#also the fact that will (who is IN LOVE with mike) was instrumental in making it happen? ... uh... okay... interesting choice… | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

poguesofthebau · 2 years ago

Text

microscope

summary: steve wants nothing more than to ask you out. however, constantly being under the eyes of nancy, robin, dustin, and the rest of the kids makes it nearly impossible for him. read part two here :)

word count: 6.8k pairing: steve harrington x fem!henderson!reader

"you know, i've been hearing a lot of boo-hooing from you. you, steve harrington, who has the perfect solution to all your problems right in front of your face."

steve scoffed, rolling his eyes at his friend as he tossed a stack of returned films into a bin behind the counter. he internally grimaced as he thought about the fact that he'd be emptying that same bin back onto the shelves tomorrow morning, likely whilst having that same conversation with robin, both more or less against his will. "don't start with this again, robin."

"i'm not the one who started it! you did, with your gushy, lovey-dovey, pining, bedroom eyes every time you look at y/n!" her hands flailed around her as she spoke, dramatizing her words in that way only robin could. "seriously, i don't know how she hasn't caught on yet. because, of course that's not the only way you make your feelings totally obvious. every time you see her-- whenever your lives aren't in immediate danger, i mean-- she's the only person in the room you actually outwardly enjoy speaking to. you randomly bring her up in every other conversation. you call her sweetheart without even thinking about it. and don't think i don't realize that half the time you're at dustin's house it's for her. not to mention you haven't gone on a date in months, and not because you can't get one! it's like--" robin scoffed, a mixture of realization, amusement, and astonishment-- "it's like you've found the girl you've been looking for, but you're too chicken to actually ask her out!"

"first of all, the sweetheart thing? yeah-- that was one, maybe two times. second of all, there are only so many girls in hawkins. how do you know there's not a deficit of girls nearby that i haven't already dated?" robin tried to interject, knowing that his second reason was total bullshit, but steve raised his voice as he continued, preventing her from speaking. "anddd third of all! the rest of that can all be justified by the fact that y/n is my friend!"

"friend schmend. the two of you are going to end up together, i can feel it. mark my words, harrington!"

"i'll mark them if you stop repeating them," steve grumbled, returning to the task at hand as robin hummed in satisfaction.

"so there's really nothing going on? like... nothing, nothing?"

steve's day was becoming a miserable cycle. first it was robin. now it was nancy. he was beginning to consider going home and hiding from his remaining obligations for the day, but lucas was starting five in the basketball game that night, so he really had no choice. so there he was in the hawkins high gym, grimacing as his ex grilled him about the girl he was in love with. moreover, steve had thought he was secretly in love. apparently he hadn't been doing too great a job of keeping things under wraps. so not only was he going to have to spend another night with all of his friends pretending he wasn't in love with you, but he also had to listen to them as they threw it in his face that he was.

so, yes, steve was miserable.

"nothing is going on, nancy," steve stated flatly, eyes scanning the area near the entrance. he knew that if you showed up, she would quit it (nancy was one of the few of the bunch who at least halted her interrogations when you were around to potentially overhear). robin was a section over in the gym bleachers, clad in her band uniform and gripping her instrument, too focused on vickie's presence beside her to notice steve and nancy sitting so close-by. although he was currently missing the constant subject changes throughout conversations with robin, he was glad she was too distracted to join nancy in harassing him. mike was standing on the sidelines with lucas while he stretched, the boys laughing at something a grinning lucas had said. the rest of you had yet to arrive. in other words, there was nothing stopping nancy from taking her turn to question him about his nonexistent relationship with you. he was trapped.

he was also saving the seat to his right for you, fully prepared to face the repercussions of that choice if someone realized it too soon. regardless, he was praying you showed up before anyone else so he could avoid having to literally fight over the empty foot of space on the bench. regardless of where you ended up sitting, steve just wanted you there. he wanted to be near you, and to hear you laugh at dustin's silly basketball jokes, and to watch your expression shift from suspenseful to proud any time lucas shot and scored. he knew you'd turn to him and grin for no reason at some point, like you always did. he would be stunned by how effortlessly beautiful you were, but he'd just blush and grin back without a second thought. you'd make him happy in the ways that mattered. he could never be miserable with you there.

"okay, well... do you want something to be going on?"

steve turned to nancy at that, brows ruffling as he eyed her. "what do you mean? nance, have you been talking to robin? because, seriously, she's nuts. like, out of her mind--"

"no, no, no," nancy interrupted. her hair swirled around her head as she shook it, further emphasizing her answer. "i haven't been talking to robin. i've just noticed the two of you spending more time together than usual, and... you would make sense together. i mean, she makes you happy, and you make her happy. it's pretty easy to see that much."

steve paused at that, eyes flickering to the door one more time before carefully selecting his next words. his tone was less harsh this time, having a better understanding now of what nancy had been trying to do. she was encouraging him. "we're just friends, nance. you're right about her making me happy, but we're just friends."

nancy started to respond, offering him some hopeful nonsense about giving it a little bit of time, but steve was no longer paying her any attention. his eyes had finally found what they'd been searching for, and the sound of his heart thudding in his chest suddenly drowned out nancy's voice. you were there, and you looked perfect. your outfit was nothing special, really-- he'd seen you wear the same thing plenty of times before-- but steve still felt a wave of awe wash over him when he caught sight of you, a smile creeping onto his face. you hadn't noticed him yet, your eyes beginning to search the crowd before suddenly turning to look at max, who'd walked into the gym with you. you laughed at something she said, presumably a snide comment about the jocks or the antsy crowd or whatever else max was unimpressed by upon arrival, and steve's breath hitched in his throat at the amused expression on your face. a second later, though, you found him in the crowd. your eyebrows raised when the two of you made eye contact, and your hand reflexively shot up to wave at the shaggy-haired boy. he returned the gesture, abruptly snapping out of his y/n-induced trance. when he glanced back at nancy, she had a smug, knowing look on her face, clearly entertained, but said nothing.

"hey there," you said, dropping into the empty spot that steve had been so ready to fight someone over. mike had parted ways with lucas and joined you and max on your walk to the bleachers, and they seated themselves in front of you as you greeted steve and nancy.

"hey, y/n. how's it going?" his tone was calm and balanced as he spoke to you, concentrating hard on remaining as nonchalant toward you as he would the others. he had to play it cool; nancy was watching.

you let out a puff of air, chuckling a little at the question. "as good as it could go, i guess. dustin's feeling particularly unruly today, so it's been an interesting afternoon. but little brother can't dish out anything i can't handle, so let there be basketball!"

he smiled at that, a laugh passing his lips as he fell into conversation with you. this was what he'd needed all day. just a simple, uninterrupted five minutes talking to you. "where is the little demon? no way he's missing this game when he told me i had to be here."

"bathroom. he was too busy torturing me with science facts to pee before we left the house to pick max up, and then he was too 'immobilized by the need to urinate' that he couldn't get out of the car and use max's bathroom. i don't think i've ever seen him move as fast as he did getting out of the car after i parked outside-- dusty boy had to go."

"maybe that's his karma," steve suggested, prompting laughter from both of you. "huge ego, tiny bladder."

a few minutes later, dustin was emerging from the hallways. he suspiciously squinted at steve as he walked in, having recently noticed that his best friend had been paying his big sister a lot of attention in the last few weeks. he had tried his hardest to remain calm about the situation, but he was already panicking. what was he supposed to do if steve dated you, somehow fucked it up, and you ended up hating him? how would dustin's relationship with steve fare if he broke your heart?

at the same time, though, he wanted you both to be happy-- or to at least get the chance to be happy. in fact, he would love for you to be happy with each other. two of the people he loved the most in the world ending up together seemed poetic in ways that dustin couldn't find the wording for. the best analogy he could come up with was a comparison to peanut butter and jelly, but he knew that was too cliche to voice. so he didn't mention anything, not you and steve or peanut butter and jelly, and just sat back and watched. some days he watched optimistically. maybe after today they'll realize they're perfect for each other. other days, he watched like a hawk, a childish urge to kick steve in the groin for looking at his sister like that festering inside him. i'm going to knock him out. i'm going to give him two black eyes-- that'll teach him a lesson. but he never did anything. just watched and waited.

in the last few weeks, watching without commenting had gotten more difficult than dustin ever expected. one advantage to being your brother and steve's best friend was that he noticed things some of the others might not. he saw steve taking extra long strides to make it to the door first, opening it for you as you continued rambling about some meaningless topic, any time the two of you were walking through a threshold together. he saw your eyes roll the slightest bit when steve mentioned a girl he'd gone on a date with a few months back. he saw steve waiting in his car to make sure you got inside alright after he dropped you off-- something he never did for dustin. he saw you smoothing down your hair before getting out of the car to sit besides steve at the basketball game. he saw how the two of you saw each other.

so instead of continuing to give steve dirty looks as he approached, dustin sucked in a breath of air, forced himself to change perspectives, and made some adjustments to his facial expression.

when he finished glaring at steve, his eyes locked with nancy, who returned eye contact and gave him a sympathetic smile. she understood being protective of your sibling, and she knew what the fear of losing steve felt like. but she also had a strong feeling that things would turn out going well for all three of you; at this point, your quickly-blooming relationship with steve had been a long time coming. of course, she couldn't communicate all of that knowledge through two seconds of eye contact, but dustin at least saw that she understood.

"hellooo, people!" dustin grinned at you, steve, and nancy as he seated himself between mike, whom he amicably bumped shoulders with, and max, whom he wiggled his eyebrows at. each of you acknowledged his arrival just before a whistle blew. lucas and four of his teammates made their way onto the court, and dustin felt a wave of relief upon having something else to focus on. "let's watch some basketball!"

"you did amazing, lucas!"

"oh, yeah! super graceful out there, just like i taught you. way to make me proud, kid."

you snorted, lightly whacking steve for somehow finding a way to make lucas's success about himself. "very humble, harrington."

nancy, mike, dustin and max followed close behind you and steve, congratulating lucas on the team’s win as they stepped up beside you. the game had ended 20 minutes ago, with hawkins securing the win. lucas had been granted some time to hit the showers and say his goodbyes to his teammates before meeting back up with the rest of you by the gymnasium doors. the school was far from empty, a plethora of people still lingering around the gym and in the parking lot, and the bustling seemed to comfort you all.

“okay, who's getting a ride home from me?” the kids began chattering over one another in response, and the only way you deciphered their chorus of answers was by mentally noting whether they'd pointed at you or steve. you'd chauffeured dustin and max on your way, and nancy, mike, and lucas had carpooled with steve, but lucas was now planning on riding home with you (assuredly to spend more time with max). in the bustle of the conversation, you heard mike say he'd left his bike at lucas's house the day before, meaning he'd be joining whoever lucas left with so he could get his usual mode of transportation back. this left steve riding with nancy, and you dropping off mike, lucas and max on your way home with dustin.

steve was still hyper-focused on behaving normally, resisting the urge to look at you with what robin had described as his "gushy, lovey-dovey, pining, bedroom eyes" too frequently. at this point in the night, he was regressing to the sullen mood that he'd begun that day with. he knew that he'd have to part ways with you within a few minutes, and that was enough to ruin his night. because of that, he didn't really care who he had to drive home, or that nancy would be his only passenger, or how your mood change entirely when you realized that nancy would be his only passenger.

you knew you should've held it together better. unbeknownst to steve, the kids had been on your back, too. dustin would quiz you about your day whenever you spent ample time away from him, prying until you coughed up every detail of any time you'd spent alone with steve. there had been one evening a few weeks earlier when max and lucas were on their way to use the pool at steve's house, and they'd seen your car pulling out of steve's driveway as they turned onto his street. dustin wasn't with you. the next day, max showed up at your doorstep to accuse you of being in a secret relationship with your friend. you thought you’d convinced her otherwise at first, but three weeks later she told you she was still waiting for the day you two “finally came clean.” nancy told you she’d overheard mike telling el over the phone that you and steve “still haven’t gotten together,” which then led to a very awkward conversation between you and nancy about how she wouldn't mind if you wanted to get with steve despite their history.

you knew what it felt like to be scrutinized in the exact same ways steve was, and you were just as antsy as him when they were around to observe.

you should’ve held it together better. but you slipped.

“okay, great. you and me, nance. all ready? let’s hit the road.” he dropped his hands onto her shoulders, beginning to steer her toward the exit when he was halted by your reaction.

what did you do in response to steve’s urgency to leave with nancy? you scoffed.

for a split second, you thought maybe, maybe, no one heard it.

unfortunately for you, everyone heard it. (admittedly, it was sort of loud. arguably more of a guffaw than a scoff.) steve froze, his hands falling from nancy's frame as he twisted back around to quizzically look at the source of the noise. the others followed suit, all peering at you before exchanging their own encoded glances with each other.

so... maybe 'slip' was an understatement. maybe you completely threw yourself under the bus, let the cat out of the bag, spilled the beans, all of it. totally exposed yourself. if they had an inkling before, they had proof now.

after a moment of tense silence passed over the group, steve looked at you, surprised and unnerved by the noise you'd made. he opened his mouth to ask if you were okay, but you were already moving on, turning to speak to dustin. “let’s go, little man. round up our passengers for me.” and you spun on your heel and walked out of the high school.

as you walked out, dustin immediately turned to steve, his finger extended until it was a mere inch away from steve’s face. “you,” he said threateningly. “you idiot! you absolute goddamn imbecile! son of a bitch!”

as dustin threw halfhearted insults at the older boy, the kids behind him groaned in mortification. “steveeeee,” max complained. “you’re better than this!”

lucas snickered, looking at max as he gestured to steve. “what makes you think he’s better than this? look at him! he has no clue what he’s done!”

“oh, he knows what he’s done,” dustin grumbled. “he’s done something to upset my sister. and for that, i might have to kill him.”

steve was just beginning to defend himself when robin came bounding down the halls, a duffel bag slung over her arm and an unknowing grin on her face. “hey! i’m so glad i caught you before you left! what are the odds you could give your old friend, coworker, fellow monster-slaying warrior robin a ride home?”

she tried to further explain the circumstances that led to her losing her original ride, but she was cut off by the kids' roars. they spoke over one another, and all at once robin heard, “oh, thank god!” “perfect timing!” “you’re a little late.” “jesus christ!”

her expression shifted to confusion, finally sensing that she was out of the loop on something. she looked to steve and nancy, opening her mouth to question the strong reaction from the younger crowd when steve cut her off. “yeah, i can give you a ride. c’mon, we were just leaving.” he looked pointedly at the kids as he made the latter claim, swaying them to keep their mouths shut for the remaining three minutes that they’d be together.

it was a fifteen minute ride from the school to max's house. the redhead was sitting in the passenger seat of your car, subtly glancing over at you every few moments as the three boys bickered in the back seat. she hadn't said anything since you started driving, but the backseat occupants had been whispering essentially the entire time. you had turned on the car radio when the awkward silence and coughing became too much to bear (which, to be precise, was within two minutes of the ride), and they'd immediately began to quietly theorize behind you.

during the last five minutes of the ride, the whispering intensified noticeably. you still couldn't make out their exact words, but all three of them had raised their volumes enough that you could decipher which voice was which. you'd had just about enough of their poor attempts to hide the fact that they were talking about you, and you were just about to give them a piece of your mind. before you reached your tipping point, however, max cleared her throat and spoke to you in her own low voice. "robin ended up going with steve and nancy, by the way," she muttered, mentally noting the muscles in your jaw slightly relax when you processed what she said. you threw her a grateful look, letting out a barely-noticeable sigh of relief. max paused, gauging your mood before adding something else. "you know he likes you, right?"

your eyes moved to the rear view mirror, peering at the boys' reflections to confirm that they were still preoccupied with their own conversation before responding quietly. "i know."

steve knew from the moment he opened his eyes the next day that it was going to be another day from hell. he groaned aloud when his alarm clock woke him up, his nose scrunching as he slammed an open palm on top of the machine to silence it. when his bedroom reverted to a state of heavy silence, steve tossed the same hand over his face, mentally recapping the events of the previous day as he prepared to get out of bed. "and you didn't go after her," he grumbled to himself, tossing the comforter off his body and shifting into a sitting position on the side of the bed. "god damn moron didn't go after her."

yesterday he'd had to listen to the girls-- his peers, people his own age-- question his relationship with you without any concrete evidence. today, he was going to have to fight for his life against dustin for ruining your night, disappointing you, not finally confessing his feelings for you instead of trying to run off with nancy, and whatever else dustin felt like drudging up in the midst of the singular discrepancy. worst of all, steve felt like he deserved it. he felt like shit for making you feel anything other than adored and appreciated, and he had already spent plenty of time beating himself up over it when he got home the night before.

no matter how he felt, he couldn't shake the anxiety he felt over you being upset with him. granted, he wasn't even sure that you still were upset with him-- maybe this only seemed like a big deal in the moment, and he was actually already forgiven-- but the uncertainty was enough to make his stomach flip a few times whenever he considered the possibility.

he knew he had to talk to you as soon as he could. he had a shift at the video store that morning, which was why his obnoxious alarm had sounded so much earlier than he would've preferred, but the next thing on his agenda for the day would be to find you and apologize-- grovel, if necessary, until he was sure you weren't harboring any hard feelings toward him. he'd probably have to hear a lot of commentary from everyone else before he got to talk to you, but he doubted anyone could be much harder on him than he was already being with himself. so he threw on his work uniform, blocking out a memory of the time you told him he looked "magnificent" in that green vest, and hopped in the car. just a few hours and he could talk to you.

it took the kids longer to show up than steve expected. half of him thought dustin might be standing at the front desk with his arms folded across his chest when steve walked through the door. but no, they didn't get there until three hours into his shift. he'd already restocked the shelves, rung out a handful of customers, and taken his thirty-minute lunch break by the time he heard the bustle of the 4 freshmen entering. the first coherent thing he heard was lucas's whisper, asking, "do you see him anywhere?" he popped his head above the shelf he'd been reorganizing in an attempt to pass the time, throwing the group a hesitant smile as they spotted him in the far corner of the store. when he joined them in the open area beside the register, steve opened his mouth to greet them only to be immediately cut off by dustin.

"have you talked to her?" he drilled, a stern tone behind his voice to match the demanding look in his eye.

"no," steve replied hesitantly, not sure of whether or not the boy was planning on allowing him to elaborate further. his eyes darted around the small crowd before him, taking in max's curious gaze and the amused expressions lucas and mike wore before flickering back to dustin. the curly-haired boy was glaring at him expectantly, and steve rushed to fill the silence before dustin could yell at him again. "i was planning on going over to see her after my shift."

dustin squinted at steve, inspecting his face for any sign that he might've been lying. he found no evidence of falsehood, nodding slowly as he mentally lined up his next set of questions. as dustin was thinking, max piped up. "do you feel remorse? i mean, do you fully grasp the depth of what you did?"

"hey, i'm asking the questions here," dustin said pointedly to max. he blinked a few times, then turned back to steve. "well, answer her!"

steve stuttered a bit as he responded, surprised by the question despite how prepared for this confrontation he'd thought he was. "uh, i-- what-- well, yeah, i feel remorse, but it's not like i did it on purpose. it was-- i didn't mean to make her upset."

"you were drooling over nancy! literally rushing to get out of there when the only thing motivating you was the idea of being alone in a car with your ex-girlfriend! literally!"

"okay, when you put it like that, it sounds really bad," steve admitted dubiously, wincing at the reminder that you probably thought he had feelings for nancy again. "but that wasn't actually what was going on!"

dustin didn't seem to care what steve had to say to defend himself, simply moving on to address his second issue. "and not just that, but you've also been stringing her along for months now, acting all flirty and romantic and obsessed with her, basically going on dates all the time, and then denying that anything is going on between you two!"

"that is not true," steve contested.

"dude, that's kinda true," lucas interjected.

at the exact same time, mike added, "yeah, you definitely do all that stuff."

"we don't go on dates! we hang out! y/n would tell you the same thing-- because we're friends, and nobody is stringing anybody along."

"that doesn't explain why she got so upset at you wanting to spend time alone with nancy, though," max remarked. steve groaned at this, growing tired of talking in circles yet again about his relationship with you. max's eyebrows raised at the older boy, eyes slightly widening in a combination of false innocence and genuine interest. "i'm just saying."

"exactly! if nothing's going on with you, why is she so worried about you and nancy? and--"

"okay, fine!" suddenly steve was interrupting dustin, and all eyes were now expectantly trained on his noticeably fed-up expression. "you're right! i have feelings for your sister, and i'm pretty sure she has feelings for me too, but i haven't been able to ask her out properly yet because i have a bunch of people watching my every move and asking me questions about her and us at all times! so maybe if you would all stop breathing down my neck, then i would be able to figure out a way to ask her out without seeming like a total creep!”

silence fell over the group, all of them stunned that steve had finally confessed the truth. the kids hadn't thought steve would give his big secret up that easily, and even steve himself had intended to keep his emotions under wraps for a while longer. he at least wanted to tell you about how he felt before he told dustin. but, clearly, that was no longer an option.

just as it began to set in steve's mind that he'd just confessed his true feelings to dustin, max, lucas, and mike, the front door swung open and another person stepped foot in the store.

it was you.

"uh, hi everyone," you chuckled nervously when you walked in. you held a vhs tape in your left hand, the other holding the strap of your bag to secure it on your shoulder. the tension in the air was immediately apparent to you; it wasn't often that these kids were stunned into silence, so you recognized the expressions well. no one flinched to respond when you walked in, but they seemed caught when they saw you. steve, on the other hand, was visibly clenching his jaw and avoiding eye contact with the others. he was unmistakably distraught, and the tight-lipped smile he threw you as you entered did nothing to convince you otherwise.

you took a few steps toward them, just about to blatantly ask what you'd walked into when max spoke up. "hi y/n," she stepped in front of the others as she spoke, meeting you halfway between their position and yours. a second after she greeted you, her mouth moved again, releasing no sound. you made out what she mouthed clear as day: steve is mad. her eyes held a sort of amazed-but-apprehensive look, and it clicked in your mind what must've happened. dustin. max assumed you'd caught on then, subtly sending you another hint. "returning a movie?"

"yeah," you said, feigning a smile as your eyes flickered behind the girl. dustin had now snapped out of his stunned silence, obviously observing closely as you made your next move. mike and lucas seemed to be on alert, both glancing between you, dustin, and steve to see how the situation would unfold. "steve, you wanna help me out over here?" you nodded toward the counter in the center of the room, walking backwards in the direction as you gestured.

"uh, yeah," steve said, clearing his throat when he realized how low his tone was. "sure, i gotcha."

the two of you made your way to the register, steve's back to the kids as he stood across the counter from you. your eyes shifted to your little brother as you placed the vhs tape on the counter, watching as he took a step forward only to be physically stopped by max. words were exchanged between the two, and dustin gave the back of steve's head one final intense glare before moving to the opposite side of the store and fixating his eyes on a random shelf of films. thank you, max, you thought gratefully.

when you looked back at steve, he seemed to be lost in thought, already in the process of marking your latest rental as returned. you gave yourself a few seconds to just look at him. you could tell he hadn't brushed his hair when he woke up that morning because the hair on the left side of his head was flattened out in comparison to the rest. the first button on his vest was secured to the second buttonhole, something you would've laughed at on most other days. his eyes were the same brown as always, but the distracted expression behind them made you slightly uneasy. soon enough, your few seconds to admire the older boy had expired, and it was time for you to force him into a conversation. "so," you started, earning a glance and raise of the brow from him. "how's the shift going? running the show solo?"

he chuckled, shaking his head at your small talk. "yup, it's all me this morning. and, of course, i was running a smooth operation until the fiends showed up."

you shot him a pitiful smile. "i'm sorry about them. i told dustin to leave it alone, but he's--"

"obsessed with protecting you?" you nodded, and steve chuckled again. "yeah, i know. he always has been, and he always will be. i don't blame him. it's just-- agh, it's a lot sometimes, i guess." you could feel him thawing out as you fell into conversation, gradually easing back up after facing the turmoil that was your little brother. steve's mind seemed to shift then, almost as if he'd had a lightbulb moment within. "hey, you know, i'm sorry about last night, by the way. i didn't mean for it to seem like i was trying to get away from you, or get alone with nancy, or anything like that, because none of that is the case."

"you don't have to apologize, steve. i'm sure you've already had a hard enough time explaining yourself to dustin; you don't need to explain anything to me on top of that."

"no, no, i do, though," he insisted. as you talked, the vhs you'd entered with was resting beneath steve's palm, having long-since been forgotten. he turned his body to fully face you as he spoke this time, and you took a split second of that transitional time to mentally note the way his hand engulfed the tape. you almost lost all focus in that moment, already starting to thinking about steve's hands, warm and big and firm, instead of his relationship with nancy or your brother's pestering or anything else. but when he spoke again, the tone of his voice had changed, and all of your attention was drawn back to the conversation. "it's been months of everyone else demanding an explanation for you and me spending so much time together, and the least i could do is actually give you an explanation."

"trust me, i get it. they give me a lot of shit too, for pretty much anything that involves you."

"anything and everything. like, if dustin sees me wave at you when i pick him up from your house, it's all i hear about for twenty minutes. any time max hears that you and i spend any time together she has to clarify whether or not it was a date. even nancy and robin do it. i mean, when we left the gym last night the two of them went back and forth the entire ride on what i could do to get you to forgive me. i honestly don't remember the last time i went a whole 24 hours without someone asking about you, or mentioning us, or calling me out on something. it’s just so frustrating. i mean, i spend months striking out with every dud of a girl i talk to, and then i waste a few more months with a bunch of chicks who i know aren't worth my time, and then i finally realized that there's this perfect girl right in front of me, and i can’t work up the courage to do anything about it because of the pressure from our friends and her little brother? kind of pathetic, if you ask me."

"the perfect girl, you say?" you smirked at him, his face flushing a little when you locked eyes.

"i-- yeah, the perfect girl." he smiled a little as he looked at you, feeling his own mood shift from anxious and overwhelmed to hopeful and optimistic.

"i don't know about perfect. maybe she's kinda cute, but perfect? seems like a bit of a stretch."

"no, i mean, i get that it's hard to believe and everything, but she's a total catch. she's drop-dead gorgeous, obviously, but she's also smart, and determined, and so caring. like, i don't think there's anything this girl wouldn't do to protect the people she loves. seriously, i've never met a girl like her before, and i'm pretty positive i never will again. she's pretty much one of a kind. yeah, she's perfect."

the nonchalant tone of his voice as he spoke confirmed to you that steve had calmed down after his interaction with dustin. more than that, you were shocked by the things he'd said. as you'd said to max the night before, you knew steve liked you. it wasn't like he did some superb job of hiding it from you or anyone else; everyone knew that steve harrington didn't waste his time hanging out with one girl for months if he wasn't actually interested in her. in all honesty, though, you hadn't thought it was as much of a true emotional attraction as a combination of loneliness and sexual tension. his never having made a move before was what you'd considered confirmation of that theory; he didn't actually care enough to risk his friendship with dustin, so he just left it alone. regardless of all the logic you'd used to justify your relationship with steve, here he was confessing that he had all sorts of feelings about you.

without noticing, you'd gone completely silent during your moment of realization. steve was looking at you with anticipation and a little fear, smiling nervously as he said, "sorry, was that too much?"

you laughed, shaking your head. "no, that wasn't too much. it's just kind of insane, you know? i mean, if you told me sophomore year that king steve would be calling me 'the perfect girl' one day, i would've laughed in your face. but here we are."

"here we are," steve repeated with a smile. "for the record, though, king steve is dead and gone. god, i hated that guy." he rolled his eyes as he spoke then, cringing at the memory of who he used to be.

"yeah, i can't really disagree with that. king steve was a dick. but i'm glad you're the steve that took over for him."

"well, this steve would really love it if you'd give him a chance. i might do dumb shit sometimes, but it's just because i get so in my head about what people think. but when it comes to you, i'm sick of worrying about what everyone else will say. i just--" he leaned forward, both elbows resting on the counter between you, and locked eyes with you as he spoke again. "will you go out with me?"

you could've sworn someone was holding a lighter to each of your cheeks in that moment. whether it was because of how hard you were blushing or how hard you were smiling, you weren't sure, but you could feel the heat spread across your face as you answered. you leaned forward as you spoke, too, placing your hands on top of his where they rested on the counter. "i would love nothing more, steve."

"jesus christ," steve breathed, letting his head hang low as he exhaled a chuckle and hid his face from you. when he lifted his head again, his face was just as pink as yours. "i didn't know if i would ever get the opportunity to ask you uninterrupted. even then, i didn't know if you'd even say yes!"

you squeezed his hands in yours, laughing at his confession. "obviously i said yes. what girl could say no to that hair?" you reached up and tugged gently on the hair atop his head, laughing when his nose scrunched in response.

steve grabbed the hand that had been in his hair as you dropped it back down, feeling another wave of relief and adoration wash over him. "i would come around the counter and kiss you, but your little brother is definitely still watching us."

you snorted at that, nodding. "you're totally right. and, unfortunately, the only way to get him to leave here is to take him with me when i go. so, instead of kissing me now, you can wait until later tonight when you pick me up to go out."

steve laughed, letting your hands slip out of his as you pulled away and started walking toward your brother and his friends. "i'll pick you up at 7?" he called after you.

"i'll be ready by 6:30," you shot back with a smile. then you moved a few feet across the store to find dustin, lucas, mike, and max huddled behind a shelf of vhs tapes, obviously struggling to eavesdrop on your conversation with steve. you fought back a laugh at the sight of them, cramped and clueless, before announcing, "anyone who wants to know what's going on with me and steve, leave the store now and you'll get your answers."

steve had never seen those four fools move so quick, and before he knew it, they were outside. he shot you one last lovesick grin as you waved goodbye to him with a smile. "see you at 6:30."

maybe today wasn't such a day from hell, after all.

#steve harrington #stranger things #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fic #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington blurb #steve harrington imagine #stranger things fic #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanfiction

2K notes · View notes

cataclysmiceuphemism · 6 days ago

Text

Monkees Crash Course Part 1

@longing4yesterday was interested in getting some Monkees info SOOO I'm making a lore dump post. This is really just focused on their OG run as a foursome, so 1966-1969ish, stopping when Peter quit the band. I'll be posting a part 2 as well, Tumblr was getting pissed and won't post it altogether.

The Important Players

Davy Jones

December 30, 1945 – February 29, 2012

Personal History: Davy was born in Manchester. Initially he had dreams of becoming a jockey, but was encouraged to go into acting and eventually ended up in the role of the Artful Dodger in Oliver! This is ultimately what led him to moving to the USA and getting noticed for a role in The Monkees.

Role in The Monkees: There are effectively 2 lead singers of The Monkees. Davy is one, best known for singing 'Daydream Believer'. He's also the 'cute one', and was the one primarily marketed as being a heartthrob of the group. With his history in Broadway, he sings most of the songs that put focus on belting/projecting. Although Davy isn't particularly known for any instruments (in the show he's relegated to the maracas more or less) he is also an adept musician and could play the guitar and drums.

Personality: Davy has a bit of a duality to him. A health nut who smoked cigarettes. Sweet but scrappy. Kind but mean. Has the most noticeable ego about him: He was performing in Oliver! as the Artful Dodger on Ed Sullivan the same night as The Beatles. He watched them perform from the wings and later told Mike that he 'might like to do' what they did. Oodles and oodles of confidence! Witty and charismatic. He's probably all told the one who's the most critical of the other Monkees, though he also clearly has love for them. Some of this is obvious and sincere bitterness and some of this is having a biting, stereotypical 'British' sense of humor; there is insult even in quite a few of his lighthearted/joking comments about the other guys (i.e. calling Micky 'Skilletface' because he has a flat nose/looks like he's been smacked in the face with a skillet).

Davy fact: Davy continued his love of horses despite giving up on his jockey dreams, and in 1996 won his first race, on Digpast, in the one-mile Ontario Amateur Riders Handicap at Lingfield in Surrey.

Micky Dolenz

March 8, 1945 -

Personal History: Micky was a child actor on the TV show Circus Boy in the 50s. During that time he was a bit of a celebrity and would go to fairs to play guitar and sing Purple People Eater. Definitely had some social struggles as a result, as he was tutored/home schooled during this time, then skipped grades, then ended up repeating a year in high school when his psychiatrist told his mom he needed to work on connecting with kids his age. He was beginning to go to trade school to become an architect when he auditioned for The Monkees.

Role in The Monkees: Micky is the second lead singer/voice of The Monkees, best known for singing 'I'm a Believer'. Was effectively volunteered into being the drummer because no one else wanted to do it. However Micky is a very energetic showman, and Mike later reported that he offered to take up the drums himself so that Micky could 'get out there'. Due having Perthes disease as a child that left him with chronic hip pain, his drum setup is different so that he plays 'right handed' but 'left footed' to play the kick drum. Marketed as the 'funny/crazy' one.

Personality: Micky is bouncy, puppy-dog friendly, overly energetic and extroverted in public, but quieter and more thoughtful/interested in chemistry and building things in his downtime. Goofy/slapstick sense of humor. He's generally very positive/loving towards all of the other Monkees, and MUCH better at the PR of being diplomatic about the things that obviously left him bitter about the other guys than any of the other Monkees are. Very expressive and emotional. Definitely the one with the best social reputation of all the other Monkees, and has continued friendships/working relationships with a lot of the people he knew 'back in the day'.

Micky fact: Micky is part Chickasaw and in the late 60s he got a letter asking for help because 3 Native Americans had been arrested for fishing a lake that they had always used. He paid their bail (iirc something like $3000?) and received a painting in thanks.

Mike Nesmith

December 30, 1942- December 10, 2021

Personal History: Mike grew up in Texas. He was aimless for a while and joined the Air Force, but pretty quickly realized he'd made a mistake in joining and was fortunate enough to be able to get discharged. He worked as a hootmaster at the Troubadour and was struggling with a new family to support when he ended up getting cast on The Monkees.

Role in The Monkees: Guitar player. Song writer. Singer (when it came to country tunes) Within the TV show, Mike was effectively the leader of The Monkees, and this wound up being true in real life when he went to bat for their musical integrity.

Personality: During the run of The Monkees, Mike was often called 'The Smart Monkee', though this was never really meant positively. Surrealistic, dry sense of humor. Within the TV versions of themselves, Mike was often placed as a de facto leader of sorts. This is something that wound up carrying over into the real life world of The Monkees. Mike is the Monkee that definitely gets the most hate for reasons that are justified and reasons that aren't really. Mike was very strong willed and contrary and funny, and also very insecure. His insecurity led to him shooting himself (and the other Monkees) in the foot when it came to their public image pretty often, as well as tearing apart his relationships the same way.

Mike fact: Mike got super into World of Warcraft. He ended up reassessing after he had to go to work for a few days and came back online to messages wondering if he died.

Peter Tork

February 13, 1942- February 21, 2019

Personal History: Peter was born in Washington but moved to New York and was a part of the folk music scene in Greenwich Village. He was working as a dishwasher at the time he landed a role on The Monkees. After Stephen Stills was declined due to his crooked teeth, he recommended Peter for a role on The Monkees. Reportedly Mike also recommended Peter for a role due to his musical talent, as he was working as a dishwasher at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach and was known around the local nightclub circuit.

Role in The Monkees: Within the show, Peter was classed as 'the dummy', but this wasn't true in real life. Outside of the show, Peter was the one who was able to play the most instruments. He was designated to the bass guitar since the others couldn't play it, and most often played piano or organ on the other songs (though the other Monkees did play piano on some of the tunes). He also taught Micky how to play the drums.

Personality: Peter was the one who got most into the 'hippie movement' in the 60s. Free loving, pot smoking, all that jazz. He was known as the 'orgy organizer' and often a nudist who had people floating in and out of his house at all hours of the day. He gave his money/items freely to a fault and was taken advantage of in this regard during The Monkees first run. He also ended up losing quite a bit of money due to breaking his contract to quit The Monkees-- all in all he was the most against capitalism but also likely the most negatively affected by it within the band due to his strong opinions and his willingness to give to others. Though The Monkees were all on the same page to varying degrees politically speaking, Peter was the most vocal about the political process and talked politics often. Peter was diagnosed quite late in his life as having autism.

Peter fact: Peter briefly worked as a teacher in the 70s teaching English, social studies and music at two private schools in the Los Angeles area.

Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson

The guys behind The Monkees, created Raybert productions and produced some awesome shows an movies. Personally I don't have too much to say about these guys, though I think most Monkees fans hate their asses lol. The opinions on them as people are relatively mixed in general and from The Monkees themselves-- a mix of heated comments (both on personality and because of The Monkees being fucked over contractually) and gratitude. A lot of it depends on the decade you find the quote from. I do think they cared a lot more about money than any of The Monkees as people while pretending to care more than they did because they wanted to use The Monkees' own interests to cater to the crowd they were selling to.

Donnie Kirshner

Don Kirshner is 'The Villain' in The Monkees story. He was 'The Man With the Golden Ear' and was in charge of hiring songwriters and determining what songs got pumped out. The Monkees ended up booting Donnie and gaining more creative control.

Quote from The Wrecking Crew Facebook page:

"In the early 1960s, Kirshner was a successful music publisher as head of his own company, Aldon Music, which later was sold to Screen Gems-Columbia Music. . He later became president of COLGEMS, a subsidiary of the COLPIX label, in 1966.

Kirshner was hired by the producers of The Monkees to provide songs to accompany the television program. Kirshner used songwriting talent from his Brill Building stable of writers and musicians.

The formula worked phenomenally well – the singles "Last Train to Clarksville", written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, and "I'm a Believer" written by Neil Diamond and the first two Monkees albums were produced and released in time to catch the initial wave of the television program's popularity.

After a year, the Monkees wanted a chance to play their own instruments on the records. They also wanted more control over which songs would be released as singles. The matter reached a breaking point over a disagreement regarding the Neil Diamond-penned "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" in early 1967. The song's release by Kirshner as a single without Columbia Pictures' consent, led to his dismissal."

Kirshner planning/releasing songs without The Monkees involvement led to a very explosive fight, most notably between Kirshner and Mike. This fight was documented in Micky's autobiography like this:

Cut To:

Int. Kirshner’s Bungalow — Night

The four Monkees, Donnie Kirshner, and Herb Moelis (a Screen Gems lawyer) are in attendance. The boys have just arrived and pleasantries have been exchanged. The atmosphere is tense. Everyone knows what’s coming, and no one is looking forward to it.

Micky is lounging in a chair, dreading the inevitable. Peter is standing against a wall with his arms folded. Davy is doing his nails. This time it’s Mike who’s pacing like a caged tiger.

Donnie has four Gold records stacked up on a table. He picks them up and hands them to the guys. He grins a big toothy grin.

DONNIE

So, here they are guys. Your sparkling new Gold records! Congratulations!

MICKY

(feinged enthusiasm)

Great!

DAVY

(feinged enthusiasm)

Great!

PETER

(no enthusiasm)

Hummph!

MIKE

(ominously)

When is the next release scheduled?

DON

Well… we think it should be in late February… or so.

PETER

(sarcastically)

Well, guys. I guess we better get into the studio and start recording some new tunes. Our tunes.

Donnie’s big toothy grin starts to fade. All you can see now are the tips of his fangs.

DONNIE

No, no. Don’t bother, We’ve already recorded some great new tracks in New York. There’s this one unbelievable tune by Neil Diamond… You remember him, he wrote “I’m a Bel…”

MIKE

(exploding)

What! You recorded new tracks in New York? Why the hell didn’t you talk to us first? It’s our names going on those records!

Whatever was left of the big toothy smile is gone and lost forever. It has been replaced by a thin, grim smirk.

DONNIE

Take it easy, kid. Why don’t you just be happy with this Gold record and…

MIKE

Look! Either we get total and complete control of all the recording and the releases or I’m quitting!

Donnie is taken aback; the grim grin is frozen on his face. Even the other three guys are stunned. No one thought it would come to this. And no one thinks Mike is bluffing. Mike doesn’t bluff. Suddenly, Herb Moelis, the lawyer, speaks up.

MOELIS

(arrogantly)

You’d better take a look at your contract, son. You can’t quit unless we tell you you can quit.

Big mistake! This is not something you tell Mike Nesmith, even as a joke, on a good day. Mike spins around to confront the squirmy legal beagle. There is fire in his eyes and a fury in his heart. His fists are clenched. The veins are popping out of his neck. He looks like he is about to explode all over this little litigator. Somehow he manages to maintain his self control..

He turns to the nearby wall, cocks back his fist, and plunges it into the thirty-year-old lath and plaster.

MIKE

THAT COULD HAVE BEEN YOUR FACE, MOTHERFUCKER!

With that he storms out of the seething room and into the cool LA night.

Fade out

To say the least, The Monkees didn't like Kirshner much.

Quotes from Don Kirshner on The Monkees:

Don Kirshner on The Monkees…

ON MIKE NESMITH: Though people say that Mike doesn’t talk much, he is actually very articulate. My wife Sheila and I spent a long evening in a quiet Hollywood restaurant having dinner with Mike and his wife Phyllis when I first met them. I noticed that he had a particular passion for salads. He told me about one salad that he makes with nuts in it. I had never had that, and I tried it later and it was quite good. Mike is very witty, and he told us a funny story about the time he literally jumped over a general’s airplane when he was in the Air Corps. He has the kind of humor that Andy Griffith has, but his style is unique and his very own. Phyllis is one of the sweetest girls Sheila and I have ever met. She is very friendly, very much a wife – and she adores Mike.

ON PETER TORK: I would say that Peter is the deepest of the boys. He is very literate – and he is concerned about motivation and justification. He likes to have serious conversations about music and other things. He always goes beneath the surface. Oddly, in contrast to his seriousness, he is one of the funniest young men I have ever met. He is also one of the finest guitar players I have heard around in a long, long time. Basically, he has a lot of warmth and sincerity, and he is very dedicated in all that he does.

ON MICKY DOLENZ: Micky is one of the most completely amusing and charming boys I’ve ever met. His great sense of humor surrounds him with a kind of aura of joy. Being with Mick makes you feel happy inside. He’s one of the most versatile singers I’ve heard. He has lots of drive, and his anxiety about putting out a perfect record pushes him to peaks of excellence. There just isn’t enough time for Micky to do everything he wants to do. He is always jumping around. I call him perpetual motion. He loves action and he picks up on everythings [sic] very fast.

ON DAVID JONES: I have known David for a long time and have had the rewarding pleasure of watching his career grow over the past several years. I have also been able to watch him grow as a person, and I am very pleased with the way David is maturing and developing, both as a performer and as a human being. David spent last Thanksgiving at our house and I realized how very family-conscious he is. He talks about his folks a lot and takes great care of his dad and family. He and David Pearl are close friends and it is a pleasure to be in their company. They are both very fine young men. David Jones knows where he is going. He is precise and he is very experienced for his age – in all areas. He is a loyal friend, and I know that no matter what rewards he may reap, his first concern will always be doing things for others. I consider David a close friend.

I'm including these because I think it gives a good idea of Don Kirshner's view. Even the compliments largely aren't complimentary and are rather condescending, backhanded compliments like 'literate' or 'articulate' that are more negative than they might be taken on their face.

The TV Show

As a quote from Stephen Stills: The casting ad for “The Monkees," The Hollywood Reporter, September 8, 1965. "I was just starting out as a songwriter and I had about 8 or 10 songs and they were so simple I thought they would be perfect. I just wanted to sell my songs. When I got in there I told Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider that I knew a guy who would be perfect. His name was Peter Torkelson."

Initially it seemed like the show wasn't going to be picked up. At its first pitch it was more formulaic to the time: There was a 'fatherly' role which ended up being cut, and was closer in tune with Leave it to Beaver type sensibilities. It was repackaged by Bert and Bob to be more improvised and more about the 4 boys on their own struggling to make it as a band without 'adult' authority.

The show lasted 2 seasons on NBC. It was an episodic show with no overarching plot beyond the idea that there's a band that's struggling to make the rent. The characters all share the names of the real life Monkees, so Mike Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Peter Tork are the Monkees both in real life and on the show. Unique in that the four were taught improv techniques and were encouraged to improvise lines. Also unique in that there were 'Monkee Romps' which were in their way music videos where it was just the boys playing or running around while one of their songs played.

Monkees Screen Tests - About 20 mins of the boys as they try to land the role :)

Google Drive with all the episodes

Google Drive with all eps + DVD commentary tracks by the Monkees

TV show/music controversy:

So because The Monkees were a TV show band that became a real band, there was push-back that they weren't singing their own songs, that they weren't playing their own instruments, that they weren't actually a real band. They had hired song-writers like Boyce and Hart, they had guys like Don Kirshner who was specifically trying to make them marketable, they had The Wrecking Crew, pictured below, who were studio musicians-- so a lot of what was being done on their part was singing the vocals.

But at its core this is something that's a bit odd. The Wrecking Crew played on records of 'real' musicians. The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and many, many others, all utilized The Wrecking Crew to play on their albums. Even early on Mike was contributing to song-writing. And The Monkees played live almost immediately. Though their first stint was in promotion for the show and was a flop-- they played The Last Train to Clarksville on a moving train and as a result they and their instruments were being thrown all over-- they were very quickly able to functionally play as a band live. By their tour in 1967, they actually pretty largely got good reviews published in the paper; the 'bad' reviews were often more in the line of 'they can't be heard over the screaming children'. But if you go through newspapers at the time in the places they played, there's plenty of positive comments even outside of their audience--that is, middle aged men versus teen girls-- saying they were actually pretty good. So what's the deal?

Honestly a lot of it is probably The Monkees themselves, especially Mike himself. One member of the band the Association told The Wrecking Crew that the musicians' names wouldn't be on the record because "We don't want kids to know we didn't play on the record.". While there was some hiding of the fact it wasn't The Monkees playing, it didn't take long before The Monkees themselves were commenting on this. And Mike was the big dissenter on it.

Here's one comment from Micky in Minnesota in 1967:

Well interesting for me. As most of you have undoubtedly heard, it has been-- there's been a lot of hassle and everything about the Monkees playing our own music and, uh...Which took us quite by surprise. Since we we do and we did, and uh...The first the first records the first songs the first album anything we were just jamming together with a whole lot of people, trying to just put together anything, music whatever and then they came out and then everybody started criticizing us for not playing all the violins and not all the saxophones and not the 85 other instruments involved in making a big track or making big tracks or whatever, you know and rather than like learn how to play the French horn. We would call him a very expert French horn player. Like Vince Groza, for instance, who's like about the best, and have him do it but the wrath of Hell went down upon The Monkees and we all got together we all meaning just us four and just said and decided that for our own peace of mind and especially because people just didn't seem to understand we would transgress which means go backwards which is what we did in fact and pick up three guitars and a set of drums and say well if this is what you want, okay, we can do a lot of groovier things with other instruments, but whatever. It wasn't quite that deep or anything. Or that heavy.

But when we ended up having a lot of fun doing it. And the record that I'm gonna play now good bad or indifferent, you can judge yourself, is the first record the first really complete song that is just us four. We were really mad. We didn't even have an engineer in the booth or a producer. Nobody. We recorded it on a little Sony transistor tape recorder in a bathroom to get a groovy sound because we figured well if that's what they want to hear and they really are uptight about us not really doing it. We all sat down and concentrated on our energies and trying to come up with a foursome sound just out of our own thing and now we're back into you know, like doing things with electronic instruments. I have a electronic instrument set up, you know doing those kind of things and we're using, you know groovy guitar players and groovy horn players and groovy this players and groovy that players to get all kinds of different sounds and uh...But this is like in case none of you knew the first, you know, honest to goodness kind of Monkees song and it's really bad. I mean compared to other foursome sounds I think you know because we had like I think three or four hours a night for about a week to do it. Which is not a very long time at all, especially after you finished working on the set and we'd all run to the studio, just thrashed and wiped out and but determined to put out a record I really know just a song, you know our first song.

youtube

This is the song he is referring to.

Apparently the bathroom got good acoustics cuz it's not the only song they recorded in the bathroom for

Anyway....Micky's comment is, while hurt and emotional and marginally self-deprecating, relatively diplomatic: The Monkees are getting a lot of hate for not playing their own instruments. And yeah, they do hire outside musicians, because they're working 12-16 hour days shooting the show, and going on tour, and doing their own recording for the music with the vocals if nothing else, so if they did it all it's going to be rushed and it's not going to be as good as they could do it with 50 hired musicians. But they had a lot of fun recording their own music for Headquarters (the first album that was 'theirs' in terms of recording the sound/song choice/etc) and hopefully it still is a song their fans like.

Mike by contrast, also in Minnesota, told the newspaper that The Monkees weren't anything good and that they were pretty much just a stepping stone for the kids to get into real, adult music. Even when they were actively working on putting out their own music, Mike was putting out statements that was effectively that they were little kiddie music for babies.

This isn't to say it was all Mike's fault. (Probably). Songs like So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star by The Byrds were supposedly a swipe at The Monkees. Was this true, especially considering The Byrds, like I said, also used The Wrecking Crew? Including to the point that they largely didn't contribute to the music themselves on their first hit, Tambourine Man? Who knows. Peter at least told Rolling Stone that he'd never heard that:

No. Nobody ever said anything like that to me. I took it at face value. Maybe they thought about the Monkees, but “Get a guitar and learn how to play…” Michael and I had been playing…I’d been playing music of one sort or another from the time I was nine years old, when I began to take piano lessons. So that was for 14 years. Michael had been playing continuously for several years before that; he was a folki e. Micky played folk guitar, fireside guitar — you gave him a guitar, and he could play anything. Davy, who didn’t play any instruments, had been on Broadway. He was the American original Artful Dodger in Oliver, and that’s not nothing as a musical ability. Davy, too, when we said, “We need a bass player for this,” he said, “How do I play bass?” We said, “You put your finger here, and you pluck this string here at this moment,” and he was onstage with us playing bass in five minutes. He knew. Davy is one of the most fabulously musically adept minds I have ever met. You just don’t…that’s not nothing.

and they were also getting thanks on the albums of 'real' musicians like Buffalo Springfield:

So I don't know. While there was criticism in this regard, frankly a lot of it from the press was also eye rolling at the fact that the demographic for The Monkees was young girls and 'long-haired' people. There were also criticisms of drug references, what have you. The demographic plus the fact that The Monkees were primarily actors first, plus the fact they were 'hippies', plus the fact that Mike ESPECIALLY would run his mouth about these things really did nothing for The Monkees' public persona. This was also exacerbated that they got a bit of a 'diva' rep especially early on because Bob and Bert didn't want them to answer hard-hitting interview questions so that they wouldn't lose their mainstream appeal by getting political. There are articles of The Monkees 'refusing' to talk to the press; at the same time there are articles talking The Monkees up because they go out of their way to interact with their fans in ways that big names (including The Beatles) didn't. And there's quite a bit of positive press that they actually play well, that they shine when they're doing their solo and give a show worth the price of admission, etc.

While the reflection of what the press thought about The Monkees is often boiled down to digs about them not playing their own music, it was actually much more of a mixed bag at the time. And it was often exacerbated by The Monkees themselves, especially Mike running his mouth about it. Later on The Monkees by and large settled into seeing themselves as a 'fake band', that is, a 'television band', or maybe a 'band of actors', but in a way that is more positive than how they broached it in the 60s. The holdout on this stance was pretty much Peter, who seemed more in the vein of if they are capable musicians then the music is real, regardless of if they were only playing it because they were hired 'actors'. I personally tend to agree more with Peter's perspective of seeing them as both actors and a 'real' band than the other perspective of being actors who were hired to play music (despite the technical truth of the latter).

#The monkees #micky dolenz #mike nesmith #peter tork #davy jones #monkees

13 notes · View notes

ourshadowstallerthanoursoul · 11 months ago

Text

An audience with... John Paul Jones

(from Uncut, April 2010 - link)

You’re stuck on a deserted island, you have one instrument you can bring. It is: a) piano, b) bass or c) mandolin? (Gary Attersley, Ontario, Canada)

Oh… that’s horrible! I’ll probably get Hugh Manson – the guy who builds all my bass guitars – to build me some monstrous instrument that encapsulated all three! Hugh and his brother Andy Manson once actually designed me a triple-necked guitar with 12-string guitar, six-string guitar and mandolin on it! Andy also designed a triple-necked mandolin. But I guess if it really came down to it on a desert island, it would have to be the piano, because you can do so much on it. You’re a whole band. The bass is not much fun on your own.

John, it’s so good to see you so engaged with today. Any advice for old farts who can’t move on? (Andrew Loog Oldham)

Who are you calling an old fart? I dunno, Andy, you tell me! Ha ha. He’s done a good job of staying up to date. Andrew, of course, gave me the name John Paul Jones. I was John Baldwin, until Andrew saw a poster for the French film version of John Paul Jones. I thought it ’d look great in CinemaScope, as I wanted to do music for films. I imagined it saying “Music By John Paul Jones”, over the whole screen. I never realised then that he was the Horatio Nelson of America!

I know that you’ve been getting heavily into bluegrass lately – who are some of your favourite bluegrass artists of all time? (Ryan Godek, Wilmington, Delaware)

Apart from Bill Monroe, you mean? Oh, there’s loads. I’m friends with the Del McCoury band, I love that style of classic bluegrass. I love Sam Bush’s Newgrass stuff. And of course there’s Nickel Creek, Chris Feely, Mike Marshall. I love it all, really. One thing I like about bluegrass is that you don’t require amplifiers, drums and trucks. You can pull an instrument out of a box and get on with some instant music making. I carry a mandolin around wherever I go. I also like the fact bluegrass musicians play more than one instrument. There’s a tradition of them swapping instruments. In bluegrass bands I swap between double bass, fiddle and banjo.

One Butthole Surfers anecdote, please? (Dave Grohl)

Ha! I was brought in to produce the Butthole Surfers’ 1993 album, Independent Worm Saloon. I guess it was to give it a heavy rock vibe, but it didn’t work like that. They were actually incredibly hard-working in the studio, but I do recall running up a phenomenal bar-bill at the San Rafael studio. And then there was Gibby [Haynes, Butthole Surfers’ frontman] and his… eccentric studio behaviour. Gibby did one vocal take shouting into his guitar. He held it out in front of his face and screamed at it. Ha! He was trying to find out if it picked up through the pick-ups, which it kind of did. And that was pretty good.

How’s the violin coming along? (Sean, Berkshire)

I started about three years ago. With the guitar, or the piano, you can sound OK quite quickly. With the violin, it takes much longer. Once you get past the first six months of scraping, of muttering to yourself, “What is this fucking horrible noise on my shoulder?” you get the odd musical bit, and you think, ‘Oh, this is starting to get good.’ And you continue with it for a while. I’m getting into country fiddle playing, Celtic folk songs, a bit of swing. Basic stuff, but very satisfying.

Why not record a second ‘Automatic For The People’ with REM? (Franz Greul, Austria)

They haven’t asked me! But doing the string arrangements for that album was a great experience, actually. They sent me the demos of their songs, and we went into a studio in Atlanta, with members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. They were great songs, something you can really get your teeth into as an arranger. And I’ve been good friends with them ever since.

How did you first meet Josh Homme? And is he still a notorious party monster? (Rob Hirst, Kippax, Leeds)

Well, I think we’ve all calmed down rather a lot. Dave introduced me to Josh at his 40th birthday party. It was a ridiculous themed place where they have jousting with knights. As Dave said, it was like somewhere you’d have your 14th birthday party. Or maybe even your 4th. Anyway, Dave sat Josh and I together for a blind date. Which was reasonably embarrassing for both of us, surrounded by people going “prithee this” and challenging each other to duels. But we survived the trauma and went into the studio the next day, and just started jamming. And I knew immediately it was going to be something special.

If Them Crooked Vultures had Spice Girls-like nicknames what would they be? (Paul Jones, Liverpool)

Dave would be Smiley Vulture. He can’t stop grinning. Josh would be Slinky Vulture. He’s a slinky kinda guy. And I’d be Speedy, I guess. Or Jumpy. So there you go. Smiley, Slinky and Speedy. Or does that sound more like the dwarfs?

I remember you being a pretty funky bass genius back in the day! What memories do you have of those sessions? (Donovan)

The sessions with Don and Mickie Most were great, because we were given a free hand. I usually got leeway, because I was the sort of Motown/Stax specialist, so producers in the mid ��60s would get me in for cover versions of American records, and none of them could write bass parts convincingly enough, so I was London’s answer to James Jamerson, I guess! And I was certainly encouraged to get kinda… funky when I worked with Donovan.

How did it feel to see Jimmy Page and Robert Plant venture off in their own project in the ‘90s without mentioning a word of it to you? (Danny Luscombe, Hull)

Oh yeah, I was pissed off about it. The surprise was in not being told. It’s ancient history now, but it was a bit annoying to find out about it while reading the papers. It came just after Robert and I had been discussing the idea of doing an Unplugged project. Then I’m on tour in Germany with Diamanda Galás, I turn on the TV and see Robert and Jimmy doing it, with someone else playing all my parts! I was pissed off at the time. You would be, woudn’t you? But… it’s all in the past, isn’t it?

Did you listen to much work by Josh Homme or Dave Grohl before you were contacted in relation to joining Them Crooked Vultures, and if so, how did you honestly rate it? (Ralph Ryan, Lisronagh, County Tipperary)

I did like the Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stone Age, before I’d met either of them. There’s a tendency for people – especially musicians from my generation – to say that there has been this terrible decline in musicianship, that today’s bands haven’t got the chops, blah blah blah. But that’s not true at all. There’s always some people for whom technique on an instrument isn’t necessary. They can get their ideas across without being able to have the chops. But Josh really does have the chops, he just doesn’t feel the need to flash them about all the time. In fact, there were a few riffs he gave me that I had to simplify, because they were bloody difficult to play. I really had to work at it, where he could just flick it off. He is an astonishing musician.

Were you serious when you told Peter Grant that you wanted to jack it in to become choirmaster at Winchester Cathedral? (Brian Fisher, Manchester)

Ha! That was a tongue-in-cheek joke, although I was serious about leaving Led Zeppelin in 1973 unless things changed. But Peter did sort things out pretty quickly. What kind of choirmaster would I have made? A bloody good one! Listen, any way that they’ll pay you for making music is just the best situation in the world. I’d do it for nothing. I don’t care what music it is. I just love it all. The rubbing of notes together. I love it all. I would be very passionate about whatever I decided to do.

What was the worst session you ever did as a jobbing session player? (Adam Burns, Castleford, West Yorkshire)

I generally have fun memories of that time. I’d criss-cross London playing two or three sessions a day, going between Trident and Olympic and Abbey Road and Philips in Marble Arch, you know. You’d be backing Shirley Bassey, Cat Stevens, Lulu, whoever was paying you. The worst experience was a Muzak session. With Muzak sessions, the music was deliberately boring. I distinctly remember one session where I embellished the bass part a little bit, just so that it wasn’t so boring for me to play. They said, “No, you can’t do that. Any interest in the music will distract people’s attention from when they’re meant to be eating.” Or standing in a fucking lift. For fuck’s sake! So I was like, “OK, thanks, bye!”

#john paul jones #jonesy #led zeppelin #robert plant #planty #jimmy page #pagey #john bonham #bonzo #60s #70s #70s rock #70s music #rock music #ourshadowstallerthanoursoul

38 notes · View notes

shinyrhinestones · 22 days ago

Text

Youthful Hearts

Part five

Series summary: Readers new around town, and therefore doesnt know the place or people. However, she ends up befriending the most chaotic people she could find.

Billie Joe Armstrong X Fem!Reader. Set in the 90s.

Warnings: mentions of alcohol & drugs.

Here are the other parts

—-

Things were finally taking off. Things were finally happening in your life at where you had moved to.

You'd be lying if you said that you never worried about being lonely for all of the years you were gonna stay. You really didn't know how long you were gonna stay when you didn't know if you were gonna grow to love living here. But you might. For now you finally had weekend plans. Plans you could look forward to while you also had school.

Something to look forward to when you get off for the weekend. In class you were constantly drifting off in your mind to the gig you'd been invited to. Apparently he had his own band. You wondered what kind of music they play, what instruments do each of them play? What's their band name? Why didn't you even ask that in the moment..? Oh well the weekends gonna be very lively.

You had made sure to look your best, just the way you like it. As you were getting yourself ready, you felt like butterflies were flying around in your belly and normally that would tell you it was because you were nervous. But you could tell it was a little different this time. Exactly what you couldn't actually tell. It was more just a feeling.

Well, hanging out with three foreign boys was quite nervewrecking in its self. Maybe just a little more when the one who invited you, was a somewhat attractive young man. It felt weird.

You had written down the adress Billie gave you, and had yet again to make sure you could find your way there. However, made it and you really hoped that you weren't late nor too early there. You weren't sure if you could keep conversation flowing if you were early. As summer was dying down as August reached its end, you walked through the struggle of the wind constantly throwing your hair around. But you managed and got to finally enter the pub, where no wind was bothering you.

Your eyes scanned the pub but didn't get to get a good look before someone placed their hands on your shoulders with a whisper yell at you:

Boo!

Your jumped and quickly turned around, as you felt your heart skip a beat. You lightly shoved the person without seeing who it was but saw it was the tall man you had seen Billie with the other times. He laughed at you and looked behind him to see that the green haired guy had caught up to him by now. Your eyebrows furrowed as your eyes kept going back and forth. His eyes wrinkled at the sides and his smile was wide. You may have smirked just a bit. The tall one lightly hit the other man on his chest. You stood with your hands in your pockets, really just watching them laugh at your reaction. You shook your head and let out a breath as if you found them just a bit funny but at the same time ridiculous.

"Sorry about them." You heard a voice behind you yet again. You turned your head and saw Billie. His hair shined underneath the lights of the pub, and you found it cute. He had actually been laughing along with the two other boys, and you could also see it on his face that he had found it funny.

You rolled your eyes, still with a smirk on your face. "Yeah yeah it's alright." You shrugged. He let out another short laugh, that rang through your ears. You had just arrived and yet the laughter was already taking off. "Oh right, I'm Mike." The tallest one said as his laughter started dying down. He pointed to the man beside him and talked yet again. "And this is Tre Cool." Now you weren't gonna lie, that name caught you off guard. You must admit it is kinda bizarre. But finally their faces had a name too.

"Hi. Uh, I'm Y/N". It was a little weird considering the fact you didn't know if Billie had said much about you. But you felt introducing yourself to them only made sense. "Oh yeah, we know. Hi Y/N". Tre said. This might've been the first time you heard him actually speak rather than just laugh. His voice was so loose and almost childish. It was a funky voice. Explaining it is weird. Your eyebrows raised just a bit, and you looked back at Billie who was standing next to you. He looked at you with a crooked smile.

You found it kinda funny how you didn't know their names, yet they knew yours. Well, you know their names now. But it took a good minute. "Oh okay, well thats only good now I guess." You let your eyebrows fall down back into its relaxed state and you shrugged. "Yeah, Billie's been snitching." Again Tre opened his mouth. You laughed, 'cause his sentence didn't make sense. Snitch? Is it even possible to snitch on someones name?

You shook your head and rested some weight on one hip. You were getting a little tired of standing in place. Mike reacted similar to you. "You idiot." He laughed shortly and tapped him again. "Just say he's mentioned her." He then said, and was looking at Tre only. Tre put his arms up in defense and raised his eyebrows. "Hey go easy." While they were talking you noticed all the commotion around. It was quite late and therefore the pub had gotten quite a handful of guests. A lot of chatter and clinking could be heard loud and clear, all around you.

You sighed deeply and looked back over at Billie, who was looking at the stage behind you. You turned your head over your shoulder to get a glimpse of the scene aswell. It wasn't all that big, but it was enough for three people you thought. Some equipment was already set up, and you wondered if it was even ready yet. You looked back at Billie, and he was gazing at you. You were caught off guard and felt your face heat up. "What's up?" He let out casually.

"Uhm.." You really didn't know what to respond. You weren't all that good at talking to new people, and especially not boys. Mainly because you weren't that used to being around them all that much. Most of your best friends had been girls. You looked off to the side of the ceiling, to see if you could maybe fish something up from the corners of your mind.

"What do you mean?" There were plenty of better things you could've said. And somehow thats what you ended up saying. Your looked at him confused, but you were more confused at yourself than him.

His smile was small, almost invinsible. Your fingers were figdeting with each other, as you stood before him. "The stage. We're playing there tonight in like thirty minutes." He diverted the conversation just a bit. You nodded. "You nervous?" He rubbed the back of his neck as you asked him. "Just a bit. We've got our ways to calm the nerves before shows though." He shrugged and let his arm fall down to his side again. You nodded and looked over at the other two guys. They were half in their own talk and half listening to you and Billie's. They looked at you both a little weird. Like an unsure look in their eyes.

"Billie, maybe we should go get the rest done? The equipment." Mike chimed in and now he was rubbing the base of his neck, like he was nervous or worried. You adverted your gaze between the young men and felt off. Maybe you shouldn't have went.

But then again you were quick to turn on the flip side instead of letting go, and give more chances.

Billie nodded, and the three young men left after telling you their gig started soon. You decided to go over by the bar and sit. You hadn't really prepared yourself for this moment. For sitting by the bar all to yourself, 'cause you either came early or Billie had made you arrive early. You sat down and rested both elbows on the wooden counter. Your left hand going up to touch your foreheard and rub gently.

Your fingertips slowly moving along your warm skin, as you closed your eyes for a second. "You good?" A new voice sounded infront of you. You look up with wide eyes at first. "Yeah." You reply as you let your hand fall down again. The bartenders smile widened as he saw your actual face after you moved your hand out of the way. "Good. You looked stressed for a minute there." He was so chill but somehow energetic, and perhaps you had to be when you worked around mostly drunken people. "No, it's alright." You shrugged and he left to take care of some orders. It made you realize how you probably should relax a bit and try to have fun again.

While the wait you had gotten a soda for yourself, and inbetween chatted with the bartender. He had noticed how every now and then you would let your eyes scan the stage. "Yeah, a bands playing tonight." He mentioned and his arms were resting on the counter. He was leaning his arms up against the counter flashing a long and big tatto on his left arm. You had to admit it was kinda cool.

"Yeah." You curtly said. You bit your bottomlip, and wrapped your hands around your bottle. He observed you, like he was trying to read you. Maybe he could tell you weren't in a totally good mood, like you wished you were. You couldn't exactly point out why, but it was probably when Mike started to act concerned that you started to feel weird.

"They're called Green Day. Some punk band I think."

He just answered a bunch of questions you have had in mind since Billie Joe invited you here. You don't know why you didn't ask him earlier. Or why he didn't tell you. Maybe he was busy.

"Oh really?" You finally cracked a smile again. That's when you noticed the bartenders eyes light up. "Yes. I hope they're good." He smiled. You took a sip of your bottle and right as he said that you smiled and giggled after sinking. "Yeah, I hope they're good too." Your eyes must've been sparkling again.

The young looking bartender had to dissapear as more customers came rolling in. The lights dimmed and you looked up at the stage, as all the boys were ready, and started introducing themselves.

You smiled lightly at them. You loved how intimate the free concert felt. How close the music was to you, and how you feel it under the chair you were sitting on. Even if you didn't much about punk or the music genre you truly did enjoy their perfomance and music. And you don't think you were the only one.

Multiple people were swaying along, bobbing their heads or really focused on their performance. Watching and smiling. You noticed how you were tapping your foot atleast. All three of the boys seemed to really get lost in their music on stage, and it was quite cute.

You were met by the three boys down by the bar a few minutes after their gig. Billie did keep his promise, and got you a drink. You weren't gonna say no to free drinks, and you hoped that Billie had clean intentions. Why would he wait until the second time meeting you to try and connect with you, if he was purposelly trying to hurt you? However, that doesn't automatically mean that he couldn't have bad intentions. It was confusing and you knew you couldn't trust any of them just yet. But they were funny. They cracked jokes all the time, and bickered half of the time too. It was entertaining you must admit. "So you're Green Day?" You asked with a crooked smile and a glimmer in your eyes.

The bots chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, that's us." Billie pinched the edge of his nose before taking a sip of his own drink. "Care to explain the name?" You giggled. The alcohol might've done that to you. Their name was a colour next to the day. That was a little silly, but not that you hated it.

Mike's eyes looked panicked. He was switching his stare between you and Billie somewhat fast. You watched him carefully, and then looked back at Billie. He was staring at his drink with an unreadable smile. Tre opened his mouth after sipping the rest of his drink. "It's weed." His tone was always direct and a little loud, and it shocked you how he said it so playfully yet carelessly. You froze for a second before a small breathy laugh escaped your lungs. You sat up straight, not sure how to handle the information. You didn't do drugs for good reasons. And you didn't hang out with people who did drugs anyways, because you just never seemed to be in that kind of enviroment. You also didn't know how much you'd wanted to be around people who you couldn't count on because of the effects of drugs.

And how most people do it to escape reality. What reality were they escaping from? Maybe none. You didn't know, you'd technically just met them.

"Oh." Was all you let out as you just stared numb infront of you, at your drink. Billie was looking at you, you could feel it, but you didn't look back at him. You wanted to avoid his gaze at all cost.

You were afraid to mess something up, more than you maybe already did. Which is funny cause in a way you didn't want to be around people who did drugs, but at the same time you found them funny. Ugh. Why did it have to be so weird?

And what other drugs could they be taking? You stood up and looked at Billie for once. "Yeah, I'll see you around. I have work tommorow, so I should probably get going." You explained as chilly as you could, and pointed with your thumb to the door, as you grabbed your summer coat. Looking at Billie felt a little strange. The emotion on his face wasn't all too clear. He looked weirded out yet nonchalant.

However, the two other men were see through. Tre looked completely careless and calm. Wasn't that surprising now, was it? Mike however looked shocked. Worried and at unease. You smiled weakly at them before heading towards the exit. You pushed the door open and turned right. But before you could go straight ahead down the path, a voice called out.

You recognized it and turned around. Billie must've lit up a cigarette inside the pub before something made him follow you out. He exhaled some smoke as he walked up to you. His eyes were a little hooded and you could still see those bags under his eyes, while you both were standing by a lamp post.

"Are you okay?" Perhaps, Billie found it just as difficult to read you, as you struggled to read him inside. You were basically hugging yourself as you shuffled your weight on your feet. You let out some air, and let your muscles make you smile. It was half fake, and half real. You found it sweet that he had followed just to see if you were okay. You nodded softly. "Yeah, I'm alright. I'm just tired and I have work tommorow." You actually didn't. The school library is closed on weekends but you didn't know what else to say. He tilted his head as he took another drag of his cigarette, while you were talking.

He looked around at the cars by the pub before looking back at you. "You're walking home?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes. When you're studying there's not a lot of money for a car." You let out a breathy laugh. You couldn't lie and say that you weren't interested in him. If you didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore, you would've kept your response short and vague. But you didn't.

He cracked a smile and nodded as he looked briefly down at the ground. "Yeah, that's very true." He looked back up at you again and his eyes were squinting slightly. You figured it was because the sharp light from the lamppost right next to you both.

"It's dark, are you gonna be alright?" You knew it was dangerous to walk home alone in the dark. It was also dangerous during the day, but the risk was worse at night. You swayed slightly and ended up shrugging. "I don't know. I don't live to far from here." You almost whispered, becoming really tired.

"I'll walk you, if you don't mind?" He lifted an eyebrow and you moved your mouth muscles to the side, as you thought about it for a while. You kinda did want him to but you also didn't know him that well, and you don't know how safe you felt with it.

You shook your head. "I think I'm good, Billie. But thanks." You said. He nodded and bend his head down again, staring into the ground. "That's alright. Give me a ring sometime." His voice was a mix of carefullness and at the same time a little playful. He waved at you and headed towards the pub again, and you stood and stared until he was out of sight. You stood and swayed, and looked down onto the pavement, lost in your thoughts once again. You didn't know what to do now. What to think. How to feel.

You just wanted to go home.

———————————————-

A/N: Uhm okay not that wild but its something...share your thoughts and I'll be working on the next chapter. Also sorry if some of this doesnt make sense its 3 am rn...Bye bye !

#green day #billie joe green day #billie joe armstrong #mike dirnt #tre cool #punk #fic #fics #fanfiction #fanfic

6 notes · View notes

rpfofficial · 9 months ago

Note

my dear esteemed friend & colleague can you tell me a bit about torksmith... my layman's impression is that a. peter tork is an angel b. mike nesmith is even taking into account the extenuating circumstances ie the horror show that is the average workday of a Monkee kind of an asshole so i feel like i have more than a few puzzle pieces missing..

gerry you would not believe how crazy this makes me okay i don't even know how to explain it you. okay listen

the thing about Peter and Mike is that their role in the monkees was the same: they were The Musicians, the guys who knew what they were doing when it came to instruments and songwriting and performing and had capital E Experience with that side of things. they were the most frustrated with the monkees situation and The Horrors etc. Peter in the sense that he was a free spirit with TONS of musical talent and classical training but was bullied in particular, mostly because The Powers That Be thought he couldn't sing (untrue) and also was a hippie freak who didn't deserve nice things, and Mike in the sense that he was hot headed and a genuinely talented songwriter with Every Disorder who just was full of hatred and always had somewhere better to be. and Neither Of Them Signed Up For This! like literally they didn't know they wouldn't be allowed to play their own music until AFTER they'd signed the contract.

unfortunately, instead of this bringing them together and having them make out sloppy style about it, it's generally believed that this just caused more tension between them because despite the fact that Everything About Them aligned perfectly with each other, it didn't align perfectly *enough* and there were enough differences in personality and beliefs that there was a lot of friction between them. but i do believe they still made out sloppy style about it, just with a lot more tension.

Mike, being the grade A insecure asshole that he was who probably suffered from proximity envy of Peter and was maybe a little threatened by him, decided to make Peter's experience worse. normal! he's the epitome of the post that's like "guy who is attracted to another guy and decides to psychosexually torture him about it". this insane mike interview quote sums it up really nicely. Still can't believe he said all that. In 1972.

Peter IS an angel but i don't think he was innocent in all this, but it *is* disproportionate in that there's a lot more recorded instances of Mike being a horrible freak than Peter, BUT there's this 1982 moment which makes me LOSE my mind he is so Ex Wife Coded here. He was a bitch at times and good for him because there's a lot of accounts that say mike would sometimes make life pretty miserable for him. BUT on the flip side mike was also really nice to him which is what makes it so crazy! in like, early 1966 or whatever, when they were filming the pilot, Peter lived with mike and phyllis nesmith ! mike let peter live with him! for like, a good couple of months! and in the early early days when Peter was asked who he got along best with, Peter said mike, because of how nice living together was! Im holding a gun in my shaking hands. AND there's another story of mike insisting that Peter get to play guitar on one of their early tracks when everything was done by studio musicians, and AGAIN later when Peter was told he wasn't allowed to sing on their record, mike was the one who stood up for him! whats that all about!

i think there's a lot of factors to their weird rivalry. a lot of it comes from the two of them but also other parties, like its pretty common knowledge that the Big Producers, bob rafelson in particular, were like. Stirring shit up and keeping it "interesting", like the whole thing was a social experiment to them. the point for me is that they had their On Again and Off Again eras, and it's pretty well documented. sometimes you can tell from a press conference or a music video or a photo if it was during a period that they loved each other or that they hated each other, and it's all over the place because THEY were all over the place. the most married era was the 1980s when mike joined them for the reunion, particularly 1989. this press tour conference video. please watch from the 6:40 timestamp. "who's your favourite monkee" "peter" <- not a seconds hesitation fuck my entire life . What did he mean by this.

anyway if you want to see more, my monkees sideblog comrademonkee has some good stuff in my #Peter & mike tag. and then there's my pinterest board for photographic proof. if u even care. my esteemed mutual and president of torksmith, tumblr user levon, is currently making a torksmith timeline master doc and you will ALL be seeing that as soon as its done because i will never shut up about it . so there you have it. im REALLY Normal about these people I PROMISE. This is all purely academic.

#😁👍 feel free to kill me with hammers #gerry 🐑#the monkees #📬

13 notes · View notes

wheelercore · 1 year ago

Text

Was there ever confirmation that Dream A Little Dream of Me was Victor's favorite song? It has a personal meaning to Victor after the Creel murders, because it is what the "angel" used to lure Victor out of his vision, but I don't believe it was ever hinted that it was an important song to him beforehand. Which I just find to be interesting. Especially considering the fact that the song was not playing in the scene when victor woke up, meaning that this "angel" had intentionally played this song specifically. And frankly, its referenced too many times for it just to be a random song.

Which,,, the pianos, all the pianos. Pianos seem in important, idk.

The piano in the Wheeler home. Still unknown who's it is but it was played at some point in s1 so I imagine it isn't just there to be there.

Piano in the Creel attic (doesn't seem to belong to the Creels) and I also believe down in the living quarters.

When music is introduced as a method of healing the mind, in the background the only instrument we see currently being played is the piano and it plays over the whole scene. There is also a guitar which...

There is a guitar in Mike's room. A guitar and a piano in the wheeler home, and again, the only two instruments clear as day in the Penthurst listening room.

And just. If I had a nickel for every time Mike and Ted were paralleled to each other in s4 I'd have... a lot of nickels actually. So I wouldn't be surprised if that was Ted's piano, I mean they have shared serial killer references in s4 for fucks sake.

Funnily enough, the one think that makes me certain that it is an intentional Mike references is just the sheer amount of music references about yearning and pining for someone far away emotionally and/or physically (Will): Red Sails in the Sunset & I'll See You In My Dreams (1924) & Dream A Little Dream of Me & Moonlight Serenade.

Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams isn't necessarily a romantic song, but it does follow the same theme of hoping for the best despite the darkness/sadness that encroaches. Which is a bit interesting if you recall Alice calling the Creel home a "dream" and a "fairytale".

Dream= love, optimism, and light. Nightmare= darkness, pessimism, and trauma.

Very interesting that these two instruments are featured in this scene when Dr. Hatch discusses how music can actually help those who have a "broken" mind (Dr. Hatches way of referring to his patients, which is... uh), particularly if the song has a personal meaning to the person. Definitely adds onto the whole discussion on Mike's mental health but also we don't know if Dream a Little Dream of Me was a song that had personal value for Victor, and it seems like a far too important song for it just to be one and done like that.

However... a song, particularly a duet song like Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong's Dream a Little Dream of Me, might have personal value to two musicians. Maybe two musicians who were 14 years old only 2 years after the song came out (1950/1952)... a singer (Betty) and a pianist. Two musicians who bonded over feeling being "different".

And of course, the play in a play, The Dark of The Moon being about a witchboy who falls in love with a girl, wishes to be 'human' as a result, and ends up losing her after a particularly gruesome witch hunt by the religious town (which the witch hunt part of that is basically s4).

#my george!ted propaganda i know i'm right. I Am Right.#anyways ship georgebetty they mean the world to me. i know i said george is gay but he can be bisexual. as a treat.#they already mean the world 2 me betty u are so so so doomed by the narrative #TED WAKE UP. WHAT HAPPENED TO BETTY TED. HEY.#mike wheeler #ted wheeler #victor creel

8 notes · View notes

c0yoteclaws · 10 months ago

Note

Stares at you well do you have peach pit recommendations…

ok actually i've had a ask (from @gnarlyimp) sitting around asking me what my favorite peach pit songs AND ablums are so I'll just give it to you :3

ALBUMS

Being So Normal

first Peach Pit album i listened to in full, has the first Peach Pit song I listened to on it (Being So Normal....little did i know this would become a 3 year long interest), has some of my favorites on there (Chagu's Sideturn, Alrighty Aphrodite) and one of their most not-Peach-Pit-songs, Private Presley and Hot Knifer (in a good way) plus my DREAM song to see them play live (Not Me) (plus how they reuse the bridge lyrics in Black Licorice WOW). Also an awesome story about the title (they were criticized for "being so normal" based off their first EP (Sweet FA) so its especially cool to see how they experimented in this one) Plus this was the documentary era where Mike feeds Chris boiled eggs which is awesome....AND ITS GOT TOMMY'S PARTY WHO COULD FORGET...

2. You and Your Friends/From 2 to 3

I CAN"T PICK OK..........YAYF has some bangers on there + lots of improvement from BSN, I love all the riffs and Shampoo Bottles and Black Licorice are ICONIC....plus the guitar on all the tracks is AMAZING but especially Brian's Movie (and Chris' 12 string guitar), Thrusday, You and Your Friends, Figure 8 and Psychics in LA....

BUT FROM 2 TO 3 holds a special place in my heart....I love the story behind Up Granville's riff (Chris reused it from a song he wrote 15 years ago and it saved the track), it was the first album i was there to see them release, I like the different tone they took with it + Mike's harmonica solo in Look Out! is so so so so awesome....

3. Sweet FA

this one is a bit unfair because it was the first EP/Album they released and it DOES have some iconic ones on there of course (Seventeen, Sweet FA (+ the music videos for these are great)) but its also got......the first version of Drop the Guillotine......ew...

SONGS

ok here comes the hard part....first I'll do honorable mentions that just didn't make the list

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Figure 8 - this one was pretty close, I'd swap it out most likely with Private Presley because they're on the same level (I just love the slow intro in the live performances + the guitar of course)...live version makes me cry everytime i listen to it

Pepsi on the House - this is probably my 10-8th favorite Peach Pit song, big fan of the lyrics anf guitar

Look Out! - love the beginning part, plus the music video is great (Chris fell off the truck while they were recording so instead of panning to a beautiful sirene landscape, it just shows Chris running really fast)...THE HARMONICA SOLO....

honestly From 2 to 3 just in general has some really good songs

Brian's Movie - this one is an EXTREMELY CLOSE 5......the slider/Chris' guitar playing.....the lyrics........Peter in their live video....its all so good

THE FINAL DECISION 1. Hot Knifer

honestly this one hasn't ALWAYS been my top song....but recently, with the addition of Dougal's violin in their live performances AND Chris' beautiful solo has me captivated...plus Peter's vocals and bass playing during the chorus + with the solo is BEAUTIFUL..!!!!! PLUS PLUS PLUS IN RECENT LIVE PERFORMANCES MIKEY'S BEEN PLAYING A HARMONICA SOLO......this song literally could not get better...i kind of doesnt sound like a peach pit song but thats what makes it good..ITS DIFFERENT.....AND IN THIS VIDEO Peter and Chris play together and its so sweet. The world is a beautiful place

2. Up Granville

This one is mainly because its just so beautiful....the music video makes me cry everytime i watch it, I love the slow beginning of the intro and then all the instruments joining at once....the whole thing is about loving your friends.....its the origin of the album cover..the fact that the riff is reused from when Chris was 15 and thats how the whole song came together......WHAT IF I CRIED.....i love hearing the croud sing the chorus too.. thats how its supposed to be heard in my opinion

3. Not Me

some of my favorite aspects of this song are similar to hot knifer (the non-peach pit sound, catchy riff, the lyrics that they reused in Feelin' Low (F*ckboy Blues) will never NOT be cool to me) but i ADORE this distortion and lead up to the solo.....definitely one of my top peach pit solos. Sadly they've never played it live (that i can find anyways) but it seems like SUCH A COOL SONG to see live. but who knows. a man can always hope :) OH AND THE SOUND CLIP IN THE BEGINNING IS GREAT. I love when songs intro with a clip. and the outro is sick as hell

4. Private Presley

pretty similar to Not Me and Hot Knifer in terms of why i like it. its based off Elvis Presely which is cool. Dougal also plays violin in this one......GODDDDD the solo means everything to me. I love seeing them play it live and how much they move around. man and just seeing Chris shred the solo is the most inspring thing in the world...he moves up and down the fretboard like its BUTTER. and the distortion...who could forget

5. Being So Normal/Alrighty Aphrodite

I'm counting this as two because these songs are connected when they preform them live OK......Being So Normal has such an iconic riff and the lyrics are SO FUCKING GOOD..............I <3 the transition from Chris' loop to the bass line like WOW!!!!!!!! + the bass in Alrighty Aphrodite is definitely one of my favorites, plus the solo that Chris does is AWESOME and i love Neil's dancing in their live performances...!!!! ALSO THE TRANSTION FROM RAINING BLOOD TO BEING SO NORMAL IS SOMETHING THAT WILL NEVER NOT BE COOL TO ME....

Grins at You Thanks for asking Scott....i love Peach pit so much❤️ now im going to go listen to their songs a billion times

#peachpitposting #Peach Pit #yayyyyy #asked and answered #softiestyx

2 notes · View notes

popentertainmentconcertreviews · 2 years ago

Photo

Big Star – Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA – December 6, 2022

Perhaps you’ve heard the legend. An unknown rock band puts out a debut album on an imprint on of a record label more well-known for rhythm-based artists. The album gets good critical buzz, but only sells a handful of copies. The group releases a follow-up, which also barely makes a ripple. Members of the band split off, and the third release turns out to be essentially a solo album by the original lead singer.

The albums start showing up in record store cutout bins. They still don’t do all that well, but it seems that just about everyone who buys their records ends up starting their own band. And years after the band had broken up, they became a cult favorite band, beloved by a passionate base.

No, we’re not telling the story of the Velvet Underground. Well, okay it is the VU’s story, but it is also the tale of Big Star. The Memphis foursome, made up of former Box Tops lead singer Alex Chilton, guitarist Chris Bell, bassist Andy Hummel and drummer Jody Stephens, put together a sweet and spicy sound, mixing rock and swooning ballads and becoming one of the first power pop bands.

It has now been 50 years since the release of the debut album #1 Record, which has become considered a bit of a lesser-known classic, as did the second album Radio City. Guitarist Bell left the band to go solo after the release of Radio City, although his solo album I Am the Cosmos was not released until after his 1978 death in a car crash. Hummel also left the band after Radio City to finish college, eventually working for Lockheed Martin for decades before his death of cancer in 2010.

Chilton and Stephens reunited in 1993 and toured on and off for many years until Chilton had a fatal heart attack, also in 2010. Stephens returned to his day job – running Ardent Records, the formerly Stax-distributed label that Big Star had recorded for all those years earlier. It seemed like Stephens would never play the music again, until he announced this limited 50th anniversary tour celebrating the band.

However, this isn’t just the case of a classic band touring with one surviving member and a bunch of kids young enough the be the sons (or grandsons) of the original artists. For the Big Star 50 tour, members of some of the most respected alt-rock bands of the 90s – and all Big Star fans – came together to make up the rest of the band. These included Mike Mills (of REM), Pat Sansone (of Wilco), Chris Stamey (of the dBs) and Jon Auer (of the Posies).

In fact, Auer (and his former Posies cohort Ken Stringfellow) had toured with Chilton and Stevens in the revamped Big Star on and off from 1993 to 2010, when Chilton died. They even did a 2005 album together called In Space. (Stringfellow is no longer involved with Auer or Big Star due to fall out from a series of 2021 sexual abuse allegations.) Therefore, Auer has been playing this music well longer than half of the original Big Star members ever did.

And the other new “band” members here obviously had the chops and the love for the music to make this show rock. There was also a guest appearance for this show on two songs by Adam Weiner, lead singer of the band Low Cut Connie.

The concert was split into two acts. First, they played the entirety of the #1 Record album – in order. Then after a brief intermission they came back and played a bunch of fan favorites – a great deal of which came from Radio City, but they also did some cool unexpected rarities – including a simply gorgeous version of Bell’s solo single “I Am the Cosmos.”

All five musicians (six if you count special guest Weiner, who played on two songs and sang one) traded off on lead vocals and instruments. Band favorites like “Don’t Lie to Me,” “Ballad of El Goodo” and “Jesus Christ” sounded fantastic, peaking with a stellar version of “September Gurls” featuring Mills on vocals.

Still, to this day, it’s a complete mystery that this band never became huge. At least we got the opportunity to bask in their stellar songbook for one more night.

#Big Star #2022 #Concert Reviews #Ardmore Music Hall #Ardmore #Jay S. Jacobs

23 notes · View notes

neverbesokind · 2 years ago

Note

I've only heard of the beach boys in passing!! Tell me about them??

You don't know what you've done haha.

Basically, I took a semester-long class my junior year of college all about the Beach Boys. I did it because I liked the professor and I heard from a friend of mine that their music was enjoyable! I should have known that digging so deeply into a single band's history and work would send me into a deep pit of obsession.

There's so much to talk about but I'll go over some broad strokes and offer some song recommendations under the cut if you're interested!

The Beach Boys are generally known for their surf rock music, because that's where they began. They formed in California in 1961, and their original members were three brothers - Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson - , the Wilsons' cousin, Mike Love, and a neighborhood friend, Al Jardine. At the time, all of them were no older than teenagers, and the story goes that the Wilson boys' parents went out of town for a week and left them money to buy food. Instead of doing so, they opted instead to use the money to rent instruments so they could write their first song, Surfin'.

Ironically enough, none of the boys had any experience with surfing except for the middle Wilson boy, Dennis, but they all thought surfing was really cool and hip. When their parents returned home, the Wilsons' father, Murry, who had some experience in the recording industry, decided to try and get them a record contract, and the execs who heard them decided that getting a "surf band" would be profitable as surfing was a really popular youth movement at the time. Murry then became their manager.

Unfortunately, Murry was a ruthlessly abusive father, and his physical abuse may or may not have been the reason that Brian Wilson, his eldest son, was deaf in one ear. Regardless, his musical background meant all the Wilson brothers (and Mike) had a ton of experience singing together and playing music, and their unique blend of vocal harmonies set them apart. The fact so many of the members were related was also a huge part of what made their voices blend together so beautifully (people related to one another are more likely to have similar physical structure to their throats/voice boxes/etc, and thus tend to blend better vocally).

Brian was also very interested in constructing harmonies. As a teen, he would spend his time after school attempting to reconstruct the harmonies of the music he listened to on his piano, and when the Beach Boys signed a music contract he immediately took a sort of songwriting/creative role. He originally also played bass with the band as they toured, but he was dreadfully shy. During one flight on an early tour of theirs, he experienced a mental breakdown so acute that he absolutely refused to ever step on stage again.

This lead to the relationship between Brian and the rest of the band that would persist for much of their most beloved work. The Beach Boys are known for their surf rock, but that doesn't characterize all of their work. Their most critically acclaimed album, Pet Sounds, came after Brian started staying back from touring and spent all of his time tinkering in the studio, creating intricate and complex harmonies and collaborating with lyricists to shift the band's focus from surfing, girls, and summer sun to his anxieties and worries about growing older and losing innocence.

When the rest of the band returned from tour, they were shocked and a little alienated from how different Brian's new work was from what they had been doing before, and it caused some strife between them, particularly between Mike and Brian. Mike felt that there was no reason to change from their surf rock origins - it was making them money and had drawn in their fans. However, ultimately, Brian won out and Pet Sounds released in 1966 to critical (but not really commercial) success.

Pet Sounds was inspired by the Beatles' Rubber Soul, which was an extremely conceptual album. Brian wanted to do something similar, and create an album that focused on themes rather than just being a collection of radio hits and filler songs, as albums tended to be at the time. As such, it's an album about growing older and the loves and sadnesses that come with it. It's an absolutely beautiful album, and if you listen to nothing else by this band, I would recommend it.

Brian felt an immense amount of pressure to create a follow-up to Pet Sounds, especially as rock critics began praising him as the "genius" behind the band. He began to conceptualize an album that was a whirlwind tour of the United States and included a full four-song suite to each of the four elements.

However, during this time the pressure was putting a strain on his already pretty fragile mental health. This was made even worse when his bandmates returned from the Pet Sounds tour again to begin singing what he had been working on and all of them, not just Mike, were completely alienated and concerned about how avant garde things had become. Then, problems with the record company not supporting his direction and his younger brother, Carl, becoming a conscientious objector when he was drafted to the Vietnam War, delayed the incredibly hyped release of the follow-up over and over again. Finally, he shelved the project entirely and went into a years-long depression, only barely coming out to work on the band.

That project, called SMiLE, would be raided over the years of Brian's depression, and many songs from it were released on the albums following. (In 2011, Brian Wilson worked with stage performers he was working with at the time to actually release an approximation of what the album may have sounded like had it been released as expected, and it's also a major favorite of mine.)

During Brian's absence, Carl Wilson took over as band leader and actually led the band through some really interesting work, including a more soulful rock album, Wild Honey, another favorite of mine. However, it wasn't what critics were wanting, as they expected more avant garde stuff like Brian had been making.

Anyway, I could go on, but that's the bare bones of their early career. There's a ton of other crazy stories, including the short time Dennis Wilson housed Charles Manson and his followers (pre-murders). Dennis was so scared of them he ended up moving out of his house because he couldn't bring up the courage to ask them to leave.

Both Carl and Dennis Wilson died young (of cancer and drowning, respectively). Nowadays, the "Beach Boys" is just Mike Love and some of his musicians after a legal dispute over the name. I don't like Mike Love very much at all, he's a huge Trump supporter and his direction for the band doesn't really represent what I enjoy about them. It's too corporate and clean, imo.

However, Brian Wilson is still alive and a representative of the more creative spirit of the band. He's my favorite member of the band (if you can tell) and his story of mental illness and creativity during a time when those things weren't very understood touches me a lot. If you're interested in his story, you should check out the excellent biopic, Love and Mercy. It's one of my favorite movies and explains his story pretty well, I think.

Here's some of my favorite songs of theirs:

"Lonely Sea" (An early track from theirs, decidedly in their surf rock days. However, I think this shows how much artistic potential they had so early on. It's so beautiful and aching.)

"Wouldn't It Be Nice" (Perhaps one of the most well-known tracks from Pet Sounds, this is a beautiful little love song about longing for a better future with the person you love.)

"God Only Knows" (Another well-known favorite from Pet Sounds, peep Carl Wilson's soaring lead vocal.)

"Good Vibrations" (This is basically Brian's magnum opus, and was supposed to be on SMiLE. It was released as a lead single before the album was shelved, and the story of its creation is fascinating all on its own, being one of the most expensive productions ever at the time. It's fantastic and iconic.)

"Surf's Up" (From the SMiLE sessions, and one of the songs dug up and released. It's so strange and poetic and winding. You should also listen to Brian's piano version, which shows off his crazy high singing talents)

"How She Boogalooed It" (This is a favorite from Wild Honey, so fun and silly. I can see why people were a little let down by it, as it's so much more simple, but I think it's super fun.)

#this got so long lol #thank you for asking about them tho I hope you enjoyed #i-would-cut-off-my-ear-for-you #asks #beach boys #the beach boys #shh gilly

18 notes · View notes

thebandcampdiaries · 1 year ago

Text

MXPX - Find A Way Home

Punk bands always find themselves in a rather awkward spot when they drop a new album. Inevitably, the fan base will be split in two sides. Those who want the band to keep dishing songs in the style they’re most known for, and those who want the group to embrace something different.

“Find A Way Home,” the latest studio effort by Washington state darlings MXPX, shows that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel in order to bring character and freshness to new music. The 13 songs on the record tap into the band’s roots, while also taking new twists and turns. The opener, “Not Today” kicks off with a fast tempo and lyrics about personal growth and being Ok with one’s past mistakes. There’s room for more melody on “This Is What You Told Me,” a track that feels like a roller coaster with some amazing staccato parts in the verses, and an energetic chorus.

“What I Tell Myself” follows along the same lines, bringing a swung feel to the groove and some classic Pop-Punk guitar riffs that wouldn’t be out of place on an early Blink-182 record. “Cautious Optimistic” lets the album breath with a mid-tempo vibe, before leading into the fast number “Excuse My French.” The song offers some whimsical lyrics and a tempo that is reminiscent of something NOFX could have pulled off on an album like Heavy Petting Zoo.

The song “Stay Up All Night” combines arpeggiated guitars with roomy drums and personal lyrics from Mike Herrera. This is a catchy, fun song, that’s a perfect prelude to “Ready To Rage.” As the title might imply, this is one of the fastest songs on the album, a throwback to “Panic” era MXPX, and a nod to the band’s love of Bad Religions. “Undone” keeps up the tempo with a fast skate-punk beat and a very melodic guitar arrangement to matches Mike’s vocals.

“Call Me” is a bit Green Day-flavored: the track is just a fun banger that’s meant to make you jump and sing along!

“Mountains To Climb” has a staccato intro that is reminiscent of bands like Lagwagon, while retaining MXPX’s unique stamp. “Sunrise” brings a airy, positive spin to songwriting, and it showcases incursions into something different: an instrumental was quite unexpected at this point on the album!

“When We Broke Through” is a nostalgic Pop-Punk anthem that feels like a celebration of the band’s legacy. Last, but not least, “Mistakes Will Be Made” brings an effect-laden guitar to the forefront, before diving into a fast and relentless punk song. The lyrics sum up the album to perfection: MXPX is a band that’s found its identity, but is not resting on its laurels. In fact, the Bremerton group continues to connect with people with songs that speak to their lives and experiences.

Check out our playlist for more music tips:

#mxpx #find a way home #pop-punk #new music #Spotify

0 notes

nightfallsolace · 2 years ago

Note

Hi can you do Andrew, Luca and Mike reacting to their s/o being a drummer and they play heavy metal songs?

MUAHAHAHA I've been getting so many requests, it's absolutely amazing, I've now learned and researched on e v e r y idv characters including backstory, lore, and facts, so ask away!! <33

THIS IS LONG sorry i got carried away, i love them sm,

TW!! Cursing

Identity V Characters reacting to their s/o being a drummer that plays heavy metal songs

Andrew Kriess

-OK SO LIKE, i think Andrew would be the type of guy who listens to calming music, like lo-fi or ambient music,

-he never really considered listening to heavy metal, he had heard of the name, but never actually its song,

-that is until, you somehow managed to have a whole fucking drum set in match,

-it was LOUD, you had played War Ensemble by slayer,

-Andrew had been shocked by the sudden volume of the music which made him mess up a calibration, but it was fine since you still had the hunter stunned

-You guys ended up in a 4 man win

-what you had did in the match spread like wild fire among the survivors and hunters

-AND HOLY FUCK did you become the center of attention, mostly about the whole drum thing, on how it was even logically possible, but others asked on the music,

-You spend the entire rest of the day explaining to everyone on how you had done such an act

-(Don't you dare ask me for an explanation on how I don't know either its just game logic)

-After all of it you were e x s a u s t h e d so you went over to the kitchen to make yourself a strong black coffee with extra sugar, and went outside in the garden,

-you found Andrew there sitting on a bench by the flowers, and you approached him,

-The two of you sat in an comfortable silence, until you decided to initiated a conversation that is,

-you had asked him about what he did, and the details about him, he was hesitant to answer at first, but slowly began to open up,

-poor bbg thought you were going to call him weird for his profession and looks so he was hesitant to say so :((

-but did you? fuck no, you already thought his fit was rad as fuck and knowing about what his profession is made it even better,

-”Seriously? that's literally so cool!! tell me more”

-he was blushing, his reaction is absolutely adorable <33 the only other person he would talk with these things about were Aesop, so he was glad to have someone else who didn't judge him for it

-Gosh darn i lave this man so much

-In the end of such things a strong friendship bloomed between you two, Andrew had also taken a liking to heavy metal, and you had thought him how to play the guitar, and the two of you would preform songs together, (in private, he’s still shy <33)

Luca Balsa

-You see, i see this man being into rock and heavy metal, so instant vibing,

-He was downed in a match and was about to get ballooned when you started playing

-You were halfway through the song when you noticed that Luca was still there,

-you changed one of the lyrics to "run" and glanced at Luca, hoping he would,

-and thankfully he did, he ran away just as you had finished your song, and it was down to the last chiper,

-you had lost the hunter, and all the chipers were done,

-you were at the back of the map so you sprinted towards the exit, hoping that everyone had already escaped,

-but much to your dismay, you found luca being chased by the hunter,

-you swerved the hunters attention away from luca and towards you,

-you saw luca still wasnt running, why the fuck was he not sprinting towards the exit like any normal person would? Yeah sure you might might get chaired but you still could escape trough the dungeon, even if the chances are slim, there was still a chance

-instead, he grabbed you hand and schoked the hunter before wooshing towards the exit

-the two of you escaoed levaing a raging hunter behind

-after the match you wanted to confront the prisoner on why he didnt run, but he got to you first

-"hey why didnt you run asya when the hun-" "HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO HAVE SUCH A LARGE INSTRUMENT CONCELED SO WELL?? WHAT ARE THE MECHANICS? IS IT ELECTRIC? OR DOES IT RELY ON HINGES? TELL ME E V E R Y T H I N G"

-you had explained to him how you manage to have such a large instrument conclude, the mechanics, and how it was made, (NO ONE ASK ME HOW)

-He was fascinated by how it worked, noting down each and every detail on it,

-after explaining about your instrument, he had asked about what genre of music it was, and everything about it, which you happily answered,

-you told him everything from the music, how its classified as "heavy metal" the style, the history, the famous singers and bands, everything

-by the end of it all, he was in-love (with what exactly? ;)))

-Achievement Unlocked: Rookie Recruiter

-Punk Luca omg <33 (drawing this)

-Trough the power of Monster energy drinks and ear-raping music, the two of you formed a strong bond

-and sexual tension

Mike Morton

-He was walking past your room when he heard music playing

-curious, he peeked over the crack of the door, slowly opening it to get a better view,

-he stayed there the whole time listening

-when you finnaly finished you screamed with joy, you had been practicing that song for so long, and yoy finally perfected it,

-you trew your stuff around screaming with joy,

-clapping came from you door, and you looked to see the acrobat, Mike Morton standing there

-you shrieked out of suprise “WHY THE FUCK— HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN STANDING THERE???”

-He laughed and told you he had been there the whole time,

-your face flushed, “what if i messed up?? Didnt you think about that??

-He simply smiled and said ok, before asking if he gould go in

-you groaned in respond and answered yes,

-hear me out, despit mike being in a circus with all the boisterous music, I think he would enjoy music like, Orchestras and symphonies, but he would be open to other types of music

-he had mostlikely heard rumors abou the “magic drum set” but never reaaly saw it in person

-when he did doe he tought it was some magic trick, like the ones they did in the circus,

-but after the match you had explained it wasnt

-whenever your practicing or making a new song he would be there and listen, making comments and a pick up line evey now and then which would make you mess up

-dont get mad hes just having a bit of fun <33

-he wants to hear everything you play,

-i know i said he'd probably be into like, mozart or some shit but i genuinely think he would experiment with what music he listents to alot,

-if we were talking about a mordern mike he would be on discover weekly on spotify for new songs

-he would in my mind, do tricks to the music, idk why i think i do, i just do,

-helps you alot,

-might be into the aesthetic its a 50/50 chance

-but still, punk mike idk i like it

-you guys would most likely be causualy friends,

-hey maybe even more than that

131 notes · View notes

nushy · 2 years ago

Text

ready for part 4?

(you can find pt.1 here and pt.2 here and pt.3 here)

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

summary: you are the new girl in town and Eddie is seeing something he likes. And you too. In this part we are having a talent show. Also the next one will have smut for sure. sorry, not sorry

warnings: a lot of spelling and grammar errors (sorry, english is not my native language), i guess cursing and strong language??

word count: 1.3K

..............................................................................................................................

Days were passing by, you got the job at the music store, and Eddie fulfilled his “threat” – every free minute he had, he spent it with you at the shop. And you couldn’t be happier – cause no matter how much time you spend together, you still had something to talk about.

Everyone was wondering when you two would confess your feelings for one another, Mike was always rolling his eyes, Dustin was complaining all the time how oblivious you two were. But you both were sure that the other one didn’t have feelings and that everything was completely platonic.

Of course everything changed one day. You were at school, strolling the halls with Eddie, when you saw a bright pink flyer at one of notice-boards.

“Who the hell does a talent show at high school?” Eddie asked with disgust. You, on the other hand, were intrigued.

“Come on, Eddie, it may be fun. Just think about all the grown-ups that would make a fool of themselves.” you punched his shoulder lightly, then you got a thoughtful look. “You know what? I will participate.” He immediately looked at you, wondering if you were joking. “Yeah, and I already know what I will be doing.”

“What? Punching basketball players?” he joked and you rolled your eyes “Whaaat? It is a good talent to show.” this made you laugh. It was indeed a good talent to show.

“No, although it is a good idea, I have an even better one. But I will need your band.” you said with a serious face.

“What for?” Eddie asked, confused.

“Oh no, it will be a surprise, I promise it will be a good one, but.. will you help me; will you lend me your boys?” Eddie couldn’t help but laugh at the way you formulated the sentence and maybe this was the reason he agreed. You did your happy dance around him and grabbed a blank form to fill so you could participate in the show. Eddie’s eyes were shining, he loved when you were happy, but at the same time he was really intrigued what would you do at the show. He brushed the thoughts off, he could always ask the boys, after all she was planning on using them for something.

But this part of the plan didn’t work as he thought. Apparently you were fiercer than he thought – Gareth and Jeff were a bit scared of you – you’ve told them that if they tell Eddie what you were planning for the performance, you’d just straight up smash each and every one of their music instruments, and then you’d shove the pieces down their throats. And man, they would not risk their instruments for anything. Eddie was a bit upset, cause you had more power over them than he had, but at the same he was really aroused by the idea of you, talking all those things to them. He could see you in his mind - your fierce stare, your deep voice, the fire in your eyes. He brushed the thoughts of you and accepted the fact that he had to wait one week to see what you had to show.

The week went by quickly, everything was totally normal, only the fact that whenever Eddie tried to bring the topic of the talent show, you would successfully avoid it or simply change the conversation. That was making Eddie even more curious and impatient. He has never been happier to be Monday.

The hours went by painfully slow. He hadn’t seen you all day, Gareth and Jeff didn’t know anything about you too. Eddie was a bit nervous. He didn’t even know why, but he was.

He was tapping with his foot, looking around the hall where the talent show was supposed to take place. Dustin and Mike were seated next to him, talking loudly and not even acknowledging his nervousness. The other boys were somewhere in the back rooms, preparing. According to the list, you and the band were last. Eddie had the feeling that you specifically wanted this.

The other participants were… bland to say the least – some dancers, cheerleaders, few tried to sing. Eddie was bored out of his mind. He was impatient. The fact that he hasn’t seen you all day and that he couldn’t even see you now was not helping. Almost 2 hours passed when the presenter announced the last performance. Eddie stood in the chair, concentrated on the stage. The boys were there, putting their instruments, tuning them. You were nowhere to be found. When everything was ready, the lights were dimmed. Then the music started. Eddie knew the song – Joan Jett – “Bed reputation”. He smiled, but of course, this was sooo you.

And then, you were there. On the stage. A guitar in your hands. A cool one. And you… Eddie took a sharp breath – he has seen you with those sexy small skirts but this was something different – you were with the smallest leather skirt he could think of and of course – with leather top with big cleavage. He could feel the heat and… he could feel the boner in his pants. Fuck. he shifted in the small chair hoping that no one around him could see it. Not that he hasn’t thought about you that way but it was always in the late nights, after you’ve left his trailer.

The music was perfect, you were perfect. And damn, you could play the guitar, how could you not tell him. But, as he thought, this was even better. The surprise.

“I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation Living in the past, it's a new generation A girl can do what she wants to do and that's what I'm gonna do”

You sang, the boys were playing, and, even tho Eddie didn’t want to admit it at first, you were a good band together.

“An' I'm never gonna care 'bout my bad reputation Oh no, not me, oh no, not me Pedal, boys!”

After the last words, you looked at the group of basketball players and flipped them the bird. They started talking shit. But a bit after that the song came to an end. You looked at them and loudly said on the microphone:

“This one’s for everyone that love to play a game where you toss a ball at a laundry basket.” and then you dropped the mic, making the worst noise ever. Everyone shrieked, but Eddie jumped on his feet and started clapping as loud as he could. You looked at him and blew him a kiss. His heart stopped for a second. Then you got off the stage and ran to Eddie.

“This was… wow.” was all he could said.

“We won’t win for sure, but at least we had fun.” you smiled and looked at the basketball players again. They were looking at you and Eddie and were talking about something. Not that any of you cared.

“How could you not tell me you could play the guitar. And, what’s more, is the guitar yours?” Eddie started with the questions.

“It is mine indeed, and… well.. I am not as good as you with playing, I only know this song so I don’t go around bragging.” You explained. The hall was silent, they were about to tell who won, but you were not interested. Both of you and Eddie were sat, but you didn’t want to be there any longer so you whispered in his ear: ”Wanna leave? The other boys will be fine; we are not needed here.” Eddie looked at you, it’s like you read his mind. He nodded and grabbed your hand. You left the dim hall and went straight to Eddie’s van and then to his trailer.

@tenderhornynihilist here you go, love <3

Also, I would like to thank all of you for the love!!!

#eddie x reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson x you #stranger things #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson fluff

47 notes · View notes