"Personally, their music has always helped me out of a sad mood, or when things go wrong in life, but since I have had the chance to meet them, the impact of them as humans has changed the course of my life." - Jordan
Hi Jamie, Thank-You so much for agreeing to take part in Fan Features by sharing your love for Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga. I’m really looking forward to hearing your stories and learning more both about artists. Before we begin would you mind introducing yourself to our readers?
Yes, hello! My name is Jamie, I am a 28 year old gal currently trapped in Canada because of the pandemic. I work as a cashier but have a degree in makeup artistry!
It's so lovely to meet you Jamie! So let's go back to the beginning of your journey…how did you first come to discover both artists? Was there an instant connection or was it more of a gradual discovery?
I actually discovered both artists at roughly the same time! In 2009, I knew about Lady Gaga just from a couple songs on the radio and thought she was cool, but wasn’t yet willing to take a dive to go to one of her shows. For Adam, me and my Mom used to watch American Idol just to watch some of the more…colourful singers who come through the audition doors, and we just happened to be watching when Adam came on screen. I immediately loved what he performed (I had been a pretty avid Queen fan since I was like 12), and I just loved his entire vibe. So, I continued to follow his journey through Idol, and then it spiralled from there!
I really fell for Gaga at the 2010 MMVA’s, when I had gone to see Taylor Lautner (because I thought he was cute). Well, Gaga was performing that night and I was in that audience when she lit her tits on fire, and that pretty much sealed the deal for me being a fan - I immediately began looking up everything there was about her, and in that same year, 5 months later - I went to my first Gaga concert!
I guess as soon as I saw each of them perform, televised or live, was what sealed the deal, and now it’s been over a decade!
Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga are such unique artists but what do you think it is about them that stands out in comparison to other artists in the charts today?
I think Gaga very obviously stands out in her field initially because she wore some pretty incredible and interesting fashion that a lot of the music industry wasn’t comfortable seeing before, and you can definitely see her influence on many of the pop artists around that time shortly after she came on the scene. As for her most recent album, I just think she brings such fun wonderful music, that truly speaks to her fanbase, especially now when we really need something to jam to in our homes.
Adam is just such an incredible talent, for me, his voice is what stands out from every other artist on the charts right now. He’s gone through a few different sounds with his albums, but what always shines through is that absolutely stellar voice, that is a beautiful thing to experience live.
Do you have a favourite song by each artist? Is there a story behind your choice?
Oh god - see the problem is (which I feel a lot of fans have) is that… I like a great number of songs at a very high level, haha! For Gaga, Gypsy really holds a special place in my heart - it’s about being a nomad and travelling and leaving everyone you love behind and that’s very close to what me and my best friend do - so that really does make me smile. It was also the song I went onstage with Gaga for at the Artpop Ball in Boston!
With Adam, I have to pick Fever just because… I love dancing to it as a song regardless, but it was also given to Adam BY GAGA, so that just has to be the most perfect union for me. I do also really really love one of his Bonus tracks, These Boys. It’s just so fun and airy!
One of my aims through ‘Fan Features’ is to highlight the power of music and the impact that our favourite artists make in our daily lives. With that in mind, I wanted to ask what sort of impact Adam and Lady Gaga have had in your life personally? What do they mean to you?
Personally, their music has always helped me out of a sad mood, or when things go wrong in life, but since I have had the chance to meet them, the impact of them as humans has changed the course of my life. Not only did going to various locations in the USA to see each of them find me friends who I still talk with today and who led me to meet even more important people in my life, they also inadvertently taught me crafting skills. Without the internal need for me to make cute cosplays or outfits to wear to their shows, I’m not quite sure I would be at the level I am in sewing or makeup artistry. Them being creative in their own way has allowed me to find the confidence to go to school for makeup artistry and now I hope to one day be able to afford to go to school for sewing!
Both of them mean a lot to me, and it’s difficult on a street corner or in a very short M&G to tell someone what they mean to you and how they’ve changed your life by just being who they are. My greatest goal is to one day be able to just tell them with no worry of a time limit some of the coolest and most ridiculous stories I have experienced over these last 10 years. The ability to look back on those concerts with all the friends I’ve met, the photos I have with each of them when I felt complete joy, is something I hold very near and dear to my heart, especially now when I haven’t been to a concert in over a year.
I also have a very difficult time remembering anything past a month or two, so most of the stories I have are either written down or documented in photos, and because they are both such incredible people, I have those photos/videos to look back on.
Let’s talk a little about the fanbases behind each artist; you’re a obviously a dedicated ‘Glambert’ and ‘Little Monster’, can you tell us about the relationship between the fans and the artists?
OH YAY. This is my favourite question. So, both of these artists are such truly awesome and lovely humans, there’s so many examples of how great they are with fans.
Adam has had to put up with me being a screaming fangirl for over 10 years now, and although I have calmed down significantly, even in the early days, he took the time to say hello and to stop and take photos with fans all the time! It’s one thing to stop and make it seem like you care about your fans when there are other people, media and artists around, but to do it when it is one single fan, with nobody around to see, is another thing. He doesn’t have to do anything for us, and yet he takes the time to be a kind and wonderful human to as many fans as he can. He actually just finished a set of live virtual birthday concerts and put on 2 shows on his actual birthday to give fans something after a year of no live events. He then did virtual M&G’s for 2 days where people from all over the world had the chance to speak with him. And some of the videos are so adorable and wonderful, fans who wouldn’t have the chance to meet him or haven’t yet - and he brought them such joy each day by just speaking to them.
Now, Lady Gaga is also just a shining example of how to be a wonderful person. Not only is she a beautiful person to those in need, but there are countless examples of her truly loving and being so selfless for fans. It would take pages to type out all the great experiences fans have had, but for me, I’ll detail a few of the times that this woman really didn’t have to, but she did! One of the most notable times for me was when we were waiting in line for SNL, when she and Justin Timberlake were going to be on the show. We had been out there for a few days because that’s the only way to get tickets, and on one of the days, she bought us food. With no warning, someone came up and handed out...I think it was sub sandwiches to the entire line. She also did this at another set of shows with little cupcakes. Other than literally buying us food, there is rarely a time when she would see fans either waiting after a concert or outside a hotel, where she wouldn’t stop to sign autographs or take photos with as many as she could. If situations didn’t get wild and everyone was calm, she could always hangout with us as long as she could before she was taken inside. She really does care about people who care about her, and that’s evidenced by the countless videos and photos she knows will bring that moment of joy to kids who have listened to her music to survive. She really gets it, and she shows it.
Have you been involved with any projects or events through the Glambert or Little Monster communities? I’d love to hear more about them!
I actually co-ordinated a “It Gets Better” video with a lot of fans of Adam and a few members of his team/tour crew quite a few years ago which was really quite a lovely thing - I actually think it’s still up on youtube!
Other than that, Adam always does fundraisers and money raising efforts for various charities and now his own Foundation, the Feel Something Foundation, so sometimes I will craft or sew different items and sell them to raise money to donate!
Similarly, Gaga has a charity she’s very involved with - and quite a few years ago had a bus that travelled around to promote being brave - and we drove all the way to Chicago once just to visit the bus and try to boost knowledge about it!
You briefly touched upon the friendships you've made through your favourite artists? Can you tell us more?
A large majority of my friends now have stemmed from one of these two, haha! I actually met my very best friend Courtney who I know run a decently successful drag account with… outside of Gaga’s apartment. That sounds truly insane, but in NYC, Gaga had a very well known address and would always say hi to fans outside. One of these nights, she was returning from rehearsing at the VMA’s, and my now best friend Courtney was outside the apartment like I was (both of us having travelled from Canada) and intended to give Gaga her printed thesis on her You & I video. Chaos ensued and in the chaos, Courtney was unable to give her the thesis. I, having done this many times before, saw what happened and scooted on over and got Gaga’s attention so that she came and grabbed the thesis! And thus began our friendship, haha!
What I also have is friends all over the world (quite literally) who I’ve met in lines for shows or at M&G’s, talking about our favourite people!
When your first emailed me one of the things that really caught my attention was just how loyal a fan you are. You mentioned seeing both artists over 50 times…that is serious dedication! There may be people out there wondering why on earth someone would want to see the same artist so many times? What would your response to those people be?
Haha! Yes, at this point I have seen each of them exactly 60 times live! (of the ones I have written down - there may be some I’ve forgotten) At each show, something different happens, the artist may have different chats with the artist, etc, but for the most part the shows follow a similar setlist to obviously keep it the same for each city. But for someone who attends several of the same shows on a tour, it really does just give you 2 hours of absolute joy. I love making different outfits for each show, and I think sometimes it makes the artist smile to see someone in the audience at a lot of different shows. I feel like a lot of people go to sport events that are the same sport, and dress up, so why shouldn’t I be able to do the same with my favourite artists? Specifically with these two artists as well, there are a lot of opportunities where they interact with the crowd, and to be able to have more chances to see that happen, you just have to go to more shows.
Gaga picks up letters from the audience and takes fans backstage, so I got pretty good at aiming, and I would throw not only my letters, but my friends’, and people around me who didn’t feel confident throwing, and I actually have footage of me throwing my friend’s letter, which Gaga picks up, reads, and then comments on how I throw everyone’s letters up because I just want to see everyone meet her. Which is true, as long as you are a good person, I want everyone to have the same opportunity that I have worked for, to have that few minutes of incredible joy of meeting your favourite artist.
As for Adam, he likes to talk to the audience, and one time at one of the casino shows, he looked through half the audience to where I was standing (a good halfway back in the theatre) and commented about my shirt - one that I had made to match one he wore. He also comments to the audience about how talented I am, which, knocked me out for the rest of the show. The elation I felt from that moment really made me feel like what I was doing was worth it- and I watch that video when I’m super down on myself.
I also just don’t know why people care, haha! I work at a retail job where people are so horribly rude, and I work a lot of hours, specifically for the ability to buy concert tickets. If it’s someone’s life, and it doesn’t affect you, then…. who cares! Bahaha.
I can only begin to imagine just how many incredible stories you have from your adventures following Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga on tour. Are there any you’d like to share with us?
There really are… so many stories. I’ll tell one from each artist, or I’ll be here forever!
So - for Adam’s - we (we being
myself and my friend Courtney) were in NYC to actually see Gaga at a very small Sirius XM show - when we discovered that Adam was also in town for some… mystery event. Some fans heard him rehearsing at the Hudson Yards, which is a very fancy area down by the Hudson river in NYC.
So - in a hilarious intersection of worlds, Adam was AT the same Gaga show we were at. So when we went to say hi to him after the show, he had ~had some alcoholic beverages~ and mentioned that we should come to the event he was singing at in the Hudson Yards. It was the next day, so we thought, why not! He had mentioned that it was a super chill event, and that we could see from the street without having to have tickets or anything - so, the next day, we went!
Well… we think maybe he was rehearsing when the guardrails weren’t setup yet, because when we arrived to watch from the street, we realised that was definitely not happening, haha! You couldn’t even see the screens from the street. So we had a laugh about that and then got to work. It turns out the event was meant as a real estate event to try to entice very fancy people into purchasing condos or apartments in the Hudson Yards area.
Well - as you probably have guessed, we were not the type of people meant for this event, but after asking a few of the very nice rich people who were leaving if we could… borrow their bracelets, they slipped them off and we slipped them on and walked on in! It was an absolutely hilarious evening and we got to see Adam sing a few songs, and then we left - condo-less.
For Gaga, I think the most absurd story I have is the Born this Way Ball show in Toronto. This was the tour where Gaga gave the first person in line for the GA floor, a backstage pass for you and one person, and that was called being the “Monster Pit Key Holder”.
So clearly, this was something I wanted to accomplish. So I… went and lined up 6 days in advance of the show. This would have been a breeze, I’m an only child so I can entertain myself - if the show wasn’t in winter… in a record breaking blizzard. I had a tent under an overpass, and people from sports games would leave food and coffee outside of it, and the cops came and checked on me a couple of times, but eventually I made it through and ended up being the key holder!
Those are such fantastic stories! I'm sure your bank balance was relieved to avoid such an expensive condo purchase! Having attended so many concerts it must be hard to pick a favourite! Are there any in particular that come to mind or perhaps a standout moment?
For Gaga, my favourite moment was absolutely getting to go onstage with her for Gypsy in Boston. Being able to dance with one of my favourite people, during my favourite song, on a stage I had seen so many times, was such an out of body experience. I can barely remember being up there because it was just absolute chaos brain for 3 minutes and then we lowered down onto the platform below the stage.
For Adam - his actually had to do with a Queen show - I’ve been a fan of Queen since I was 12 when my class went to go see We Will Rock You - and as a 12 year old, learning that Freddie had passed away a year before I was born, I doubted I would ever get to see them live. For one of the QAL (Queen & Adam Lambert) shows, I re-made one of Freddie’s costumes and we had managed to have front row seats, so at the end of the show, Adam tapped Brian May on the shoulder and pointed me out to him, and Brian looked over and gave a big thumbs up, and I felt like I was going to explode. I had never dreamed of even being able to see them live, and for someone as incredibly talented and legendary as Brian May to acknowledge my existence was…incredible. I’ll always be so grateful that Adam existed so that Queen could continue to tour and I could have the opportunity to not only see Queen live, but to meet Brian May and Roger Taylor.
For so many of us music lovers it feels like a lifetime since we last attended a concert and the prospect of our next is very much in turmoil. Through the fan interviews I want to celebrate live music and give fans the chance to reminisce about that euphoric feeling so with that in mind I wanted to ask you something a little different. Can you describe the emotions of seeing your favourite artists? What do you miss most about concerts?
Oh my god, I miss it so much. It’s so funny because, like I said before, even if you’ve seen the show however many times, nothing beats that moment when the show starts and the artist is revealed. It’s so wonderful to be around so many people who love the same thing you do, and who perhaps this is their first time seeing that artist. I miss the lead up, I miss making an outfit to wear and helping others make theirs, I miss being in line and talking to likeminded people about our favourite artists, telling stories, recalling when we saw each other last. I miss driving 5+ hours in a car with my best friend and stopping at all these little gas stations for snacks before we got to our destination and put our makeup on while sitting on a freezing cold sidewalk. The online live shows are wonderful and definitely help take your mind off things - but there’s nothing quite like hearing 200+ people screaming “I LOVE YOU” at an artist while you all struggle to ignore that you have to go to the bathroom and need about 2 litres of water.
Okay so we've already spoken about a few of your meets with Adam and Lady Gaga and oh my goodness are the stories fantastic! Have you kept track of just how many times you've met them both?
I have bothered these lovely people for 10+ years, meeting them for the first time both in 2010 and continuing for a decade to over 40 times each.
You’ve met them both over 40 times?! That’s insane...
It’s usually very short meetings, a hello and asking for a picture etc. I used to ask for autographs, but I usually would rather get to say hi to them and not fumble with a sharpie and a picture. I do have a few autographs and those are good enough for me! I’ve also gotten a few for people who aren’t able to travel to some of the shows.
You also had the chance to meet both artists on TV?! How did that come about?
Yes! So, Adam’s was that first time I mentioned on MOD - I had actually dressed and made him a fan book, and the producers of the show thought it would be cute to bring it up to him and get both of our reactions. I was wearing a very…. early version of my crafted looks which included a lot of iron ons and puffy paint. I was also… weeping heavily, hahahah! Not a great idea to meet your idol live on television for the first time, I’ll tell you that.
Gaga’s was on a program called 106 & Park on BET, when she was promoting Born this Way in NYC! We had applied to be in the audience, and I… once again had made a Toronto specific fan book to give to Gaga, and had dressed up, so the producers had me come up to give her the book and I… wept again. That wasn’t my first time though! I was just very excited! She actually kept the book and brought it to a concert she was performing at the next day and paparazzi got some great shots of her walking into the venue with it!
I’m sure you’ll agree that meeting the person your admire the most is one of the most nerve-wracking yet exciting experiences you’ll ever have. Do you remember how you felt that first time?
Oh it is absolutely terrifying. It was terrifying and overwhelming for me for years, and I could barely manage to get out words that meant anything.
As you go on though, you realise that these people don’t get to have a lot of real conversations with fans, and just to treat them like people, because they are, haha. I have definitely found the ability to just have a conversation with them in the moments where I am allowed a little more time with them.
The first time I met Adam, you can absolutely see the terror on my face as I am walking towards him, hahah! Your brain kind of just stops working because you watch these people on music videos and interviews and listen to their music and all of a sudden here they are, in front of you.
The first time I met Gaga was actually behind an arena after I begged my dad to drive me to another monster ball. He was actually there when I met her for the first time because I was only 17 at 1am in the winter in Detroit. The panic I felt when she opened that window and started to take pictures with everyone, was very high. Will the camera work? What do I say? Will the car drive away? How do I smile? It’s all very overwhelming but I’ve reached a point where seeing these two is like seeing cousins that I don’t see very often, haha. I also think it’s important to be calm in M&G situations for fans who have never met them, because I was that fan so many times and to have someone confirm for me that these artists are so calm and so kind, would’ve really done something for my anxiety on those days.
And did both Adam and Lady Gaga live up to your expectations? I can honestly say I’ve only heard such lovely things about both artists…
Oh, absolutely, and everything you hear is correct. Of course they’re human and they have good and bad days, but I have never had a bad experience with either of them. Even when Gaga was one show away from collapsing in pain because of her hip, she still took the time to have people backstage and make their day. They are both shining examples of what it means to be a good person and what it means to truly appreciate fans who have supported them. I can’t sing their praises high enough.
And finally, if you could recommend one song to someone who isn’t familiar with Lady Gaga or Adam Lambert, what would it be?
I would direct them to listen to anything Adam Lambert does live, his voice is truly incredible; Who Wants to Live Forever live, even though it’s a Queen song, he does beautifully. He also just did a set of live shows where he sang a medley of his old songs, including Runnin’ and Sleepwalker, which was incredible.
For Gaga, I think many people will have heard at least one song, but to really hear the beauty of her voice, a lot of the songs from A Star is Born are incredible. The story behind her singing “I’ll Never Love Again” is heartbreaking and definitely worth a listen and a read.
Thank-You so much to Jamie for taking the time to share her story here at Fan Features! It's stories like Jamie's that inspired this site and hearing the impact both artists has made in your life has truly touched my heart! Reading each word your wrote put the biggest smile on my face and I'm sure our readers will totally agree! Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga are two truly exceptional names in music today and hearing of Jamie's encounters with both artists is a fine example of their love towards their incredibly loyal fanbases!