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It was the same hotel but decorated differently. He went to James room, but when he knocked someone else answered. Had they checked out? He went to reception to find out. They told him they had no record of the manic street preachers staying there. "Can I get a taxi?" he asked. They showed him to the taxi rank down the street. But even the street looked different. And the taxi was straight out of the 1960's. He told the driver to take him to the venue, staring out of the window in confusion. He must be hallucinating, maybe someone had spiked the whisky as a joke. But he didn't feel drunk at all. "You're english? Are you with the band playing tonight?" Sean was in the band playing tonight, but too modest to say. And too freaked out at what was happening to say they were welsh actually. "I like the drummer" continued the taxi driver. Something wasn't right. "People don't usually say that". They turned the corner, and the venue came into view. Fans waited outside already. Sean got out of the taxi and as he was standing there, a girl ran up to him. "Are you with the band?!" He ignored her, he had to get inside. He went to the backstage door, surrounded by girls trying to see in. "Yes what do you want?" ... "I'm with the band" ... "Do you have a pass?" He felt in his pockets. He must have left it at the hotel. "I can't find it" he said "I came to try out the drums before the gig" ... "Come this way". He followed down the same corridor he went down last night, only looking like it would have about 30 years ago. He could hear english voices coming from some of the rooms as they passed. He was led to the stage. "The kit's all set up, maybe you'd like to try it". Sean looked at the drumkit. This was not his drumkit. This was like something Ringo Starr played. Picking up the sticks, he tried it out. He'd always wanted one, though. Better not break this, he thought. He wondered if they'd let him keep it. He heard voices from the audience, looked down and saw some girls looking up at him. "It's not him!" they said, staring at Sean. Sean heard familiar voices, and was relieved, until he realised the accents weren't welsh but liverpudlian. He turned to see 4 men wearing Beatle suits walk onstage, and they looked uncannily like the real thing. "How's it going?" asked Ringo, to Sean. "Sound ok?" Ringo was referring to the drumkit. Sean got up and walked away slowly. "Strange chap" said Ringo, under his breath. John turned to look. "Nice hair though". "Must be American" said Paul. John watched Sean leave the stage. "Another spaced out hippy" he said "you'll never see me get like that". "We probably just scared him" said George. "Let's get on with this rehearsal then" reminded Paul. ... This wasn't happening. But it was. The girl he saw outside appeared and sat on a nearby chair. "Do you work for the Beatles?" she asked. Sean had to get out of here. "I'm a fan" he said. "Me too, especially Ringo. You sneaked in too?" Sean tried not to laugh. No, he thought to himself, I came to find my band and found the Beatles instead. He could hear them playing. "We'll meet them when they come out" she said. "I'm seeing every concert. You?" Sean didn't reply. "Have you ever met Ringo?" she asked. Sean had just met him. "Yes but it was a bit of a shock". After a few songs, sure enough they came down the corridor. She jumped up and went straight for Ringo, who seemed surprised. "Can you sign this for me?" the others walked past and although Sean was freaked out at being here, at the same time, this was amazing. "There's that long haired guy" whispered Paul. They went into the dressing room. Ringo couldn't get away from her. Sean gave him a sympathetic look. What she really wanted were backstage passes, Ringo knew it. But it was the only way to get rid of her. "One for you and your friend" he said, looking over at Sean, then disappeared into the dressing room. "That guy is with the Japanese girl" said Ringo. But the others were too busy smoking pot to even hear him. She sat down, staring at the passes. "For you" she said, handing one to Sean. He took it. "This means we can get into the venue before everyone else". "I thought this was the venue?" he said. "No, they're only rehearsing here, this is way too small for the Beatles!" The dressing room door opened, then closed. "They're still out there" said Paul. John took another drag on his cigarette. "We could ask them in?" wondered Paul. "Think he is American?" "Well he's a drummer" said Ringo. "Sounded ok too". Paul opened the door again. "Hey, come in for a bit". Sean looked at the girl, she looked at Paul. She mouthed the word "me?" in disbelief. Paul smiled and opened the door. Paul gestured to Sean and he reluctantly followed. John put out his cigarette and watched them come in the room. The same room Sean had been in the night before, sitting where John was sitting. "Alright?" said George. "Would you like a drink?" offered Ringo, examining the rider. Sean remembered the last time he drank. "Or a smoke?" Sean didn't. "I don't" he said. The Beatles gave eachother sly looks. He wasn't American. "Drinks all round" said Ringo, opening a bottle, while his fan stared at him intently. Sean shyly looked at John. John winked back. Ringo handed the drinks round, and John lit up again. "John!" warned Paul "can't you smoke later?" Sean knew what it was. "It's ok" said Sean, "I don't mind". John raised his eyebrows at Paul, and handed Ringo a cigarette. "You're sure you won't?" asked John, holding out a cigarette. Sean knew he wouldn't. "Thanks anyway". "Which part of wales are you from?" asked John, ignoring Paul who was visibly sulking in a corner. Sean told him. "And you know where we're from" said George. Ringo was being questioned by his fan but didn't seem to mind. John picked up the bottle and poured them more drinks. "I miss home" he said. "I won't miss this". Paul left the room. "Don't take any notice of him" said John. Sean didn't know what to say. "So what brings you over here?" ... "Just visiting" replied Sean. "You're a drummer?" Sean nodded. "In a band?" This was getting tricky. Ringo came over. "We're just going to see my drums, ok" ... "If you find Paul, tell him... oh nevermind" said John. "Forget it". George was watching tv. "Tell us about your band" continued John. "Rock?" ... "Yeah" ... "We thought you were some american hippy, never would have guessed you came from wales. Done any gigs?" ... "Just universities, you wouldn't have heard of us" ... "Do you write any songs?" Sean saw a guitar next to John's chair, and wondered where this was leading. "A few, the music". "Play us one?" John handed him the guitar. "You can play?" Sean should have said no, but he found himself strumming away, not at all self conscious the amount he'd drunk. "The other guys not with you?" Sean stopped playing. "No, they were, we came over to do some gigs" ... "I'd have liked to have seen you" said John "Pity". Sean knew the last thing he wanted was for John to see them play. For obvious reasons. "Tell you what" said John, taking the guitar, "Sing one with me. What shall we do?" Sean thought hard, but John started playing something familiar. "We used to do this in Hamburg. Those were the days". George came over. "Let's go and play it on stage John, for old times sake". John finished his drink. "Come on" he said. Sean followed them down the corridor. "You know Rock n Roll music?" asked John. "I could pick it up". Ringo was sitting on the front row talking to his fan. "We're doing a song with him" said John. John stood infront of the mic and picked up his electric guitar. George picked up his guitar. "Are we ready then?" This reminded Ringo of watching the band before he joined. The music started, Sean played along, making mistakes but no-one cared, so were they. The song finished... and he woke up, covered in sweat. "A dream?!" he said, breathless. The tv still on, whisky bottle empty. He couldn't believe it had just been a dream. And that he had to go back there and play a gig tonight. Then he looked at the tv, and saw they were on the news. He turned up the sound. "Manic Street Preachers played an amazing two nights in a row, critics likened it to the Beatles visit to Japan, they inspire the same devotion". He saw footage of them on stage, the same day he played with the Beatles. It had already happened, but he had an entirely different set of memories to cherish. I checked the internet after writing the story to find out about the beatles in japan Rock n Roll music was first on the bill. There's also the japanese press conference online, where John spoke out for the first time about Vietnam. "How much interest do you take in the war that is going on in Vietnam now?" John: "Well, we think about it everyday, and we don't agree with it and we think it's wrong. That's how much interest we take. That's all we can do about it... and say that we don't like it" |