Play On

Chapter 5: Lights, Camera and Unexpected Action

A young indie band I'd never heard of before called The Flame Flowers performed first as a support act. They were quite new on the scene, but the energy they brought to the stage was infectious and it wasn't long before the crowd was jumping madly and singing along to their songs.  As soon as they finished their set, they thanked the crowd and left. The loud interval music nearly drowned out the chatter of the audience as everyone turned to talk to their friends. 

Dylan and I both liked The Flame Flowers and predicted that they would have a huge career. I made a mental note to look them up the second I got back home. 

And then... Brett hit the stage.

A really insane guitar riff announced his arrival and he jumped out from behind the curtains to the sound of the audience cheering.

My eyes widened. It was him, really him. Just a few feet away from us. I looked over at Dylan and he had the same astonished look as I did. This was really happening.

The show was amazing. Brett Myers really knows how to command a crowd. He sounds even more incredible live than on his studio recordings. His set list was a number of his singles and then some fan favourites from his latest album. First, he opened the show with his first ever hit, an alternative rock number with attitude called "Good For Nothing". Everyone knew the words and was chanting along with him. Then there was a section in the middle of the show where he did some beatboxing and the crowd went absolutely mad. He even invited some fans onto the stage to sing with him. And then he toned it down for the acoustic songs and everyone was really quiet. That's the thing about Brett Myers; everybody in the room knows how talented he is and they respect and appreciate him for it. We know when to scream and we know when to be silent, not because he commands it, but because he deserves it.

For the encore, Brett returned to the stage with an extended version of "Miles Away", a folk love song off his latest album. Then he and his band lined up hand-in-hand and bowed. "Thank you, Miami!" he yelled, throwing his guitar picks into the crowd before vanishing from sight. And just like that it was over and it was time for the meet and greet. 

Dylan and I were still buzzing as we showed the security guard our backstage passes and he led us down a bunch of corridors. But the longer we walked, the more we realised that we were actually going to meet him.

"Oh my God, I'm so nervous," Dylan said. "I think I'll be too starstruck to even speak."

"You'll be fine." I replied. "Just don't say anything stupid." 

The security guard stopped at a blue door that read "B126 Dressing Room 5". Underneath it, the name "BRETT MYERS" was printed in capitals on a gold star. The guard knocked on the door. "Okay, kids. You've got five minutes."

"This is it," Dylan whispered to me.

"It's time," I whispered back. I quickly switched on my camera.

The door opened on us and a tall man ushered us inside upon seeing our passes. The dressing room was rather typical: a large four-walled room furnished with a long stretch of couch against one of them. A rack of numerous clothing sat in a corner. A large mirror with lights leaned against another wall and sitting in the chair in front of it...

It was him. Up close and in the flesh.

Brett stood up when he saw us.

"Hi, I'm Brett," he said giving us a flashing smile. "Nice to meet you."

I tried to keep the camera steady but, oh my God, I was shaking. I managed to mumble my name as Brett shook our hands. I think I said "Oh my God" about twenty times. So much for not trying to appear like a crazy fangirl.