Christ that was a shit gig. I think that’s the last time we leave Kali in charge of her own whims. ‘The Arc’ was this little dirty shambly excuse for a club which had way too much American grunge memorabilia on the walls. I tried. We all tried. Half dead and falling asleep. Yet we got a gig on the 23rd so I’m not allowed to complain. I’m rather pleased.
But I’m still willing to try out at The 303.
After much shock and horror at another late night, Kali and I managed to drag Red along to the Oasis gig at Knebworth. Kali had apparently ‘arranged to go anyway’ with some lad she refuses to mention, and thus I shall grill her later for info, and Red’s been a fan as long as I have. So we were a happy little troop. Of course, through this mystery lad, Kali managed to get herself a ticket while Red and I were left outside prepared to pay unreasonably huge amounts to get in. And we did. Wallets one million times lighter and the stage one million miles away, we settled down up the back.
“Well this is new levels of patheticness.” Red mused.
“Shut up. It’s all about the vibes.” I shoved her.
We sat in the cold, watching people file in around us. Damn. I bet Kali got good seats and all. Mind you, anything was better than this- the nosebleed section. After what seemed like ages and many hilarious moments of Red going into ‘sniffer dog’ action any time the faintest whiff of pot floated by (‘maybe if a inhale enough I’ll get stoned’ ‘oh in your dreams Red. You’ll hyperventilate first’) the sky had darkened enough for the stage lights to set a glow amongst the crowd stretching infront of us. The supporting band filed on. I caught a glimpse of blonde hair on the stage.
“Oh that’s him! The guy that’s going to get us the gig!” I nudged Red. “Isn’t he cute?”
She peered at him. “I can’t tell L. We’re about 3 kilometres away. You fancy him do you?”
I bit my lip and watched them soar into a tune with layers of drums and guitars. Man that boy could sing. And man he could play. And man he could move. I watched as he thrashed at his guitar, coaxing any fragments of life it had in it, out into the crowd.
“You treat me like a woman, and I feel like a man.” He sang.
The next song pleased Red no end, filled with sitars and what sounded like some kind of Indian lyrics. Either that or the sound was buggered. Halfway through Crispian stopped to introduce themselves. Kula Shaker. He didn’t say much after that. They launched straight into another song. And another. And another. This guy was going to help us get a gig? God were we ever in good hands. I buried my feelings of intimidation inside me and nodded along to the beat.
I barely noticed Oasis. My reason for coming. My head was swimming with ideas and possibilities and telepathically telling him to call to hotel to tell us more about getting the gig, or else. The only moment I truly remember of Oasis is Liam swaggering up to the mike to sing ‘I can’t tell you the way I feel because the way I feel is oh so new to me.’ The distance between him and I was huge, the sound was a bit dodgy, but there were definitely vibes.
“You might wanna slow down a bit.” Jules frowned as I stumbled out of the lift, jangling the keys to our room in my hand.
“Yeah well I’ll take it easy today.” I told her.
“Yeah. Sleep. OK? You need it. You’re getting all kind of forgetful and nasty.” She shifted her bag onto the other shoulder.
“I’m not getting nasty!” I snapped and then hushed myself in the crowded lobby. “I’m just not in the mood for chaos at the moment. God the new place better have mattresses and all.”
I saw the rest of the group waiting outside next to two taxi’s. I’d already packed my stuff somewhere in the depths of the vehicle’s boot. I checked out of the hotel and joined them. I bundled myself next to Red and yawned. Red, who has the ability to sleep anywhere, in any situation was in quite a chipper mood as the two taxi’s swung away, having packed her stuff the night before and slept up until the last chaotic moment before checking out.
The journey from the city up to Kilburn seemed to take ages. I kept any thoughts out of my mind concerning day to day transport. This is why God made trains. But then, the trains in England were tiny compared to the ones back home. They were little and white with only one level. I rested my head against the window and listened to Kali talk about the Oasis gig with the driver who’s son, apparently, is a fan.
“Oh Liam was brilliant, there was so much energy.” Kali gushed.
“Was there?” The driver asked, amused.
“Yeah…. What’s your son’s favourite song?”
“He’s only 10. I don’t think he has one really.” The driver told her.
I held in my giggles as Kali settled back into her seat and gazed out the window with a nod.
The house was small. In a sort of quaint, englishy way. I could see how my aunt would have chosen it. The front door led to an open area consisting of the kitchen and living area. Behind that was a hallway and rooms on either side. There were only 4 bedrooms. After dumping all our bags and instruments (we left our amps and Gaby’s drums at The Arc in a storeroom- god forbid anything happens to them) we plonked ourselves down.
“Woohoo, couches.” Kali sat down. “Fully furnished, this is nice.”
“I’ll bet it’s all broken and hasn’t been touched since my mother stayed here in the 70’s.” I looked around- everything seemed ok. The oven looked moderately new. Perhaps there was hope. “Anyway, should we perhaps decide who’s getting what rooms and who’s going to share?”
“We’ll share.” Jules piped up.
“Oh God, my room is not going to be near theirs. Some of us need to sleep at night.” Kali ducked from being slapped by Jess.
“Alright… who else wants to share?” I asked.
No one spoke up.
“It’ll have to be names out of a hat then…” God I really didn’t want to share. I hated sharing. I was dying for someone to speak up.
“I think the two alcoholics should go together.” Jules suggested.
Red sat up. “Oi! I’m not a bloody alcoholic!”
“Oh get some humour.” Jules smiled. “It’s just that you guys tend to go out drinking sometimes and clubbing and socliasing and whatever the hell you do and it’d be easier if you kinda came back home at 3am and vanished into the same room as opposed to like, running all over the place.”
“We can have drinking nights Red!’ Gaby exclaimed.
“Drinking games!” Red began to bounce on the couch.
Oh Lord. “I thought you got over that when you turned 16 Red.” I shook my head.
“You don’t just ‘get over’ drinking games.” She told me and turned to Gaby, the both of them way too excited about sharing sleeping space.
It turned out, in the end that Kali and I each got our own room, despite the fact that Kali felt guilty about having a room to herself while the other’s had to share.
“Don’t complain Kals.” I told her. “You don’t want to be sharing with these nutters anyway.”
“But they’ll hate me for taking the other room.” She said as she dragged her bags into her room.
“What are you? Paranoid?”
“…yes.”
I shook my head and smiled.
That afternoon, still getting absolutely no sleep due to unpacking and drama’s about what appliances worked and what didn’t, I was sent out with a list to the local shop to get food.
I picked up packets of this and boxes of that, looking desperately for tampons which Kali had been demanding all day, I grabbed some boxes and plonked everything down on the front counter. As the shopowner piled the goods into bags, I saw some packets of Gummi Bears nestled amongst the lollies. I grinned and picked up two- the favourite food of Kali and I. I payed and left, swinging the two bags next to me as I checked out the local shops. There was a café on the corner. Thank god. A coffee would not go amiss in my current state of jetlag.
I put my bags next to me as I sat at a table in the corner. The cafe wasn’t too busy for a weekend. As I waited to be served I notcied a blonde mop of hair in the corner of my eye. I looked over.
It was Crispian. Now an official ‘rock star’ in my eyes due to his performance last night. I wanted to go over and say hi but he seemed to be in the middle of an interview, and what would I say to him anyway? A waitress appeared.
As I finished ordering my coffee I saw Crispian lean over.
“Lyric!” He hissed.
I looked up. “Hey.” I nodded.
He beckoned me over. “Come and sit with us. We’re just finishing.” He turned to the journalist. “This girl’s a rock star you know.”
The journalist looked me up and down with no hint of recognition. I shook my head. “Don’t listen to him. I’m not.” I picked up my bags and sat in the spare chair next to Crispian.
“Hi.” I said.
“How do you two know each other?” The journalist asked.
“I met her at a club. Not in that way though, she just wanted to get in and I helped. She’s got a band yknow, they’ve come to London to try their luck. They’ll be huge, and you heard it from me first.” Crispian smiled.
I shoved him “You haven’t even heard us play. How can you say that?”
“A feeling.” He told me and patted my arm.
The journalist began to question Crispian on his opinions of new bands trying to make it big. The waitress holding my coffee seemed lost trying to find me. I waved her over to my seat and happily took the coffee off her. I drank silently, listening to Crispian chatter away, wondering if we really did have a chance in the London scene or not.
Eventually the journalist left with a smile and ‘good luck’ for me, and Crispian and I were alone.
“I saw you last night.” I told him.
He smiled. “Did you? Thanks. Was it ok?”
“Oh we were way up the back, so the sound was a bit weird but god it was good anyway. I hardly remember anything about Oasis.” I gushed. “Anyway…”
Crispian grinned at me as I stared down at my coffee cup. “So do you still want me to get you a gig then?” I looked up. “We kinda got one. But it’s at some crappy club- we’re playing on the 23rd I think. If you wanna see us…. Otherwise, yknow. I’d love a gig somewhere decent.”
He nodded. “I might try to catch you. See what I can do.”
I stirred the remains of my coffee. “Why?”
“Huh?” He frowned.
“Why so enthusiastic over a band you haven’t heard?”
He sighed and shrugged. “A positive feeling.”
God. Hippy bullshit.
“Besides there aren’t many girl bands out there and I think the world could do with some. Make it a better place.” His blue eyes twinkled.
I tried not to stare into them, yet they enveloped me. I tore my gaze from him.
“Ok, well whatever does it for you.”
He chuckled.
“Anyway what are you doing up here? Isn’t this ages away from where you live?” I asked.
“Yeah but it’s quiet. We’re starting to get hassled now cos of touring and stuff. So I decided to do the interview in peace. Do you live round here?”
“Yeah, walking distance.” I stared at my shopping. “Actually I should get back. I’m the bearer of food today. They’ll kill me if I’m not home soon.”
“How many people in the house?” He asked as I stood up.
“The band. Six of us. Yeah I know. Imagine the hormones. But the house is big enough and anyway, we’re hardly ever all home at once.” I dug in my pocket for some change.
“Oh hey I’ll get that.” Crispian pulled out his wallet.
“No it’s ok- it’s just a coffee.”
“Exactly. Just a coffee, it’s fine.”
I suppressed a giggle at a cute boy buying me coffee, and picked up my shopping. We left together.
“Can I walk you home?” He asked as I tried to think of some relevant parting words.
“Oh.. ok. If you want. Aren’t you busy or something?”
He shook his head. “My day off. Well, apart from that interview. My day of hanging around really.”
I shrugged. “Ok then.” We headed up the street, with Crispian taking my shopping from me and insisting that I rest, what with the jet lag. Which started a conversation on the strength and capability of the average female and that there was no way he’d allow me to carry my bags as he had a role to play.
“You’re just trying to be the knight in shining armour aren’t you? Paying for my coffee, walking me home, taking my bags.”
He laughed. “Is it working?”
“Well I’m not complaining.”
As we walked I wondered how deep his actions were intending to go. I was flattered by it all but honestly, too tired to care. He didn’t stop talking the whole way, joking about living with his bandmates in ‘the dark ages’ and the mess that would accumulate.
“That’s just cos you’re all male.” I pointed out. “Most of us in this house are neat freaks and demand their clothing gets washed every day or a war begins.”
“You people are too preoccupied with looking good.” He said.
“Is that a complaint? I’ll bet you wouldn’t want it any other way.”
He looked me up and down with mock-concentration and shook his head. “No I wouldn’t.”
I laughed. “Thought as much. Anyway,” I paused. “Here’s the house. You can come in if you feel like putting up with 5 other chic’s in bad moods and such.”
He scrunched up his face slightly and stepped back. “I’ll leave it to you. Anyway I should be heading back home.” He said, handing me the shopping. I nodded, wondering if I should feel relieved or disappointed. No, definitely relived, I thought as I remembered how everyone was stressing over unpacking this morning.
“So I’ll try and catch you on the 23rd.” He said. “What club did you say it was?”
“The Arc.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Blimey. That’s not gonna pay well.”
“Thanks for the support.”
“No, you’re too good for a place like that, I’m sure.”
I shrugged. “I hope so.”
He reached out and touched my arm. “Anyway, I’ll see you later ok?”
I nodded and waved as he headed back up the street.