London Calling

The next morning I wake up to Rowan shaking me.

“Alison, we have to go and you have to take a shower.”

“LeavemehalonRoRo.”

“Alison, get up.”

“Merfllrhgafsdgd.”

“Alison Costello, you will get up. We have a van to get on and a tour to start and I cannot leave you behind.”

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Sleep! Warm bed! Nooooooooooooo!”

“You forgot to call your mom yesterday.”

That got me up. I shot towards my phone as Rowan handed me a towel so I could take a shower. I hit the speed dial as I grabbed some hair care whatevers out of my bag and motioned for Rowan to get me a hair brush and a hair tie or some bobby pins or something.

She picked up the phone on the second ring.

“Why didn't you call me yesterday? I was worried sick! I thought you had been pulled into a drug ring!”

“I'm sorry, Mom. I was just so tired then Levi dragged me around London and we found the new, official version of our album and I just forgot.”

“Sure. You just don't love me. Your own MOTHER.”

“Mom, you're being over dramatic. Look, we're here, we're leaving soon for the first stop, I'm alive, and I'm not taking drugs.”

“How would I know? You could be lying to me!”

“Yeah, Mom, I died then came back to life to call you-Ugh, Rowan, talk to her. I need to take a shower and I can't deal with her crazy this early!”

I tossed my phone to Rowan and ducked into the bathroom. I stripped quickly and jumped in while the water was still cold, leading me to scream like a howler monkey. When the water was finally warm I scrubbed down my hair and did a quick once over with a razor to make sure my legs didn't look horrific for the show tonight then jumped out and dried off. Rowan had slipped my bag into the bathroom while I was washing my hair, and I pulled on a tank top and the most ripped up pair of jeans I had before tackling the issue of my hair.

I stepped out of the bathroom while I piled my hair on top of my head and Rowan was still on the phone with my mom.

“Okay, Mrs. C. We have to get going now. Mhm. Bye.”

“You are the child she always wanted.”

“And she loves you very much,” he replied, handing me my phone.

“Eat me.”

“I would but I just ate a roadie and I'm full.”

“Mmmm, roadie. Tastes like chicken.”

“You bet. Now go.”

Rowan and I hit the elevator and finally got to the ground floor after going up to the 14th and stopping at every point on the way down.

“What the hell took you so long?”

“Shut up Chris, not our fault. Some woman couldn't remember what floor she wanted so hit every. Damn. Button in the thing.”

Chris just humphed and unceremoniously threw my bag into the large hippie van that would carry us across the UK. Levi, Chris, and I squeezed into the back while Rowan climbed into the passenger's seat. Matt, as always, was driving.

“All righ'. Jus' a few meters into town and you've got free time 'till the show starts. You can cha' with the other guys-”

“WAIT WE GET TO TALK TO THEM!?”

We all groaned as Levi started bouncing all over again, getting worse as we got ever closer to the club. When we finally got there he climbed over me to get out then stopped dead as he spotted a group of males huddled around each other in front of a bus. It got even worse when the thought that he was looking at his idol out having a smoke fully settled into his mind. The taller one noticed us first because of Levi's manic flail-like gestures towards them.

“What's wrong with 'im?”

“Ignore it, your drummer is the reason why he breathes or something.”

“Ah. That'd be me. I'm Mike.”

“I GET TO CALL YOU MIKE!?”

“Levs, please-”

“THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE.”

Levi was practically on the ground, he was so excited. Both Rowan and Chris had to hold him up, and he was starting to go limp from the sheer shock of it all. Micheal Redding I'm sorry, Mike, just stared.

“Excuse him, he was dropped on his head as a child.”

“I WAS NOT, DON'T YOU TELL LIES ABOUT ME, ALISON COSTELLO.”

“Just try to desensitize him to the fact that you're, well, you.”

“ALISON JUST SHUT UP.”

“Anyways. We're the other band.”

“Ah. Well, this is Drew. Plays guitar.”

The second tallest one of the group nodded, his mop of brown hair flopping into his face before he pushed it back out of his eyes.

“Simon, bass.”

He saluted, bringing my attention to his bleach-blonde, cropped hair. Reminded me of my dad when he went into the army when I was five.

“And this is James.”

James didn't even look up from the cigarette he was lighting, but I could tell his features were striking. Mahogany eyes watched his lighter from under a shag of black hair that was too flat to be natural. Strong cheek bones and a slight scowl highlighted his pale face.

“I'm Alison. This is Rowan, bass. The tall one is Chris, our guitarist. And this little ball of excitement-”

“Iowneverysingleoneofyouralbums.”

“-is Levi.”

Levi continued to grin like a fool. It's an understatement to say that he was just excited to be introduced to these people. More like ecstatic.

“I just want to say that you are all the reason why I get up in the morning-”

“Tha's so stupid.”

All heads turned towards James. His accent was much thicker than I expected. Almost more Scottish than British.

“What?”

“If we're tha only reason yeh get outta bed, stay in fookin' bed.”

He took a long drag of his cigarette before stamping it out on the ground and going into the club. Levi was finally silent. He looked shell shocked as he stared after James.

“What. The fuck. Is his problem?” Chris demanded, maybe even more pissed than I was about what just happened.

“Tha's jus' Jim,” Simon said with a shrug. “No' really in the best mood at this time of the morning. Besides the fact tha' he's jus' an arse.”

“Well obviously,” I growled, “Treating Levi like that.”

Mike just shrugged. He clapped Levi on the back.

“Don't worry about it, mate.”

“SOUND CHECK.”

“The dragon calls,” Drew muttered, and we all have to laugh at that as we go into the venue, lead by James' voice.

The club was larger than it looked on the outside. Lighting was already set and the local opener had already tuned up. James stood in front of his mic, waiting for the rest of the band to get on stage. Casanova on Call sat back at one of the tables that we pushed towards the wall.

They tuned up in the time it took for Rowan to leave to get me a cup of tea and come back. I took a sip as Drew started playing a few notes.

“Fu-uh-uck...you.”

The whole band blasted into motion and Levi practically melted into his chair.

“Look at him. I'd never thought I'd see this. It's. So. Beautiful.”

“They're pretty good,” Chris shrugged, always convinced he's the best guitarist in the room. Levi just stared at him with an intense look of disgust. Rowan was silent. I drank my tea and wrote out a set list on a napkin.

“We're not doing Vanity tonight?”

“I'm not feeling it.”

The guys gave me this look. I hated that look. It was the look that said they were worried I was going to spiral into crashing depression. I was fine.

“Guys, I just don't want to do vanity tonight.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. Can we do Sir Molehill instead?”

“You know that's not the name of the song.

We all looked at Chris.

“It doesn't have an 'official' name. Sir Molehill is the best we have.”

“Well it's vetoed then.”

“Aw, come on Chris!”

“No! I refuse!”

“Fine. We'll just have to do Breaknecks instead.”

Chris groaned, but he had already vetoed a song. Band law states one veto per show when it comes to set list.

“Sucks for you, buddy.”

“Shut up, Levi.”

I finished my tea as Adam After Eve finished their sound check. Jame just stepped off the stage and glared at us as he left the building. Seriously, what was his problem?

The rest of the band trickled off the stage after unplugging their instruments and Matt started bringing our instruments on. Chris bounded on stage, ready to tune up and go. Stupid guitarist pride.

We forced him to play through Sir Molehill even though we weren't playing that tonight and finished. He glowered at us, pissed that he couldn't prove that he was better than drew (he wasn't) with that song. He'd feel better later during the show, so we ignored his death glare.

He went off to take a nap in the back and Levi was called over by Mike to talk about drummer stuff –or so I'd assume. So Rowan and I sat down with an acoustic and wrote a few melodies and got a couple of lyrics down.

A few hours of chilling and strumming later, I noticed a change into a chord progression that I recognized. I reached out and wrapped my hand around the neck, silencing it. Rowan looked at me.

“Seriously, are you okay? You've flinched away from this song for almost a month.”

“Yes, Ro, I'm fine. I just don't want to hear it. Not today. Not tomorrow. Maybe next week. But not now.”

“Alison-”

“Guys.”

We both looked up. Levi stood over us and Mike stood a few feet away.

“Doors are opening soon.”

“Yeah, okay.”

I didn't look at Rowan as we went backstage. I immediately sat next to Chris on the couch provided and slumped into him. He didn't ask questions, just instinctively acted as the big brother I never had and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. We had spent so many days like this, being the awkward home schoolers who had been forced to go to birthday parties because our parents knew their parents. It was always like that, us against them. He was the only friend I really had until Rowan moved to our town from California and Levi dropped out of middle school.

The local band entered last, looking awkward and out of place when they really didn't have to. I mean, we weren't even from the UK. They at least at the accent. And they probably didn't despise the singer of the headlining band after meeting him once.

“Hi.”

“Hello, Levi.”

“I wasn't talking to you, Christopher.”

Chris stuck his tongue out at him. Levi turned his attention back to the other band.

“I'm Levi. Who're you?”

“Charlie.”

“Tim.”

“Harry.”

“And your band is...?”

“The Tower Falling...?”

“Okay, cool. The more you know.”

Then they were called on stage and the tense silence set in. Well, for pretty much everyone but Levi and his new best friend Simon.

We didn't like James, me in particular for him being a dick to Levi, the baby of the group even though I was the youngest. James didn't like us because he was just a douche. Mike and Drew were very aware of this fact, thus didn't want to piss off James.

And Levi and Simon just chattered away.

The Tower Falling's five song set seemed to last for an hour and the set change even longer. But finally we were on stage, our napkin set list taped to an amp, me facing Levi with a ridiculous grin on my face. We were starting off with a cover we hadn't done in years.

Chris planted his feet in one of those ridiculous power stances and started the notes as I raised the mic over my head. One beat. Two beats. Three beats. The crowd screamed.

On the floors of Tokyo or the London town's a go go, with the record selection and the mirror's reflection and I'm-

I spun to face the crowd as they sang the next three words to me.

God that felt good.

I danced through the rest of the song, letting everything from earlier today sink into the back of my mind.

Chris slammed down the last chords as I addressed the crowd.

“Hey, we're the Billy Idol Experience and that was our last song-”

I laughed as the crowd groaned and booed and the guys mimed putting away their instruments and I pulled up my hair. I started walking off stage then immediately turned around.

“WE'RE CASANOVA ON CALL AND THERE BETTER BE BLOOD ON THIS DANCEFLOOR!”

The guys brought in the sound and the crowd was jumping and we were moving and I was shouting out lyrics and they were shouting back.

I'd never had this sort of response for anything I'd done. Especially not this band. Even in the states in the same size venue. This was great.

From Blood on the Dancefloor we went into Breaknecks. Fast pace, even faster chords. No wonder Chris hated this song. But he wrote it. Never thought it would catch on, I guess.

You take a second to break a sweat and we'll take that second to break your neck!

Chris just let go of the last note and held his hands up to me.

“Look at what you make me do, Alison! Look! I'VE GOT BLISTERS ON ME FINGERS.”

“Oooooooh, bad joke, buddy. Bad joke.”

“But I do!”

“Oh shut up.” I turned my attetntion back to the crowd. “Well hey guys, how'd you like the Tower Falling?”

More people in the back screamed than in the front. Probably their friends. Good friends, they were.

“And I'd assume you guys like us, I mean, c'mon.”

The crowd screamed. Fuck, I loved that sound.

“And pretty soon you gusy will be seeing Adam After Eve up here. You're excited, right?”

The place fucking errupted. And I almost wish it hadn't with how much I hated James, but then again I tried to show no ill-will towards other bands on stage. Even if their vocalist was a douche.

“Awesome! It's almost time for us to go now-”

The crowed moaned and booed over Chris as he started playing softly and Rowan took position in front of his mic.

“We have one more song for you guys.”

Rowan started chanting “nine-one-one” as Chris gets a little louder and Levi starts tapping away on the drums.

“And since there was blood all over this dance floor, we need to call-”

“Ghostbusters?”

“What? No, Chris-”

“My mom?”

“No, Chris-”

“What about-”

“Chris just play your fucking guitar.”

By now Rowan is losing his chant due to laughter and Levi has picked up the pace a little.

“We need to call-”

“NINE-ONE-ONE.” The crowd screams and we set off like a firecracker. Chris is jumping and Rowan is controlling the whole thing with his bass and Levi is just slamming away.

To be honest, the live version of Nine-One-One is much faster than the recorded version. Levi wrote it that way, with two tempos so that it was more fun to play live. Well, if by fun you mean that it's somewhat impossible for Rowan and Chris to keep up with, then yeah. It's tons of fun for everyone.

I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm crying out so LEAVE. ME. BE! I won't need your help, I feel just fine. So go away, you're wasting your time!

The crowd was just loving it and I was just loving them.

NINE-ONE-ONE

“My friends are calling-”

NINE-ONE-ONE

“My fear of falling-”

NINE-ONE-ONE

“Guys—guys! IT'S TAKING OVER! TAKING OVER, WOAH-”

NINE-ONE-ONE

“I don't have the answer-”

NINE-ONE-ONE

“To stop-to sto-o-o-o-o-o-o-op-”

NINE-ONE-ONE

“But I need YOUR help-WOAH! EVERY BODY OFF THE FLOOR!”

I have them all jumping. Even Chris and Ro and we're all moving and colliding and I throw my hands out and the music comes screeching to a halt. We're over and the crowd is screaming for more and I want to give it to them but I can't.

“Thanks everyone! You guys made our first night SO awesome! You're awesome, London is awesome, THE UK IS AWESOME. Now just sit tight and that next band will be right with you! Bye!”

Rowan is already off stage, gone off to get my cup of tea so I don't die. I jump on to Chris' back and give Levs a high-ten and get carried backstage and thrown on to the couch. That's where I'm lying when Rowan shows back up with my tea, already on the phone with who I assume is my mother.

“Yes, Mrs. C, she's fine.”

“Bless your soul,” I mutter as I take my tea from him. “Bless your glorious, managerial soul.”

“Shut up and drink your tea-What? No, not you, Mrs. C, your daughter.”

I giggle as he explains away his mistake to my mother. I can feel James glaring at us from across the room. God, what is his problem?

A techie comes in to tell us that Adam After Eve is on. James immediately stalks out and the rest of the band follows.

As soon as they're onstage Levi just explodes.

“THAT WAS SO AWESOME.”

“Fuck yes it was.”

“Chris, you're not excited enough.”

“Dude, I'm winded.”

“Shut your whore mouth!”

“Seriously, I am.”

“Whatever, Christopher.”

“I will end you.”

“You'd have to catch me first.”

“Chris if you get off that couch I will break your legs,” I mutter. “Besides, the only place to run is out on stage and into the crowd.”

“Drink your tea.”

“I will pour this into your lap.”

“No one is harming anyone in any way,” Rowan steps in, being the older sibling of our family fued.

“Ro, you're no fun.”

“Levi, so help me God, I will ram your drumsticks down your throat in the middle of the night.”

“Ali, Rowan is scaring me.”

“Rowan, stop scaring the children.”

Everyone fell silent as I drank my tea.

“But I'm older than you,” Levi muttered.

“Maybe in your head, but physically you look like you're fifteen,” I tell him, ruffling his hair.

“I do not!”

“You do, accept it buddy,” Chris stated.

This started a wrestling match that Rowan was eventually dragged into when he tried to break it up.

I just turned and talked with the Tower Falling so they could see that not all Americans were like my band members.