Fast Lane - Kristen Ashley Page 0,5

was about the time he shit his pants.

And then Nicky crashed into the cymbal, the floor tom, big racket, and Preacher was in their space.

He had his guitar slanted on his back and a look on his face…

[Trails off]

[Leans forward, puts elbows to his knees]

I’m taped, what are you writing?

[Off tape]

Things people can’t hear. Like you just leaned forward. Or when you smile.

Right. Why?

The story will be richer.

[Pause]

Right.

Go on.

You heard “Bad Bad Leroy Brown”?

Yes.

Ricky was a high school drug dealer. He’s in the joint now, never learned. Three strikes was the worst thing that could happen to him. He had about twenty of ’em before that program rolled out and he got his “third.” Now, he’ll never get out.

It started back then. Dealin’ weed and blow to high school kids.

[Shakes head]

And these three guys supplied him.

I do not know their beef. To this day, I do not know what Ricky was pullin’ to piss them off.

What I know was, Preacher McCade got up in their shit, and when he did, he did not speak a goddamn word and they still knew that they did not come to my parents’ driveway, walk up to their fuckin’ garage and ask for Ricky.

They got a load of Preacher and they turned and walked away.

We never saw them again.

I asked about that Croce song not because Ricky was Leroy Brown.

Not because those dudes were.

Because Preach was.

[Off tape]

What happened then?

Nicky got himself cleaned up, hosed down the garage, was ready to take off, but Preach caught him at the end of the driveway before he went.

You heard Nick tell it. I wasn’t there. I was standin’ in the garage by the door to the house, pissed as shit that Ricky was such an asshole and wanting his twin brother outta my sight, even if that might mean I’d never see my jeans back.

Nick Pileggi, ex-rhythm guitar of Zenith as told to Tune magazine:

“He said Ricky was out.

I told him it wasn’t his band.

He said Ricky was out.

And this was Preacher.

So, Rick was out.”

Jesse Simms:

Rick wasn’t missed.

And like Preach said from the beginning, he sucked.

It was Preach who found Dave [Clinton, drummer of Zenith and Preacher McCade and the Roadmasters].

Dave was a year older than Tim and me in high school. By then, he was already graduated.

We didn’t know him, but we knew him, you know? The way it is in high school.

Didn’t know he played the drums, though. Just knew he was a pothead.

[Laughs]

And shit, [smiles, laughs, shakes head] even I didn’t know how bad Ricky was until we had Dave.

Suddenly, I kid you not, the first song we did with Dave, “Start Me Up.”

[Smiles again]

Dave.

[Shakes head]

He was nineteen, man. He sings “You make a grown man cry,” with the rest of us, it was like we’d been on the road together for twenty years.

Dave was the shit.

Wild man.

Christ.

Dave.

[Smiles and keeps smiling]

[Off tape]

Will you talk about what happened with Nick Pileggi?

[Stares silently]

You don’t have to.

It isn’t shit nobody knows, you know? Because he has a big, fat mouth. Fuckin’ asshole.

[Long pause]

Preacher—

Yeah, back then, Preacher took care of his ass. But the damage was done. Nothin’ Preach really could do.

[Taps with fingers on arm of armchair]

One thing in my whole life that my mom and dad were in accord on was what Preacher did to Nick, you know?

Nicky stayed with the band after Ricky was out. Few months. Heading into graduation. Preach and Dave were already at work finding us gigs. Real gigs. Paying gigs. At bars and clubs all over the Midwest. Anywhere that would take us, they got us on the schedule.

I did not apply to colleges, neither did Tim.

Mom was pissed.

Dad got it.

Neither of Timmy’s parents gave a shit.

We were takin’ it on the road.

Preacher had songs before he came to us, worked them out with the band. They were good. You know ’em. Everyone does.

“Give Then Take” was a hit before it was an actual hit, and we all knew it. Angsty, dark, pissed-off rock ’n’ roll. So dark, man. Deep in a pit, pitch black, sister.

Band defining, you know?

This was before Guns ’n Roses really hit. If you weren’t Petty, Springsteen or Mellencamp, rock was hair bands. Mötley Crüe trash. Thinkin’ they’re badass because they put dots over vowels. What the fuck? I mean those guys were imbeciles, assholes and imbeciles. Clowns. Serious.

That is not rock ’n’ roll.

Ratt. Poison. Cinderella. Warrant. Okay, maybe some talent, mostly hair.

Best of the bunch? Bon Jovi. Dudes had heart as well as hair and didn’t