Meeting Ed Sheeran. Should you meet your idols?

This is a question I have previously never been asked until after it happened to me.

Should you meet your idol? A popstar? An artist? A comedian?

Some people strongly believe that meeting your idol isn't a good idea as the idea and admiration you have of them may purely be fantasy. Will they be the person you believe them to be? You listen to this persons music every day on the way to work and watch them every time they're on the tv - you feel as if you know them. You're connected with them. But will they live up to expectations? 

Meeting Ed before The Steamboat Tavern... 

I first fell in love with Ed Sheeran and his music in 2009 when his videos started appearing on YouTube. I found him creative, his music is amazing, the lyrics just appealed to me and from then on I was hooked.

In January 2012 I first went to one of his gigs at Brixton Academy and I remember dreaming that I would see him after or he would speak to me. Needless to say out of 2000 people I didn't have a chance! Everyone can dream though aye!

I knew after 2012 it would be a long time before I went to another gig of his or had a chance to meet him - he went to America to play gigs and write a new album. I followed what he was doing on Facebook and Twitter until this year when he finally released his album X in June 2014.

A Screen Shot of my Secret Gig Booking..

Prior to the release of his new album, Ed did a series of free gigs around the world. After moaning about my job being boring I finally felt ecstatic that I could check my social networks during the day! I booked 2 free tickets to a gig in Ipswich for Ed Sheeran at a Secret Venue! I remember phoning my mum from work and being so overwhelmed that this had happened to me - I cried on the phone! Reading on social networks at how many people tried to get tickets for this gig and couldn't manage - I felt so privileged.


On Sunday 5th May 2014 me and my friend drove the 2.5 hours to get to Ipswich and stayed in a B&B for the night to ensure we were at the front of the crowd. I imagined there to be 200-300 people at the venue - THERE WERE NO MORE THAN 30 ! Imagine that - being in a pub with your idol standing 2ft in front of you singing with his guitar. Crazy. Even now it makes me smile every time I think of it! 

Ed playing at The Steamboat Tavern Ipswich.
 So Close I couldn't fit him all in the photo. 

I had decided since I knew who Ed was that I would have his autograph tattooed on to me if I ever met him. I already had 'Give a little time to me' tattooed around my wrist and it made sense to carry on my Ed Sheeran theme.

I love tattoos and it just made sense to have one that meant so much to me and had such a story to go with it. If anybody ever asks about my tattoo I can tell them about the day I met him and how amazing it was. Every time I look at the tattoo I can remember how that day made me feel. I aim to have a sleeve finished with different pieces of art of Ed and his music, I won't tell you any of my ideas until its finished, but I look forward to finishing it! 

Ed Signing my Arm... 

I had considered all of the things in my head that I wanted to say if I ever met him - yet when he came out to speak to everybody - I couldn't speak. It's not very often I am speechless! But on this occasion I didn't know what to say and I could not believe that not only had I met Ed, he had agreed to sign my arm!

He was so nice about it, he asked me if I was going to have it tattooed and said he hoped it doesn't hurt - he was everything I imagined and he went along the line speaking to all of his fans. He took photos with everybody and chatted to the guys in the queue that played the guitar.

Starstruck 

When somebody says to you 'I am on top of the world' - do you actually think they are? Do you think anyone can ever feel like they are on top of the world? Believe me - the way I felt that day and even now when I look at these photos is out of this world. Euphoric. I have never ever felt like that before - I'm not sure if it was adrenaline or just pure shock that I had finally met my idol. 

I have heard that meeting your idol can shatter your image of them and destroy your fantasy - I strongly believe that this isn't true. I have only ever met one person that I would love to meet but the feeling that it has given me and the amount of happiness I felt from it just doesn't warrant the comment that you shouldn't meet your idol. I'm not saying that every person you meet will fulfil all of your dreams and some people are probably very disappointed when they finally meet their idol but I would say most people aren't. 

Personally I believe that if you are disappointed when you meet your idol - then they are not worthy of being admired in such a way or you do not admire them enough. An idol is somebody you look up to, somebody that you have blind admiration to, whatever they do is the right thing to do - above anyone else like them. 


All I can say is that if you ever have a chance to meet the person that you look up to like no other person - then do it. I am 99% sure it won't disappoint you. If I could share the feeling with everybody in the world, I would. Purely because everybody would be so happy and I am sure nobody would fight because that feeling of being so high is indescribable. 

T-shirt and Tattoo of my Idol. Ed Sheeran. 

Who is your idol? Who would you love to meet or who have you met? Did it live up to your expectations? 

Let me know by leaving a comment below or tweeting me @guntherams