Strung Tight (The Road To Rocktoberfest #1) - Ann Lister Page 0,18
or we might be able to build stairs for you to get up to your kit,” Dagger said. “You okay with that?”
“I don’t care if I have to swing in on a rope like Tarzan to reach my skins, I’ll do it,” he acknowledged.
Dagger’s eyes widened like he’d gotten an idea from Mike’s mention of the rope swing, and Spumoni leaned in closer to his ear. “I wouldn’t suggest the rope,” Spumoni said. “It could be a liability issue—especially if he does any partying before the show.”
“Good point,” Dagger agreed, and then he looked at us. “Spumoni just brought up something worth mentioning. You’re new to this level of performing, so I’m only going to say this one time and hope you hear what I’m saying loud and clear. Every show matters, so don’t partake in the backstage drugs and booze to a point where you’re unable to play, or your performance will suck. People will remember your fuckups, and they’ll use their phones to record your stupidity for all of eternity to see. Understood?”
“Got it,” Dixon stated firmly.
None of us were huge partiers, but we’d also never had the money to do it in a serious capacity. We drank a few beers throughout the week and got stoned, but none of us to my knowledge were into the hard stuff. Dagger was right, though. I didn’t want Chaos to be seen on YouTube videos as fall-down drunks on stage. We could party after the shows and do our best to keep things in moderation so that our backstage fun stayed off the internet too. Discussions like this one proved just how much we had to learn about this business and how much more the job encompassed beyond the music we created.
“Okay, go take a ten-minute break and let me finish up with these two, then I’m going to teach you how to create a killer setlist for your show,” Dagger addressed us.
“Sounds good,” I said and waved at Spumoni and David as my band and I made our way to the exit door. Out in the hallway, Mike, Potter, and Dixon walked over to the coffee station and poured themselves fresh cups, then took them outside for their break, but I went to look for Dallas. I ended up spending my whole break searching for him in all his usual hiding spots and came up empty. I finally spotted Skully and asked if he knew of Dallas’s whereabouts and was told he’d been sent on an errand to pick up some kind of special cable. With that info, I asked if he’d mind telling Dallas I was looking for him and then headed back inside to finish our meeting with Dagger.
I’d thought a lot about Dallas last night, and the major conclusion I’d come up with was that I really liked hanging out with him. He was easy to talk to and I felt completely comfortable being around him, like I was free to be me when we were together. I also admitted to myself how much I enjoyed kissing him, and I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to more of it. I was curious to do so when we weren’t stoned off our asses to see if I liked it as much. Maybe it was the pot that made it feel so fucking amazing.
“Where the hell did you disappear to?” Potter asked me when I met them by the door to the lobby.
“I was looking for Dallas,” I admitted. No harm in my searching for a friend, and doing so didn’t scream I’d made out with the guy. Still, I found myself keeping my eyes downcast in case they could read my mind.
“Don’t tell me you just got stoned outside,” Dixon asked as we stepped inside the lobby of the building.
“No way,” I scoffed. “This is work and with Dagger here I wouldn’t risk being too baked to perform for him.”
“That’s very responsible of you, Fletch.” Mike teased me as he came out of the first-floor men’s room still zipping up his fly.
We went upstairs together to the rehearsal floor and met Dagger just inside the vast room. Spumoni and David were gone now, and it was just Dagger sitting on a stool over by the stage looking at some paperwork.
“Perfect timing, boys,” Dagger announced. “Grab something to sit on.”
We collected the folding chairs leaning up against one wall and made a half-moon shaped pattern in front of Dagger. Once everyone was comfortable, he began to talk to us.