Seattle Angel

Guns N' Roses

I get up to go and use Izzy's apartment phone that's wired to the wall.

"My phones broken.. you'll probably have to use a phone booth down on the strip" Izzy tells me while strumming on his guitar, tuning it for tonight.

'Fucking Great!' I think to myself.

"Alright... i better head down now and try to get a hold of him, we've only got a couple hours before we need to be at the Troubadour". I inform the guys before leaving out Izzy's apartment door.

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'We are screwed! if i cant get a hold of Slash'. I think to myself.

After walking down Sunset looking around and hunting for a phone booth, with not much luck thinking it would be an easy job. Passing numerous personalities of the Strip.. mostly the regular drug dealers standing on the corners and alley ways, along with the hookers trying hard to get me to take them and pay them with money I just don't have. I'd be lucky if I've got twenty bucks to my name.

As i look over all the sky high, hair sprayed teased heads of hair glowing under all the neon club and shop light signs, really appreciating being 6ft 3in at this moment. It is then I catch a quick glimpse of one head in particular, that I had seen and known most of my time here. It was definitely the guy i was after.

'Yes!! The band gods are shining tonight!', i think to myself.

I see Slash's curly head stumbling out of what im pretty sure was a grog shop, just up across the road from where i was standing. I see him with a bottle of booze wrapped in a brown paper bag tucked safely under his arm, anyone who knows him could easily guess what type it was.

I then jog across the street, treading on the bitumen and concrete in my well worn torn cowboy boots, trying to keep an eye on Slash's curly head not to lose sight of him. While trying to avoid getting hit by oncoming traffic, which were now blaring on their car horns and cursing out their windows. As i make it across the road, just a few meters behind where Slash is walking and having trouble being able to see properly through the crowds of people in front of me. I then do a double take, thinking I just saw a young woman with fluffy blonde hair walking along right next to him... guessing that's his lay for the night.

"Slaashhh!" I yell as loud as i can while trying not to lose my breath. With the constant smoking and smoking since I was in grade school hasn't exactly helped my lungs.

Slash turns around when hearing someone call out his strange name, earning myself a few weird looks from people around probably thinking I am high of my head.

"Hey man!" , "Haven't seen you around in a while" Slash replies under his big mob of hair, i personally don't know how he can put up with it in his face 24/7. Although mine is just as big, special thanks to my aqua net hairspray.

Now standing in front of Slasher, I glance past behind him when I notice the blonde I saw with him earlier walking towards where we were standing. Its then I start to uncontrollably laugh my arse off.

They then both give me weird looks like as is I was crazy or high on cocaine. Which I am If I manage to get a hold of any.

"Hey Duff" the blonde says, "What are you high on?.. whatever it is i want some!".

The blonde that i thought was a woman and Slash's lay for the night.... was actually Steven.

I mentally kick myself, but thought it was fuckin funny as at the same time. Deciding to just blame it on the lack of sleep and residue of all sorts of shit I've taken.

"What the fuck do you keep laughing at?", Slash questions with an amused grin.

"I...i didn't recognise Steven from up the road and thought he was your lay for the night .... sorry Steven", I reply trying to muffle my laughs.

"If so.. that's the most fuckin ugliest lay on Sunset!" Slash adds to my mistake to stir up Steven even more.

"Heyy!" Steven responds punching Slash in the arm.

"You could never have something anywhere as good as this", Steven jokes in a woman's voice flipping his hair. He's always a jokester and takes it with a grain of salt.

"Sorry man i couldn't see properly"... "You guys are actually just who im looking for!, i was going to call you but nobody could miss this mass of hair" i pat Slash on the head.

"I can just ask you guys now?".

"You guys have already played with Axl and Izzy before, and you know I have been playing with them for a couple of months now. We are going to do a small tour up the North West around my hometown, plus a gig tonight at the Troubadour".

"Rob and Tracii have got cold feet .. i know you and Tracii never got along since high school band days ... so im thinking you would happily take his place?, if you weren't doing anything else?" I question, hoping he would or we are fucked.

"Fucking hell yeah I would"..." I did lose my job at tower video not long ago and just left Black Sheep because the music was just getting more and more different to what was planned, I had a few major disagreements with the other guys, so I just fucked off". Slash explains with his Jack Daniels still tucked under his arm.

"Awesome man... what about you Steven?, i ask nuding him to get his attention off of a womans arse, as she walked pass.

"Fuck yeah!!".."Of course", Steve turns his head back and says with his signature big smile.

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As us three start walking back to Slash and Stevens place, which is a recent self built loft made from stolen wood from construction yards. To get the basics they need and instruments.

After a few minutes of walking back, Slash then asks

"Exactly when are we heading to Seattle?", While he lit up his last Marlboro, throwing the empty packet on the debris ridden side walk.

"Uhh.. tomorrow actually", I reply and look at him frightened that he might change his mind.

He coughs and almost chokes on it. "Well fuck!!" is all he said.

After Slash and Steven got their instruments together for tonights Troubadour gig, which will be our first ever gig together with all of us as a line up. Along with the start of a small tour tomorrow. We then drove back in Stevens old 1977 green Pontiac wagon, which we will drive in, up to Seattle (which is actually his mothers car), where we will all stay at Izzy's very cramped apartment ready to hopefully leave early for Seattle.