‹ Prequel: Changes
Making the Album
Protection.
"So...bascially, this is a tour of the entire United States. Aerosmith and Def Leppard are going to be hitting not only the big arenas, but a lot of clubs and smaller stages."
Barry looked tired. There were rings around his eyes and his hair was sticking straight up. The resemblance to Sid Vicious was uncanny, and suddenly, Tom was worried about him. Where had Barry gone last night?
"Are you guys in, or out?" He asked, tapping his pen against the desk.
"We told you last night, dude. We're in."
Barry looked confused.
"Wait...last night..." The producer paused. "Oh shit. You did. Sorry. I'll make a couple phone calls. You guys go out, pack whatever and buy what you need. Put it on the company's bill."
The Dolls trailed out. Tom cast a backwards glance at Barry. The producer was still tapping his pen against the table, looking somewhat put out.
Tom dashed down the hall and yanked Billie away from Tony. Tony promptly kicked him.
"I was making out with him, if you don't mind."
"Actually, I need to borrow him."
"Fine." huffed Tony. "I need to get some guitar strings anyway."
She smacked Billie's ass, then took off down the hall. Billie sighed and looked at Tom.
"Please tell me that this is important."
"I need you to talk to Barry."
"That's not important, Tom."
"Billie, did you see the guy in the meeting? He's never been that out of it. Something's wrong. And...well, I don't know who else to ask."
"Why not Mike? Or Jay? Or Blondie?"
"Because Barry didn't punch any of them in the face. Or drive up to Minnesota to rescue any of them."
Billie sighed.
"I'll talk to him, fine. But honestly, I think the guy's fine."
***
"Barry?"
The producer jumped.
"Jesus, Billie..."
Tom was right. Barry was out of it. He hadn't even heard Billie knock or call his name from outside the sudio.
"What do you need?" Barry asked, tapping his pen anxiously.
"Where did you go last night?"
"Why is that any concern of your's?" Barry said defensively.
"Because you look tired and jumpy and..." Billie hesitated for a moment before saying, "and we're worried about you."
Barry laughed and stood up. His movements were shaky and uncertain. Billie saw what had worried Tom. And now it was worrying him as well.
"God, if this was coming from anyone else...you hate me, Billie, and you've never been secretive about it. If I just dropped dead, you wouldn't give a shit."
"Barry...I've never-"
"Don't bother."
Barry picked up Tony's guitar, strummed it absently. Then he set it down.
"You know...I was so thrilled to be working with them...they've got such talent..." Barry's voice shook. "And it kills me to know that they might not make it."
"What are you talking about?"
"Have you watched MTV lately? It's all shit. Half the time they're pissed off because a band isn't 'authentic' or they're 'selling out'. And the other half of the time they're idolizing talentless whores like Brittany Spears and Ashlee Simpson."
"The Dolls are gonna make it."
"Billie...they'll change. They've already started. Blondie and Tom went shopping for Porches. They were so excited about it....they were thrilled to have the money. They'll be the next Guns N Roses, the next Aerosmith...and then they'll die from a drug overdose or something stupid like that."
The producer ran a shaky hand through his hair.
"I want to protect them....but I can't."
He walked to the door. He rested a pale hand on the knob, then looked back at Billie.
"I was at a bar last night...I got too trashed to remember how to get home and slept in the fucking gutter...just so you know..."
Then he vanished out the door, leaving Billie confused and silent behind him.
Barry looked tired. There were rings around his eyes and his hair was sticking straight up. The resemblance to Sid Vicious was uncanny, and suddenly, Tom was worried about him. Where had Barry gone last night?
"Are you guys in, or out?" He asked, tapping his pen against the desk.
"We told you last night, dude. We're in."
Barry looked confused.
"Wait...last night..." The producer paused. "Oh shit. You did. Sorry. I'll make a couple phone calls. You guys go out, pack whatever and buy what you need. Put it on the company's bill."
The Dolls trailed out. Tom cast a backwards glance at Barry. The producer was still tapping his pen against the table, looking somewhat put out.
Tom dashed down the hall and yanked Billie away from Tony. Tony promptly kicked him.
"I was making out with him, if you don't mind."
"Actually, I need to borrow him."
"Fine." huffed Tony. "I need to get some guitar strings anyway."
She smacked Billie's ass, then took off down the hall. Billie sighed and looked at Tom.
"Please tell me that this is important."
"I need you to talk to Barry."
"That's not important, Tom."
"Billie, did you see the guy in the meeting? He's never been that out of it. Something's wrong. And...well, I don't know who else to ask."
"Why not Mike? Or Jay? Or Blondie?"
"Because Barry didn't punch any of them in the face. Or drive up to Minnesota to rescue any of them."
Billie sighed.
"I'll talk to him, fine. But honestly, I think the guy's fine."
***
"Barry?"
The producer jumped.
"Jesus, Billie..."
Tom was right. Barry was out of it. He hadn't even heard Billie knock or call his name from outside the sudio.
"What do you need?" Barry asked, tapping his pen anxiously.
"Where did you go last night?"
"Why is that any concern of your's?" Barry said defensively.
"Because you look tired and jumpy and..." Billie hesitated for a moment before saying, "and we're worried about you."
Barry laughed and stood up. His movements were shaky and uncertain. Billie saw what had worried Tom. And now it was worrying him as well.
"God, if this was coming from anyone else...you hate me, Billie, and you've never been secretive about it. If I just dropped dead, you wouldn't give a shit."
"Barry...I've never-"
"Don't bother."
Barry picked up Tony's guitar, strummed it absently. Then he set it down.
"You know...I was so thrilled to be working with them...they've got such talent..." Barry's voice shook. "And it kills me to know that they might not make it."
"What are you talking about?"
"Have you watched MTV lately? It's all shit. Half the time they're pissed off because a band isn't 'authentic' or they're 'selling out'. And the other half of the time they're idolizing talentless whores like Brittany Spears and Ashlee Simpson."
"The Dolls are gonna make it."
"Billie...they'll change. They've already started. Blondie and Tom went shopping for Porches. They were so excited about it....they were thrilled to have the money. They'll be the next Guns N Roses, the next Aerosmith...and then they'll die from a drug overdose or something stupid like that."
The producer ran a shaky hand through his hair.
"I want to protect them....but I can't."
He walked to the door. He rested a pale hand on the knob, then looked back at Billie.
"I was at a bar last night...I got too trashed to remember how to get home and slept in the fucking gutter...just so you know..."
Then he vanished out the door, leaving Billie confused and silent behind him.