(Copyright 2001. Al rights reserved).
All characters and events are fictitious.
* * * * *
"What the fuck?" Dave staggered backwards from the force of Marianne running into him.
He turned his head to watch her running off down the corridor. Something was wrong he thought watching her short skirt flicking from side to side as she ran giving flashes of her knickers. They still had fifteen minutes of their set to run.
He couldn't be bothered with her problems now. That bastard Geordie had gone back onto drugs. They had postponed this tour once because of him. They had to go this time. What the fuck were they to do? Perhaps H could get Jem Green to join them. He had played on a lot of the tracks on their last album when Geordie was in the clinic. He was good.
That might solve the long-term problem but what were they to do tonight? Get out there and hope Geordie could play the whole set?
He could hear a rumbling noise from the stadium. H was coming towards him.
"Can you get on stage now?" He asked. "That bitch Marianne has run off and the crowds getting restless."
"Why what happened?" Dave asked in return.
"The lesbians." H replied. "I think they went too far."
Dave could see Merry, Roberta and Lorraine ahead. They seemed to be arguing with the stadium promoter, his staff, security and the stage staff at the same time.
"Come on." Dave said turning to the others.
There was an open bottle of Jack Daniel's and some paper cups on a table by the steps leading up to the stage. One of the roadies had half filled some. He picked one up and took a drink. He felt the fiery spirit burn a path into his stomach and attack the butterflies congregating in there. He drank again.
He could see Nat and her party standing in a group at the rear of the wing. Nat lifted her hands and shrugged her shoulders in question. What could he say? He just smiled and waved and led the group out onto the stage. The roadies were still fitting up their instruments as they appeared into view of the crowd. The mutterings and mumbling suddenly changed to screaming and applause.
Jeff took centre mike and spoke into it.
"How's it going?" He asked.
The crowd erupted again. Some notes from the keyboards came over the speakers. Dave looked across the stage to Geordie. He looked all right. He played some notes on his own guitar as did Mike and Jeff. Larry, behind them, hit each drum in turn.
"Okay." Jeff said into his mike. "Lets go."
The opening notes of their first song were drowned by the noise of the crowd. Hands were raised into the air already. People were swaying from side to side. Jeff was singing. Dave moved closer to his own mike and added his voice to the backing vocals. The girls were in good voice. He looked to where they were sharing a mike on a raised platform towards the rear of the stage near the piano. They looked good as well.
He looked again at Geordie. He was sweating already. Singing into his mike. Waving, one handed, to the crowd. They responded with a roar.
They played two old favourites then Jeff introduced the next set of three. New songs from their latest album. They had been played on local radio stations during the past few weeks so they wouldn't be completely new to the locals in the crowd. The album was to be released for sale at midnight that evening. H's idea. Great marketing ploy he said. Well, they would see.
This part of the concert was going out live on satellite TV. He hoped they had chosen the tunes well. The single had done well. Technically it was their best album yet. He knew he was maturing as a songwriter and the act itself was becoming more polished. If only Geordie. Why have him on keyboards? Because he couldn't play the guitar. He could sing okay. And the girls loved him. Only he didn't love the girl's back. Everyone in the group knew, so did 'H'.
They finished the set. It had gone well. Now it was his turn to play the piano for a couple of ballads to let everyone catch their breath. He placed his guitar on its stand and moved to the piano stool. He was suddenly conscious that Nat would be watching him. Why had he agreed that they could stay backstage? If they were out in the crowd he would have known she was there but to have her backstage where she could see everything he was doing. He had always felt nervous when he had played in front of her. He knew he was good but she was exceptional.
He could see her. She was smiling, waving. The rest of her party was jumping up and down. Huge smiles upon their faces. Tits bouncing. He hoped they were staying for the party.
He played a scale on the piano keyboards. Geordie responded on the electronic keyboard. They exchanged notes and phrases. They hadn't done this in years. The crowd was going wild.
Jeff and Mike had changed their electric guitars for acoustic ones and were watching him and Geordie.
"Ready?" Jeff asked the world.
The crowd hushed as he started to play.
* * * * *
Marianne shivered and sniffed in her hiding place beneath the twin keyboards. She had heard people walking around, calling her name. She had peeked out once and seen Lorraine and Roberta climbing into a car. There were photographers and a camera crew. They didn't look happy. Merry wanted publicity. He had some now.
Two men had stopped besides her at one stage and talked in German or Dutch. It wouldn't have mattered which as she didn't speak either but she had caught the words Geordie and America. They had both seemed agitated and at one stage she had thought they were going to move the keyboards and its stand. Eventually they had both left and she had heard them joining in with the others who were calling her name.
It was quiet now. She was feeling cold. She looked out. She could see the three security guards standing outside the entrance to the stadium. They'd let her in. They knew who she was.
She climbed out from beneath the keyboard and walked towards the guards. They did recognise her and made no difficulty about her entering the stadium. One of them turned his back on her and was speaking into his radio.
Merry hurried towards her followed by a mass of photographers and a film crew as she walked down the long corridor beneath the rear stand. She could hear Dave playing piano. She longed again to be one of the group of girls he'd had with him earlier. To watch him play and then be taken back to his hotel and be fucked rotten.
What was Merry saying? She didn't care. Something about contracts and obligations. Lights were flashing in front of her and there were at least three microphones in front of her mouth.
"I don't feel well." She said into them. "Please leave me alone I want to get changed."
"You heard everyone." Merry was standing in front of her, shielding her with his body. "She was taken ill. That's why she left the stage. There will be further statements later."
Suddenly she was surrounded by security guards in their black leather jackets. They ushered her to the door of the changing room and held it open as she and Merry slipped inside. A dozen, shouted, questions seemed to follow them through the door and hang in the air. Some of the questions she knew she would have to answer if only to Merry.
It was warm in the changing rooms. She went to the pegs where her blouse and skirt were hanging up with her short, blue, denim jacket. Her bag on the seat below contained her change of underwear and sprays and make up.
