The Tribute Drummer

Starting Over

I picked up the sticks and tapped one two three four and dropped into Sheena Easton's Morning train (9 to 5) it was jazzy and nice and I could sing it a bit.

Brian and Rust strummed along and held my voice up with theres, harmonising.

"That was cool" Abe had a coke and was just kicking back enjoying the sound, chilling out as was his way. "What else?"

"Heart of Glass- Blondie?"

The boys nodded and we flew into it. I saw the doors from over the top of the partition open and close but no one came through.

I sent the whole thing into the second half of Len's 'Starting Over' and Abe smirked at the boys. I loved the drums in that song. I sang but it was Len's and I wasn't good.

As we belted through 'Carry that Weight/ The End' Abe taking Pauls parts I felt at home, this kit was magic.

We stopped and I flexed and rounded my shoulder to loosen the ache. Yelling and cursing could be heard from the next room so I did what every normal drummer would do....

I launched into 'Highway To Hell – AC/DC' and at the end I morphed through into The Who's 'My Generation'. Bri and Rusty were laughing trying to keep up with the different songs and it was probably nice to play something different than set list after identical set list.

In the end I brought them home with "Twist and Shout' and 'She's a Woman'. I murdered the lyrics but it was fun. It was great actually- in Maccas own backyard clinking through one or two of the century's finest. Bri, Rusty, Abe took over when I was crap.

The doors swung open and the sound of men yelling came ever closer, toward the room. No one entered our particular room though, the voices just slammed and echoed throughout the building, cursing and yelling turning into a heated conversation as they came ever closer.

"No!!!" The voice said.

"You wanted this" The second retorted.

"I wanted to use your dudes not more blokes, this will get out of hand"

"Dudes hey"

"Yea I don't know where you got this one from!?!"

"Listen to the lyrics"

" Yea, 'Shes a Woman' so what?"

"Go on, go in"

We were hammering through Dizzy Miss Lizzy when HE walked in. Paul moved to one side, leaning on the wall looking at the boys play and a little wink sent my way.

I would, if it had just been Real Paulie standing there, have fallen off the stool, but it was the guy that stood there hands jammed deep into pockets, a sneer on his face that caught my eye, making me fall out of Miss Lizzy into a shamble of mishits and missed beats. 

The boys cut the guitars and watched the scene.

So this is what all the looks between them had been about....