Chapter 5
The concert that night went perfectly. I guess that it was going
to, after all, they had spent the last 3 months doing the same routine a
couple of nights a week. How could they have gotten it wrong? The audience
loved the show, but there was nothing new there either, they could all have
had sore throats or been hoarse during the concerts and the crowd would
still have been be screaming at the end. This was the norm, what happen at
most of their concerts, and it did satisfy them, they were glad to be able
to bring happiness to their fans. But, tonight, it didn't seem the same to
them, especially Nick. During the concert he had looked across the crowd,
laughing at the people who screamed louder when he smiled at them, seeing
girls faint when Brian pointed them out. Yes, it was exactly the same, but
it definitely didn't have the same effect on them.
"Good concert." Said Kevin, as he lounged across one of the sofas
in the changing room, dripping with sweat. He was waiting for Howie to
finish in the shower. I suppose he does have all that hair to wash, Kevin
reflected.
"Yeah..." Said Brian, hesitantly.
"I guess." Muttered Nick, just loud enough for the others to hear
him.
"I know that tone. What's wrong?" Queried Howie, who had just
finished with the shower, and was rubbing his hair with a towel. As soon as
he saw that Howie was out, Kevin sprang to his feet and made for the
bathroom, beating AJ there by inches. The others had already taken their
showers.
"Nothing really, I..." Nick paused to think. "Did any of you think
that that concert wasn't great?"
"I know what you mean, it didn't feel the same, did it?" said
Brian, confirming Nick's thoughts.
"We were perfect, I mean, I know that I didn't put a foot wrong,
and the rest of you guys didn't do too badly." Joked Howie.
"Get off it Howie, I think they're right." AJ reprimanded Howie,
before continuing. "We were good, everything was the same, but different. I
know I didn't enjoy it as much as usual."
"You think we're getting too old for this game?" Mused Brian,
scaring the others.
"You want to quit on us B-Rok?" Asked Nick, hoping that Brian was
joking.
"No! I was just thinking." Replied Brian, vanquishing everyone's
worries.
"That couldn't be it anyway. I *know* that I'm not getting too old
for this." With that comment Nick mocked the other members of BSB, since he
had only turned 20 a couple of months before. Brian reached over to slap
him across the back of the head, but Nick, expecting this reaction moved
far enough to avoid Brian's attempts. Unfortunately this brought him closer
to AJ, who hit him for Brian. Nick wanted to change the subject before
Howie got his shot in, turned to something else.
"What did you think of Fiachra?"
"Do you really need to ask?" Brian responded, knowing full well
what Nick was trying to do. "You know that we liked him, and I know that
you're trying to change the subject!" Nick just grinned. Brian decided to
let him change it, he was sensitive about his age.
"He was cool, I mean, he didn't ask any of the usual crap, didn't
try to get any pictures of us, or our autographs. Most other fans, if they
had been left on their own in the back, would have stolen half our clothes,
taken anything that they could see, and *definitely* wouldn't have refused
tickets for the concert tonight!" Said AJ, replying to Nick's original
question.
"You heard that? I thought you were sleeping."
"Just goes to show that you don't know everything."
"And those songs... I would do an album full of just his music."
Said Brian dreamily.
"Yeah, that's some talent alright." Howie added. Just then, Kevin
finished in the bathroom, and walked out, leaving the door open for AJ, who
occupied it immediately. When they got back to talking they all decided
that there had been something missing in the concert.
As soon as AJ was finished, they all left the changing room, were
escorted back to the bus and from it to the airport, they had all wanted to
get back home as soon as possible so they had booked night flights. They
had agreed to spend the first week with their respective families, enjoying
the comforts of the quiet life, and the second week they were spending at
Nick's house. They had preparations to make for the European Part of their
tour and Nick had offered his house.
"Dammit!" Expressed Kevin, who had just ended a call with
management. He was not happy. They had spent the last 3 days going over the
details of what was going to happen in Europe.
"What's wrong?" Asked Brian. He was sitting to the left of Kevin at
Nick's dining room table, which had spent the last 3 days suffocating under
a multi-layered covering of paper that only Kevin knew the depths of. He
was organised, but in his own special way.
"That was management." A shared groan went up around the
table. Management had called several times a day since they knew that they
were all together, each time making a change to the schedule or suggesting
a different approach to something, from flights to costumes. Each call
meant extra work for the five seated around the table. But they hadn't
wanted someone from management at the house, nor had they want to spend the
last week in a hotel. So they had to expect the calls.
"What did they want to do this time?" Questioned AJ, bracing
himself for the worst.
"It's Krystal. They've been doing so well in the last couple of
month that their management wants them to do their own U.S. tour. So they
are leaving the tour in the middle of June. That leaves us with 2 and a
half months of European touring without another group. Management is
looking at acts. They should be faxing own a short-list for us to choose
from later."
"Can Krystal do that?" Asked Howie. "I thought that they were
signed on until the end of our touring this year."
"Yeah, but they wanted an opt-out clause. That's what they're
using." Replied Kevin.
"Ok, so on top of everything else, now we have to find someone that
we can spend 2 and a half month with. That's just fucking great! We all
know how hard it is to find a decent supporting act!"
"Fiachra." Said Nick, too quietly for the others to hear. Since the
bus journey Nick had been thinking about his newest friend a lot. But,
since he knew that Fiachra was spending until this Saturday in Washington,
he could do nothing to contact him.
"What did you say Nick?" Nick cleared his throat.
"I said, Fiachra." Then Nick went into salesperson mode, he knew
that he was going to have to sell this idea to the others, except
Brian. "Think about it -- We know he can sing, he writes his own stuff, and
he should be on his summer holidays by that time. I think that he would be
perfect."
"It's an idea." Agreed Brian. Nick smiled, he knew that his best
friend would come to his help.
"What do you think Kev?" Nick asked. Kevin paused before giving his
answer, he wanted to make sure that he said everything that he wanted to.
"Well, I like him and everything, but I don't think that management
*or* Jive are going to want us to go on tour with him. He's unsigned, he's
unknown and he's so young. I really don't think that he's an option, and
remember how nervous he was about singing in front of us, I don't think
that he would be much better in front of huge crowds, do you?"
"What do you mean he's too young? Don't you remember what age *I*
was when we started touring? He's much older then that." Nick argued. Now
that he had started this, he wasn't going to finish until he had gotten
what he wanted.
"But we were all there for you, you had a group to make sure that
you were ok." Kevin replied.
"So what's different? We'd be there to look after him, not that I
think that he needs looking after, you all thought that he about the same
age as me for gods sake!" The last comment was directed at the whole
group. They all murmured agreement.
"But what about the rest of it?" Rallied Kevin.
"What about it? Can you say that he wouldn't get a record deal if
he wanted one?" Nick had never known himself to be this forceful about
anything. From the looks on the other's faces, they were very surprised by
his behaviour too.
"We don't even know that he would want one, and you know how many
people with great talent try to get record contracts, they are *very* hard
to get." Kevin said, weakening. He suspected that he was going to lose this
argument.
"Nick's got a point, and besides, I think that we might be able to
give him a little help getting a record contract, don't you Kevin?" Kevin
was surprised by who this comment come from. Howie didn't usually take
sides in an argument, preferring to stay outside and observe. Kevin knew
that he had lost, but then, it wasn't as if he didn't want Fiachra to join
them on tour, he just wanted to be more realistic about it.
"Ok then" Consented Kevin. "I'll give Jive and management a call
and see what they have to say. I'll try, but I can't promise anything,
*and* I want to know that everyone is in on this one." He looked around at
the four others at the table, they each gave their approval in different
ways, Nick by smiling widely, causing his eyes to light up. AJ just gave
what could barely be called a nod, and so on. "Ok, we're all onboard? But
listen, this might not happen, so I don't want you to say anything to
Fiachra until I get a yes, Nick? Do you agree?"
"You know that I do." Nick was happy because Kevin had said, "until
I get a yes." He knew that Kevin would do everything that he could do make
this happy. And that was all that Nick could ask for. Kevin picked up his
and was dialling as he walked out the door to the den.
---------------------------
"Yes, I know that you've already got plenty of acts, but just give
this guy a chance. You have no idea how good he is." Pleaded Kevin, he knew
that it was not going to be easy to get them to sign Fiachra up, after all,
Jive Records already had the Backstreet Boys, Nsync, and Britney on the
books. They didn't need to take anymore chances on groups.
"But you are saying that you don't even have a demo tape?"
"Well, no. But we've all heard him, and we all want him with us on
tour." Kevin said, hoping that the combine force of BSB would convince him.
"But he hasn't got a record contract with any one?"
"No! That's why I'm ringing you. I'm telling you that you will not
regret signing him!" Kevin exclaimed. He had been going in circles for the
last five minutes and was getting tired of it.
"We'll need to hear him."
"What are they saying Kev?" Asked Brian, who had been listening in
on the conversation for the last couple of seconds. Kevin cover the
mouthpiece with his had before replying to his cousin.
"They want a demo tape. And I don't want to have to disappoint
Fiachra if he doesn't get anywhere."
"You should have said! I recorded him singing on the bus. Hang on
while I get the tape." With that, Brian ran out of the den, and up to the
room that was his while he stayed in Nick's house. After a couple of
minutes of rummaging through his collection of music he grabbed a tape and
ran back downstairs to put in the stereo in the Den.
"Hang on," Kevin was saying to the Rep from Jive. "I want you to
listen to this, and then tell me that you think that he would be an
unnecessary risk." After a couple of minutes of hearing Fiachra sing. Kevin
was once again amazed by the quality of the lyrics and the singing. But
unfortunately the rep (Whose name was George.) had a jealous streak. He
didn't think that other people should have the success that he wanted so
much. When he was younger he had auditioned a number of times with no
success, until, at the last audition that he ever went to, he was told that
although he could sing, he was, to put it frankly -- ugly. Normally Kevin
would not have been talking to him, but their normal contact was away on
holidays, he too had to be fresh for the tour. So George didn't want to
help out the Backstreet Boys, but he had heard Fiachra singing, and knew
that if anybody else heard him then he could get in trouble for not signing
him. He decided to make things as difficult as possible.
"I don't think that we can take him at this time, but there is one
thing, if you can find someone, and they have to be big, that is willing to
duet with him, then we'll give it further consideration." Then George hung
up.
"That Bastard!" Brian was shocked by his words. Kevin didn't
usually use profanities, and when he did something bad was going to happen
to the person who caused him to do so. They both went back into the dining
room where the others were waiting and Nick was waiting on the edge of his
chair for news. Kevin went back to his seat at the head of the table before
saying anything, but he had *that* look on his face.
"What's wrong?" Asked Nick.
"Trouble. It was George who I was speaking to." Kevin paused to let
that piece of information sink in. "He doesn't want to sign Fiachra. That's
what's wrong."
"So call another record company. Anyone else would love to get
their hand on him!" Nick was frustrated because he really wanted this to
happen. He wanted to ring Fiachra and tell him what a great thing they had
done for him.
"It's not that simple. He can only come on tour with us if he is
with the same record company as us. Jive's little way of maximising their
profits."
"So what can we do?"
"I think that George knows how good Fiachra is, but he needed to
get his spoke in somewhere, so the deal is that we have to get `someone
big' to duet with him, either that or wait until --- gets back, but we have
to have our supporting act picked by then. And if we don't, then someone
else will."
"Why don't we do it?" Asked Brian, but he already knew the answer.
"Because *we* just released an album, we are going to have to
release at least 2 more songs before we can do anything else, George knows
that." Said Kevin, giving Brian the answer that he thought that he was
going to get.
"So who else is there? And Rok, why did you have a tape of Fiachra
singing?" Questioned Nick with a grin on his face. Brian flushed red.
"Because I liked his voice, you know that."
"But how did you get it? I didn't see you with a microphone to his
face."
"I just used the stereo, we always use for recording our ideas, I
just did the same thing. Back to your original question though, who else is
there that we can get to record with Fiachra?" Said Brian, trying to
deflect attention from himself.
"Well, lets make a list of the really big acts, and then narrow it
down." Reasoned AJ. When they had a list of about 20 made out they all
gathered around the top of the table to look over it.
"No, Christina is releasing her second album in the next week or
two. She's not going to be interested." Howie pointed out. Kevin crossed
out here name.
"Same goes for Nsync." Said Brian. "But they're keeping it quiet,
so don't tell anyone." Over the last couple of months Brian's friendship
with JC had grown stronger. But it was still nothing like his with Nick.
They went down through it. Concentrating on what they had heard and
what they knew about the people on the list, until they were left with only
3 names.
"Well Nick, this was your idea. You pick one." Said Howie.
"Em... I think that we should try Britney first. She's already
released 5 songs from that album of hers, and I think that she would work
well with Fiachra, that, and they're close enough in age to get along
well. Kevin quickly went back into organising mode.
"Britney it is! Brian, you ring JC and get her number from him or
Justin, and Nick -- you get her management's number from that little
brother of yours. She'll be perfect actually, seeing as she's with Jive and
everything." The two of them went off to make their calls and came back
with the numbers that they needed.
"Here you go Kev." They said in unison. And then laughed.
"I'd swear that you two practise that." Laughed AJ who was used to
hearing them speak like that.
"Right, Nick -- you ring Britney, I'll ring her management, we both
might need to use that tape of Brian's to convince them. So you can make
your call first." Said Kevin. Nick nodded and then left with the number in
one hand and his mobile in another.
"Hi Britney?"
"Yeah?"
"This is Nick Carter."
"Oh, ok. Hi."
"Listen, I need a favour."
"What?" Britney was suspicious. Nick was well known for his
pranks. Nick explained the whole situation to her. She was very
understanding about George. She had had to deal with him on a couple of
occasions. When he played her the tape and asked her would she do it she
readily agreed, but said that she would have to check with her management
first.
"That's not a problem, Kev is going to call and speak to them, I
just wanted to make sure that you were onboard first."
"What is Fiachra like?" She asked.
"He's really cool. He knew most of the words to our songs and
everything, but didn't even mention anything to do with the group until we
really got talking; he even refused an autograph! He didn't think that they
were anything special!"
"Sounds like you really liked him."
"You know how it is. When you are so famous that you can't walk
down a street without someone recognising you, most people have agenda's
when they walk up to you."
"Yeah, you don't know who is being real, who wants to actually know
the real Britney, not `Britney Spears, Superstar'" She agreed.
"Exactly, that's what it was like. He wanted to know the real me."
Nick was content that someone knew what it was like, what it meant to him.
"Listen Nick, I have to go. I'm being prompted to go on in five
minutes. I've got a live interview to do. Call me again when you know what
is going to happen ok?"
"I'll do that. Have fun! Bye." Nick pressed the call end button and
strolled back into the dining room, confident that what he wanted was going
to happen. The others were going over something, but that wasn't important
to him right now. When Kevin saw him he asked what had happened.
"She said that she would love to do so, and she thought that her
management wouldn't have any problems with it." Nick grinned, he really was
happy.
"Ok, I'll call them now. Did you rewind the tape?" Kevin asked.
"No. And make sure that they say yes!"
"Calm down! If Britney wants to do it then I don't think that
they'll have any problems with it." This assumption of Kevin's was
confirmed when he rang Britney's management and found out that she had
already finished the interview and had rung them herself. But he still had
to play the tape for them. Armed with the yes that Britney had given the
project Kevin rang George back and gave him the good news. George still
wanted to hear Fiachra sing in person, but still had no option but to say
yes to Kevin.
Chapter 6
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