Disasterpiece

I thanked the cleaning lady as she handed over my clean clothes which, luckily, the hotel had been able to launder for me. Today we were heading to a new hotel and tonight was another Slipknot show, so it was going to be a hectic day. I walked over and shoved the clothes in my suitcase, the last things to go in there before I zipped it up. Josie walked out of the bathroom, pulling her hair up.

"Do you realise that last night was the first time you actually slept in this room?" she pointed out with a sly grin. I rolled my eyes, ignoring her insinuation and pushed my suitcase over to the door.

"Do you realise that last night was the first night you slept without Sid since being here?" I countered, much to her distaste. She opened her mouth to retaliate when a loud knock came through the door. I leaped over and heaved it open, finding Corey standing there.

"Good morning!" he greeted brightly, I eyed him suspiciously knowing that he wasn't a morning person so this was out of the ordinary.

"Good morning Mr Sunshine, what's that glow for?" I replied, levelling my eyes at him.

"What? Can't a guy just be happy to be alive, living the dream, travelling with his sister?" Corey answered; pretending to be offended by my question he grabbed his chest dramatically.

"No," I told him simply, folding my arms for effect. He laughed, ruffled my hair and pushed past me, conveniently forgetting to answer my question.

"So everyone's meeting downstairs in five, my shit is already down there so I thought I'd help you losers," Corey informed us, rubbing his hands together as he looked around at our baggage.

"You're so kind," Josie said sarcastically. We all grabbed a bag and headed downstairs, finding the rest of the guys already there and waiting on the bus. John ushered as quickly as we approached, helping to chuck our stuff into the under compartment of the bus. I followed Corey and Josie up the steps and down to the back where Joey was sitting and smiling at me, pointing to the empty seat next to him. I smiled back and sat down next to him, Corey sitting in front of us, an internal grin still evident on his features. I clicked my tongue a few times as the bus started up, before turning to Joey.

"I have a question,” I told him, he grinned and nodded for me to continue. “So Slipknot is all angry music and the such, pretty much...so how does that work when the singers on a happy high?" I asked loudly so Corey would hear. He did, turning around he death glared me.

"Hey fuck you!" he exclaimed in mock defence.

"It's a legitimate question!" I retorted innocently as Joey sniggered by my side.

"It's ridiculous," Corey replied simply.

"Then deny to me right now, swearing on your band mates lives, that you are not excessively cheerful this morning?" I said smugly, knowing I had the upper hand. Corey growled, not like he was really angry with me, just frustrated.

"Why do you care so much?" he whined.

"Because I think it has to do with a red haired girl," I told him. After the show last night he had been on his phone straight away texting someone and smiling stupidly to himself. I wasn’t daft, I knew it had to be the same girl…and being his caring sister I felt like I should know more about her.

"You're so nosy!” he complained, to which I plastered a massive grin onto my face innocently. “Ah…nothing much changes does it," he grumbled under his breath, referring to the years we grew up together and how I always ended up finding out every detail of his life.

"Come on, I want a confirmation that I'm right," it was my turn to whine and throw the fake pout out there. He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Then will you shut up?" he asked, watching me carefully for any crossing of the fingers.

“Of course," I promised, batting my eyes at him.

"Ok yes, now shut up," he answered shortly, turning back around so his back was to me.

"I'll get more out of you later Mr Taylor!" I sang, to which I received a middle finger in reply. I just laughed and looked back over at Joey who had been watching our antics in amusement. I’m not sure why, but annoying Corey had put me in a talkative mood…maybe just the joy from being a frustrating sibling was still reverberating around in me.

“So…looking forward to tonight?” I asked Joey, referring to the show they were set to play.

“I don’t think I’ve ever not looked forward to a show,” he replied honestly, I scoffed and winked at him.

“When you’re that good at what you do I guess showing it off would be pretty awesome,” I said, images of his drum solo flashing over my eyes; I was still partly in awe that that was humanely possible.

“Hmm, I guess. But it’s also the feeling of being up there in front of a crowd,” he said thoughtfully. I nodded, sinking back into my seat as I tried to think of how to keep the conversation going. “So do you play anything?” Joey asked, interrupting my mind racking. Corey had evidently been eavesdropping in on our conversation because at that moment he let out a loud laugh. I kicked the back of his seat and looked at Joey, making sure my reply was loud and concise enough for Corey.

“No I don’t, I am musically challenged bar a few guitar chords,” I told him. He chuckled, shaking his head.

“Everyone can play music if they try,” he said. Corey couldn’t resist butting in at the moment; he spun around in his seat to look at Joey.

“No she’s serious; she literally can’t play for shit,” Corey, so nicely, informed him. I slapped him over the head as he fell back into his seat before I let out a huff. I guess he got me back for annoying him before.

“Have you ever wanted to learn?” Joey questioned, honest interest was coating his words.

“Learn what?” I asked, cocking my head slightly.

“I dunno, like any instrument,” he clarified with a little shrug. I bit my lip and shrugged back at him. I had always thought it would be pretty amazing to be able to sit down and play through a song, but I didn’t have the drive like these guys to be bothered doing it. Plus I would have a coronary if someone put me on a stage in front of people.

“I guess it’d be cool to learn something, just to say I can play it,” I joked lightly. Joey smiled, paused for a moment, then bent down to the backpack by his feet and pulled out a pair of drumsticks.

“I’m going to show you how to play the drums,” he said, putting the sticks into my hands. I stared wide-eyed at him, my insides flipping around.

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” I told him, thinking again to the show last night and how fast his legs and arms moved in catastrophic unison. There was no way I could do that without looking like a fool.

“Come on!” he pleaded. “I’ll just show you some simple beats at least,” he said. I sighed, looking down to the sticks in my hand. I guess it would be pretty cool to smack a few drum beats out…and how many people could say that THE Joey Jordison had given them one-on-one drum lessons?

Josie and I had set up the merch desk, had lunch across the road at McDonalds and were now walking through the auditorium on our way to check in with the guys when we heard my name being called. Looking up to the stage we saw Joey standing there waving manically at me.

“I’m going to go find Sid,” Josie whispered in my ear before pushing me towards the stage (like I needed any encouragement). I walked up to the front barrier and grinned up at Joey.

“How were the interviews?” I asked, leaning on the cool metal. He shrugged, waving his arm carelessly in the air.

“Same old,” he replied. “My kit’s set up if you want to take it for a spin?” he suggested excitedly, pointing back behind him. I stood up straight, in apprehension, eyeing the massive set of drums wearily.

“Er…I don’t have the sticks you gave me,” I said lamely.

“Really? That’s your excuse?” he laughed. I couldn’t help but chuckle at myself too, he was a professional after all, he had an unlimited number of sticks available to him.

“Fine! Let’s do it,” I said with a sigh. I climbed over the barricade as he held his hand out and helped pull me onto the stage. We walked over to the kit where he pushed me down onto the stool. It looked menacing from here, the amount of drums he had was unbelievable, I wondered if he ever actually used them all. Then there were the cymbals, and down below the double kick; just the thought of all of them made my head spin.

“Take these,” he said, holding out a new pair of sticks. I took them cautiously and rested them upon the snare drum. “Ok, put your right foot on that bass pedal,” he said, pointing to the metal pedal that rested against the bass drum on my right side. I did as I was told and looked up at him for more instructions. ‘I can do this’ I had to keep saying over in my head as my whole body felt like it was on overdrive.

“Ok put your left foot on the hi-hat pedal and press down,” he said, pointing this time to a pedal that was connected to two cymbals. I put my foot down and they crashed together, causing me to jump slightly. Joey laughed as he came around and stood behind me.

“Alright,” he said quietly, he was so close I could feel his breath on my ear.

“Take your right arm and put it up here,” he said his voice almost a chilling whisper now. He reached around my body, his chest pressing up against my back as he took my right arm carefully in his grasp and lifted it across my left arm and onto the hi-hat. I felt like melting right there and then, I swear I could feel his heart thumping up against my spine.

“I’m going to show you a simple rock beat ok?” he told me, all I could do was gulp and nod in reply. I wished I could see his face to tell what was going through his mind. He lifted my right arm up and used it to tap the hi-hat slowly; counting behind me each time he hit it.

“One-two-three-four-one-two-three-four,” he whispered, his warm breath blanketed my exposed neck; tingles ran up and down the length of my body. He did this for what felt like an age before I felt his foot come around next to mine on the bass pedal, he must’ve been stretching a lot.

“Ok every time I say ‘one’ you have to press down on the bass pedal,” he said.

“Ok,” I squeezed out, my mouth completely dry. So we started the process again, him whispering into my neck, his hand dragging my arm up and down slowly in the air; his foot pressing down on the pedal with mine on every first beat. I know we weren’t really playing anything but it felt amazing. To have him so close, so intimate, it wasn’t like lying in bed next to each other because we were right up against each other and moving together as one to create something.

“Vixen...” Joey whispered, it almost sounded like he was moaning my name out, like he was on the verge of admitting something really important.

“Joey!” John’s loud voice suddenly boomed across the stage. Joey’s body leapt up away from mine sharply, leaving a cold vastness behind. “The guys are having a meeting about the set list,” John informed him.

“Right,” he said to John, then turned towards me. I was still frozen in the same position with my arm held in the air over the hi-hat. “I’m sorry,” he apologised to me; I shook myself out of my frozen haze.

“Not your fault,” I replied, brushing off his apology. He seemed a little sad as he accepted my reply with a little smile.

“Come with me quickly then maybe we can continue after?” he proposed. I nodded, stood up from the stool and left the sticks on top of the snare. We walked together silently into the back and were greeted with the sounds of an argument. Glancing wearily at each other, we pushed the door open and headed inside to find the rest of the guys congregated around some couches. Josie was standing in the corner of the room and waved at me to join her, placing her finger over her lips to ensure I stayed silent. Joey went over and sat down next to Paul on one of the couches.

“Joey!” Corey exclaimed, as if glad Joey has walked in; Joey looked a little bewildered. “Don’t you think that we should add Snuff to the set list?” Corey more told him than asked him.

“I haven’t really…” Joey started but he was cut off by yelling.

“It’s completely fucking ridiculous!” Shawn bellowed, jumping to his feet and standing off Corey. “We’re Slipknot, not some pussy ass band! People come to see us to get out all their hate and anger; we can’t go playing fucking soft songs. It won’t look good on stage; it won’t get the fans riled up. We put it on the fucking record but there is no way we’re playing it live!” he concluded with absolute conviction.

“Fuck you Shawn! You’re still living in the old days when brutality was our main front. I think we all know that we’ve grown as a band and part of that growth is changing it up, doing something different. It’s not like we’re singing some fucking poppy beiber shit, we’re still Slipknot, the song is on the album…if it’s on the album than we should play it fucking live!” Corey roared, I could almost see his temple popping.

“We had this argument with Vermillion, and you didn’t win then and you’re not going to win now. If you want to sing slow songs go make them with Stone Sour,” Shawn retorted. I looked around at the faces of the other guys, they seemed interested in what was going on but not overly concerned, like it was a common experience.

“What is wrong with your fucking ego?! You think that putting on that clown mask means you have to turn into a hardcore asshole or something. We can still play Snuff live and still be brutal, sometimes the most brutal songs are slow ones!” Corey growled in exasperation.

“It’s a bit rich you talking about ego. You know the rules always, unless we all agree on the song, it doesn’t go on the list, and there is no way I’m agreeing to Snuff so your whole argument is invalid,” Shawn pointed out, with a smug resilience. Corey’s hands moulded into fists as he roared, spun on the spot and stalked out of the room; punching the door on the way. Josie and I glanced at each other, unsure of whether or not we should follow him.

“I’ll go calm him down,” sighed Jim, following Corey out of the room. I guess that answered my question…though I was still a little startled by the fight; personally I thought it would be amazing for them to play Snuff live. But who am I to have an opinion?