A Killer Queen (John Deacon)

Chapter forty-seven

I told John I just needed to help set up. It was half of the truth, I did have to help set up a little.

By the time I got to the event, the stage was all ready and up in the alley. Adam was coming later with the Queen tour bus. They would be the only act to have a trailer of sorts.

"If we are going to be the main event we need our bus to get ready!" Were Freddie's exact words. Since they got the new bus the side said QUEEN ON TOUR, in big bold letters. Which I thought was pretty groovy when the band first showed it to me.

I had a walk-talkie clipped to my red flare pants as I walked around the area. I helped get all the chairs ready, make the stage look pretty, and help map out where the tour bus was going to go.

"I think if we put it in the back of the building it won't take up too much parking," Amber said looking at her clipboard.

"Yeah, but we know how packed this thing is every year," Jake replied. "And with Queen headlining? Yeah, there is no way."

"Well, what do we do then?" Tim, a new hire from a few months ago asked. We all were clearly puzzled.

"I mean we could put it in front of the store, or ask the deli next door if they didn't mind we use their parking space for a few hours."

The deli agreed since they were catering the event and it was all was set. Everything was ready to go. All that was left was for me to do a soundcheck.

I got up there and a few other new guys from the shop, Derwin and Steven were adjusting my mic. The mic was on a stand just in front of me and I was getting flashbacks to when my father and his friends booed me. That was the last time there had been a mic in front of me like this.

My hands started to shake and I felt kind of lightheaded. I had Amber throw me up a water from where she was standing just below the stage.

I wasn't going to let my father ruin this for me. I could still feel the anxiety but it was less powerful, and I could deal with that.

I ran through parts of the Queen songs I was playing until my boss, who was sitting with Cody, another new guy, gave me the thumbs-up as they messed with stuff.

The tech table was right next to the stage, to the left, so it was out of people's way. I used to stand right behind that table for the previous years. Waiting for when a musician needed me. I would tune guitars, give them a backup, stuff like that.

But now I was actually performing. I was nervous but really really looking forward to it.

We ran through Lover, the whole song. My boss hadn't heard it before and he seemed to be in shock.

"Nina that was the most beautiful song!"

A little while later Adam pulled up with the guys in the tour bus.

"Hi, Nina!" Roger waved from out the window. Amber started laughing.

"Hi, Roger," I replied. "Adam you're going to have to take this thing down two doors to the next alleyway, that's the only way you can get it to the deli's parking lot."

"You think it's gonna fit?"

"It's going to have to." I sighed.

Amber, Matt, and I went down to the alleyway and waved the bus forward.

"You're good, you're good, you're good." I would say.

It was a tight fit but they made it and parked their bus as close to the event as possible.

"You really needed this? You couldn't have just gotten ready in the shop?" I asked. Brian shrugged as he popped open a soda.

"Yes of course we need it!" Freddie defended. "We are the headliners!"