Lights, booming speakers, shredding guitars - all the perfect sounds for an ultimate and successful rock and roll concert. The faint sounds of the support band on stage playing to warm up the crowd - they were all for giving a starting up band the chance to get some recognition.
Standing in a near corner, Andy took large gulps of water, gargling, then spitting out his mouthful into the nearest trashcan, since they weren't outside. He measured his breathing, checked his eyeliner, and jumped a bit to get hyped.
Nearby, Jake was checking his guitar for any noticeable smudges or marks. Jinxx was doing the same, turning the keys and picking at the strings to clearly define the sounds. He set his guitar down after awhile and finished his stretching routine which he had started back at the bus.
CC was practicing quietly (well, quieter than usual) on his drum set which would be wheeled to the back of the stage in a few minutes. He performed a few tricks, spinning the his sticks between his fingers and in the air.
A few photographers and video camera men and women were standing at a distance, as far as security would let them, snapping pictures and filming video diaries.
As for Ashley, he stood a bit farther away from the cameras, a little bit near Andy, his bass strapped around his shoulders and torso. He took in a deep breath, lifting his chin up and closing his eyes. He stayed that way for a moment, until everything went still and quiet, and all he heard was his quiet breathing and a small part of the waiting crowd. It was just him in a moment of silence, his stage, his chance... He opened his eyes and looked forward, dazed off into his own world. Covering the frets of his bass to make sure he wasn't playing too loud, he jumped up and down, rotating his arms in a wide circled motion. In his head, he was playing as loud as he could, rocking to a overly large crowd of fans, so loud it shook the building, the cheers and screams growing louder and louder.
"Hey give it up for Viper Slash" Ashley grinned snapping out of his trance as he heard Scarlett's voice from the stage - as guest DJ she was supposidly keeping the audience entertained as they set up "How we doing guys?" there was a roar from the crowd - oh yes they loved her. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you seattle?" There was a much louder roar that nearly shook the building to its foundations. Ashley rolled his eyes - if she kept psyching them up so much he was sure they were gonna get mauled by fans...again. It was a week into the tour and she was still on fire - keeping the audience pumped for each band and generating this indescribable buzz while also controlling them; kind of like a ring leader at a circus. Though she did have this tendancy to...
"Weren't they great? I was actually talking to the singer Jean, well when I say talking I meant arguing. That was his first mistake" She talked to the audience "You are never gonna defeat a women in a argument, am I right?" there was a roar in agreement "we never express the emotions we're feeling but we have multiple. When we're pissed off we say 'I'm fine'. I'm fine means I'm gonna stab you in the neck." And everyone laughed "Women are very tricky, we're very misleading emotionally, we're physically misleading. You'll see a girl at a bar and she looks 5'7, when you take her home and the shoes are off shes a gnome right. We're the same way emotionally. We always express the opposite emotion to what we're feeling. We do it with other women too, we're the opposite emotion, one women hates another woman, the woman she hates walks through the door and is like" she did her best preppy impression "I hate that bitch, I hate that bitch, she's a right slut" then it was if Sammi was in the room "OH HEY!'" She turned to the crowd again in a serious manner "You can not fuck with that kind of crazy ok." They roared with laughter and clapped like thunder.
"Ok I'm guessing the guys are gonna be ready soon but I'll play you guys one last song before they shove me off" she started fiddling with her deck to get the settings right before she started "This isn't one of mine" there seemed to be a bit of a moan of disaproval "no, no guys, this is a mash up. Little lesson in mash ups. They have to be different songs but mashed together, simple right? Thing I say to DJ's just starting out is always have a go at a mash up, doesn't matter if your a novice or a expert, if you get it right then its right." She grinned in satisfaction at her deck as everything was in place "Ok, sing along if you know it or just mosh, we need a few mosh pits to get the party started"
It started with the opening of Evanescence 'Never go back' that was then jumped started by...Never give in...
"This is something I call Never give in, Never go back" She spoke into her headset before she started singing
"A reason, a victim,
A shining beacon in the sky.
In yearn for what's missing,
The power hidden in the night.
An Angel, a Demon, (a demon!)
The parts you played on lonesome nights
The damage, inflicted,
The pain and lust they leave behind"
"Save yourself
Don't look back
Tearing us apart until it's all gone
The only world I've ever known sleeps beneath the waves
But I remember
I won't give up on you
I can feel you in my heart, just show me the way
I don't belong here
Alone
I can still see your face
Where it's burned into my mind
I die every time
I close my eyes, you're always there"
"Never give in, (hey, hey)
Never back down, (hey, hey)
Never give in, (hey, hey)
Never back down, (hey, hey)
When your life feels lost,
(Fight against all odds!)
Never give in,
(Never back down!)"
"All across the ocean
We are calling, calling
Are you there?"
"Never give in, (hey, hey)
Never back down, (hey, hey)
Never give in, (hey, hey)
Never back down, (hey, hey)
When your life feels lost,
(Fight against all odds!)
Never give in,
(Never back down!)"
"So thats what she's been playing with" Jinxx chuckled - it was a awesome mix that they hadn't even considered before.
The crowd seemed to love it even more "Thank you. Now for your main do you call a song writing genius, what do you call a true rockstar, what do you call someone who has inspired so many people" Andy was beaming at himself "I call him Nikki Sixx but yeah we couldn't get him so here's Black veil brides. So lets make some noise for Andy, Ashley, CC, Jinxx and Jake! and I'm out people. Good night Seattle!"Scarlett threw her arms in the air as she ran off stage.
She took her head set off, letting it hang round her neck as she walked past the guys making their way to the stage.
"Your fucking dead" Andy laughed but he hi fived her.
Scarlett just grinned "The audience is pumped up enough for you though"
"Man that song was awesome" CC hi fived her as well "Dude that was sick what you did there"
"Thanks" Scarlett hi fived Jake and Jinxx as well "Thoughed you'd get a kick out of it"
She was soon faced by Ashley, this was always a arkward moment since really both wanted to just kiss each other good luck but they knew they couldn't so she instead hi fived him as well.
"Have fun" She sang watching them walk to the stage and grabbing a bottle of rose wine she had left for herself - everyone under the threat of death if they took it.
"We will" Ashley grinned looking back at her before sorting his own head set out as Andy rushed on stage to do his introduction bit; soon followed by the others as Andy introduced each one.
She sighed; it was really hard keeping this relationship under wraps, she wanted to do and say things but knew she couldn't without risking it. They already had been found of once by one of the members of the support band when he walked in on them fucking in the cupboard - the whole of black veil brides had to sit down all of viper slash to explain the situation which they agreed to keep quiet about.
She sat in her dressing room; it was small but private since she was the only girl on tour (which she didn't mind); it had a leather couch which she easily threw herself into. It was tiring running round a stage like a maniac with no breaks and the situation with her relationship was emotionally draining. She couldn't complain though. There was so much adrenaline pumping through her when she was on stage that she couldn't stay still; she was theatrical - whats the point of being on stage if your just going to hide away in a corner or something? She didn't just see herself as a musician but also a entertainer who needed to give the audience a show. If theres no show they might as well go listen to the CD at home.
She looked at her bottle seeing that she had already subconciously drank half the bottle before a stage hand knocked on the door reminding her that she was gonna be needed for Let Shadows die and Fallen Angels (Andy had asked her to do some dueting).
"Ok thanks" She smiled at the stage hand as he left.
She checked her make up and hair one last time in the mirror before she went back out.
Scarlett had a thing for stage make up as well but it wasn't exactly as extreme as BVB had it during their Set the world on fire arch. She was wearing a black leather corset with a variety of studds and buckles with a pair of tight leather jeans and her black stilletos (she seriously considered it a miracle that she could run around the stage the way she does without breaking her ankle). Her eyes were dark and gothic looking which made her blue eyes stand out along with her pale skin- almost white looking thanks to a foundation she had found - and dark velvet lips. She had a black bandanna round her left wrist and a studded bracelett round her right; a studded choker necklace round her neck and a variety of black and silver studds in her ear; she had another bandanna tied round her right arm where her mid tattoo sleeve ended. Her hair was as volumous as she could get it with long black feathers woven into the front strands of her hair.
She fluffed her hair a little,reapplied a bit of eyeliner then decided that she looked fine, grabbed a tight fitting leather jacket, putting on as she went out the door.
She neared the edge of the stage, in the wings so she couldn't be seen, putting her head set back on with a few tech guys fussing over the levels. She couldn't help but grin as she watched Ashley run round the stage. He looked so happy. She guessed it was another reason why she loved that stage; cause it was a passion both she and Ashley shared deeply. She scratched the snake tattoo she had round her left wrist, under the bandanna.
Yeah she had quite a few tattoo's. There was her mid sleeve arm which consisted mainly of a skull wearing headphones with a rose in its mouth, which had a union jack symbol inside the rose on the petals, swallows in flight, black stars, yang symbol, black stars, snakes, upside down cross, a Anarchy symbol and some lyrics from her favourite bands. She had a snake tattooed round her left wrist and a smaller one round her middle finger on her right. She had a treble clef with a small skull inside behind one of her ears. Some tribal designs round her feet, just below the ankle, but you hardly got to see them. Her back had to be the best piece though: fallen angel wings - they did look so realistic as if you could nearly mistake her for having these bony wings with feathers just clinging to them. They were beautifully poetic though it had taken so long for them to be completed; underneath at the base of her spine was the words 'Fallen Angel' in cursive. Ironically Set the world on fire was released a month after they were completed. From that description you would think she had enough but she didn't plan on stopping just yet.
The tech guys gave her a thumbs up to indicate she was good to go.
She mouthed 'thanks' that them before hey disapeared into the backstage hustle n bustle.
She shook herself, jumped up and down at bit, closing her eyes for a second before snapping them open and running on stage. Show time.
The next thing the crowd knew was a red haired whirlwind back flipping off the huge amps at the side of the stage before joining in with the singing thought the guys didn't seem to blink (actaully CC was praying in his head that she didn't hit him though she hadn't done that once yet). On the back of her jacket was a snake intertwined with a rose, bearing its fangs, underneath was simply the word - vigilante.
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"woooow" filled the air as a bottle top was popped open.
"Here's to another amazing night and awesome crowd" Andy toasted as the rest of BVB, Scarlett and Viper Slash raised their glasses
"And Scarlett didn't hit me with her back flip!" CC shouted which you couldn't help but laugh at.
Ashley kissed the side of her head (everyone in the room knew so there was no point hiding now) as he whispered lowly in her ear "You wanna leave soon?"
"Soon" she grinned - it was alway just a act for fans and media that could be following. "To Rock and Roll" she grinned holding up her glass
"To Rock and Roll" everyone toasted before draining the contense of their glasses.
"Now lets go get drunk off our asses!" Jean shouted which was met by a cheer of agreement.
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"compliments of the man in the cowboy hat"
a blonde haired woman grinned, taking the glass "tell him I said thanks"
"I will" the bartender nodded walking back over to the man as the woman took a sip
"enjoying the drink?" She turned to see the man the bartender had described to her
"depends who's asking" She stated turning on her chair to him
"just a guy who appretiates beauty when he sees it" the guy took a seat next to her at the bar
"smooth talker" the blonde smirked "got a name?"
"Ashley purdy" he lifted the hat from his eyes "and what can I call you angel?"
"Ruby aramis" she answered then looked over him "why are you wearing paint on your arms?"
Ashley looked at his arms all shy, and said shyly "Its for the band I play in, its called Black Veil Brides. We're kind of a mix of Motley crue and Kiss, but were all metal."
"Sweet," she said in awe "I had always loved Motley crue and Kiss growing up, and still I love it-but somehow there is a bit of country in the mix."
"Your my kind of girl then" Ashley laughed
"I need to go" she began to walk away from Ashley,
but he said "Wait, let me walk you home." He ran towards her.
"No way, you could be some pedophile or rapist" she laughed, leaving Ashley behind Her.
"I swear I'm not!" Ashley began to run behind her, and the chains he was wearing jingled. "Why do you even need to go? Stay a little longer"
she thought for a second then sighed "fine as long as the drinks keep coming"
the bartender grinned as he watched the two from the bar as he dried a glass -the guys name sounded familiar too - Ashley purdy was black veil brides bassist right? Ahhh yes they what been at a gig here to night so it was no wonder the notorious womaniser had come to pick up a woman for the night. too bad they looked good together.
the two talked for a while and kept ordering drinks as the night went on before they left together. Thats how the bar tender saw it. Thats how the few fans in the room saw it. Thats how the media saw it. Just as they had planned.