Losing the Feeling of Feeling Unique

I sat in the back lounge of the bus staring at my laptop. I was trying to start writing my tour diary, but my mind kept drawing blanks. The magazine I was writing for - Kerrang - was doing a ‘Biggest Stars of Rock’ series in their magazine. It was going to feature big bands like My Chemical Romance, Green Day and Mindless Self Indulgence (and obviously Panic), but also smaller British bands like You Me At Six and Enter Shikari.

Each band was going to have a 10 page spread in an issue of the magazine, some were going to be tour diaries (like my own), and others were going to be ‘A day in the life of…’ I thought it was a great idea and I was grateful to have a part in it.

I wasn’t really into the idea of doing a traditional tour diary where I just write about everything the boys do. So I had the idea of taking pictures and writing about them and also video recording some of the things the guys did.

With my ideas fresh in my mind, I grabbed the camera I’d been given and ran to take some pictures of the band doing sound check.

I ran into the arena and thought to go and stand right in front of the stage to take the pictures, but decided against it and went into the seated area, right at the back and took a picture. It looked really good, the perspective was just right and because I was stood so far away, the guys looked really small, emphasizing the size of the venue.

Slowly I made my way back down to the stage, the guys were playing their last song, I knew this because Brendon was whacking himself with a tambourine and they were playing Mad As Rabbits. I took a seat on the floor of the arena looking up at the stage, I manoeuvred my body and laid down flat on my stomach and took another picture looking directly up at the stage.

I was really into making the picture looking perfect, so much so that I didn’t realise all four of the guys looking down at me oddly.

‘What are you doing?’ Ryan asked me, confusion evident in his words.

After explaining myself to them, they all got up and came over me picked me up and put me over their heads and ran out to the bus.

‘Guys, put me down!’ I squealed. They obeyed, but then they started tickling me, I began kicking out rapidly trying to get them to stop.

‘Ah!’ I heard Brendon yell.

‘What is it Bren?’ Spencer asked him.

‘She kicked me!’ he gasped.

‘Oh god Bren, I’m so sorry.’ I knelt down next to him, ‘I didn’t mean to.’

‘Its okay Ruby, I just need to go lay down.’ He said stumbling off in the direction of the bunks.
‘Whoa, I don’t want to get on the wrong side of her,’ I heard Spencer mumble.

‘That’s right Spence,’ I poked him in the arm, ‘I might look little, but I sure can pack a bloody good punch.’ I smiled.

I walked off to the bunks, as I went past Brendon’s I pushed back the curtain and looked at him. The poor boy was out cold, I felt really bad, he was going to have a huge bump on his forehead.

Leaving him in peace, I jumped into mine and Jon’s bunk and opened up my laptop. I uploaded the pictures and wrote captions on them, I was just about to get out when Jon came and sat next to me.

‘Hey gorgeous,’ he said kissing my cheek.

‘Hey hot stuff,’ I replied. I internally laughed at my comment, what was I in a 50’s TV show?
‘What you up to?’ he asked.

‘Well, I just uploaded the pictures on to here,’ I said motioning to the Apple Mac on my lap. ‘and I added some captions.’

‘Cool.’

‘Actually, I have an even better idea, how about you write a caption for the pictures?’

‘Okay then.’ He said taking the laptop from me and beginning to type.

‘I’ll be right back.’ I told him before exiting the bunk.

Intending on going to get something to eat, I walked to the kitchenette area, but stopped when I heard the familiar sounds of Guitar Hero coming from the back lounge. Whoever was playing was quite good from what I could hear. I made my way back and I was met with Spencer rocking out to Welcome To The Jungle by Guns N Roses. I chuckled to myself as I watched him. At one point he dropped down onto his knees to do a solo and I couldn’t stifle my giggles any longer.

He looked over at me, his face flushing as he did so.

‘Hey Mr Rock God’ I chuckled.

‘Hey Ruby.’ He said quietly.

‘Wanna duel?’ I asked him, raising my eyebrow.

‘Cool, come on then,’ he said enthusiastically.

‘Bring it Smith!’ I called as I picked up the other guitar.

‘Alright Ross, what song do you wanna play?’ he asked me, I loved how when we started playing it was if we no longer had first names. We only referred to each other as ‘Ross’ or ‘Smith’.

‘Let’s play Dammit, I know how you love to cover Blink 182.’ I said in trash talk mode.

‘Whatever, lets go.’ He said icily.

We stood in silence as the song started, the intro penetrated that silence and we both gave our full concentration to the game.

‘That’s how I roll!’ I said throwing my arms aloft in triumph.

‘I…can’t believe it,’ he said slowly ‘I got beaten.’

‘You got beat bad Smith!’ I laughed.

‘Re-match, now.’ He demanded.

‘Alright, I don’t mind beating you again. But can you handle it?’ I questioned. Our banter was all in good fun, but I knew Spencer hated losing at Guitar Hero.

17 songs later, we were drawn – 9 songs to 9 songs. As the tournament had gone on, we’d attracted quite an audience - the rest of the band, Zack, various other crew members and very surprisingly Keltie had gathered to watch us battle it out.

We agreed to play Eye Of The Tiger, one of my all-time favourite songs and my secret weapon on Guitar Hero. I could play that song with my eyes closed and still get 100%. But I didn’t let Spencer know that.

‘I am the champion! I am the champion, no time for losers, ‘cause I am the champion!’ I sang in the tune of the Queen song.

‘Well done Ross.’ Spencer congratulated me, shaking my hand.

‘Well done to you too Smith, you were a worthy competitor.’ It was a close one, Spencer got 98%, while I got 99%.

Jon walked over to me and put his arms around my waist a kissed me. ‘Well done my little guitar hero.’ He spoke softly.

‘Thanks, too bad I suck at real guitar eh?’ I laughed.