Here's a sweet and nasty memory of my time living up in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Talking Heads played a sold-out show at the Pacific Coliseum on December 3, 1983. I was there, and I want to tell you about the filthy way I got there.
I was a big Talking Heads fan, and they were really riding high with the Speaking in Tongues album that year. Every day you’d hear “Burning Down The House” on CFOX and LG73.
Unfortunately, I fucked up the ticket on-sale date. I had written down that it was September 9, but it was actually September 8. It was a really busy time right after Labor Day. When my friend Denise and I showed up early that Saturday morning to line up at the Ticketmaster outlet at the Royal Centre underground mall, we were shocked to find no one else there, and then pissed off when we realized why.
The Town Pump was brand-new that year. About a month later, Denise and I went to see a band called Alpha Avenue there. You might not remember them. They played some shows locally with 54-40 and the Payolas. They won a contest with this one catchy New Wave song called “Behind the Curtain.” The singer was an older guy – at least to us, like probably in his mid-30’s – named Steve Berenger.
It was a pretty good show, although Denise and I only paid attention for about half of it. She knew the bartender and he was slipping us free Manhattans. (I was dressed to thrill, with faux-leather boots, a naughty plaid skirt, a sheer rayon blouse, and a maroon bra underneath showcasing my voluptuous tits. I was always a show-off in the clubs.)
As well, Denise’s older sister Annabel showed up.
Annabel was a cop. I’d met her maybe twice before, briefly, at Denise’s parents’ house in Marpole. She was at the Town Pump with the liquor inspector to check things out, check their license. She had this very crisp blonde haircut that reminded me of Annie Lennox – I guess the Eurythmics were getting big that year too?
She had to be 27 or 28. Denise and her weren’t super-close. I guess we were both a little bit frightened of her. I was attracted to her too.
You could see when she came into this crowded club that people made way for her, and she filled out her uniform. She also had these very intense light blue eyes.
With all that, the rumor was that Annabel was dirty. That she took bribes for favors. The year before, she bought Denise’s parents a brand-new Cadillac for their birthday. How the fuck do you afford a Caddy on a police lieutenant’s salary?
I also once heard one of Denise’s brothers friend call Annabel a “fucking dyke.” Not to her face, of course.
I wasn’t sure what to believe. But I did notice Annabel’s liquor inspection didn’t take very long. Maybe five minutes, tops. Then she got a Coke and came over to talk to us. The inspector was finishing up some paperwork next to the stage, talking to the club manager.
She sat right down next to me and pressed her uniformed thigh up against mine. An involuntary tremor of excitement warmed my body.
“You seen Alpha Avenue before?” Annabel asked me. She sipped her Coke.
“No, I only heard their song last week,” I said.
Denise jumped in and started telling Annabel about how disappointed we were to be missing the Talking Heads concert in December.
Annabel laughed. “Well, I’ve got news for you girls. Alpha Avenue is opening for them.”
I stared. “You’re kidding, right?”
Annabel nodded toward the stage, where the band was wrapping up its final number. “No, I know Steve Berenger. He told me about it last week. They go on first. Then the Motels, and then Talking Heads.”
“Oh my God, that’s so crazy!” Denise exclaimed. “I’m going to go check out their merch table right now. Watch my drink.”
As Denise jostled her way through the crowd, Annabel leaned into me. “I could get us all into the show. Four tickets, third row. You interested?”
I gaped. “Really? Of course!”
Annabel put her lips next to my ear and her hand on my thigh. “I’m going to need your help with something in that case. If you’re like-minded, we can definitely make this happen.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but her proximity was making my pussy wet. My heart pounded as I wondered if the rumors were true.
“Sure,” I said.
“I’ll phone you tomorrow night with the details,” Annabel said. “Tell Denise I had to run.”
On December 8, Annabel swung by to pick me up at 4:30. It was gray and rainy. I was wearing a black Duran Duran T-shirt I’d gotten for my birthday and jeans. Nothing flashy, but I carried a big black leather bag from Eaton’s that was stuffed.