Second Heartbeat

It had been about six weeks, since Anne and Ash had escaped the confines of Toronto; for the safety net of Montréal. After a day of rest and socializing with Anne’s family, they entered the studio with Alex, Steve, Terrence, John and Cody of Obey The Brave. They spent another day getting reacquainted with old friends, before they started to work on what they were there for in the first place. The work flowed so smoothly and naturally, that the girls finished their parts in three and a half days. They had finished so quickly, that they found time to guest on a track for Obey The Brave’s upcoming album, and play shows in Montréal and Québec City with the boys.

“Have you seen all the people out there?! It is fucking packed!”

Jess squealed excitedly. After they had all finished their recording commitments, they headed back home to the West Coast. With everything having been sent off for mixing and mastering, they had not much to do, but relax before they started to tour for much of the remainder of the year. Currently, they were backstage at a local Huntington Beach venue, where they had decided to hold a benefit concert. This concert held much meaning to the band, as the proceeds would go to organizations that helped combat addictions and mental illnesses.

The buzz had built around Moonstone, the bar/venue where Ash and Jess bartended in their downtime from the band, as soon as the show was announced. The original plan was for the girls to hand over all performance duties to the bands listed on the bill for the night. Those bands being: Obey The Brave, Beartooth, Ice Nine Kills, Memphis May Fire and We Came As Romans. But in the days leading up to the show, it had been decided that the girls would hop on guest vocals throughout the night. It had also been decided, that during OTB’s set, they would take to the stage and debut some of the tracks they recorded in Montréal.

“So, are you girls ready to start the night?”

Mike Shinoda asked, as he poked his head into the room.

“Let’s do this!”

The girls got into their customary pre show huddle, a photo of which was snapped by Rafa Alcantara. After a few quiet words in French, the girls took to the stage to signal the start of the show and the fundraising. Throughout the performances, the girls, the guys in Avenged, and the other bands, would wander through the crowd, with donation jars in hand. Ash and Jess would also hop behind the bar and sling drinks for bands and patrons alike. Ash was in the process of pouring a round of whiskey sours when she heard a voice ask,

“by any chance, are you on the menu?”

She turned around to see Johnny leaning on the bar, as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

“You are such a fucking dork. But if you play your cards right, I just might be … at the end of the night.”

Ash served her customers, they leaned over the counter and pecked Johnny’s lips; before she sent him on his way. Several times throughout the night, Ash left the bar, either to join her other bandmates in the fundraising floor, or at the merch table, or to hop on guest vocals. She had just left the stage after joining Matty Mullins from Memphis May Fire on vocals for “Vices”, when someone grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her into the first empty room.

“And what exactly do you think you are doing Mr. Seward?”

“Stealing a moment with my woman.”

Johnny replied, as he locked the door and backed Ash against the table. While the two bassists enjoyed a private moment backstage, Anne, Corinne and Alex from OTB signed for fans at the merch tables. Ash eventually joined them, once Johnny had released her, before she went back behind the bar with Jess.

“Aaaaassssshhhhh…..”

Jess called out, just as Ash had pocketed a tip from a patron. Ash turned and caught a cashew that Jess had thrown at her; silently willing Jess to tell her what she wanted.

“I need a VU tattoo.”

“You know, I’m still surprised that you don't already have one. How is it, that it has taken you this long to ask for one?”

“Have you spoken to Z about this? Because he said the exact same thing.”

Ash shook her head no; as she turned to pull a beer from the tap for Spencer from Ice Nine Kills.

“Remind me about this tomorrow, and then we will plan something; hopefully before tour.”

Upon hearing their conversation, Spencer expressed interest in a getting a piece done; so he and Ash started to sketch out a plan on a napkin. Ash and Jess served a couple handfuls more of patrons, before they left the bar to join Beartooth for “Body Bag” and “In Between”. From there, the girls remained backstage, as they readied themselves to take the stage as a whole during OTB’s set. Sensing her friend’s unease, Corinne, sat with Anne, speaking to her in French about anything and everything. Tonight was the night, that the band would premiere on of the most personal songs, that any one of them had ever written.

“All Fucked Up”, was written by Anne, after her stint in rehab. It represented everything that had felt and gone through, in the time before and during rehab, and how she sometimes felt even so many weeks later. The song’s subject matter was so heavy, that Brian could not even bring himself to listen to it the whole way through. He too, would be hearing it in full, for the first time tonight. It was one of the songs that Anne and Ash recorded in Montréal with Obey The Brave, and even featured OTB’s Alex and Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo on backing vocals. The studio session for that song was so heavy, that Anne could not even finish recording her part. The final mix that was sent off, featured Stevie from OTB on the skins.

“So, we’ve got a little surprise for y’all.”

Alex from OTB, informed the crowd, about halfway through their set.

“If you didn’t already know, we spent a bit of time working with some lovely ladies on their upcoming release. And let me just tell you, that it all sounds fucking amazing. We can’t wait for you all to hear the blood, sweat, and tears that they poured into it. But until then, give it up for Radiant Eclipse!”

The girls took to the stage, to much fanfare, and kicked off their mini set, with “This Is What Rock And Roll Looks Like”. They followed it up with “Where I Come From” and “Woke Up Screaming”, before they were joined onstage by Alex, Caleb, and Stevie. While Stevie and Anne switched places, Ash took a moment to say a few words.

“This next song, is going to be our last one for the night. It is also one of the hardest songs we have ever recorded, and is our most personal to date. This may also be the only time we ever play it live, so you better enjoy it.”

“This one is called ‘All Fucked Up”.”

Anne added, before the song’s melody kicked in.

“If I wake up tomorrow just know that I tried
To find a way out without saying goodbye

All the panic, depression, the hurt and regret
Lying to myself
"I don't think of death"
All the ups, all the downs, all the petty concerns
My whole world's imploding, I can't find the words
'Cause the truth is... I'm fucked up.”

By the end of the song, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Anne blew kisses to the crowd, before she placed the mic down and walked off of the stage. The rest of the girls followed, to a ravenous round of applause, before the guys in Obey The Brave continued on and finished their set, before We Came As Romans closed out the night.