Ruby Tuesday

Chapter five

    The Who did three songs and then after bowing and allowing us to scream our appreciation at them for a minute they waved and walked off. Some instruments were added, some were swapped. The next band were just as big, maybe even a little better than The Who. Rough Justice. The guitarist, Michael Horn, was already in place and twiddling as he presumably warmed up.

    Next was the lead singer, a handsome man with floppy brown hair and mesmerising big lips. Jack Flash, he was sometimes known as that, a sort of stage name. I couldn’t remember his real surname not that it mattered. He flicked his head back before running a hand through his hair and when the rest of the band was ready they began. The band had been heavily influenced by the blues and America’s idea of rock ‘n’ roll but with Jack’s beautiful voice they gave it their own twist. He had a way of flicking his notes up at the end or raising one corner of his big top lip and snarling endearingly at the audience. He was a rock star alright.

    I enjoyed Rough Justice the most. After they were done the crowd cheered and I swear the roof of the building was going to be blown off when the Beatles began shuffling onto the stage. I clapped and cheered but I was nowhere near the level of hysteria that most of the girls were at. Some girl at the end of the row fainted into the arms of her friend she’d worked herself up that much. They were exceedingly spectacular though, there was no denying that and just by being there I was involving myself in some kind of extravagant historical masterpiece. Like with Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, you just knew that they were going to go down in the history books for forever more.

    Angie was fanning herself with her hand as they played their fourth song. “This is so unbelievable!” She screamed at the top of her lungs to me. I nodded vigorously as the song ended and we all erupted, stomping our feet, clapping our hands and screeching our adoration. You could barely even hear the music but it didn’t really matter because the experience was enough to swell my stomach full of butterflies.

    When it was over we piled out of the swelteringly hot theatre into the cold dark night of London. My ears were ringing loudly causing my eyes to water but I didn’t even care. I was running too much on the high of the atmosphere from inside the theatre. Angie grabbed my hands and we danced in circles, too excited to do anything else. “You know where we’re going now?” She spoke loudly in a croaky, overused voice.

    I began searching for my pack of cigarettes. “Where?”

    “To that bar in the hotel!” She said pulling at my arm so I stumbled along after her. It was about a twenty five minute walk to the hotel and we stopped off at a pub before closing time just to have a drink, we were talking too loudly but that was so we could hear over the ringing in our ears and the regulars gave us disgruntled looks.

    When we eventually stumbled through the foyer of the hotel the staff at reception looked on disapprovingly, we staggered towards the bar and sat down at two stools, watching the bartender juggle around with cocktails. “When you’re ready.” Angie laughed and he placed the down and leaned on the counter in front of her, staring at her flirtatiously as every man seemed to.

    “What can I do for you?” He purred.

    “She’ll have what I’m having.” Angie grinned, gesturing to me. “I’ll have a Bloody Mary if you please.” She added a small wink his way as well. Knowing what was expected I rummaged in my handbag and pulled out the money, slapping it onto the bar top. “Enjoy it sister.” Angie grinned as the bartender handed us our drinks.

    The bartender hung around, the rest of the bar was pretty empty apart from a posh looking couple huddled in the corner, the bartender flirted outrageously with my friend and lapping it up she trickled a few compliments back. Unfortunately for me I had unknowingly become the gooseberry, looking about not wanting to ruin the moment.