Paint Yourself a Picture, Something Perfectly Obscure
1
The noise was deafening, it was snowing outside but it felt like 100 degrees inside, there was no room to move and the smell of alcohol filled the room but I’d missed this more than anything! “Are you okay?” my friend Sally asked and I nodded “She’s fine” some guy from next to me said and I smiled “Hey I’m Mikey” he said and I smiled at him “Dillon” I said and he smiled.
“Are you sure your okay?” they asked and I rolled my eyes “Yes I’m fine, you know I’m not a baby! I’m 20” I snapped and they all nodded “What’s with the friends?” he asked and I smiled “Long story” I admitted and he nodded. “First gig?” he asked and I shook my head “You?” and he laughed, ”It’s like my fourth time seeing just this band so no” he replied.
“I didn’t think they were much of a boys band?” I asked and he laughed “Everyone says that but I really like them, none of my friends will come with me though so I’m all alone” he said pulling a sad face and I smiled “This is stupid, my first gig in ages and we’re nowhere near the front! I’d queued for hours for my friends to let everyone push in front because they don’t want to be near the front,” I complained.
He looked shocked “Really?” he asked and I nodded “You can barely even see from here, I want to be at the front where you can see them” I stated and he smiled “You got a cell on you?” he asked and I nodded “And your friends?” he asked and I nodded “Fancy ditching them for the front?” he asked and I looked around at them to see them all stood texting anyway and I looked back at him before nodding.
He smiled before grabbing my hand “Stay with me” he shouted as he moved through some people “Hey dude” a girl shouted as he pulled me through her and her friends “Sorry!” he shouted back and I noticed we were only a few people from the front “Hey where do you think your going?” a guy asked and he turned around “Sorry but my little sister’s at the front on her own and I need to get to her” he lied and the guy moved so we could get through.
“See 5 people back and they look the sort that will move when things get tight” he said and I nodded “Thanks” I said and he laughed, “Anytime, so what’s your favourite song by them?” he asked and I smiled “I only know 2, I don’t really like them it’s my friends that wanted to come to this gig. You?” I asked and he smiled.
“I prefer their old stuff, The Beach is good,” he admitted and I nodded, “Do you want my number in case we get separated?” he asked and I nodded giving him my cell and he put it in. “Are they good?” I asked and he nodded “Looks like they’re coming out” he said and I smiled.
Sure enough 2 songs in the people at the front had moved and we’d managed to take their places, Mikey was right they were good but it appeared I was the only one not to know any of the words. They played through songs and talked away telling jokes and they looked like they were having so much fun when I looked at the time to see they’d been on over an hour already.
“Okay so we’re going to get some people onstage now to play the next song, who’s up for that?” the singer asked and people screamed and he laughed “Okay well we’re going to play Weightless so only volunteer if you can play” he shouted into the microphone and everyone cheered. I looked at Mikey and tapped his arm “Weightless?” I asked and he nodded “Yeah, you have to know that song. It starts manage me I’m a mess” he said and I smiled.
“I know that one and I love it!” I shouted and he smiled “We have to get onstage” he said and I nodded “Can you play?” I asked and he nodded “You?” he shouted and I nodded” and he beamed. We’d spent the whole night off centre on the left side and the dark haired guy had spent most of the night stood on the speakers.
“Okay so hands up if you can play guitar!” the singer asked and he picked some guy from the other side of the stage, he picked a girl to play guitar as well and sing and then that left bass and drums “You play bass?” I asked and Mikey nodded “You?” he asked and I shook my head and he smiled “Girl drummer!” he shouted and I nodded.
“Okay 2 places left, bassists” he said and Mikey put his hand up as he walked over and he pointed at him and he beamed at me as he jumped over the barrier “You best get on here!” he shouted and he climbed onstage. “Okay last but not least any drummers?” he shouted and I put my hand up.
“Okay erm, I like the look of…” he said pointing further back in the crowd “Stop right their!” the dark haired boy shouted in his microphone and the guy turned to face him “Your not playing them” he said smiling and he shook his head “There’s a dude over there with his hand up, he looks kind of cool don’t you think?” he shouted and there was some cheering.
“No dude, come check this out!” he said and the singer walked back towards him “Girl drummer dude, we have to have her!” the dark haired boy said pointing to me and I smiled “You can really play?” the singer asked and I nodded “Then we have a drummer, get up here” he said and I smiled as I jumped over the barrier and onto the stage.
Mikey beamed at me and I smiled, they all grabbed the person that was replacing them “You can really play?” he asked and I laughed “Is it so hard to believe a girl can play drums?” I asked as I sat down and he smiled “It’s rare but if your really good you’ll make up for the lack of good drumming I’ve witnessed this show” he said as he sat on the amp next to the drums and I laughed.
“I’ll try,” I said and he smiled “Rian” I said holding his hand out and I smiled “Dillon” I replied and he nodded, anyway I’ll tell you when to come in okay but you know the song right?” he asked and I nodded. I knew this song and one other that was named Lost In Stereo; truth was I wasn’t a massive fan of this band but that one song had stuck with me since I’d heard it.
“Okay he’ll get going in a minute” Rian said and I nodded as the dark haired guy walked over to sit with him “You think yours is any good?” Rian asked him and he shrugged “Seems alright, yours?” he asked and he shrugged “You never know until you hear them but she seems confident enough” he said and I smiled to myself.
I knew this song well enough, I’d played it lots of times before as my friends tried to sing along or play guitar badly and every time I’d got it perfect so I wasn’t about to start doubting myself. Rian true to his word cued me on when to come in but I had it covered and I started to play, I saw him watching and he nudged his friend who nodded.
Mikey walked over and was stood playing with me and soon enough it was over and I felt happy, it’s been ages since I’d played music to more than just my friends and I’d missed the feeling. Rian grabbed me hugging me “You make up for the bad drumming I’ve seen” he said and I laughed “Thanks” I replied.
“Right I think I speak for us all when I say that was the best of the tour, now thanks guys but we’re taking over again so if you guys want to go that way you can stand at the side and watch” the singer said and Mikey grabbed my wrist as we walked off with the others.
“That was great” he said and I nodded as I stood watching them finish, they thanked everyone for coming out before running off stage the opposite side to us and the main lights came on, “Is it me or do you always feel excited for hours after a gig?” he asked and I nodded “I always do, I can never sleep” I admitted and he laughed “Me neither, anyway we best get going” he said and I nodded.
“Are you sure your okay?” they asked and I rolled my eyes “Yes I’m fine, you know I’m not a baby! I’m 20” I snapped and they all nodded “What’s with the friends?” he asked and I smiled “Long story” I admitted and he nodded. “First gig?” he asked and I shook my head “You?” and he laughed, ”It’s like my fourth time seeing just this band so no” he replied.
“I didn’t think they were much of a boys band?” I asked and he laughed “Everyone says that but I really like them, none of my friends will come with me though so I’m all alone” he said pulling a sad face and I smiled “This is stupid, my first gig in ages and we’re nowhere near the front! I’d queued for hours for my friends to let everyone push in front because they don’t want to be near the front,” I complained.
He looked shocked “Really?” he asked and I nodded “You can barely even see from here, I want to be at the front where you can see them” I stated and he smiled “You got a cell on you?” he asked and I nodded “And your friends?” he asked and I nodded “Fancy ditching them for the front?” he asked and I looked around at them to see them all stood texting anyway and I looked back at him before nodding.
He smiled before grabbing my hand “Stay with me” he shouted as he moved through some people “Hey dude” a girl shouted as he pulled me through her and her friends “Sorry!” he shouted back and I noticed we were only a few people from the front “Hey where do you think your going?” a guy asked and he turned around “Sorry but my little sister’s at the front on her own and I need to get to her” he lied and the guy moved so we could get through.
“See 5 people back and they look the sort that will move when things get tight” he said and I nodded “Thanks” I said and he laughed, “Anytime, so what’s your favourite song by them?” he asked and I smiled “I only know 2, I don’t really like them it’s my friends that wanted to come to this gig. You?” I asked and he smiled.
“I prefer their old stuff, The Beach is good,” he admitted and I nodded, “Do you want my number in case we get separated?” he asked and I nodded giving him my cell and he put it in. “Are they good?” I asked and he nodded “Looks like they’re coming out” he said and I smiled.
Sure enough 2 songs in the people at the front had moved and we’d managed to take their places, Mikey was right they were good but it appeared I was the only one not to know any of the words. They played through songs and talked away telling jokes and they looked like they were having so much fun when I looked at the time to see they’d been on over an hour already.
“Okay so we’re going to get some people onstage now to play the next song, who’s up for that?” the singer asked and people screamed and he laughed “Okay well we’re going to play Weightless so only volunteer if you can play” he shouted into the microphone and everyone cheered. I looked at Mikey and tapped his arm “Weightless?” I asked and he nodded “Yeah, you have to know that song. It starts manage me I’m a mess” he said and I smiled.
“I know that one and I love it!” I shouted and he smiled “We have to get onstage” he said and I nodded “Can you play?” I asked and he nodded “You?” he shouted and I nodded” and he beamed. We’d spent the whole night off centre on the left side and the dark haired guy had spent most of the night stood on the speakers.
“Okay so hands up if you can play guitar!” the singer asked and he picked some guy from the other side of the stage, he picked a girl to play guitar as well and sing and then that left bass and drums “You play bass?” I asked and Mikey nodded “You?” he asked and I shook my head and he smiled “Girl drummer!” he shouted and I nodded.
“Okay 2 places left, bassists” he said and Mikey put his hand up as he walked over and he pointed at him and he beamed at me as he jumped over the barrier “You best get on here!” he shouted and he climbed onstage. “Okay last but not least any drummers?” he shouted and I put my hand up.
“Okay erm, I like the look of…” he said pointing further back in the crowd “Stop right their!” the dark haired boy shouted in his microphone and the guy turned to face him “Your not playing them” he said smiling and he shook his head “There’s a dude over there with his hand up, he looks kind of cool don’t you think?” he shouted and there was some cheering.
“No dude, come check this out!” he said and the singer walked back towards him “Girl drummer dude, we have to have her!” the dark haired boy said pointing to me and I smiled “You can really play?” the singer asked and I nodded “Then we have a drummer, get up here” he said and I smiled as I jumped over the barrier and onto the stage.
Mikey beamed at me and I smiled, they all grabbed the person that was replacing them “You can really play?” he asked and I laughed “Is it so hard to believe a girl can play drums?” I asked as I sat down and he smiled “It’s rare but if your really good you’ll make up for the lack of good drumming I’ve witnessed this show” he said as he sat on the amp next to the drums and I laughed.
“I’ll try,” I said and he smiled “Rian” I said holding his hand out and I smiled “Dillon” I replied and he nodded, anyway I’ll tell you when to come in okay but you know the song right?” he asked and I nodded. I knew this song and one other that was named Lost In Stereo; truth was I wasn’t a massive fan of this band but that one song had stuck with me since I’d heard it.
“Okay he’ll get going in a minute” Rian said and I nodded as the dark haired guy walked over to sit with him “You think yours is any good?” Rian asked him and he shrugged “Seems alright, yours?” he asked and he shrugged “You never know until you hear them but she seems confident enough” he said and I smiled to myself.
I knew this song well enough, I’d played it lots of times before as my friends tried to sing along or play guitar badly and every time I’d got it perfect so I wasn’t about to start doubting myself. Rian true to his word cued me on when to come in but I had it covered and I started to play, I saw him watching and he nudged his friend who nodded.
Mikey walked over and was stood playing with me and soon enough it was over and I felt happy, it’s been ages since I’d played music to more than just my friends and I’d missed the feeling. Rian grabbed me hugging me “You make up for the bad drumming I’ve seen” he said and I laughed “Thanks” I replied.
“Right I think I speak for us all when I say that was the best of the tour, now thanks guys but we’re taking over again so if you guys want to go that way you can stand at the side and watch” the singer said and Mikey grabbed my wrist as we walked off with the others.
“That was great” he said and I nodded as I stood watching them finish, they thanked everyone for coming out before running off stage the opposite side to us and the main lights came on, “Is it me or do you always feel excited for hours after a gig?” he asked and I nodded “I always do, I can never sleep” I admitted and he laughed “Me neither, anyway we best get going” he said and I nodded.