, Thom!" and he say "Hey!" Then I remembered I had an actual ticket because that was the only option in the W.A.S.T.E. presale, so I pulled that out, feeling quite stupid about it. He signed it, I said a nice thing about the show, thanked him for coming out, and told him to come to my city sometime. He smiled and said "Alright!"
It barely even counts as "meeting" someone but that's how these things go.
I neither made a fool of myself nor made any impression whatsoever. But it was indeed thrilling to have a brief face-to-face interaction with him, to have Thom Yorke look me in the eye and smile, acknowledging my existence. I find it to be nearly miraculous every time I am fortunate enough to even be under the same roof as Thom & Jonny, let alone unexpectedly face-to-face with Thom. After my moment, I stepped back and hung out watching everyone else's interactions. I loved seeing the nervous faces approach him, and then the glow as they walked away.
Thom is not exactly warm and fuzzy, and it's probably safe to say this isn't his favorite part of the job. Yet he was lovely doing it. He gave out hugs when asked (I wouldn't dare!), and even initiated a few with people who seemed to be familiar fans to him. There were lots of fist bumps and jokes, and he gave extra attention to kids and those with physical challenges. He also shouted to a guy he saw taking his picture (we'd been told repeatedly NO PICTURES OF ANY KIND and the security guard made us put our phones away entirely) but he wasn't mean about it— just "hey! did you just take my picture?" — and security made the guy delete it. Fair enough, I thought.
So yeah, despite my general reluctance to get anywhere near someone I adore as much as I adore every member of Radiohead, it was special. He was aloof as you'd expect, but not intimidating, and he generously, patiently, gave every single person in that block and half line his attention. He looked great—shorter hair, beard groomed, more handsome and taller than expected.
The end.
