#mike plays guitar because there is a guitar in his room and because i said so

[hoteadepresso]

back to the old house

This is a lil something for Dani ( @will80sbyers ). I know it won't solve any of the stuff that upset you in the first place, but maybe it will at least cheer u up a bit. I hope your day gets better real soon, bc you're like, my fave person on here rn

(insert the "I've had Dani as a mutual for little over a week but if she left tumblr i would kill everyone and then myself" meme lmao)

Anyways, here is a soft, fluffy pining byler oneshot!

—

He could spend a whole day just staring at him, if he was sure he wouldn’t notice.

Thankfully, Mike tended to get tunnel vision when focusing on a task, so Will indulged himself, eyes longingly following every sharp angle in the other boy’s face, constellations of freckles peppered on his face and neck, as Mike’s loose t-shirt slid off one of his shoulders. Will knew the image would haunt his dreams - an expanse of pale skin, prominent collarbone, slender muscles moving gently beneath his skin. His mind started to memorize every dip on that landscape of skin and bones, every spot he wished he could brush with his lips.

He wanted to die, because this was worse than hell.

And he’d already been there.

He forced his eyes back up, drawn by the slight furrow in Mike’s expressive eyebrows, black unruly curls falling into his face, slender hand with long fingers pushing them back with a frustrated huff escaping pink, wide lips.

God, his lips.

How could people ever bully Mike for his looks was beyond him.

Even back in middle school, before Mike began to grow into those prominent cheekbones and intense eyes, he was easily the prettiest boy Will has ever seen, with his toothy smiles and warm eyes like dark chocolate. Maybe he did look a bit like a frog, but if so, Will never wanted that one to turn into a prince.

And this past year, Mike’s shoulders broadened slightly, and he grew even taller, his lanky frame towering over most of them. Maybe he wasn’t exactly the standard of male beauty, but looking at Mike and discovering those changes in his frame made Will feel warm all over.

Maybe Mike was an angel, an ethereal being, and ignorant human eyes just couldn’t appreciate, couldn’t see all of the ways he was perfect.

But Will saw him. Every time he found himself sketching studies of every detail of Mike’s face, his hands, the way his shoulder blades moved whenever he was using his arms, he felt as if he were a struggling renaissance artist who fell hopelessly in love with a fallen angel.

He watched Mike’s slender fingers tap in frustration against the strums of the guitar as he failed to find the right chord, and he couldn’t help but blush, the way the bony fingers slid against the fretboard almost hypnotizing.

Mike looked up for a second, his deep dark eyes catching the green ones, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously, as he immediately turned his gaze back down to the notepad that laid on the bed next to him. Will blushed profusely, but didn’t turn his eyes away. There was no point pretending he wasn’t staring, now.

Mike cleared his throat suddenly, and raised his eyes back up to meet Will’s. His dark eyelashes fluttered slightly, and there was an odd look painting his features with a soft golden glow.

It was Will’s turn to let his eyes drop back to the sketchbook resting against his pulled up knees.

To no avail, as he met the charcoal eyes on the page, just above the dusting of freckles he just finished adding to the messy portrait.

After a fleeting moment of silence the sound of guitar strings being pulled filled the room once again. Mike must have found the right sound, after all, because the beginning notes of a familiar song made Will tap his finger against his thigh in a reflex. He did that every time he heard a song he liked, the repetition calming him, giving him something miniscule to focus on.

But then, Mike started singing, and there was nothing calm about the inside of Will’s head, as the air stilled in his lungs with surprise at the sound.

His best friend’s voice was low, slight tremor of anxiety in it barely distinguishable. It was raspy, untrained, and his fingers stumbled slightly on the strumming pattern as he focused on the lyrics, and it was the most beautiful thing Will has ever heard.

He took a quiet, shaky breath, fearing to make a sound, as if anything could break this moment, stop Mike’s singing, and Will secretly hoped it could go on forever. He let himself look up and took in the sight before him, Mike’s tongue darting out to wet his lips slightly during the break, his dark eyes focused on his fingers pressing down on the strums, making sure he was hitting the right notes. His eyebrows were scrunched up slightly, as he gulped before he started singing again.

‘When you cycled by, here began all my dreams,’ his voice wavered slightly and Will felt a pang of something, a feeling almost similar to the one he got when Vecna was nearby, but completely different at the same time, this one being hot, heavy and not at all unpleasant. It was anticipation, like he knew something important was happening and he was not ready to face it, terrified of the intensity of the feeling.

‘And you never knew how much I really liked you,’ there was a slip of a fingertip resulting in a faulty note, but Will wouldn’t notice if all of the strings broke altogether because Mike was looking at him now, his lips still moving as the song continued, eyes consuming, even darker than usually - if it was even possible - filled with some kind of fear and softness at the same time.

Are you still there, or have you moved away?

As the song came to a sudden end when Mike’s hand dropped from the fret, shaking slightly as he laid it on the comforter next to his knee, a small, shallow huff of air escaping his lips, which he pressed together now in a look of apprehension.

Will sat there frozen, blood flowing loudly through his body, a wave of unbearable heat washing over him, and before he could register what he was doing, his hand slid slowly across the mattress, his eyes focused on it intently, before coming to a stop.

Two pinkies brushed against each other, with a jolt of electricity shooting up his arm, straight to his chest, and he finally dared to look up.

Mike was looking at him intensely, like he did at the back of that van a few months back, as if he was trying to commit every miniscule curve of Will’s face to memory. He was biting his lower lip hard enough for the redness to flow into it heavily, making Will’s eyes shift there involuntarily, and he saw those lips part, as if Mike was about to say something.

The door opened suddenly, and they jumped apart, the guitar falling on the floor with a pathetic whine of the strums.

Nancy stood there, eyes wide, expression unreadable.

‘Shit, I, uh… Dinner is ready.’

Fucking hell.

[mybreakofdawn]

✨️Dirty Diana✨️

Paring: Michael Jackson x reader

About: Michaels concert in Wembley stadium changes a bit because of Princess Diana, and he needs you to play Dirty Diana with him because you are the only one who knows it by heart.

Request: Yes / No @heyitstial

Authors note: i dont know who reguested again because my app crashed, but here it is. I hope you guys like it!

Btw

(Y/f/n) is Your Full Name

(Y/b/s) is your birthstone

Enjoy!

*(Y/N's pov)*

It was the 6th of July 1988, London England. The big concert day was when Princess Diana and Prince Charles were attending, and it was already chaotic. Behind the stage, everyone was running to make everything perfect, what i can understand, but damn people were stressed. So i had a brilliant idea, i grabbed my acoustic guitar and began to play liberian girl while also singing softly with it.

After a few seconds, i saw them all calm down and smile at me they always appreciated me when i came with them on tour. I ended the song with a smile, and i heard clapping. I stood up and bowed.

"Thank you, thank you," i chuckled as the people started to get everything ready again, but now more calm. I lay my guitar in my bag as i heard someone scream my name.

"(Y/N)!! WHERE IS (Y/N)!!!" i turned around and saw Michael sprinting my way. "There you are!" He grabbed my shoulders tightly.

"Hey Mikey, what is it? You sound distressed, " i asked worried, he just gave a worried smile back at me. Oh no, this isn't good.

"Baby, i need you to do a favour for me, please!" He said seriously as i looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Princess Diana, she is in the audience tonight, and her favourite song is Dirty Diana. i know Jennifer doesn't know it, and i know you know it by heart, please, please!!" He kept holding onto me with his eyes begging me. I smirked and crossed my arms.

"What's in it for me, my dear Michael?" i said while smirking even bigger. Michael looked at me with big eyes and got an idea and smirked also softly cupping my cheek, lowered his face next to mine.

"My love, i will make you feel out of this world after the concert..eventho it depends on how you play your part, of course," he whispered into my ear, making me have goosebumps I love his seductive voice. it's so different from his usual voice. He stood straight again, looking into my eyes. I smiled and played with one of his curls.

"Alright, I'll do it for you, my love," i said as he smiled happily and picked me up, turning me around.

"I can't live my life without you~" he said while stop turning me around and putting me down.

"I love you too, Mikey." i chuckled and gave him a kiss on those soft lips of his.

"Alright, uhm, i have an outfit for you. I need you to put that on, alright?" he grabbed my hand and dragged me to his dressing room. Finally, in his room, i saw this leather outfit, and i think this was the outfit he was talking about. "Tadaaaa, this is it~~" he smiled like a kid, so proud of what he had just shown me.

"Wow Mikey its amazing." i looked at it in awe damn this suit is amazing.

"Mike, whe have 30 minutes till the show begins!!" We heard yelling from the door.

"Yes, thank you!!" He screamed back and turned back at me. "Now, let's get you into this outfit~" i chuckled and rolled my eyes.

(Time skip)

"Alright, sweetie," Michael double looked at me and smiled, his curls luscious and his outfit on point with his jacket i love this outfit. "I need to get up on stage my love after Smooth Criminal you wil get picked up and just do what feels right alright" he hugged me and wanted to walk away but i grabbed hem by his collar and kissed him on his lips.

"Dont forget the good luck kiss Mikey go get them." i saw him smile after the kiss with a hint of blush and nodded. Michael disappeared into the curtain, and you could hear the people scream as the concert began. After 40 minutes of watching him dance and sing his soul out, it was time for me to go onto the stage. I walked through the backstage area. My thoughts were running everywhere, but as soon as i was on stage, my mind went calm. I got helped with plugging my guitar in, and they also told me what i could do with my cable range, i nodded and smiled. Jennifer, Michaels head guitarist, gave me thumbs up. I can do this. Michael stepped out of the tent, and as soon as the lights went on, i began playing. It felt so unreal but also so good. I looked into the crowd and smiled, thinking Michael really was something else. The solo was close, so i began to move closer to the stage where Michael was. Now it was my time to shine, the spotlight shining on me, and i gave it everything i got. Michael smiled and moved his fingers, knowing he liked it and wanted more, so i gave it to him, standing really close to him. The solo was about to end, and i took my distance a bit. He fell to the ground as i stopt my solo and the spotlight was on him. I walked behind him, seeing his hair was stuck on his forhead because of his sweat, and i reached out to unstuck it and walked back to my place and began playing normally again. After a few seconds, i saw Mikey looking at me and signed me to come back again, i walked back to him, and i took a deep breath and improvised a solo. The crowd was going wild as he started walking to the left side of the stage and of course i would follow him giving it more power making him bite his bottom lip and wave his hand in front of my guitar. I turned around and "shoot" with my guitar and ran up to where the other guys of the band were standing, still going on with my solo, Michael followed and i smirked and ran away again to the middle of the stage shredding the solo, i was feeling it. I looked at Michael with a smirk and saw him running towards me and then passing me to the right side of the stage. Fucking dick i thought and followed him giving even more then he would ever know from me. He looked at me with big eyes and a big smile. I smirked again and ran to the other side of the stage and going on the little platform on the front shredding the solo some more, i did notice Michael following me and standing behind me and singing his heart out. Standing there felt so fucking amazing i didnt care that all eyes were on me i wanted to make this song perfect what Mikey wanted. I knew the song came to an end when Michael went to the center of the stage, what was also kinda sad but i can understand. Everyone was involved of the end of the song the drums the keyboards and even me. I ran a bit on stage to both sides and dramatically pull om my string to get that perfect effect and as soon as i saw Michael turning i knew what i had to do, eventually Michael jumped and i jumped with him ending the song strong. But i knew Michael he moved his hand and we shredded with all of us still a few notes and stopt again really ending the song as the lights went out. Michael gave me a quick hug and walked to the tent again, sadly is my signal to go backstage again so he could finish the concert. As i stepped off from the stage the people cheered even more as i heard thriller being played. I smiled and sat on the couch. I was full of the adrenaline it was soooo cool and awesome.

"I can not believe i did that!" I squealed excited and watched the screen of Michael performing. I kept watching it mostly and ate some snacks till the concert ended. I saw him leaving the stage with the band still playing Man in the mirror. I suddenly saw him running towards me and grabbing my hands, dragging me back on stage. "Mike wha-" before i knew it, i was walking on stage with him, the crowd going wild again. He grabbed his microphone and brought it to his mouth.

"And i almost forgot my talented girlfriend (Y/F/N)," he said through the mic, and i widened my eyes, not noticing the crowd screaming even wilder than before. Michael was a bit nervous but smiled and showed me off by dancing with me to Man in the mirror and ending it with a soft kiss on my lips. The people screamed, loud even louder than before when we shared a kiss, making me blush a bit. He turned away from the kiss. "Dear fans and our royal quests, tonight i wanted to do something very special" he began and grabbed my hand tightly looking at me, still a bit nervous i really dont have an idea what he is going to do. Suddenly, he grabbed a box out of his pocket and went on one knee. I widen my eyes, not looking away at the sight in front of me. "My dear (y/n) you have been there for me since my younger days and so on went with me almost everywhere. I can not see myself without you in the future so~" he said into the microphone and opened the box, showing a very beautiful (y/b/s) ring. I couldn't believe it. "(Y/f/n) The lady in my life will you marry me?" He said almost out of breath because he was so nervous and i.. i felt extremely happy. I looked at the ring and then to him, the love of my life, i even forgot the crowd, that was going berserk, was still there. I smiled the biggest smile i could ever give and nodded.

"Yes!" I screamed a bit too enthusiastic and jumped onto Michael, hugging him. I felt his heartbeat fasten and hug me back. I broke the hug and let him put the ring on my finger. He smiled and looked at me, holding my hands both tightly. Eventually, our trance was broken by the crowd, who were, omg really going nuts at this point. Michael stood up and scratched the back of his neck. I just stood next to him, holding the mic when i suddenly got an idea. "How about one more song?" I asked into the microphone, the growd going nuts again meaning a yes. "Mikey? heartbreak hotel?" I said to Mikey, and he nodded and grabbed the microphone. "Yes hehe lets do it, but you'll need to do the guitar." he chuckled into the microphone, and i already stood ready. Michael gave the sign, and we began with a heartbreak hotel, my favourite song. Michael gave me a mic stand and a mic so i could sing with him. The bassist came forward, and Michael stood in front of him dancing and moving his arm on the beat. He walked away and walked to me for the guitar screaming whoohoo as he was with me.

(From now you will sing together)

"Live and sin~" i sang and saw Michael looking at me with a smile, singing the next line with me.

"Ten years ago on this day, my heart was yearning~" we sang in harmony as he danced next to me. "I promised i would never ever be returning~, where my baby broke my heart and left me yearning~" he turned and walked the other way, continuing to sing with me in harmony. We continued singing til the chorus came on me singing just a heartbreak hotel and Michael running to the left side of the stage.

"London, thank you!" he waved and bowed a bit, then came back singing again while dancing to the centre of the stage next to me.

"Hope is dead~" he danced around me and my guitar, enjoying me being on stage. "She thought that i had cheated for another lover." he walked a bit to the right side. "I turn my back to see that i am undercover." You could see he was extremely happy he couldn't stop dancing, making me sing his next line alone. "Now i can't convince this girl there ain't no other~" He walked back to me. "Someone's evil to hurt my soul~ every smile trail thought in Beguile." i already knew what he would do and sang it with the sounds of his hip dance. We sang further, going back to the chorus again. Michael ran to the right side, bowing again.

"Thank you, London!" And blew a kiss to the crowd before singing again together with me. I walked to the fire canon not too close and waited till my moment wil come. I have dreamed about this moment. Let me show Mikey how much i love this song. Mikey started the canon, making me appear and beginning the solo. He bites his lip a bit and enjoyed the moment of his soon to be wife, me heheh, playing one of her favourite solos. He danced in front of me, moving his hand on the beat i made.

The official solo of the song ends soon, but i am not done yet. When Mikey sang his adlibs i kept going on with the solo standing next to him losing myself into the solo that sounded amazing in Michaels ears, he was a bit taken a back by it as what i could see from his reaction. Eventually, the song did come to an end, and we stopped with me hitting the highest note i could make.

"London! Thank you so much!! I love you!!" Michael screamed into the microphone and grabbed my hand. "You were amazing!! My love," he said full of excitement as he guided me to the back of the stage, unplugging me from the speaker, towards backstage.

"I dont know what overcame me. i was living the moment, but omg!!!" I squeeled again and looked at the ring around my finger, becoming speechless.

"Darling, what's wrong?" He asked, worried, looking at my face. "Is it not the right birthstone? I can buy a new one -" he began to rant before i stopped him.

"No, my love i.. i can't believe you asked me on stage with almost the world watching." I said softly, still in unbelieve.

"(Y/n) i want to whole world to know that i have the most amazing and lovable woman in the entire universe, i love you (Y/n)" he grabbed my hands and kissing them softly. I blushed at what he said.

"I love you too, my husband~" i giggled and guided him to his dressing room, pushing him inside. "Now fiancé~~" i looked at Michael, who was a bit confused but excited. "Now for my reward," i said with a smirk and a wink. I saw Michael Gulp when i walked to the door and locked it. "Dont say you forgot." i giggled and turned back around, looking at him. He was a blushing mess, but i could see he was excited. "Wel, let's get started, shall we~?" i said before walking to him. All i need to say is i made Michael feel out of this world heheh.

-the end-

>____________________<

>Authors note<

Well, i hope you guys love it hehehe it took a while, but here it isss hehehe. Tell me what you guys think i haven't written for a long time. I did enjoy writing this a lot, and i hope to do more in the future!!!

[kasugas]

Notable things from the EE intimate acoustic session i went to:

I know this is probably a mix of old and new information but i wanted to put everything from the set in one post so i can keep it for posterity.

Jon fucking cracked his head open on the morning of the show on an Uber boot lid while taking merch out of the boot.

Jon said the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel were inspirations to him as a kid.

Jon got his first guitar at 13 and had a dream to make music by then.

Alex mentioned playing viola and cello as a kid and mostly knows stringed instruments. He said he wasn't good at the piano and Jon mentioned he's shit at the drums.

They both talked about how the band got together. Jon poached Alex from another band that broke up 2 weeks before they were gonna get signed for a band, by literally messaging him on old timey email or Facebook and saying "do you want to get a burrito".

Jon tried to impress him by eating the same spicy burrito as him and he was dying the entire time.

Jon also talked about how he loves it when he makes songs that give the impression that he has strong feelings on things but it's ambiguous as to what those feelings are.

Jon said man alive was a very nervous energy album, where ideas where just smashed together because these songs were the beginning of his songwriting. He mentioned photoshop handsome having conflicting messaging talking about surgery and photoshop at the same time, which he thought muddled the idea of the song.

They thought arc was more put together, and for every album they make they try and think of what makes a better sound for a live experience.

Talked about how their career is very much due to luck. They have had it very lucky with getting their songs circulated in radio space when they were such a small band starting out.

Suffragette suffragette was a single produced for a small label which very luckily got radio time

Photoshop handsome was rejected for radio because it was "too weird" but the music video gave them the success they needed. They made the music video themselves in their garage using a greenscreen, and submitted it to a competition on MySpace. The winner got played on MTV 2 for a week or two. They spoofed tons of votes with the help of their friends to win the completion.

Some big radio name (i unfortunately forget the name of) heard it on MTV 2 in a random hotel room and really liked it, so he ended up getting that song radio time.

The producer for get to heaven (Stuart Price) wasnt paid big manager money at all because he was doing it BC he was a fan. And the fact he was a "pop" producer didn't change ee's sound because they had everything written beforehand and he couldn't change their weirdness.

Apparently Jeremy's back was up when working with him until Alex and Mike met Stuart and confirmed he was chill.

Jon talked about the fact he was extremely moody on get to heavens creation. Alex said an anecdote where he tried to get Jon to do the vocals for warm healer and he did the main melody and then went "this is the worst song I've ever done" and then left the studio.

Jon talked about being the emotional heart of the team while Alex was the techy guy. Except Jons emotional heart was being a moody dickhead, in his words.

There was no cover of a song from a fever dream because it was too hard to convert one of the songs to acoustic, according to Alex.

Jon said Re-animator was the album he would change the most on and that it was the most unpolished.

Alex said he was very stressed in making mountainhead. It was the shortest amount of time they had made an album in. He was juggling home life and his work quite extremely. And by the end he was stubborn on his production choices.

With mountainhead being an exception, Alex mentioned that normally they have 5 or 6 versions of a song recorded before they choose one to go with.

Alex talked about their boiler suit troubles in the early days. Jeremy was insistent that their boiler suits be tailored which he recalled was terrible for movement.

Jon mentioned that he has had no formal vocal training. He didnt even do vocal warmups The falsetto was something he did in his early career and by the time he realised he did it he had settled into it and it had become "his thing".

He also admitted he didn't think he had a strong voice which I think is a. Fucking lie.

Alex talked about how touring is a LOT of waiting. And that they have exhausted every single avenue of conversation with each other so they end up just going to inside jokes they've had for 15 years they don't even remember why they're funny anymore.

During lockdown when the building their equipment was in burned down, they got into an argument with the owner of the building because he thought it was an insurance fraud job.

Jon still uses his guitar that got burned in lockdown in shows. Its the same body but has a new neck. Alex's also got restored but he doesn't play it because it's really difficult to play. Jon said Alex puts really heavy strings on his guitar because "it's what the jazz musicians do". But because it got burned apparently it sounds "a bit shit".

They both have talked a lot about how Spotify and streaming has decimated the music industry. Alex also talked about how songs don't even need albums anymore you can just made a compilation of singles and how he is averse to singles. Him and Jon joked about the idea that albums don't need any singles. Alex also talked about how cohesive albums are a dying breed of music made for a dying breed of fan.

[temptingfatetakingnames]

The weeks passed slowly for Eddie, and he was starting to lose it. He felt antsy, his natural chaotic energy having to be contained as much as possible so he didn’t tear out his stitches… Again. So, it was with great relief that the powers that be finally decided he was well enough to finish recovering at home. Or at least to whatever trailer the government had seen fit to replace his actual home with. Wayne said it was great, new and updated and bigger than the one Vecna had destroyed. He wouldn’t have most of his shit, but Wayne and the kids had done a good job of replacing a lot of what he had lost. He had a second-hand cassette player and a bunch of tapes, a thrifted copy of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, and clothes that Robin had snagged from the school. The most important thing – his sweetheart – had been salvaged. He couldn’t wait to start playing again. He had written some pretty sick lyrics that he was excited to put music to.

Wayne finishing packing his bag just as a nurse came in with a wheelchair. He settled himself in and she pushed him out into the hall, Wayne trailing behind. He had her stop as they passed Max’s room. Steve was visiting. Steve was always visiting, never leaving either of them alone for too long. He noticed they were holding hands, which was weird because usually Max freaked out if anyone tried to touch her. Eddie was still constantly surprised by how good Steve was with the kids. How different he was with each of them based off their personalities and needs. Playful with Dustin, sincere with El, firm with Mike, soft with Max, heartfelt with Will, mentoring to Lucas. He understood people, saw them and what they needed. Eddie could never have imagined how much Steve gave of himself to the people he loved. Eddie wondered what Steve would give him, if he ever reached the level of friendship Steve had with the kids. And the thought sent a wave of longing so intense through Eddie that he was glad he was sitting down because his legs went weak with it.

“Heading out, Munson?” Steve asked, getting up and walking over to them.

“Yup! This place has had enough of my charms and they’re kicking me out.” Eddie shrugged and tried to steady his racing heart.

“You were a terrible patient, I don’t blame them at all!”

“I was a model patient, Harrington! I thought we were friends, how dare you take their side?” Eddie asked with feigned disgruntlement.

“How many times did you pull out your stitches, Munson?” Steve asked and folded his arms across his chest.

Steve had him there. He had pulled his stitches a few times trying to do things he shouldn’t, like play his guitar or - heaven forbid - go to the bathroom by himself!

“I can’t believe you’re going to leave me all alone here,” Max said from the bed. They had hung out a lot over the last few weeks, bonding over terrible wounds and angry music.

“Don’t worry Red, I’ll be back to visit. I would never leave you to the not-so-gentle mercies of the sadistic needle wielding nurses of Hawkins Memorial.”

Max smiled a little at the description. Eddie was ecstatic he could elicit even a small bit of happiness out of her.

“Onward, mighty stead!” Eddie pointed down the hall as the nurse sighed behind him. The staff were truly over his shit.

“Before you go, I wanted to give you this,” Steve said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. He handed it to Eddie. It had his number written on it.

“Call if you need anything, any time. I mean it.”

“Oh, you’re making a huge mistake giving me this Big Boy, prepare yourself for a lot of prank calls.” Eddie grinned up at him.

Steve went to grab the paper out his hands, but Eddie shoved it in his mouth to keep it away from him and mumbled, “kidding, kidding!”

Steve laughed and shook his head.

“Get outta here, Munson!”

[t4tozier]

an extension of this post for @peachtozier aka losers band au <3

okay first off let’s start with who plays what

richie: drums. i said a lot of my thoughts in the original post but i think he really takes a shine to it and ends up being so so good at the drums. he’s the one that gets the most slow-mo edits made of him by fans because he’s got the long hair and the sweat and he dumps water on his face in the middle of songs because he doesn’t have time to drink it.

bill: lead singer and songwriter. he gets a lot of attention because of it which the others always tease him about until he turns red. his stutter goes away when he sings and new fans are always shocked when he talks for the first time at one of the concerts because they don’t expect to hear it. he writes most of the lyrics, but richie occasionally helps out if he has a specific idea.

mike: keys, backup vocals/instruments. he’s kind of a jack of all trades, knows how to play a little bit of everything, so he’s the one that will take over if someone else has to tap out for a show or if they just need a break on a song that doesn’t require piano. very good at taking cues from others when they deviate from the studio versions during concerts.

bev: bass guitar and backup vocals.

sorry i blacked out for a moment thinking about bev playing bass. anyway. she whips out these killer basslines like it’s nothing. she likes basing some of her work on famous riffs but she always puts her own spin on it to make it something new. thrives on improvisation.

eddie: lead guitar. i just think he deserves to shred. he can let his energy out on the heavier songs but also switch it up and play a lovely ballad on the acoustic guitar. he’s not great at improv but will provide a steady riff as a base while the others do their thing.

stan: band manager. he’s very professional and polished when communicating with venues and sponsors but when they all show up nobody can tell which one is him because he’s just as goofy as the rest of them. he’ll be dancing along to tiffany or whatever random song they put on as their warmup in the green room and lip syncing over a can of soda with richie and then some assistant comes in to knock on the door and he clears his throat and straightens up and is like thank you ten :)

ben: roadie/techie. he comes up with all the cool lighting cues, the set design, and is the one to go over the stage before a gig to make sure that it’s structurally sound and everything they want to do will be safe at the venue. he also carries some of their heavier equipment, helps richie load the drum kit onto the stage, etc.

okay this is gonna become a longer au bc this post is already too long <3

[sagereidxx]

betty (byler's version)

"Okay, okay, everyone settle down!" Mike laughed into his mic as everyone was still cheering at the last song they played. "We have a new one for you and guess what?" Mike asked as he quietly strummed his guitar. "It's a new one!" Mike dragged out the last "e" in his sing-songy voice.

As everyone cheered, he looked over to very far left of the stage to see his boyfriend, Will, in the very front row, as close as he could get to the stage. Just like he promised he would be.

Mike waved and looked back to the center of the crowd where a bright stage light was waiting to blind him.

"This one is called betty." Mike smiled and looked back to Will who smiled up at his boyfriend and started cheering again.

Mike looked behind him to make sure everyone was ready to play before he started singing.

"Honey, I won't make assumptions about why you switched your homeroom. But I think it's 'cause of me." Mike began then stepped away from for the mic to shoot another glace at Will, who was already staring at Mike in awe. He smiled and stepped back up to the mic, singing.

"Honey, one time I was riding on my skateboard when I passed your old house. It's like I couldn't breathe." Mike looked back, this time holding his eyes on Will like he was the only one there.

"You heard the rumors for El and you can't believe a word she says most time, but this time it was true." El? Will thought.

"The worst thing that I ever said, was what I said to you." As soon as Will heard this line sung in Mike's sweet voice, he somehow was back in Mike's driveway and somehow, it's summer of '85 and it's pouring down raining and Mike just said, "it's not my fault you don't like girls" right to Will's face. But wait, this song is about him.

"But if I just showed up at your party, would you have me? Would you want me? Would you tell me to go fuck myself? Or lead me to the garden?" Mike sang looking back to the center of the crowd, deciding that he was staring at Will for too long.

"in the garden, would you trust me if I told you, it was just a summer thing? I'm only seventeen. I don't know anything, but I know I miss you."

Oh, Mike and Will's first fight as an actual couple. It wasn't a "real" fight. They weren't mad at each other it was just a lot of miscommunication and angst. There might've been some yelling but there were definitely a lot of tears. Mike didn't know what to do he threw himself on his bed and Will's following him.

"I feel like I don't know anything anymore." Mike cries as he can feel Will's weight sink in the bed next to him. "We're only fifteen, we both don't know anything." Will says sweetly as he reaches out to touch Mike. "I know that I love you." Mike whispers, quiet and crushing. "I love you too. And that's all we need to know right now." Will scoops up Mike as he starts to cry into Will's chest.

Will was so deep into that though he feels like he gets thrown back to the place he been in all along as Mike sings. "Honey, I know where it all went wrong, your favorite song was playing from the far side of the gym." Mike looks back at Will and jokingly rolls his eyes.

Will knows why. He laughs because he knows how insufferable he was when they were both little, listening to "Should I Stay, or Should I go? By The Clash on repeat until he couldn't anymore.

"I was nowhere to be found, you hate the crowds, you know that, plus I saw you dance with him." Will laughed again, remembering all those times Lucas would pull him off the couch at the parties he would throw after winning his basketball game. "Wow, Lucas, lookin' good." Mike said in his sarcastic tone and acts like his jealous.

Mike sang the chorus again, sounding sweeter and sweeter to Will the more he sung. but everything in the room went quiet as Mike began the bridge and the music started to get faster.

"I was walking home on broken cobblestones, just thinking of you when she pulled up like a figment of my worst intentions. She said "James, get it in. Let's drive." Those days turned into night. Sat and talked to her but, I dreamt of you all summer long."

Will knew he was talking about everyone's favorite, Max. never calling Mike by his middle name because "James just fits him better" as she put it.

Mike ripped the mic off his stand and walked downstage to the very front of the stage all the way to the right.

He sings as he looks down at the people that were in the very front row, almost pushed up against the stage. "Baby, I'm here on your doorstep and I planned it out for weeks now but, it's finally sinking in."

He slowly makes his way back to the right center of the stage. Will's laughs because he walks around the stage singing like he's performing standup comedy.

"Baby, right now is the last time I can dream about what happens when you see my face again." Mike sings and looks up again, locking eyes with Will and inching closer to stage left.

Mike keeps his eyes on Will, not caring that anyone else in the room with them. "The only thing I wanna do is make it up to you."

"So, I showed up at your party." Mike stopped as he reached stage left, stopping in front of Will. She sat down on the end of the stage, right in front of Will.

"Yeah, I showed up at your party." Mike reached a hand out and took Will's. He looked away from Will and back to the crowd.

Mike gave Will a look that basically said, "can I pull you on stage?" Will nodded aggressively, excited.

As the tempo of the song changed again, Mike dragged Will up on stage and started singing again and both of them reached center stage, right where Mike left his mic stand.

"Yeah, I showed up at your party, will you have me? will you love me? Will you kiss me on the porch, in front of all our stupid friends?" Mike laughed as Will smiled at him, beaming.

"If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it? Will it patch your broken wings? I'm only seventeen, I don't know anything, but I know I miss you." Mike continued dragging Will around. This time, down center stage.

“Standin’ in your cardigan. Kissin’ in my car again.” Mike continued as he sat in the middle of center stage, pulling Will down with him.

Will sat down next to Mike, he decided to lay in Will’s lap. “Stopped at a street light, you know I missed you.” Mike finally finished.

Only looking at Will, who smiled down at Mike as he heard everyone cheer for his boyfriend.

“Well, everyone, this is my boyfriend, Will.” Mike said, holding the mic up to Will’s mouth. “Hi!” He spoke into it. 

DAY ONE OF 100 FOLLOWER SPEICAL!!

tags!

@hollarious2

@artsyna

@wallywise

@lebylershipper

@ash-the-wise

@tender-emotional-music

@willbyerswatch

@hearteyes-wheeler

@paloma-ascends-into-hellfire

@willbyerslove

@drowninginideas

@sunflowerbyler

[eppysboys]

Sam Leach and Joan McEvoy's Engagement Party, 17th March 1962 🕺💃

Earlier in the evening, The Beatles performed at the Village Hall in Knotty Ash, Liverpool. The evening was billed as a "St. Patrick's Night Rock Gala". Sam Leach, (Liverpool concert booker) booked The Beatles and Rory Storm and The Hurricanes to draw a big crowd so that he could make enough profits to pay for his engagement party, scheduled to follow the night's show. Both bands attended Leach's party, which didn't end until the following afternoon. Also present at the party was Mike McCartney, Paul's girlfriend Dorothy 'Dot' Rhone, Brian Epstein, Bob Wooler and Ted 'Kingsize' Taylor.

In his book Sam Leach has a distinct memory of 'a gang of us' (presumably including Beatles and Hurricanes) travelling to the party from Knotty Ash in a van. Their driver (not Neil Aspinall) pulled out from the Village Hall into the path of a speeding articulated lorry which seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Everyone braced themselves for the inevitable impact but miraculously the lorry, its brakes screeching hysterically, managed to stop less than a foot from the side of the van. Shocked, stunned, shaken and stirred, everyone in the van travelled the 1.5 miles to the party in complete silence. 

Hurricane Johnny 'Guitar' Byrne diary entry for 1962 mentions the party:

"Bought Zodiac. Knotty Ash, Orrell, then Sam Leach's engagement party. Had row with Eileen. Got home 6."

The party was at the family house in Huyton, thrown by Dolly, mother of Vera and Joan McEvoy.

"I can vouch for the fact that Brian fell in love with Vera and pursued her all night. In fact after the party he wrote more than one letter to Dolly asking her could she help him fix a date with Vera. Unfortunately for Brian she wasn't interested." Sam Leach (She seemed a little interested, as displayed below)

"Brown, who was married (but separated) at the time of her liaison with Epstein in 1962, describes him as "...very emotional. He always gave the impression of being cold and icy, but he was very softhearted, very tender, very gentle, and he had a lot of feelings. And he was all man, I don't care what they say." (Ray Coleman, The Man Who Made The Beatles)

"We’d been to the Knotty Ash Club for my sister’s engagement. The Beatles had played there, as did Rory [Storm] and a few other groups. Afterwards, as usual, we all went back to the house and Brian came along.

If you saw the Beatles in my mother’s they were just a scruffy bunch of boys. And who’d look at them? I wouldn’t bother with them but then Brian stood out and Brian looked like the real thing. He was handsome. He was tall. He was immaculate. That’s why I let Brian get behind the bar with me and help me serve the drinks. He was the best of the bunch.

So we were just behind the bar when Elvis came on, 'Heartbreak Hotel’. He loved it, I loved it, and we started dancing. There wasn’t much room. You know, you could go two steps forward, three steps back and that was it. So we sort of got a bit close and everyone was laughing at us, saying, like, 'What’s going on?’ But if you moved sideways you fell over the crates. There were crates of beer in there and everybody’s coats. We ended up on top of the coats or on top of the crates if we just moved the wrong way. And we got pretty close but I wasn’t surprised by the way he was acting towards me.

We were dancing and kissing at the same time. He was probably one of the sexiest fellas I had ever met. People say, 'Oh well, Brian was gay.’ but he wasn’t very gay with me. He was just like any other man and more. He was very easy-going and casual and funny. He’d make you laugh and he could dance. You know he could move. He said to me, 'I’ve seen you in different places and I thought you were stuck up.’ And I said, 'Well, I thought you were stuck up because I remember being in your shop and you were like the big boss.’

I think he was pretty fresh. In a house where people are looking at you it’s not like a club with all the lights out and people tend to be aware of others but Brian wasn’t that bothered. He was interested and he showed it. Maybe he’d had a bit too much to drink. I don’t know. But I can’t say that because I met Brian afterwards and he was still interested.

The next day he called round to the house. I wasn’t there so he talked to my mother about poetry. I don’t know how they got talking about poems but Brian came the following day with a book of poems for my mother with a little letter. He also gave her a letter thanking her for having the party because everyone had made such a terrible mess of the house. It was full of eggs and rubbish and bottles everywhere and he apologized for the actions of everybody else at the party.

Well, my mother just thought he was the most wonderful person in the world. At last a gentleman has come through this door and not Teddy boys and hooligans and all the rest of it. In the first letter he said he’d enjoyed meeting her, loved coming to the house, felt so welcome and would she mind if he came around again to see me. I said to my mum, 'Well, that’s impossible. How can I see him? You know I can’t go out with Brian.’ She said, 'You will have to’.

My mother was in love with Brian: 'He’s beautiful. He’s wonderful.’ So she sort of arranged it. I didn’t want him to come and pick me up at the house because I didn’t want people to see us going out. I arranged to meet him in a little cafe in Bold Street. We had a coffee and a chat and then I can’t really remember where we went. We went somewhere for a drink around Bold Street where there were all these little dives at the time. But I had to be back for nine o'clock. Another time I met him in the Tower and we had a little chat. We met in the back office and had a talk.

I liked Brian as a man and I think Brian liked me. But then he suggested if we were to go out we’d have to go to Southport or Manchester - anywhere out of Liverpool because he didn’t want to walk into my husband in Liverpool. We were separated at the time but it was a little bit awkward, you know.

It’s hard for me to believe Brian was gay. I think if I had been free and if I’d seen more of Brian I think we could have got serious. I think he was all man. I just can’t accept that he was gay.

In the shop Brian seemed like a man, like your dad shouting at you and superior. He had an attitude of superiority. But later on I discovered he was just like any other man. I thought he was a very passionate, loving person. He was like two different people. So if there’s a third person involved - this gay person - I just say he’s one hell of a man to be able to please everybody. You know, he was just unique. That’s all I can say." Vera Brown, In His Life, The Brian Epstein Story.

"George always fancied Joan and when I began dating her, he asked her to let him know when she finished seeing me. 'But don't tell Sam', he added. 'He’d batter me!' Today she probably feels like battering me for spoiling her chances." Sam Leach, The Rocking City

"Later in the evening, Joan had a headache and said she was going upstairs for a lie down. I went to fetch a couple of aspirins from the kitchen and said I'd follow her. Bob Wooler then made a typically cheap remark about pre-marital sex. Before I had a chance to sort him out, Paul and George grabbed him and made him personally apologise to Joan." Sam Leach, The Rocking City

"Rory Storm was lying on the floor hopelessly drunk. He shouted up to Paul, 'I wanna be in the picture'. So, as you can see, Paul bent down and lifted his foot into the shot." Sam Leach

"The night rolled on and I found Lennon, completely sloshed, sitting in the kitchen rolling raw eggs down Ann Barton's birds-nest hairstyle. Each time one broke, he gave a gasp of astonishment at the gooey yellow mess spreading across the tiled floor. Dolly found out and gave him a severe rollicking, which sobered him up enough to utter a sincere, 'Sorry, Mrs Mac'. Everyone liked and respected Dolly McEvoy and that was the only time I ever saw Lennon genuinely humbled. He disappeared for a while after that and was found later fast asleep in the bath.

When he finally came downstairs, he once again started to apologise. Dolly had forgotten all about it, but he was still apologising as he left at nine the next morning. As we stood outside, he shook my hand gravely. 'That was the very best party I've ever been to . . . honest,' he croaked. I was pleased everyone had enjoyed themselves, but when John started thanking me for a third time, I put him in a taxi and packed him off home. As he left, I slipped an egg into his pocket. He never did tell me how that hatched out." Sam Leach, The Rocking City

[ladykailitha]

Ser Stephan of Harring’s Town Part 7

This is the last part but I have an extra I’ll be posting tonight that I’ll tag everyone in. It’s set right after Steve asks Eddie to hold on to his guitar for him.

Also Steve turns on and up the Harrington charm in this one!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

*

Steve being more confident in their campaign was going to be a problem, Eddie realized all too late.

“I roll to seduce the innkeeper for a cheaper rate,” Steve said. “Especially since the party spent most of our gold on potions.”

Eddie wanted to stuff his hair in his mouth and scream. But that would have tipped the party off on how awkward this was about to become.

“You can’t seduce the innkeeper,” Mike snapped.

“Why not?” Steve asked, looking over at Eddie in confusion.

“It’s a male elf,” Mike said slowly as if Steve was being particularly dense.

Eddie frowned. “What’s that got to with anything?”

Mike rolled his eyes. “Steve is a male human. He can’t seduce another male.”

“He can try,” Will said. “And what is seducing but charming someone.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows. “There are gay people in fantasy, Mike.”

“No there aren’t,” Mike argued.

“Wait,” Erica said. “You’re okay with dragons, magic, and actual fucking elves? But not gay people?”

“Language,” Steve said automatically. “Besides, Ser Stephan of Harring’s Town is bisexual and totally down for hitting on the hot elven innkeeper. Maybe I can convince him we only need three rooms.”

“You’re character isn’t bunking with Erica’s character,” Lucas said.

Steve waggled his eyebrows. “I didn’t say I would staying with Lady Applejack.”

Will was the first one to get it. He sighed deeply. “Eddie I don’t want to explain it to them. Please help me out.”

Eddie who was trying to pick his jaw up off the floor, gulped. “Sure thing man.” He turned to the remaining four teenagers. “Ser Stephan is suggesting he warm the innkeeper’s bed.”

Erica still didn’t understand, but three boys most certainly did. And there was a general outcry of disgust. And Lucas bit the bullet and explained it to her.

“Ooh...” she said. “I gotcha. Ser Stephan is slut.”

Steve laughed and Eddie hung his head, hoping that his hair hid the deep blush that darkened his cheeks.

Eddie cleared his throat. “It doesn’t matter, because Ser Stephan has to roll high enough to succeed.”

Steve rolled his dice and the party started screaming.

“What did you get?” Eddie asked, not daring to look. Please be a one, please be a one, he chanted in his head.

“Natural twenty.”

Eddie’s eyes snapped to Steve in shock. Steve sat back and grinned. And then it happened. He leaned forward.

“My dearest innkeep,” Steve purred. “We have been traveling so long and so far, our feet are wary, our stomachs are empty and our throats are dry. We have just come from a house filled with horrors beyond imagining, fleeing for our very lives. Is there no way that you could give us three room for merest price of five gold?”

Eddie’s throat had gone as dry as Steve claimed the party’s throats were. He took a sip of his soda, trying to free his vocal cords so that he could reply.

“Only three rooms, sweet knight,” Eddie purred back, “where will you sleep?”

Steve got closer to Eddie. “I was hoping that I may warm your bed tonight. Keep you comforted on this cold night.” Steve played with one of Eddie’s curls. “I would woo you, murmur sweet nothings in your ear all night as our bodies moved as one.”

Eddie wanted to push Steve away. To tell him this wasn’t funny. But there was something in the way the other man looked at him that told him; this was pretty serious for Steve, too.

“I am but a lowly innkeeper,” Eddie murmured back. “Why would one such as yourself seek my bed?”

Steve smiled. “Humble though you may be, sweet innkeep, you are as beautiful and fair as a summer’s breeze, it would be an honor to spend this night with you.”

Eddie blushed. He lifted his head a little and his nose brushed Steve’s. He hadn’t realized that Steve had gotten so close.

“If you would grant us this boon,” Steve continued, their breath mingling together, “I would pay you back in a thousand kisses, my fair one.”

“Yes,” is all Eddie could say at that point. Steve had rolled a natural twenty. He had to give in, but he also wanted to. Steve had role played that perfectly.

Steve leaned the rest of the way and kissed Eddie on the lips. Eddie closed his eyes. It was perfect. If only it was real.

The party erupted in cheers and screaming.

Steve broke the kiss. “Well, Eddie, what do you say? Be mine, my fair one?”

Eddie’s eyes went wide and his jaw went slack. He gulped. “That was–was for me?”

“I’m not role playing this time round,” Steve said softly, “remember?” He winked and sat back.

Eddie practically launched himself from his chair into Steve’s arms. “Yes!”

Steve laughed struggling to keep them both from falling to the floor in a heap.

“Does that mean that Steve is dating our DM?” Erica asked.

“Wait!” Mike yelled. “That means he’ll get special treatment!”

Eddie looked at him over his shoulder and glared. “You say that as if he wasn’t already.”

Mike and Dustin started yelling but Will and Lucas shared a glance over their heads.

They knew. Eddie was always going to give Steve preferential treatment when this thing first started. Because unlike with Erica, Eddie wanted Steve to like the game so that he would stay. Can’t do that if you kill off your crush’s character, especially if that character is based off said crush.

“Can we get back to the game, please?” Erica said rolling her eyes.

“Well,” Eddie said, “since everyone is bedding down for the night, why don’t we call a break and come back in fifteen minutes.”

That got everyone to calm down as they all realized they needed to pee. And suddenly there was a mad scramble to the three bathroom Steve’s house had.

Eddie straddled Steve’s lap and sat down more comfortably. “So big boy, how long had you been holding on to that little display?”

Steve grabbed Eddie’s thighs to keep him from falling and looked up at him, smiling softly. “Since the wolves to be honest.”

Eddie frowned. That was ages ago. But then again, there hadn’t been an opening before now.

“I hope you weren’t waiting on the game to seduce me,” he groused.

Steve leaned up and kissed his lips in a quick peck. “No, I was going to seduce after the brats had gone home, but couldn’t resist with an opening like that.”

“It was hot,” Eddie admitted.

“Good,” Steve murmured. “Because I learned that kind of talk from you.”

Eddie blinked. “You think it’s hot when I use flowery language?”

Steve ran his hands up Eddie’s thighs to cup his ass. “Oh yeah.”

“That is some pretty powerful information you’ve given me, pretty boy,” Eddie growled. “I could use it against you.”

Steve answering grin was positively feral. “God, I hope so.”

Eddie dived in and kissed Steve senseless. “I love you.”

Steve’s grin gentled to a soft, fond smile. “I love you, too, babe.”

After a few moments of sweet and soft kissing, Eddie whispered. “I’m glad you started playing D&D, sweetheart. You have such depths.”

“And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life learning yours, babe.”

Eddie blushed.

Unfortunately for everyone that was when the goblins decided to return. There were gagging and protests until Eddie reluctantly got off of Steve’s lap.

The game resumed and the night continued on, but if anyone noticed that their hardass DM was kinder that night, everyone wisely kept it themselves.

Even Mike.

Extra with Wayne and Eddie with the guitar here.

Tag List: @chaossmiles @bejeweledbaby @shrimply-a-menace @mightbeasleep @goblin-eddie @gregre369 @idea-less-author  @xtkxkrzrizir @azure-and-gold @flanbott @garden-of-gay @tauntedperfume @marvelousforlife @itsfreakingbats

[stinkysam]

Eddie Munson - Man crush

Warning : none

Genre : fluff

Synopsis : Eddie is happy to hear you'll live in Hawkins and can't wait for you to meet his friends.

Reader : male (he/you)

Part ONE (Summer of 85)

Your arrival in Hawkins had been better than you thought.

On the first day, you got to reconnect with a friend you made during a summer camp, Eddie. He was crouched in front of a bag of chips while you held a bag of food for your parents.

Just as expressive as you remembered, Eddie was absolutely excited to help you sort your things out of the truck. He judged everything that was going in your room.

"Oingo boingo ?"

"Yes," you say, giving him another heavy cardboard box of your stuff "don't drop it."

"Yeah yeah."

The next day, Eddie was ringing your phone at the first hour in the morning (10am), claiming you absolutely had to meet his friends.

Friends who looked you up and down for a good minute in silence, taking you in first, unable to believe you were really… you.

"Are you really [name] ? You swear Eddie didn't pay you ?" Gareth asked.

"Yeah," continued Lucas. "How do you expect us to believe… this ?"

"Let me recapitulate, the guy you befriended at summer camp and didn't have contact with for a year decided to move, from all the cities in the United States of America, in Hawkins. Without even knowing you lived here too." Mike finally said, Grant and Jeff nodding along.

This time it was Dustin's turn to say something.

"This is worse than pure dumb luck. Or than fate itself, Eddie"

"I mean, I have my ID on me if you want…" you shrugged, scratching your head. You suppressed a smile when two of them held their hand up to you, waiting for your ID card.

"Jesus christ, he's not gonna show you his ID" protested Eddie.

"No no, I can, I can. I have to prove I'm the great [Name], don't I ?"

And so you took your ID card out, ignoring Eddie’s protest, showing it to everyone for good mesure.

"Mh. Okay" said Dustin, passing it to Lucas who inspected it thoroughly. You wondered if he knew how to recognize fake cards from real ones or if it was just for the show. Probably the latter.

"Stop that ! Why would I lie and bring a complete stranger here, mh ?"

Eddie slapped the card out of Lucas's hand to give it back to you, annoyance clear on his face.

-

Months had passed since that day, and you grew even closer to Eddie, practically being attached to the hip and earning the nickname of being his man-crush. He liked to explain it by saying it was to catch up all the missed time. There was no such thing as man-crush. Pfft !

You also got to meet his uncle Wayne and became good friends with him despite the age difference. He told you the story behind all the mugs that were hung on the walls, plus those that got accidentally broken when Eddie slammed the door a little too strongly during his teenage years.

You've learned that he also knows how to play guitar although he is not as skilled as his nephew and you got to hear them both play together —though you never imagined it would be country music—.

Eddie made you promise to not tell a soul.

-

This fucking “man-crush” thing kept following him. He hated it. It was awful because it was true.

Yet, very often he would feel relief wash over him when he remembers you're there. Your voice is clear in his head, not fading. This is a nice feeling. He cannot forget you. But he doesn’t talk about the butterflies he feels in his guts when you wrap an arm around his waist or sometimes just by saying his name. Or the ting of jealousy when you hang with his friends rather than with him.

Eddie had a plain old crush on you.

When you parted, at the end of the summer camp, Eddie had not realized his feelings yet, innocently thinking he just didn’t want to lose a friend. It all made sense somehow when you arrived in Hawkins. Oh yeah, he wanna kiss that friend so bad.

Oh to kiss you like it was your first time.

Oh to kiss you like it was nothing.

Oh to kiss you like his life depended on it.

So many types of kisses to think about. So many ways to plague his mind and you found them all. But he was not the only one with a plagued mind.

It was obvious to the connoisseur eye. The one that knows a special kind of yearning. Robin could not be more sure of her friend's feelings. Each time Eddie came back with you, Robin couldn't help but to stare at the two of you with a smile. It was cute at first, seeing the metalhead acting flustered and oh so excited to spend time with that new guy. Rushing to Family Video to try and subtily ask something [Name] would like, things only gays would take interest in. Steve did not read between the lines and just searched for what was asked while Robin instantly knew.

Eddie wanted what 53:05 in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' is for her lesbian self and she made her mission to deliver just that plus a not so subtle wink to let him know she knew. Oh, his reaction was priceless. He blinked several times, taking a micro step back as if he just had been insulted, forgetting what he was saying mid sentence. An awkward smile appeared on his face as he feigned confusion.

"Why the wink, Buckley ?"

"What. That's just how I blink. Munson" she says, mimicking his tone.

"Do you want the tape or not ?" Steve asked, already bothered by their discussion.

-

She figured the movies worked.

One day, you came in with Eddie, she almost didn't notice you holding his hand with how fast you went to the back of the store, briefly greeting her and Steve. She could hear the two of you talk quietly, barely above a whisper. She turned around to see what aisle you were in but you had both ducked your head down to hide. Looking at the computer's screen she saw the two of you kissing.

You were crouched, hands holding Eddie's face as you pecked his lips, he was crouched too, hands by the tapes. He let out a small chuckle before kissing you back, his lips lingering on your-

"There's a camera there too !" Robin yelled from her seat, "But congratulations, though !"

Oh it definitely did work.

[get-back-homeward]

Paul’s Trying To Get To You

The thread of this song weaving in and out of Paul’s most formative music experiences

Oct 1956: Elvis’s debut album is released in the UK as Rock ‘n’ Roll and the B-side includes Trying to Get to You

I just had to reach you, baby / In spite of all that I've been through / I kept traveling night and day / I kept running all the way / Baby, trying to get to you.

Well if I had to do it over / That's exactly what I'd do / I would travel night and day / And I'd still run all the way / Baby, trying to get to you

[full lyrics]

Jan-June 1957: Ian James gets the Elvis record and a guitar

“It was in this time frame that Paul formed a closer friendship with Ian James, an Institute boy (in his year) he’d known since 1954. Ian was also into rock and skiffle and he’d recently been bought an acoustic guitar by his grandparents, at whose house he lived in the Dingle. (Every guitar had a maker’s name: his was a Rex.) The two boys became good pals on the strength of it. While they tended not to see each other in the evenings, because they lived some distance apart, Paul often went to Ian’s house for an hour or two after school—they walked there together down the hill from the Institute—and Ian sometimes went to Forthlin Road at weekends, taking his guitar with him. Ian James held a triple attraction for Paul: he was an intelligent, decent and affable lad, he had some rock records, and he had a guitar—an unbeatable combination.

In the front room at home I had a table-top portable record player, three speed. I remember playing “Blueberry Hill” by Fats Domino over and over, just the first line and then I’d pick up the needle and put it back at the start. I also had Elvis Presley’s first album, which we played time after time after time, with “That’s All Right Mama,” “Trying to Get to You,” “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You),” “Mystery Train” … Elvis was the one to copy, he was the hero. He had everything: the charisma, the looks, the voice. Frank Sinatra had only one style but Elvis could do anything—gospel, blues, rock and roll, romantic ballads. There was nobody else like him. Paul and I talked about Elvis all the time.15

The Rex guitar was ever at hand. Ian showed and reinforced to Paul those three chord fundamentals that would get him started, C, F and G or G7, the basis for pretty much every song they loved.”

—Tune In (Ch. 5, Jan-June 1957)

July 1957: Paul is invited to join the Quarrymen and trades his trumpet for his first guitar

At some point in July 1957, Paul finally got his first guitar. It had been a long time coming and he was desperate. As he couldn’t afford to buy one he had the bright idea of swapping his trumpet for it, the one his dad had bought him two years earlier. Jim didn’t mind—it was clear where Paul’s interest was. “I traded in the trumpet for a £15 Zenith guitar from Frank Hessy’s. There was a feller there called Jim Gretty and he showed us (me and George) a great chord. I never knew its name—we called it ‘a jazz chord’…”

Mike McCartney has said of Paul and his first guitar, “He would get lost in another world. It was useless talking to him—I had better conversations with brick walls.” Paul played the guitar everywhere, even on the bus. At home he played it in the bath and sitting on the toilet. “The fine acoustic of the toilet area was always very appealing to me. And it was also very private, about the only private place in the house. I used to sit there for hours—there and the bathroom. Dad would shout, ‘Paul, get off that toilet!’ [And I’d reply] ‘I’m practicing!’ ”4

…Rod Davis has a recollection of Paul dropping in to see a group rehearsal at (of all places) Mimi’s house, and Eric Griffiths says the group all went to Paul’s house one afternoon for a rehearsal together—something Paul has never mentioned. (Like almost everything to do with the Quarry Men, solid information is lacking.)

…Ian James says he and Paul struck up an informal musical duo: “We used to take our guitars around to parties and play a few numbers. Have guitar will travel—wherever we went our guitars went too. We played songs from that first Elvis LP: ‘Trying to Get to You,’ ‘Lawdy Miss Clawdy,’ ‘Mystery Train’…

—Tune In (Ch. 7, July-Aug 1957)

Aug 1957: Paul’s away at summer camp and then on holiday but glued to his guitar

[O]n August 7, the Quarry Men played the Cavern again…This Cavern booking would have been Paul’s Quarry Men debut but for him being away with the Boy Scouts at summer camp—another ten days of wet feet, wind and Woodbines. The 19th City troop’s destination this year was the Peak District—Callow Farm, Hathersage, Derbyshire—and both McCartney brothers went. Paul (inevitably) carted his Zenith along with his sleeping bag and tin mug. Almost as soon as they’d pitched tents, Mike had an altercation with an oak tree, badly breaking his arm; he was taken to the hospital in Sheffield while Paul remained at the camp and entertained around the fire with Elvis’s “Trying to Get to You.”13

Mike was in the hospital four weeks, his plastered arm in a sling, and on the day of his release—the last full week of the school holidays—Jim arrived in Sheffield with Paul and revealed they were all heading straight off to Butlin’s. Bett and Mike Robbins had fixed them seven days at Filey, on Yorkshire’s east coast…

Ever the keen photographer, Mike operated the camera single-handedly to take a fascinating photo of Paul on Filey beach with Bett Robbins and her infant son Ted. Paul is perched on Ted’s pushchair and playing the much-traveled Zenith. The photo could be the closest taken to the date he met John Lennon, showing a 15-year-old who’s come through his chubby period and is looking good.

—Tune In (Ch. 7, July-Dec 1957)

Oct-Nov 1957: Paul plays his first gigs with the band as John’s equal

In images of the Quarry Men before Paul joined they’re all wearing different clothes. In the first photo of the group with Paul they have a uniform look, and a sharp one at that: white shirts with black bootlace ties and black trousers, and John and Paul (only) are also wearing jackets on top, white or cream—it’s Paul’s “white sports coat” and something similar John has managed to acquire. This was undoubtedly Paul’s doing, reaching back to his experience at Butlin’s in 1954 when he saw how a singing group in matching gear claimed everyone’s attention. He’d brought the thinking early to John, and John had bought it. And something else is compelling about this Quarry Men photo: although it’s John’s group, new boy Paul is not at the back with Colin or Len, or to the side like Eric, he’s up front with John. Lennon and McCartney are clearly the front line of the Quarry Men, strumming crummy Gallotone and upside-down Zenith, and they’re the only ones with vocal microphones. The group is the two of them and three others. When one sings lead the other provides harmony; often they sing the lead in unison—and their voices go together.

One can only surmise what they sang into those microphones. Nigel Walley remembers plenty of rock in the repertoire in this period and not so much skiffle, including several Elvis numbers—“All Shook Up,” “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” “That’s All Right Mama” and “Trying to Get to You”—as well as “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” “Blue Suede Shoes” (Carl or Elvis), “Come Go with Me” and “Twenty Flight Rock.”

—Tune In (Ch. 7, July-Dec 1957)

Jan-May 1958: Paul writes In Spite of All the Danger and John wants to record it

As George knew several more guitar chords than John or Paul, every time he showed them a new one they tried to write a song around it36—and it was in this period, possibly at Upton Green, that Paul wrote one he called “In Spite of All the Danger,” a chugging and melodic country-flavored number with a couple of extended lead guitar solos created by George. For this reason, the song was a unique deviation from the Lennon-McCartney credit: it went down as McCartney-Harrison.

The tune of “In Spite of All the Danger” was entirely Paul’s, but it leaned heavily on the melody of Elvis’s “Trying to Get to You,” a song that includes the lyric “[in] spite of all that I’ve been through.” Using an existing song as inspiration for the writing of another is standard practice, but the rock and roll era was already littered with outrageous examples of plagiarism seemingly free of legal action—possibly because the song being copied was not entirely original to that composer either.

…John decided the Quarry Men should make a record, and the others needed no persuading—just 3s 6d each. This time the answer to “Where we going, Johnny?” was 38 Kensington, where one Percy F. Phillips ran probably Liverpool’s only recording studio and record press.

Seventeen years later, without the advantage of hearing it in between times, John recalled what he could of the session: “The first thing we ever recorded was ‘That’ll Be the Day,’ the Buddy Holly song, and one of Paul’s called ‘In Spite of All the Danger.’ It cost us fifteen shillings and we made it in the front room of some guy’s house that he called a recording studio.”

…John again sings lead on “In Spite of All the Danger,” Paul provides more fine harmonies throughout, and George adds an “ah” backing. It’s said Colin and Duff hadn’t heard the song before, and so were feeling their way through it, but it’s not solely for this reason that it plods somewhat. Though the debt to “Trying to Get to You” is clear, it’s still an original number and an interesting, attractive one at that, written by a boy of 15—a fantastic achievement.

—Tune In (Ch. 8, Jan-May 1958)

[hilarychuff]

It’s late by the time she finally sneaks into her mother’s sewing room, sticking to the far wall just in case some wrong step manages to trigger the sewing machine to turn on. Logically, she knows it doesn’t have a life of its own, knows it won’t start whirring and jabbing without her mother pushing the pedals. Chrissy can’t help but keep her distance anyway. Her gaze stays on it even as she reaches the phone, looking away only long enough to dial the number Eddie made her write on a scrap of paper she tucked into her sock earlier. “Yeah,” he answers on the second ring, and finally Chrissy can close her eyes. She can picture him standing in his kitchen, the phone cradled between his ear and his shoulder as he moves around the trailer. She wonders if he was up watching something on TV, or maybe practicing his guitar for tomorrow, or maybe just eating a snack over the sink. “Eddie?” she asks, and then feels silly for it. She knows it’s him. Knows Wayne is at work. It’d be impossible to confuse their voices even if Wayne wasn’t. But Eddie doesn’t seem annoyed by the question. “Cunningham,” he breathes back, that same sigh of relief in his voice that had been there this morning. “I wanted to call, but I wasn’t sure if I should since you said — but, uh, OK, so it turns out Mike is out of town or some shit, but I can —” “Eddie, did you mean it when you said you’d come get me whenever?” she interrupts. She doesn’t want to be rude, but she needs to be fast, just in case someone wakes up, just in case someone hears. “Because I really want to come to your show, and my mom is supposed to play bridge at the club at 2 tomorrow, and I think maybe that’s my one shot to sneak out,” she explains. “Will you come get me? I mean, if you’re free? Is that OK?” “Is that OK?” Eddie repeats. “Ozzy, it would be my pleasure. No way we could even go on without Corroded Coffin’s biggest fan out there in the crowd. You really are a bad girl now, Cunningham. Hell yeah, I’ll come get you.”

all the best people see you (all the best people know), chapter 12, a season 4 buckingham au

[sunnysidesadie]

can i request an eddie munson x fem!reader dating headcanons, i'm so in love w/ him

Eddie Munson Dating Headcannons

pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

warnings: bit of angst (lots of fluff!!), true to ST4 Eddie storyline

a/n: I'm so so sorry I'm just getting to this! There's been a lot of health issues and school in the last few months but I'm catching up to all requests this week! I hope you like this :)

He shares all of the music he listens to including: Metallica, Slayer, Black Sabbath, etc. with you.

There'd be frequent sleepovers at his house because you lived 4 houses down from each other.

You try to convince him to listen to Madonna or Prince with you and he would never stoop that low. (You did hear him singing Purple Rain in the shower once)

Eddie tries teaching you guitar every time your over more so for the fact he loves comforting you when you get flustered about not being able to play it as well as him.

You'll clean up his mess of a room as much as he tells you that you don't need to do for him because he's a grown adult.

He's taught you how to play Dungeons and Dragons and drags you to every Hellfire Club meeting.

He shows you off to all of his friends and Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Erica. They all love you which makes him happy.

Whenever you go out to eat he will order for you because he knows you have social anxiety in certain situations.

You make him scrapbooks of all your favorite moments together which he has on his shelf next to his guitar pick collection. You feel loved because you know he loves his guitar picks.

Whenever you try to fall asleep he will always lay down next to you and let you twirl your fingers within his hair.

You fell first but he fell harder, when you said I love you after 5 months he didn't say it back which was upsetting. However, a week later he made you a cassette tape with his and your favorite songs that said "To: My Love".

He doesn't let you hang out with him during school much to your protest because he doesn't want your reputation ruined.

He would always visit you at Melvald's where you were hired after Joyce left, and he would always purchase something even though he only wanted to see you.

You frequently fell asleep over at his house because of family conflicts, and he loved seeing you wake up in the morning in an oversized t-shirt of his.

You got worried he was cheating on you when you saw Chrissy Cunningham enter his trailer even though you were 99.9% sure he wouldn't cheat on you.

He left you a note in his trailer that Max had given to you when he left to go hide but didn't mention what had happened to Chrissy even though you knew she died.

For days he couldn't protect you and people threw nasty glares your way.

Dustin was the one who let you know about Eddie's death and gave his jacket and guitar pick to you.

Feeling around in his jacket in one of the pockets is what looked to be a promise ring.

Even if Eddie wasn't here anymore you knew he loved you so so much and that's what helped you get through the days.

[joons]

Have Brian Wilson and Elvis every been connected in any way? Like, did they ever meet, listen to each other's music, etc.? If not, what do you think would have happened if they had?

Brian adored Elvis, as most teenagers did in the early '50s and '60s. Brian covered "Blue Christmas" in 1964 and often cited Elvis as one of his musical inspirations. Brian loved him for his vocal abilities, not just his status as a rock-n-roller: "I liked Elvis Presley’s songs," he said. "... I thought Elvis was a very underrated singer, he was a very good singer. He was more of a star. He was known more for his fame than his voice. I think he deserved more credit for his voice."

Brian's affinity for Elvis is evident in his stage setup for his Smile concerts in 2004, which was the first time his incomplete masterpiece (originally set for release in 1967) was performed in its entirety for the public. Brian, like Elvis, has dealt with extreme stage fright for most of his career, so for inspiration, he includes notes from his band and an image of Elvis on his keyboard.

According to band members Mike, Al, and Bruce, Elvis did know the Beach Boys and got to meet some of them in 1968 when he was preparing to resume live appearances and recording tracks for the Comeback Special.

AL JARDINE: Bruce (Johnston) and I met Elvis in the late '60s. He was working in the studio across the hall from us at Western. Bruce and I went over and introduced ourselves and he was very delighted to see us. He was trim and great looking, just like his album covers. He hadn’t gone back out on the road yet. We encouraged him to get back to work and he took us up on it. MIKE LOVE: He was in the big room at Western and had his cape on at the time (laughs). He was preparing to go back out on tour and he was asking us, “Well, what’s it like?” He was a really kind gentleman. He couldn’t have been nicer. He definitely knew who The Beach Boys were. You couldn’t not be aware of who The Beach Boys were in the '60s.

Brian was not with them at the time and never got to see Elvis perform live, but their careers continued to connect in interesting ways. Jerry Schilling, a member of the Memphis Mafia and good friend of Elvis, departed Elvis' group in 1976 to begin managing the Beach Boys full time. He became good friends with the band, especially Carl Wilson, the youngest Wilson brother. "After Elvis, Carl was my closest friend," Jerry said. After Elvis' death in 1977, Carl offered to visit with Vernon Presley, Elvis' dad, to spend time with him and get his mind off his grief.

Jerry Schilling was also married to Myrna Smith, a member of the Sweet Inspirations, a gospel group that provided backing vocals for all of Elvis' stage shows. Myrna wrote the lyrics for many of Carl's solo projects, including a tribute song for Elvis that was being considered as the theme song for the 1981 documentary This Is Elvis. Carl wrote the music, played guitar and sang backing vocals, and Myrna wrote the lyrics and sang. The song was abandoned, but the demo tapes were recovered not too long ago.

JERRY SCHILLING: The song ... tells who Elvis was … the lyrics and the music. It’s simple, it’s sweet, and it’s deep. It’s emotional to talk about it, because all three of these people – who were so close to me in my life – are all gone. But boy, this is a great piece of all of their music left behind honoring Elvis, and done by Carl and Myrna.

Elvis and Brian also both got to work closely with guitarist James Burton. Burton was much more of a long-term staple for Elvis, but he played in sessions for Smile and remembered how Brian would invite musicians to his home and make them spend the night so they could play at all hours.

Now, we get to the best part: Brian and Elvis did meet once, and it's one of my favorite stories of all time. Here is Brian telling the story on The Tonight Show.

It's been told a few different ways (Brian, bless him, is sort of an unreliable narrator, so bear this in mind), but every version is just incredible.

JAMES BURTON: I walked into the big studio, and Brian Wilson was in there mixing a record that I played on. And he said, "Whatcha doing here, man?" [I said,] "I’m in the next room with Elvis rehearsing." He said, "Oh! Please, please take me to meet Elvis." I took him in and he walked up to Elvis and was just looking at him. And Elvis stuck his hand out to shake hands and he couldn’t move. Daily Express/Elvis Birthday Celebration at Graceland, 2020

•••

JERRY SCHILLING: We were at a rehearsal session at RCA Studios in Hollywood, and Elvis always prided himself on our security. There was security at the studio as well. This big, overweight, bearded guy came into the studio and went right up to Elvis and went, "Hi Elvis, I'm Brian." And Elvis was very upset with us thinking, "How did this guy get in here and who is he?" So Brian said, "I'm recording next door. Would you come over and listen?" And Elvis looked at us; it's almost in spite of us since this guy had gotten through. He said, "Yeah, I'll go over."  So we went over, and Terry Melcher, Doris Day's son, was producing. Terry played a track for Elvis, and Brian said, "Do you think we have anything?" And Elvis said, "No." And we went back to our studio. Later, the security guys told us it was Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. elvis.com.au

•••

BRIAN WILSON: I was recording with Terry Melcher at RCA Victor Records in 1975. We were working on the song “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” Terry said, “Hey, Elvis is in the next studio recording.” That was a big surprise to hear he was in the studio next to me. So I walked into the studio and said, “Hi, I’m Brian Wilson,” and he goes, “Hello, Duke.” I don’t know why he called me Duke. I said, “Would you like to hear what I’m doing in the studio?” and he said yes. So we walked over to my studio and listened to what I was doing and then said he had to leave. It was a thrill to meet him and he was real happy to meet me. Rock Cellar, 2013

•••

BRIAN WILSON: Yeah, around 1969 we were recording in the same place as Elvis, and I asked him if he’d come across the way to our studio. He shook my hand and goes, “I’ve heard a lot about you. How you doin’, Duke?” He called me “Duke,” don’t ask me why. (laughs) So I figured okay, Elvis is like me, a joker, so I’m going to play a little joke on him. I knew he was a black belt, so I faked a karate chop and a kick at him. He blocked them both easily, and I started cracking up, to show him I was kidding, but he didn’t think it was funny and said, “Hey, Duke, don’t do that.” I said, “Hey man, I’m just kidding around.” So we talked about music for a few minutes, about “Good Vibrations,” and then the conversation sort of died down, so, to liven things up, I threw another karate chop at him. He backed up in his chair, says, “I’m a little worried about you, Duke,” and then signaled to his boys that they were leaving. I never saw him again. I regret that. He was quite an artist. Interview with Alex Simon, 2012

•••

What has been your most embarrassing moment? BRIAN WILSON: When I karate chopped Elvis Presley. He called me "Duke" - I was so nervous I acted stupid. It was in 1975 at RCA Victor Studios. After I did that, he said, "I gotta get outta here." The Guardian, 2004

BLESS HIS HEART.

This was definitely in 1975, not 1969, while Elvis was working on "Pieces of My Life" from the Today album. Around this time, Brian was mostly just fussing around in the studio, trying to come up with the Beach Boys' next album and attempting to produce small songs for other acts. Brian says he met Elvis while recording "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," which most likely means not his 1964 version but the version he was producing for California Music, a supergroup involving Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Dean Torrence, and others.

This is the song he played for Elvis, most likely.

BRIAN: Do you think we have anything? ELVIS: No.

I agree with E, I think; you had to have the biggest brain imaginable to understand Brian's sound in the mid-'70s. The songs he'd come up with over the next two years are awesome, but weird, and you can tell this is an early effort in a period where he wasn't really trying very hard to complete anything. Actually laughing so hard at Elvis listening to this and just 😬

I don't think Elvis was actually mad or anything, there are a thousand stories of him and his bodyguards reacting quickly to any sudden movement and then relaxing once they realized it was just an overeager fan, and Brian is the biggest wild card, lmao. I'm sure if Elvis had no idea who he was at the time or how he got in, he was probably a bit unsettled but didn't want to be rude. Also very likely that Elvis was bored out of his mind recording in this time period and just wanted an excuse to procrastinate.

Getting back to the other ways they're connected, I love what Brian said, "Elvis is like me, a joker." That's so true. They are both always the Weirdest Person in the Room, which you can SEE in this brief meeting. It kind of makes me think they wouldn't get each other unless circumstances were ideal to really let loose. They both had bonkers, deadpan humor that would go over most people's heads, and they both loved playing pranks on people. I think they would enjoy talking about music and spirituality as well, though Brian would have to keep it to non-drug-related revelations. They are also both girl dads, and it makes me happy just to imagine Lisa, Carnie, and Wendy all playing together. Carnie and Lisa were almost the exact same age, born just two months apart. 🥺

And, to wrap up this incredibly pointless deep dive, what I would wish most is that them knowing each other would have sped up their mutual healing. Brian to me represents the impossible, one-in-a-million shot where the cycle of exploitation that befalls sensitive, genius people in the industry breaks, and someone who was taken advantage of regains control of their life and makes their art on their own terms. Like Elvis, Brian also dealt with enormous creative pressure at a young age, crippling stage fright, a sense of alienation from his peers, a longing to go beyond formulaic music and tap into deeper emotions, binge eating and general disregard for his own health, problems with overmedication, and eventually an abusive manager who controlled all aspects of his personal life. And just ... somehow, he got out of all that and got another chance. I dearly wish Elvis had had more time. Both their stories show how precious life is and how important it is that our loved ones advocate for us, even when we're unable or unready to advocate for ourselves. And to keep responding to the joy and humor and heart in ordinary experiences and people, even when life feels hard.

And they're both so funny, pleeeeeease.

[thislovintime]

The Monkees, 1966.

“‘Do you know, while we’re sitting here talking, I’m getting mad because I got kicked out of Disneyland because I have long hair?’ Dolenz asked. ‘Our show is going to go higher and higher in humor,’ Jones said. ‘We are trying to take Peyton Place’s audience away.’ ‘Mike wore a hat as a trademark,’ Tork said, ‘but as soon as he had to wear it, he got tired of it. So he began wearing a bowler in public.’ ‘I’m having the original hat bronzed,’ Nesmith said. ‘We’re doing a story about a kid who is tossed out of Disneyland because he has long hair,’ Dolenz said. ‘Micky has a monorail mind,’ Tork said. ‘Tell your readers to picket Disneyland,’ Jones said. ‘Don’t pick it, it will never heal,’ from Tork. Peter picked up his guitar and began to sing. ‘Peter sings at the drop of a hat,’ [Davy] said, dropping Mike’s green wool hat. They all joined in for a pretty chorus.” - Article by Joan Crosby, Hope Star, October 22, 1966

“[Before filming the pilot episode] they put us in a room with $20,000 worth of equipment and told us to sort out who would play what. I could sing but couldn’t play anything. I was trained as an actor. Micky Dolenz was a guitar player but we needed a drummer so he took up the drums! Peter Tork can play about 10 instruments so he got hold of the bass guitar while Mike Nesmith picked up a guitar, an instrument he’d taught himself.” - Davy Jones, Record Mirror, January 7, 1967

“[Peter’s] really a genius, a prolific musician — he plays about seven instruments.” - Micky Dolenz, Record Mirror, February 11, 1967

“The most important thing is that we’re such different people. Know how I see us? Well, I’m tall and skinny and ugly. And there’s Micky who’s wild and keen like a little chihuahua. And Davy who is cute and cuddly. And Peter who is the one who plays a dummy, though he isn’t a dummy and he sort of makes a comment on that.” - Mike Nesmith, Record Mirror, February 18, 1967

“It makes me mad and violent to hear people putting the others down. I know how darned good they are on their instruments and in their playing and in their acting. I don’t care for myself because I’ve been around long enough to be able to look after myself… but to say guys like Mike and Peter don’t play is just plain ridiculous.” - Davy Jones, Record Mirror, February 18, 1967

“I have a great deal of respect for Mike as a musician and a songwriter. He’s very good. He could make it on his own easily. Also he’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. Micky has a practical side that he tries to hide behind his jokes and imitations, but it’s there nevertheless. I’m not practical at all, so I admire this in him. He’s got his business affairs in order at all times and knows just what happens to all his money and things. I never do. I can’t keep track of how much money I have with me at a given time. Davy has a lot of guts. Internal fortitude if you prefer. I wouldn’t want to be as popular as he is. I mean, I’d like it, but it scares the heck out of me to see the way twenty million girls will rush him at once. What knocks me out is that it’s always me or Mike that’s trampled or ripped. Little Davy (oh, I hope he doesn’t see that) is never harmed, though there will be twice as many after him. I think it has something to do with small people being quick and light on their feet and big people being slow and plodding.” - Peter Tork, Flip, August 1967

[justrambles]

(Beauty and the beast steddie)

No.7 — Time

Mike is interested in Eddie's guitar. Eddie catches him sneaking glances at his Sweetheart, and decides to ask.

"You play?" he asks, gesturing towards the guitar.

"Do you?" Mike reflexively talks back, but realizes it's a pointless question and just shakes his head.

"I don't know how to play. I never learned. I wanted to, though."

The kid seems a bit sad and Eddie hates seeing him like that, so he decides there's no harm in offering.

"I could teach you if you want?"

And obviously it's a wrong move, because suddenly Mike tenses up and spits out,

"Yeah, as if I could pick strings with these hooves. It's not gonna work. Nothing ever works here. Thanks, Eddie, but no thanks."

"Whoa man- Mike, calm down. You can still learn, you know. There's no 'one' way to learn playing. I could show you the chords first and then you'll be able to practice it yourself later."

"Yeah, except there's not going to be a later."

Mike's still pissed, but he's gotten calmer. He now just seems a little annoyed at himself as he grumbles. It's a crisis averted and Eddie is relieved, as he secretly tries to come up with other ways to get Mike into playing guitar. It's just a hunch, but he thinks learning to play's gonna be good for Mike.

But then, (because he's got the worst timing ever) Dustin bursts in and shouts,

"Eddie! I need your help, quick!"

***

It's really remarkable, Eddie has to admit.

He stands before a wall in the boys' room, filled with jagged tally marks. Dustin looks proud of the abstract artwork, Mike's gotten tense again, and Lucas just seems tired of it all.

"Well, Dustin, it looks great. Didn't know you had a thing for art." Eddie has no idea what it means.

"What? No, this is not just some art, dude. This is my calendar. You know, I've been counting the days since we got cursed—"

"You mean Max has been counting," Lucas chips in and Dustin rolls his eyes.

"Yes, Lucas, Max has been marking since she has the most fitting claw for the task. But it's my idea, so I've been counting."

Ah, Max. Eddie knows who Max is now. Turns out the panther he met wasn't Steve. Turns out she wasn't even a panther, after all. He's embarrassed himself in front of the puma thinking that she was Steve, and he'd really like to not think about it now. So he asks,

"And about the calendar...?"

This stops Dustin from bantering with Lucas, and he turns to Eddie to give an explanation.

"Yeah, so, I've been counting the days with Max's help. And although I probably missed some dates on the days when we pissed Max off and she didn't want to help and I had to count in my head, I'm pretty sure I've got it close enough, so I wanted to crosscheck."

Eddie is now fully amused. Dustin put a lot of effort into this, he can tell. So he nods, indicating him to go on.

"So... is this May 17th, 1985?"

And wow, he's really close considering everything, so Eddie tries to answer but is cut off by Mike's voice.

"What does it even matter?"

"Huh?" comes Dustin's confused voice.

"What's the point of counting? It does nothing."

Now Dustin seems a bit tense too, and Eddie hopes this doesn't end bad. It seems unlikely.

"Well, Mike-, we need to know when we are in the time. We need to be prepared for when we get back—"

"Yeah, you keep saying 'when we get back' but we won't! That's the thing! We're not getting back, there's no 'later', we're stuck here, stuck in this body because of the stupid curse, while everything goes on without us!"

With that Mike stomps out, and Eddie can't do anything but stare into the now empty spot. Dustin doesn't look so well either, he mutters out a little "fuck," and walks out, too. Eddie hears Lucas sigh.

"So when is it?" Lucas asks a bit after, "Is it May-whatever-Dustin-said?"

"Uh, close enough. June 23rd, 1986. Should-, should we go after them?"

"No, they'll get over it. Usually they're not the ones fighting — it's either Max and Mike or Steve and Robin — but I guess Dustin has too much hope."

And the way he says it makes it feel like Lucas doesn't have much hope either. Eddie wonders what happened all those years before.

"Does he?"

Lucas glances up at his question.

"Do you think Dustin has too much hope, too?"

"Well, we've been like this for almost three decades and the curse is still not close to breaking, is it?"

The curse.

"Why do you think that you can't break the curse? What is it exactly?"

[dbstaches]

THIS CHARMING MAN

Dave Ball in Zigzag magazine, March 1984 issue - full article text bellow

Following our interview with Marc Almond in ZZ 3 we complete the set with Dave Ball. Paul Barney asked the questions, Linda Rowell* took the photographs.

Okay, you made me do it. I’ve turned it off. I’m talking about the new Soft Cell 12″ ‘Down In The Subway’. I want to flip it over but instead I shall leave the beefy brilliance of their version of Johnny Thunder’s ‘Born To Lose’ (hear it, buy it, you owe it to yourselves!) and tell you about an afternoon I spent in the company of Dave Ball in the living room of his London flat. Ushering me inside Dave smiles and proffers tea. It’s a small room, Dave’s keyboards standing majestically in the intimacy. My heart passes on secret information to my bladder and I have to make the first of my visits to the bathroom [DAMMIT] just when I wanted to be cool and collected.

Dave plays me the new and final Soft Cell album ‘Last Night In Sodom’ and it’s a breathtaking affair. Lots of drums, Marc’s voice reaching and winding its way down my back. ‘Meet Murder My Angel’ featuring Dave’s wife Gini Hewes on the most gorgeous backing vocals. ‘L'esqualita’ is seductive, inspired by New York club for transvestites where they mime to Spanish songs dressed obviously to suit such activity and another standout track is ‘The Best Way To Kill’. A relentless beat. (The title comes from a Sun headline where they asked their readers which method of capital punishment they preferred!) A lot faster than most of the previous album. It was recorded and mixed in five weeks at Britannia Row.

I love it madly but how do you feel? DAVE: “Of all the three Soft Cell albums, it's the one we're most satisfied with because we've been totally involved with it and had total control from start to finish. Rather than working with outside producer ... the ideas come purer.”

Weren't you happy with Mike Thorne's production then? DAVE: “I think we were at the time but he was more into making a name as a star producer. That's fair enough but not if you're a band and depending on someone else to help you get the sound you want. He was more into commercial safety if you like.”

How did you get that sound on ‘Numbers’? (To convey this I am forced to make a noise like a sick penguin, embarrassing!) DAVE: “I used a bass guitar going through an envelope generator. It's like a filter off a synthesiser. It's jus an effect pedal. I'll show you one. (Showing me the device.) Quite simple really. It's just a different context to hearing those sort of things.”

To digest these technical facts calls for a cigarette. Dave suggests a can of beer and whilst he is in the kitchen I'm off to the toilet again. The interview resumes.

Are you a shy person? DAVE: “I'm not shy like now but I am when in front of a lot of people. Marc's got something that really holds people's attention. He's more of a showman. I'm not interested in being a performer. I've never concentrated on it. I never needed to. I always relied on Marc.”

Were you unhappy with ‘In Strict Tempo’? DAVE: “I probably said something like I wasn't totally satisfied with it. It's not really meant to be thought as an album in that sense of being a collection of songs ... It wasn't released with intention of being a chart album. The ideas for new Soft Cell album were initially ideas I got from doing ‘In Strict Tempo’. It was testing ground. People try to read too much ... Like the track ‘Rednecks’. People actually thought I was being serious. The funnest thing is that people from America see the joke but English people don't seem to see it's a total pisstake of that area of America and the country music and the bigotry.”

A lot of tongue in cheek, isn't it? DAVE: “Of course ... Yeah, like on that tribal number, the voices on that are speak and spell.”

I thought it was you (why did I have to say that?) DAVE: “I think maybe I disguised the fact that it was a synthesiser and electronic too well. I just thought the idea of using one of them for a tribal chant was quite amusing!”

Did you get emotional doing the last Soft Cell gig at the Palais? DAVE: “No, I was more emotional doing the video for ‘Soul Inside’. Y'know tearing up the posters. That was the first point when it sunk in, ‘this is coming to an end’, but I don't feel upset about it because we're happy with what we're leaving behind.”

What is this film you've done the soundtrack for? DAVE: “It's called Decoder, a German film. I think they've completed it now. It's going to be shown at the German film festival and I think they'll dub it over in English so it will probably be shown at a few cinemas over here. Maybe just the ICA or bigger cinemas. It's also going to be released on video.” “The film is about muzac, the sort that's used in supermarkets and hamburger joints. Some of the music is by Neubauten, in fact Mufti is the star of the film and William Bouroughs and Christiane F are in it as well. Gen (Genesis P) makes a cameo appearance as an underground preacher. It's quite interesting. Mufti discovers a way of making anti-muzac so instead of pacifying people like muzac does, ot antogonises them and causes riots. I suppose it's very heavy and bleak, very German.”

Future plans? DAVE: “I'm writing a couple of things for Psychic TV to return the compliment for Gen appearing on my album and I'm supposed to be writing some material for Cristina (of Ze records). Do you know her?”

Sort of. DAVE: “I had a meeting with her and Michael Zikha in America late last year. Anybody who asks me if I'm interested in writing or contributing, if it sounds interesting, I do it. “I still want to have a main thing you could call it a group, but ot might end up as a just a couple of people and myself, but again it'll be different from Soft Cell.”

Are you still going to work with Alan Vega? DAVE: “I don't know about that anymore. We talked about it a year and a half ago and nothing happened. His attitude that came over in Zigzag ... I didn't like the way he made me feel guilty as if I owed him a favour. The only similarities between Soft Cell and Suicide was the fact that there were two people, one of them singing and the other playing a keyboard and they used a drum machine. But because we said in an early interview we really liked Suicide, people think they were a direct influence and we were trying to copy them but there's nothing similar at all. I wouldn't want to work with him because he feels I owe him something.”

Is there much unreleased stuff that might see the light in the wake of Soft Cell? DAVE: “There are loads of songs we did when we first started, but we'd never release those, they were just backroom demos. “I think everything we've recorded after this album comes out and the single will have been released. That's one reason why the album is a bit longer than normal. It's because we wanted to make sure everything came out. I hate the idea of leaving stuff unreleased because you never know a year later you might be doing something else and somebody decides to release something you didn't want out then ...”

... and you don't want out now. DAVE: “It's like what they're doing with John Lennon. He's an amazing bloke, still doing albums and he's dead. Pretty good that! “I find it sick. It would be alright if it was just released to make it available to the fans but they're not ... it's tasteless.”

We are both chainsmoking. I catch a glimpse of Sooty flickering away in silence on a small black and white telly in the corner. Dave plays me a really jazzy instrumental continuation of Soul Inside. It's wonderfully chaotic but since you're unlikely to ever hear it on with the interview.

Will you do anymore singing? DAVE: “You call that singing?”

Yeah. DAVE: “Possibly doing backing vocals.”

Don't you have any confidence in yourself as a singer? DAVE: “No, it's bad enough if I'm in the studio. I get embarrassed and nervous if it's just me and the microphone with an audience it would just be a joke.”

These questions must be really boring, maybe I should ask your favourite color. DAVE: (laughs) “It's blue.”

Have you got a strange sense of humour? DAVE: “I like black comedy ... Friday the 13th and stuff. I sit back and laugh at them, always the same plot. They know there's an axe murderer wandering around and the first thing they do is split up and go searching around the woods.”

Have you seen ‘The Thing’? DAVE: “I didn't find that funny. That made me feel quite sick.”

What time do you get up? DAVE: “Sometimes I get really lazy and don't get up 'till two in the afternoon and then I have phases of getting up early. I suppose on average between ten and twelve.”

Do you believe in witches? DAVE: “Yes, I believe in witchcraft, I'm quite interested in that. I've read books. I'm not a practising magician or anything ... Music is a form of magic.”

Are there any causes you feel sympathetic towards like CND? DAVE: “I'm sympathetic to the idea of nuclear disarmament and everything but I wouldn't go out and campaign. If everyone in the country said we don't want nuclear weapons it wouldn't make a scrap of difference because the government doesn't represent the people and big business are behind them. Money is more important to them than people.”

Do you have any phobias? DAVE: “Sometimes walking down Oxford Street if there are lots of people I get paranoid ... I don't like flying ...”

Do you mind if I use the bathroom again? DAVE: “No.”

— * Linda Rowell is actually Mick Mercer, main editor of the magazine at the time as well