![The Beatles: Paul McCartney was at The Woolton Parish Church Garden Fete (another rock 'n roll meet cute) in 1957 when he saw John Lennon performing with his skiffle group The Quarrymen.]()
The Beatles: Paul McCartney was at The Woolton Parish Church Garden Fete (another rock 'n roll meet cute) in 1957 when he saw John Lennon performing with his skiffle group The Quarrymen. "I remember John was good," McCartney later said. "He was really the only outstanding member, all the rest kind of slipped away." Afterwards, a mutual friend introduced the pair, and McCartney joined The Quarrymen, which later evolved into The Beatles.
![Queen: Farrokh Bulsara was studying art and design at the Ealing College of Art when he was recruited by fellow student Tim Staffel to be lead singer of his band Smile. Farrokh changed his name to Freddie Mercury, Smile changed their name to Queen, and the rest is history. Mercury later put his design skills into practice by designing Queen's iconic logo.]()
Queen: Farrokh Bulsara was studying art and design at the Ealing College of Art when he was recruited by fellow student Tim Staffel to be lead singer of his band Smile. Farrokh changed his name to Freddie Mercury, Smile changed their name to Queen, and the rest is history. Mercury later put his design skills into practice by designing Queen's iconic logo.
![Muse: This story is probably better told in the succinct words of Chris Wolstenholme:]()
Muse: This story is probably better told in the succinct words of Chris Wolstenholme: "I met Matt and Dom quite a few years before the band started because we went to school together - they were at school ahead of me, but I knew them from seeing them around town. Then a load of bands popped up out of nowhere where we lived - all of a sudden everyone wanted to play the guitar and be in a rock band. I was in a band, Matt and Dom were in another band, but theirs was on the edge of self-destruction and mine was falling apart too, so we got together from there."
![Blur: Childhood friends Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon met Alex James in 1988 when they were studying at London's Goldsmiths College. After Albarn's band Circus gradually fell apart, he recruited first Dave Rowntree, then Coxon and finally James to join his band, newly named Seymour. They later decided Blur was a much better name.]()
Blur: Childhood friends Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon met Alex James in 1988 when they were studying at London's Goldsmiths College. After Albarn's band Circus gradually fell apart, he recruited first Dave Rowntree, then Coxon and finally James to join his band, newly named Seymour. They later decided Blur was a much better name.
![Paramore: Hayley Williams met brothers Josh and Zac Farro at the age of 13 at a weekly supplemental programme for home-schooled students. (So rock 'n roll, right?) The band are said to have been]()
Paramore: Hayley Williams met brothers Josh and Zac Farro at the age of 13 at a weekly supplemental programme for home-schooled students. (So rock 'n roll, right?) The band are said to have been "edgy about the whole female thing", but eventually conceded thanks to Williams' talents for not only performing, but writing music. How generous of them.
![The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards went to the same school as children, but it wasn't until a chance meeting on the train years later that they struck up a friendship. In a 1962 letter to his aunt Patty, Richards wrote:]()
The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards went to the same school as children, but it wasn't until a chance meeting on the train years later that they struck up a friendship. In a 1962 letter to his aunt Patty, Richards wrote: "Anyways the guy on the station, he is called Mick Jagger and all the chicks and the boys meet every Saturday morning in the 'Carousel' some juke-joint well one morning in Jan I was walking past and decided to look him up. Everybodys all over me I get invited to about 10 parties. Beside that Mick is the greatest R&B singer this side of the Atlantic and I dont mean maybe. I play guitar (electric) Chuck style we got us a bass player and drummer and rhythm-guitar and we practice 2 or 3 nights a week. SWINGIN'."
![Nirvana: When Dave Grohl was touring the US with Scream - the band he joined at 17 after dropping out of high school - they played a show in Seattle. Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, who had already released an album as Nirvana, were in the audience and asked Grohl to audition for their band. Writing in his diary of Grohl's audition, Cobain wrote,]()
Nirvana: When Dave Grohl was touring the US with Scream - the band he joined at 17 after dropping out of high school - they played a show in Seattle. Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, who had already released an album as Nirvana, were in the audience and asked Grohl to audition for their band. Writing in his diary of Grohl's audition, Cobain wrote, "He beats the drums like hes beating the shit out [of peoples] heads."
![Arctic Monkeys: The band formed at school when they were teenagers. In 2003, when Turner was 16, they played their first ever gig to a handful of onlookers at a local Sheffield pub. They earned just 27 quid between them. Turner, who had previously been too shy to sing, rattled out tunes like 'Ravey Ravey Ravey Club' and 'Curtains Closed' and a White Stripes cover or two.]()
Arctic Monkeys: The band formed at school when they were teenagers. In 2003, when Turner was 16, they played their first ever gig to a handful of onlookers at a local Sheffield pub. They earned just 27 quid between them. Turner, who had previously been too shy to sing, rattled out tunes like 'Ravey Ravey Ravey Club' and 'Curtains Closed' and a White Stripes cover or two.
![Metallica: Metallica's formation came about in the most cliched way possible - Lars Ulrich placed an ad in a local paper. The ad read:]()
Metallica: Metallica's formation came about in the most cliched way possible - Lars Ulrich placed an ad in a local paper. The ad read: "Drummer looking for other metal musicians to jam with Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head and Iron Maiden." It worked.
![Blink-182: Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge were introduced by Hoppus' sister, who was dating DeLonge's friend Kerry Key. The pair clicked instantly, and played for hours in DeLonge's garage. During one of their early encounters Hoppus, in a desperate bid to impress his new friend, fell from a lamppost, cracked his ankles and was on crutches for three weeks.]()
Blink-182: Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge were introduced by Hoppus' sister, who was dating DeLonge's friend Kerry Key. The pair clicked instantly, and played for hours in DeLonge's garage. During one of their early encounters Hoppus, in a desperate bid to impress his new friend, fell from a lamppost, cracked his ankles and was on crutches for three weeks.
![Coldplay: After meeting during their orientation week at UCL, Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland spent the rest of the year planning a band - Pectoralz. Thankfully, after recruiting the rest of their bandmates - who were also students - and briefly being called Starfish, they settled on the name Coldplay. Somehow, we can't imagine Pectoralz having quite the same success.]()
Coldplay: After meeting during their orientation week at UCL, Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland spent the rest of the year planning a band - Pectoralz. Thankfully, after recruiting the rest of their bandmates - who were also students - and briefly being called Starfish, they settled on the name Coldplay. Somehow, we can't imagine Pectoralz having quite the same success.
