Daron's Guitar Chronicles: Vol 4

267 HIGHWAY TO HELL

HIGHWAY TO HELL

The San Diego show kicked so much ass we did an extra encore, which was my fault. I just didn't want it to end. Louis whapped me with a rolled up newspaper afterward.

"The first show where we have to get on the road overnight and you decide to go overtime?" he admonished.

"But it was worth it, wasn't it?" I said.

He didn't answer, just handed the newspaper to Petey, who whapped me with it again.

Digger caught up to me while I was waiting around for the rest of the stuff to be loaded into the bus. I was sitting in the little lounge area just inside the bus, at the miniature Formica table. He took the other seat at the table. "It's all set for New Orleans," he said.

"The recording day, you mean?"

"Yeah. You're okay with it? If you're not, it's not too late for me to kill it."

"I'm totally fine with it," I said. "Why wouldn't I want the band to do a track? I'd much rather that than Ziggy do it on his own."

"Well, that's good, because BNC wasn't too keen on him doing it solo either."

"They weren't?"

"Yeah, not really sure why. They're against anything they don't control, though." He shrugged. "Good thing it's all in the same conglomerate, though. Wouldn't want them to decide doing a movie track was breach of contract."

"Shit. I hadn't event thought of that." I shook my head. "Seriously? Would they try to enforce something like that?"

Digger drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "Not for this one they wouldn't, because the film is being distributed by their own parent company and the record by a sister company. But if it had been Arista or RCA? Probably unless we could convince them it was worth whatever kickback they get."

"So is this film going to be good?" I asked. "I don't know anything about it."

"It is what it is," he said. Which I took to mean he thought either it sucked and wouldn't say so, or that he didn't know what to think of it and didn't want to seem wrong when it either succeeded or failed. "You don't need me there in NOLA, do you?"

"Why would we?"

"Just checking. I've got some stuff to take care of here this week. And you're in good hands with Cary. I'll catch up with you in New York, probably." He stood to go.

I could have just let him go, you know. I could've just waved and not dealt with him for another month.

But I forced myself to say, "We still have to talk contract extension."

He froze where he was. His voice was even, though. "Are you saying you're not happy with the status quo? I think things are working pretty good."

"I'm saying it's nuts to try to talk about it during a tour. Status quo is a good word. Let's keep the status quo until we get off the road, and then we need to at least go through the formality of getting the band's opinions." Did I sound like a diplomat, or what?

"Okay, that makes sense," he said. We shook hands. "See you in New York."

"See you in New York."

He left the bus and I sat back down. That had been easier than I thought. Of course, all I'd done was put off the conversation until later. But still.

Bart was walking by outside and I cracked open the window and shouted, "Come on, let's get this show on the road!"

Which made him laugh. He climbed in and stowed his book bag in a bunk, then came and sat with me. "You almost never hear that used literally."