Creating Bad News: CHAPTER TWO
Chapter two;;
“Looking for guitarist, drummer and bassist for great new HEAVY METAL band, phone 2454965 for more information”, Alan smiled reading his own handiwork he had printed last week and was now being advertised in today’s paper. He was going to get a band, he was going to create his own band and boss them around, make them create fucking good music and best of all get famous and rich. Cutting out the advertisement and sticking it on his dirty old fridge Alan turned to the mirror on the other side of the room.
“Vim Fuego…. VIM Fuego, yes I’m Vim Fuego of the new heavy, heavy metal band and yes. I am holding a torch for you…”
Smiling toothily Alan ran a hand through his long blonde hair; it was that moment the phone on the dining table began to ring. Eyes lit up Alan dived onto the dirty couch covered in beer cans and took the phone off the hook. Holding it to his ear he greeted with a low, solemn voice:
“Hello?”, No! Vim through angrily after his hello introduction, he was supposed to be this heavy metal god meaning there was no hello on the phone. He needed attitude; he needed to let these guys know he was a dirty, live life on the edge rocker on a one way road to oblivion.
“Um… hello?”
A dim-witted voice replied.
“Who is this?”
“I’m Dennis… I read your ad in the paper and I play guitar”
“Um alright Dennis, what bands you currently has been in?”
“Um”, he paused for at least ten seconds, “The Hounds of Zaroff, I was rhythm guitarist but they’re not getting anywhere and I want to join a new Heavy Metal band. Listen, you haven’t got to drink a whole bottle of vodka to join have you? Because I’ve been there man and it makes me sick”
“No actually I was going to ask you round, y’know some play for me”
“Oh… oh that sounds cool”
He hung up.
The phone rang again; Alan groaned and picked it back up.
“Um hello it’s me again, where do you like live?”
It had been at least an hour and Alan and Dennis were both in the drawing room. Each holding their own guitars plugged up to their crappy amps. Den was alright Alan supposed, he was a little slow but he knew how to play guitar well he sort of knew but he was pretty damn good compared to Alan’s last band. He was what Alan had expected too, a tall guy with thick curly hair wearing a denim jacket, jeans and chains.
“Am I in?” Den asked taking a can of beer from the table, clicking it open and taking a large swig from the contents. Alan took one also and did the same; he laid back against the sofa eying Dennis as he put down the now empty can.
“Ok”
“Cool”
After his and Den’s little guitar jam Alan received another phone call this time from a guy named ‘Spider Webb’. He seemed a bit more intelligent than Den did over the phone and he had this strange little laugh when he said certain things even if they weren’t funny. It was a nervous like laugh so Alan assumed Spider hadn’t been in many or any bands for that matter but who was he to question as long as the guy could play.
Spider walked in without much of a care in the world, he had brought his drums which Den had helped him carry in as he set them up. All eyes were on him, he knew this and would often look up with a toothy smile and giggle. He had long straight hair with large sideburns, his breath smelt like alcohol and his clothes stunk of cannabis. He was rock n’ roll to Alan.
“Well I’m Spider, Spider Web hehe”, he giggled sitting himself down at the drum kit, sticks in his hands Spider did a little twirl with them both. Den’s bloodhound eyes followed Spider’s sticks lazily and then the drummer started to play.
And play
And play some more
And maybe a little bit more
And some more
He liked playing
Forty-Five minutes had passed until Alan finally stood up.
“You’re in”
Spider stopped playing and did his trademark laugh, the sweat dripped from his hair and nose and onto Alan’s dirty carpet.
“I fuckin’ hate drum solos”, Alan admitted as he crossed his arms across his torso.
His band was coming together so quickly, he already had his guitarist and drummer and now all he needed was that bassist, any bassist would do he just needed one. Alan wanted to start making music ASAP; if Daisy the cow came in holding a bass then he would have accepted her.
“Um this the right place? I’m here to try out for bass..”
A slightly familiar voice chimed from the doorway, Alan’s eyes widened at the sight of the familiar being he had recently seen at the bus stop just a week or so ago. He had changed a lot from when he had seen him though, he wore a black T-shirt and over that a navy blue shirt which was open. Dark blue jeans that flared out at the bottoms and his hair was a lot longer now with eyeliner round the eyes.
“You!”
Collin shouted pointing to Alan holding his bass in his other hand.
“It’s Collin”
Alan smirked slowly walking towards the shocked Collin. So Collin had been telling the truth about playing the bass but didn’t he say he was in a band? The thought of Collin being kicked out of his band made Alan want to laugh in his face.
“Yes well… I decided my band wasn’t for me and thought I’d try something new” Collin then looked down surprised how small the world really was. He wanted to join a band and then rub in Alan’s face next time he found him and to say that he was not lying about being in a band. To be honest he had ‘learnt’ to play bass in the week he met Alan.
“Y’mean they kicked you out?”
“Don’t be ridiculous I left because the groupies had stopped coming, yeah that’s it I-“
“Collin are you going to fuckin’ play or give us the first page of your bloody biography”
Gritting his teeth Collin plugged his bass into the nearest amp and put it over his shoulder. Holding his right handed bass in his left hand made Alan chuckle, he had to interfere.
“You usually play upside down Collin?”
“It’s not upside down! Your eyes are upside down”
“Mine too?” - Dennis asked rubbing his eyes slowly watching as Collin set himself up.
“I don’t know, you’re all upside down to me hehe” - Spider said twirling his drumsticks round his fingers some more.
So Collin began to play, he began to play his bass upside down and not taking the advice from anyone that maybe he needed a left handed bass rather than a right handed one. He had finished, he flipped his hair from out of his eyes and stood looking at Alan with a cannot be bothered look on his face. He had attitude but Alan knew it was an act, even as he spoke to the guy he could tell his voice had been changed for this act. It was deeper than it was when they met at the bus stop.
“I think it was pretty good….”
Dennis said loudly taking another beer from the table.
Spider was too busy counting the dust in the air to notice whilst Alan was too busy staring into the strange boys face, there was something Alan hated about Collin but there was something else he loved.
“Yeah you’re in…”
“Oh great”
Collin laughed putting his bass down on the floor.
“Good news everyone, we’ve got a band!”
Alan yelled shaking a can of beer and opening it so the contents sprayed across the room.
“Bad news more like, Alan”, Spider replied opening another beer and drowning that in thirty seconds.