#pulled from the rockers spotlight issue

[razor-ramons-thighs]

[natromanxoff]

Queen live at National Bowl in Milton Keynes, UK - June 5, 1982 (Part-1)

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It was originally intended for the band to play this concert at Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, but it was moved to Milton Keynes for the same reason the Leeds show wasn't played at the famed Old Trafford. It's also worth noting that the band wanted to play at London's famous Royal Albert Hall as well, but the plan was never orchestrated as there was much fear that the weight of Queen's lighting rig would make the ceiling cave in. An early tour itinerary listed two London shows (June 4 and 5) on the agenda. The Teardrop Explodes were among the bands (the same line-up as last week in Leeds) who opened for Queen at this show. Their guitarist, Julian Cope, stood before about 40 thousand Queen fans and introduced the next song as being probably the best song they had ever heard, prompting someone near the stage to throw a toilet seat at him, which missed (people are known to bring cameras and certain substances to concerts, but toilet seats?). Lemonade bottles were then thrown at the guitarist which he tossed back into the audience. The complete Queen concert was filmed. A shortened video was shown on UK TV on a show called "The Tube" in January 1983 (omitting Action This Day, the bit of Las Palabras de Amor, Back Chat, Get Down Make Love, part of the guitar solo, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Another One Bites The Dust, and Sheer Heart Attack), and on MTV in the US in August 1983 (the latter was a simulcast, with the audio being broadcast on FM radio in stereo, on the west coast, at least). The video was edited by Gavin Taylor, who was later invited by the band to direct the now famous video at Wembley Stadium in 1986. An even shorter version (about 50 minutes long) of the Milton Keynes video was shown on UK TV in 2001 (and many times since). Both the Milton Keynes and Wembley shows would eventually be released on DVD uncut. The 2004 official release of this show (both on CD and DVD) is called "Queen On Fire: Live At The Bowl". The DVD is a beautiful document of Queen's show at the time, packed full of classic Queen moments. There are also extras from 1982 shows in Vienna and Tokyo. After a great version of Play The Game, Freddie essentially apologizes to the audience for much of the latest album's content: "Now most of you know that we've got some new songs out in the last week. For what it's worth we're gonna do a few songs in the funk/black category, whatever you call it. That doesn't mean we've lost our rock and roll feel, okay? I mean it's only a bloody record. People get so excited about these things! We just wanna try out a few songs. This is Staying Power." For some reason part of the speech was removed for the CD release of "Live At The Bowl." Without a doubt this is his definitive live delivery of the song, pulling off all of the stops. Mercury is at his peak tonight. Somebody To Love has been a vocal adventure of Freddie's for the past couple years. His intro is different every night, as is his solo spot towards the end. The version captured here on film is surely one of his best. Before launching into the familiar piano theme, he asks the audience in a moment for the ages, "Are you ready?" And in excitement, "Huh? Are you ready brothers and sisters?" Part way through his vocal exchange with the audience in Now I'm Here, Freddie says, "C'mon, we're gonna make you sing like Aretha Franklin." At the end of the successful duel, he jokingly says, "Right, you can join the band!" The r&b influence is never more evident than it is here, and it makes for a classic version of the song. Brian breaks a string just before his guitar solo in Dragon Attack. While he switches to a Red Special copy, John Deacon gets to play the bass solo as it's heard on the record - the one and only time he has the chance to do it. It's on the fly, and he nails it note for note. "Las Palabras de Amor" was released as a single a few days ago, and Brian plays a small bit of it on his 12-string acoustic before Love Of My Life. He then mentions how the band won't be playing their "song of peace" tonight, as he calls it. This remains the only show where the Hot Space ballad would be referenced. Brian's guitar briefly cuts out during his solo spot, a moment that was edited out of the 1983 TV broadcasts (and slightly edited on the CD release) but seen uncut on the DVD. Brian's guitar tech is seen rushing on and off stage within seconds, having quickly resolved the issue (it was likely a sticky pickup switch). About half way through Sheer Heart Attack, Brian sneaks in the riff from I Go Crazy an octave up, and much faster, to match the tempo of the energetic News Of The World rocker. The song would be dropped from the set after this show, only to emerge again late in the pending North American tour. This would be Morgan Fisher's last show with the band as the touring keyboardist. A number of theories abound about his departure, including butting heads with Mercury's personal manager Paul Prenter or his apparent fear of flying, but it was simply a case of him moving on to other gigs (Fisher confirmed in a 2009 interview that he has never been afraid of airplanes). The CD and DVD releases would be patched up a bit, most notably in the third verse of Fat Bottomed Girls where Freddie's voice cracked badly on "locality," as well as for "now I'm here, now I'm there." Roger's timing with the guitar delays at the end of May's solo spot was bit off at the show, but this is fixed up as well. The sound quality as a whole is much better than the broadcasts, but there are a couple differences in the mix - some of Brian's backing vocals (particularly at the end of Somebody To Love) can be clearly heard in the broadcast mix but were brought down for the official releases, and compression has been added to Roger's snare drum, giving it a much fatter sound compared to Queen Rock Montreal. Brian May and Roger Taylor are interviewed before the show, as shown on the Bowl DVD and the original TV broadcasts. Brian reveals that he really enjoys playing Play The Game. He explains, "You've done your leaping about, and you've made your statement on your entry. And then you can settle down and start really playing something." Roger says his current favourite is Under Pressure. On the day before this show Freddie's boyfriend at the time had bitten him between his thumb and forefinger during a fight, causing it to bleed profusely and require stitches. On the DVD, Freddie is seen tossing the bandage around just before coming on stage. The sixth picture was submitted by Fabio Minero, and the eighth is from Alessio Rizzitelli. The second set was taken by Brenski.

(x)

Fan Stories

“At the time, I was living on the Mull Of Kintyre on the West coast of Scotland. I remember being elated at getting tickets for the last gig of the UK tour. I always tried to get 'last night' tickets, because the band were famous for always going a little more 'over the top' on each of their tour's final nights. So, we drove down from Scotland, which took an eternity with fuel and meal stops, and stayed at the in-law's on the south coast of England. The next day we set for the 'new-town' of Milton Keynes, about 100 miles or so, away. We got there quite early before the gates opened and the weather was unsettled, lightly raining for about five minutes nearly every other hour. The support bands for the day were 'Teardrop Explodes', who had a fairly big hit with a song called 'Reward'. I quite liked Julian Cope and his band, but this WAS a rock gig, and the audience weren't generally as receptive to this brass backed 'new romantic' style of music. The customary sea of lemonade bottles headed towards the stage ensued. Now it was over twenty years ago, and the memory starts to fade a bit after a while, so I'm not sure whether 'Heart' were next on, or 'Joan Jett and the Blackhearts'. Either way, both bands played well, and were most enjoyable. Joan Jett had recently had a very big hit with 'I Love Rock'n'Roll' (very recently covered by Britney Spears), and the crowd loved that one. This was prior to 'Heart' having a major hit in the UK, but they were at that time an established and well known band. Looking at the stage, there were these items that looked like little vehicles hanging from the gantry, we later found out that these were individual self contained lighting platforms with a guy sat in each directing three spotlights wherever they were required to do so. The Queen set itself started with an extended backing tape from the intro of Flash Gordon. Most of you will have seen the video of this gig, so I won't labour on about what they played too much. Only that the crowd, as a whole, weren't into the 'Hot Space' numbers that much. Personally, I was watching my favourite band, so I didn't really care what they played, as long as it was theirs. The bits cut out of the video, included an intro to 'Las Palabras De Amor' from Brian, (just before 'Love Of My Life'), though they never actually played the whole song, Brian announced that they were not doing their song of peace tonight. Brian's two-day guitar solo was edited out, as was 'Fat Bottomed Girls', the intro harmonies on this did come across as pretty iffy, and of all songs, they also edited out 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love', much to my disappointment, as I'd heckled Freddie about his ability as a guitarist, and 'stone me', he only went and answered me. Knebworth '86 was a much better show, but I know I'm lucky enough to have had the honour to be able to compare them.”  - Steve_C/Kes

Part-2

Part-3

[crashdevlin]

Turned Sideways 5- The Big D

Turned Sideways Masterlist

Author’s Note:  It’s the fifth chapter of my slow burn Rockstar AU! Enjoy! The lyrics within are mine.

Summary: Dean takes Y/n on a little tour to get her name out there.

Pairing(s):  Rockstar!Dean x Plus-sized!Reader, Rockstar!Dean x Lisa Braeden-Winchester

Word count: 3314

Story Warnings: some drinking, some self esteem issues, some flirting and junk

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Look at that. Your first marquee," Dean said, pointing to a sign outside of a nightclub in Wichita. The sign said DEAN WINCHESTER PRESENTS Y/N Y/L/N and I know that most of the people showing up that night were gonna be there for a glimpse at him, but...there was my name. “You excited?”

“Yeah. Nervous, but definitely excited.”

“Well, I’ll be on stage with you the whole time. I’ll be on the drums, right behind you.” I nodded, taking a deep breath as he pulled in behind the big black Chevy Astro carrying the equipment. I recognized the guy unloading the van immediately. Dean looked over at me and smiled. “You remember Benny, right?”

I nodded as we both moved to get out of the Impala. “Of course I remember Benny!”

“He’s your roadie slash bass player for this little tour,” Dean said, pulling Benny into a hug.

“Oh, so we’re a three-piece!” I exclaimed. “I thought it was just gonna be guitar and drums!”

“When BBD started, there were three of us. That’s a good starting sound. And Benny is a badass on the strings. He just doesn’t wanna be on the big stage.”

“You already got a bass player, Dean. I don’t think the fans would like you replacing your bruddah wit’ you buddy.”

“Well, at least I got you to agree to this,” Dean said, smiling. “Four shows in four cities in two weeks! Let’s do this shit!”

I laughed as he grabbed a guitar case. “Gimme that. Grab an amp, Mr. Muscles,” I said, pulling the guitar out of his hand.

“Listen to her, acting like she’s in charge,” he said, chuckling as he leaned into the van and grabbed a small amp.

“It is her tour, ain’ it?”

“Yeah, well, it’s ‘Dean Winchester presents’ her tour so-” He started walking toward the loading door and Benny and I followed. “And besides, she barely wanted this tour. I had to convince her, didn’t I, princess?” My cheeks got hot but I didn’t respond, focusing on following him into my first venue.

“Dean!” a happy voice screeched as a skinny blond threw herself at him. He had just enough time to set the amp down before her arms were around his neck and her feet were in the air. “Mama told me you’d be comin’ but I didn’t think I’d get to see you!”

“Come on, Jo, you know I’d find a reason to see you!” Dean said, a bit muffled by her shoulder in his face.

She pulled back and put her hands on her hips. “Well, you haven’t the last three times you been in town,” she snapped.

“Well, the last couple times I’ve been here, it’s been BBD tours, stadium tours. I didn’t have time to stop into the Roadhouse. I’m sorry. Been busy, kid.” He cleared his throat and reached out to put a hand on my shoulder. “Jo, this is your headliner for tonight, Y/n. Y/n, this is Jo Harvelle, her mother owns the Roadhouse.”

“Nice to meet’cha,” Jo said, offering her hand, which I took. “I’ve known this big idiot since I was a teenager. It’s good to see him finally put a woman in the spotlight.”

“I told you, Jo...if you could sing-”

“I can sing just fine!” she shrieked.

Dean shook his head and laughed. “No, sweetheart, you can’t. After you hear Y/n, you’ll recognize what good sounds like.” My face went hot at the praise and I turned to distract myself with Benny, but he was already out the door to get more equipment. “Did you listen to the song I sent your mom?”

“Yeah! She’s good! I could hear you in some’a them lyrics, though!”

“Well, we wrote the songs together, so of course you did,” he said, turning to me with a smile. “She’s real nervous, can you tell?”

“She got’chu to get her through, Dean. Now, stop flirtin’ with Jo and help me get the stage set up,” Benny said, coming in with part of the drum set.

“Why don’t you go get set up in the back room? Change your clothes, do your makeup, all that shit?” Dean suggested and I nodded.

“I’ll show you where, sweetie.” Jo took my arm and guided me down a hallway to a small room with a lot of lighting and a small vanity. “He talks highly of you,” she said as I pulled my bag off and set it on the chair. She almost sounded jealous.

“Oh. He’s just being nice,” I covered. She didn’t need to know that he’d been flirting and tried to get me to sleep with him. No one needed to know that.

“Well, if he’s just bein’ nice, then why do his eyes get all shiny when he’s talkin’ about you?”

She didn’t give me a chance to respond to that one, slipping out of the dressing room and closing the door behind her.

My stomach was in knots as I got ready, putting on my best outfit and messing with my hair, trying to figure out the appropriate amount of makeup for a Rock n’ Roll debut, while going through lyrics and chords in my head, terrified of fucking up my own songs at my first ever show.

“You’re not gonna fuck up,” Dean said, walking into the dressing room and dropping his own bag on the chair next to mine. I looked up at him, surprised he knew what I was thinking. “I can hear you worrying from the stage,” he answered, unzipping his bag and pulling out a CBGB shirt. “And if you do fuck up, which you won’t, you just keep going. Rockers forget lyrics and chords all the time, Y/n. Look at, uh, look at Green Day. Mike Dirnt was so high when he wrote the bass lick for Longview that he forgot it, had to rewrite the whole thing. Billie Joe fucked up the beginning of Good Riddance and left it on the album because fucking up is quintessential Rock. Don’t worry about fucking up. Just have fun.”

“Okay. Don’t worry, fucking up is-” I started to coach myself, but Dean pulled his shirt off over his head and I lost my train of thought. Fuck, he’s gorgeous. I made myself look away as he pulled the clean shirt over his head. “Fucking up is normal,” I finished, focusing on my makeup in the mirror.

“Go crazy with the black eyeliner, kid. It’ll make your eyes pop,” he said, pulling out an eyeliner pencil and starting to apply his own.

“They’ll literally never look as good as yours.” I tried, though. Had to try.

“Listen, you’re gonna do awesome. Remember how nervous you were before you got up on stage with us the first time?” he asked, sitting on the arm of my chair and looking down at me. “You thought you were gonna mess up our show and you didn’t. You took us to new levels, princess. You’re gonna fucking rock this.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Dean.”

“You’re welcome. Now, let’s get this going,” he winked at me before heading out of the dressing room.

Benny took me to wait in the area behind the stage and stood with me as Dean took the stage for a bunch of screaming fans. His fans, but...maybe soon to be mine, too?

“Oh, shit, they got a lot’a y’all in here, didn’t they? Don’t anybody call the fire marshall, we’re gonna get shut down,” he greeted them with a laugh. “I’m so fuckin’ happy you guys showed up! I don’t know if any of you were at the Kansas City show a few months back, but we had a special guest that night and I’m tellin’ ya, she has a big future in Rock and you guys are getting in on the ground fuckin’ floor! She’s a little on the softer end of the Rock spectrum, a bit more soapstone than granite, but that’s okay! We’re sure you’re gonna love her any-fuckin’-way! I sure do. Give my girl a big round of applause; Y/n Y/l/n!”

There were so many people. Not as many as at the BBD show, but still...so many people. There to see me. Dean patted my shoulder and headed for the drumset as Benny walked on and picked up the bass. I made a show of stepping out of the way of the drumset, moving the microphone stand over. “That’s better, right? Everyone can see Dean now, right?” I said into the mic. “I mean, be honest, y’all aren’t here for me. You’re here for his pretty face.” The audience laughed and I smiled, turning back to him. “And you guys are lucky. You’re about to hear a side of Dean Winchester that most people don’t know exists. He wrote these, I just played ‘Bottom of the Pyramid’ cheerleader for him.”

“One, that’s a lie!” he said into his microphone. “You had just as much hand in these songs as I did, princess, and B, no fat jokes!”

“Says the man whose only flaw is his bowlegs,” I said, smirking as the audience laughed again. Banter, I can do. "No, he's right. I did some of the work on the EP so I do have a bit of bragging rights here. So we’re happy to present some love songs!”

“Nonono, Dean Winchester doesn’t write love songs!” he disputed from behind me and I groaned dramatically.

“Fine! Songs about love, not love songs,” I acquiesced before he counted us in for a song called ‘Bad 4 Me’.

It was easy...and I didn't fuck up. I got us through those six songs like I'd done it a million times before. And they cheered, they liked it. It was easy...and I loved it.

Dean wouldn't let me help with the breakdown after. Jo handed me a bottle of whiskey and sent me back to the dressing room. I had a few sips while I waited, called my parents to tell them how amazing my first show was, searched Twitter for 280 character reviews of my performance. Mostly positive. Wow.

"You said you love me," I said when Dean walked in. I was a little tipsy, I'm not gonna lie. A little tipsy and a lot high on the adrenaline of the night.

"Did I?" he asked, flopping down on the little loveseat sofa with me and picking up the bottle from between my legs where I was holding it still. “When’d I do that?”

“When you were intro-ing me. You said that they were gonna love me ‘cause you do,” I said, giggling.

“Shit, you are a happy, cute, little drunk, aren’t you?” he said, smirking as he took a drink of the whiskey. He bit his bottom lip as he looked over at me. “Yeah, I said that...and they fuckin’ loved you, didn’t they?” His voice went husky and my throat went dry at the way he was looking at me. “Fuckin’ natural-born rock star.”

I looked away and shook my head. “Bad idea,” I whispered.

“What is?” he asked, pushing the whiskey bottle back between my legs and holding it against the seam of my jeans.

“Drinking. Drink was a bad idea,” I whispered as he leaned closer to my ear. I had to tell myself to stay strong, stay good, don’t give in to the fact that he had a bottle pressing against a very intimate part of me. “You’re too close, Dean.”

“You’re right. Too close. I should back off,” he said, letting go of the bottle and setting his hand on my thigh. “Can’t take advantage of your mental state. You’re drunk.”

“Right.” I cleared my throat and stood, taking a deep breath. “Hotel?”

He chuckled and stood. “Yeah. Let’s get some rest, rock star.”

“You are,” was the only retort I had. Yeah. I’m a scientist, y’all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I avoided drinking the next two weeks of traveling with Dean and Benny. It was too tempting for both of us to do the wrong thing if we lowered our inhibitions. But we had fun. We traveled from Kansas to Oklahoma to Texas and the people who saw us perform, they loved it. They loved our music, they loved my voice. There were mentions of my weight, of course, but most people didn’t even care. It was amazing.

The club in Austin was big, the biggest club I’d ever seen, let alone played. Dean and I were in the back, playing guitar and warming our vocal cords up, when a knock came to the door. “Yeah?” Dean called, setting his acoustic aside.

“We got a problem, bruddah,” Benny said, opening the door and stepping inside. “Lisa here.”

My eyes went wide. Dean said she wasn’t going to give a damn about what he was doing, in their hometown or not. “Where?”

“At the bar wit’ a martini an’ a pissed off look on ‘er face. She waitin’ on you...an’ she wanna talk to Y/n, too.”

I shook my head. I couldn’t talk to her. Dean could see the panic in my eyes, so he patted my knee and stood. “I’ll talk to her. You don’t have to say a thing...but if you wanted to come with me…”

“Not especially.”

He chuckled and nodded. “Gotta love your honesty.” He slipped out of the room and left me and Benny behind.

“It’s never good when she show up,” Benny said. “An’ she on her jealousy today.”

“Jealousy?” I asked.

“Yeah. She ask me about you. She wanna know if you an’ Dean been sleepin’ together.”

“We haven’t!” I exclaimed.

“I tol’ her!” Benny assured me. “Tol’ her I been sharin’ a hotel room with ‘im an’ you been in your own the whole time. Don’ worry, you.”

I let out a sigh of relief and ran my hand down my face. “God, this is so stupid.”

“‘Bout time for him ta serve ‘er papers. They been on the outs for years,” Benny said, sitting backwards in a chair and looking at me. “He’s afraid’a losin’ that boy, but he don’t got him at this point, anyway.” I nodded. “An’ Lisa been a bitch since the day he met her...never did understand why he married ‘er.”

I swallowed and started to leave. “I think he might need a little backup.” I made my way down the halls to the bar. Dean was sitting on a bar stool next to a brunette, leaning close, a beer on the bartop in front of him. I’d seen pictures of her before and I knew she was tall and thin, sexy and gorgeous. If she weren’t such a bitch, I’d say she was exactly what he deserved.

“I swear to fuckin’ God, Lisa, if you say some shit like that again-” Dean practically growled at her.

“You really didn’t think I’d notice, Dean?! You practically declared your love for that fatass hussy in Wichita! You think I wouldn’t see the video? See how you looked at her the whole time she’s singing songs you wrote about being unable to have her? I told you, after your little stunt putting her onstage in Kansas City, that I was not okay with-”

A flash of rage rushed over me at her words. ‘Fatass’ maybe, but ‘hussy’? I am not and never have been a hussy.

“She’s not a hussy, you stupid cunt, and she might be bigger than your stick-figure ass, but at least she’s not a money-grubbing whore!” Dean snapped. He scoffed and clenched his fists. “You know, you are the absolute worst woman I have ever met and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to realize that.”

“Dean, please. You wanna talk about ‘the worst’? How about-”

“No, I don’t wanna talk about anything with you, Lisa. We’ve talked ourselves round and round in circles and everything is my fault and you hate everything I do, so why don’t we just end it, huh?” He picked up his beer and dropped his feet off of the bar stool. “I want a divorce.”

“Dean!” she exclaimed, obviously not expecting that answer from him. “You can’t-”

“I can...and you know what? I’m glad I didn’t sleep with Y/n. I would hate for you to get anything outta that prenup.”

“What about Ben?” she bellowed.

Dean rolled his eyes and stepped away from her, finally noticing me in the hallway. “I’ll take care’a Ben. But I’m done financing you.” He walked over to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Now, get the hell outta here...you’re putting my girl off her game.”

“Did you really just do that?” I whispered as he walked us back toward the dressing room.

“I’ve been thinkin’ about it for months...it’s best for everyone.” He pushed me lightly into the wall outside the dressing room and ran his knuckles down my cheek. “And the sooner I go from ‘Practically divorced’ to ‘Actually divorced’, the sooner I can kiss you.”

“You’re gonna-” I started but he just smiled. “I can’t believe you’re really going to--I don’t--”

“Look, kid, you’re not the reason, but you are a light at the end of a very dark tunnel...and I don’t wanna wait anymore. Benny told me I shoulda filed the minute I started fantasizing about you...and he is right...because if I’d done that, we could be having sex after the shows instead of going straight to sleep like old people.”

“Not ‘old people’, responsible college students,” I said, pointing to myself.

He chuckled and ran his hand up to cup my cheek. “You have no business being so damn cute.” My face heated up at his words and the way he was looking at me. I can’t believe he really-- “Now, let’s go finish gettin’ that pretty voice warmed up.”

We went back to the dressing room, did our trills and hums, and eventually were called to the stage. I stood behind the stage and waited while Dean got up on stage. “Austin! It’s nice to see some friendly faces! You are the last group of lucky motherfuckers who get to see my girl in all her unsigned, Indie glory. After this show, you’re gonna have to pay major label prices to see her…’cause I got a call from Reprise this morning and they’re signing her!”

My eyes went wide. He hadn’t said anything. Reprise wanted me?!

“So, give Y/n a big fuckin’ hand. Me, too, since I discovered her.”

Benny pushed me out onto the stage and I gave Dean an exasperated look. “You didn’t tell me!”

“It was a surprise!”

I chuckled and shook my head, picking up a guitar and stepping up to the mic. “Excuse me, guys, I gotta get my head around the fact that Reprise gives a fuck about me. I can’t--wow!” The audience cheered for me and I just chuckled again. “Okay, well, let’s...let’s give these people a show, Dean!”

“Hell yeah!” Dean shouted, counting us into ‘Forbidden’...which was exactly the kind of song his wife was bitching about, with lyrics like ‘Forbidden to touch, forbidden to taste, I was that lone apple in the garden, and I know just why you came here, ‘cause I am forbidden’ it was the most heavily pining song we wrote. No wonder he started our setlist on that one after his confrontation with Lisa.

It was a great show and it was a perfect note to go out on. “Reprise is gonna send someone with a contract on Monday. You ready for this, princess?” he asked as we loaded up the van.

“Are you gonna stick by me?” I asked, leaning against the side of the van.

“Always.” His tone made my knees a little weak.

“Then I’m ready,” I whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[gimmetheheadcanons]

Sinners & Scapegoats 5/?

A/N: This is a little long. I’m kinda sorry for the slow pace of this story and wrote this as a way to thank you for your patience. I’m really into slow burns (but feel free to let me know if I’m taking it that to the extreme.) Just a quick note: I re-watched some scenes from 5x12 so some of the dialogue here is inspired by that. You all may have noticed I enjoy using lines from the canon quite differently. 

read chapter one   chapter two    chapter three    chapter 4

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5. Observations

 They walked the empty school halls in silence. Rick watched the back of Michonne’s head in front of him. As the last of the light from the gym refused to follow and the hallways darkened, Rick focussed not on what he was leaving behind but what lay ahead.

Carl.

He had thought himself so careful and smart but as the conflict with Lori escalated, sad, sad secrets kept inside for so long, threatened to spill out into the clear light of day. It was arrogance on both their accounts, to think that a kid at that age wouldn’t notice his mother sneaking in and out of the guest room before the crack of dawn. Or that his father pulled every excuse he could out of his hat to avoid family dinners.

And what of himself, Rick wondered, what was it that he was determined not to hear? To see. To finally take heed. This woman before him; leading him to her classroom, with the promise of grave news regarding the emotional welfare of his boy. This mysterious woman somehow inserting herself into broken families without waiting for an invitation but because it was the right thing to do. Or the man, the friend he left behind with his son, doing the same thing in his own way – playing the surrogate father no one asked him to.

And possibly more.

Rick felt his head throb, his tired eyes welcoming the darkness but his heart wondering when things would become less so.

Once they arrived in the room, Michonne switched on a small desk lamp before pulling out a sketchbook from her drawer.

“This is Carl’s, from last year.” She said flicking through the pages for a second. “I asked the kids to bring them in when I first started so we could do a lesson on our art journey and inspirations.”

She handed him the book and Rick took a quick look at the pages.

He’d seen this before, several colorful drawings of comic book characters, some Rick recognized as already established icons from popular books and others, original creations from his son’s impressive imagination. Carl’s favorites were recreated on the larger poster pages decorating his bedroom wall.

“Carl is a big fan of superheroes.”

“Aren’t we all.” Michonne replied smiling but her tone implying there was more in store.  

“Here is his book from earlier this year.” She continued, handing him a second sketchbook. “Mrs. Randall, their previous teacher, wrote a couple of notes for you and Lori to see.”

Sure enough, there it was – in the scratchy writing of the elderly woman – everything Rick had been trying to ignore. Underneath a chilling picture of a wailing woman with bony hands grabbing at her hollowed out cheeks, her eyes empty pits and her stringy hair filling the entire page like a web she couldn’t escape.

Utter despair.

This is a still life class Carl you can draw movie monsters in your own time!

There was more, Rick flipped through the book to find many black and white pictures in the same vein. An empty baby stroller. A turned over patrol car. A house with no windows. A silhouette of a woman, hunched over as if crying, sitting in a rocker with her back to the viewer.

Inappropriate imagery. See me at break.

Rick swallowed hard before finally speaking.

“It’s grim.”

“It is.” Michonne agreed in a soft voice.

“Now I’m all for emotional expression, but the way Carl engages with his class mates and then what is reflected in his art –  it just doesn’t seem very emotionally healthy.”

“And you’re blaming me for this.”

He closed the book slowly, pushing it back into Michonne’s hands as if it burned in his.

“No Rick. I’m not.” She said gently placing the book on her desk before stepping closer and taking hold of his hands. Rick closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Her comforting tones couldn’t reach him.

“I just wanted you to know. You should be made aware when things aren’t right.” She sounded like she had a story of her own to tell, a warning playing on her lips of something worse.

He felt sick. Imagining his happy little boy in a state of perpetual sadness.

Dark thoughts swirling underneath that beautiful head of dark hair.

Dark enough to do what?

Suddenly shuddering at the unthinkable places his mind had managed to go, Rick withdrew from Michonne.

“I’m sorry but I’m concerned.” She said in her teacher voice, reverting to her cool professional and somewhat distant self.

Feeling the immense weight of guilt, Rick reverted to what he knew best – denial.  

“We’re fine.”  He said then stubbornly repeating himself a little louder.

“Lori and I are fine. And now I know Carl will be fine.”

Michonne looked taken aback, her eyes wide and a hint of disgust forming on her face crushing Rick. Instead of speaking, she grabbed the sketchbook off the table, turned it to a page in the back and shoved it angrily into his chest.

Breathing heavily, Rick took a look.

It was a picture of a hat in a spotlight, his own sheriff’s one, on the floor of what was unmistakably a representation of their living room – wrecked.

“I need to go.”

It was all Rick managed to whisper before turning to escape a place that felt suffocating. Once in the hall, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath and take in what he’d just seen. A depiction of his failure in his son’s eyes.

There was no ounce of doubt, the banshee like woman who kept reappearing on page after page, emanating waves of sorrow and anguish was his Lori, abandoned by a man whose vows amounted to nothing.

Despite his best efforts, his son had a front seat ticket to the breakdown of his marriage and worse, he blamed him for it.

Michonne’s approaching footsteps pulled Rick out of his thoughts.

He couldn’t bear to look at her. To hear her voice.

Not now. Not after this.

“I’m sorry Ms. Anthony,” he said quickly turning to meet her. “I made you uncomfortable with my earlier remarks. It really was just a thoughtless comment. Thank you for showing me Carl’s book but if you don’t mind, I think I should return to my family.”

A face full of regret and pity was staring at him.

Even in the shadowy hall they saw each other. Completely.

“What will it take for you to believe this is real?” She begged him.

Rick rubbed his face. “Stop it. Please, Michonne. Not you too.”

He was sick of this, sick of the blame being laid at his feet, sick of being looked to for answers and consistently coming up with a big fat pile of nothingness. Sick of doing, sick of not.

“I’m doing my best.” He yelled hoping she would listen. “For Carl’s sake.”

“Do you know what that’s like, feeling like you’re the only one trying to hold together the pieces? Grasping at something you’re no longer sure exists”

Her eyes hardened. “No one asked you to just get by. To just survive.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.” He demanded, stepping in closer. Undeterred by the visible anger on his face, Michonne met him with a defiant expression of her own.

“Your only commitment should be to Carl and what’s best for him.” She said flatly and with unblinking eyes. “Everything else is an excuse.”

Outraged Rick lashed out to make himself feel better.

“Why are you so interested in the state of my marriage? Why really?”

Michonne shot him the iciest look possible.

Rick stopped for a moment, recognizing how far he had gone. The woman in front of him had done nothing untoward. She attempted to alert him to a deeper issue he’d been ignoring and as thanks he decided to tear into her. Exposing his own weakness and shameless desires as a man. Projecting onto her feelings he had no way of knowing were in anyway reciprocated.

Visibly offended and deeply disappointed, Michonne shook her head before leaving him behind.

“I’m s-.”

Rick began, attempting to make amends but she wouldn’t hear it.

“No Rick.” She said simply, turning around just once to strike him down with her words. “This is yours to deal with. Not mine.”

Rick opened his mouth to speak but then decidedly shut it, settling on a remorseful nod instead.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other parents I need to greet.” Michonne’s detached teacher voice was back. “I’ll make sure to come say hello to Mrs. Grimes when she arrives.”

If Rick ever heard a threat, that was it.

---------------------

They returned to the gym separately, Rick joining his son and best friend and Michonne disappearing into a crowd of parents and kids.

When he met up with Carl, the boy had Shane Walsh practically eating out his hand, the grown man seemed to be gushing over Carl’s work and showering him with praise and attention. The kids around them looked on with envy and Carl delighted with his cool grownup cop friend.

Rick acknowledged his partner with a small nod. The childish innocent smile beaming at him as he approached was the handiwork of Shane and Rick was grateful.

He then embraced his son, kissing him on the head and squeezing a little harder than a teen would’ve liked to be hugged in front of an audience of peers.  

“Dad.” Carl whispered blushing at the gesture.

Rick smiled a little, relieved to see he hadn’t emerged from that room to an entirely different world.

He was determined, at least for the time being, to leave behind the sketchbook and all the nightmares it contained.

Except reality had other plans.

It took Rick a moment to fully take in what he was seeing in front of him.

It was a charcoal drawing of two dark shadowy figures, hand in hand, with their backs to him, walking down a road. Faceless but not genderless, the figure on the right had feminine curves, the one on the left the frame of a tall, lean man. The road they were on was a clearing in a heavy forest of towering curved trees, boxing them in.

“It’s called The Way Back.”

“It’s about how we can get lost sometimes, like Hansel and Gretel and how when things are scary, all we can do is try and find a way back.”

“Ms. Anthony helped me name it.” Carl admitted, Rick noticed he had a slightly sad smile on his face. “I didn’t really have a name for it. I just started drawing not knowing what it was gonna be until it was finished.”

Rick had no words. At least none, that wouldn’t end with him shaking the shoulders of the small boy in front of him to stop.  

Thankfully Shane stepped in with his own commentary.

“That’s sure one hell of a picture buddy.” He said clapping Carl on the back. “Deep as a bottomless well. Making the rest of the competition look like a bunch of squiggly line drawing pre-schoolers.”

Carl’s face turned red.

“Shane.” He muttered, signalling with his eyes to the blond boy next to him.

Shane smiled awkwardly before apologizing. “Sorry. You did a great job too Kyle. Really like the use of…red in your one.”

“Kevin.” Rick said quietly, correcting his friend. But it was too late, the damage had been done and young Kevin was evidently unimpressed by Shane Walsh’s lack of respect.

“Yeah. Kevin. That’s what I said. Isn’t that what I said? Anyway, great job kid.”

With a sour look on his face, Kevin left to find his own parents.

“Thanks for that one Shane,” Carl groaned. “I’m sure Kev’s gonna mad about that for at least a week.”

Shane simply shrugged. “Hey not my fault you artistic types are so damn sensitive!” He said playfully chiding Carl until he too was laughing at the incident.

Rick couldn’t help but watch his son more carefully throughout the rest of the evening. The boy was doing everything Michonne had warned. Laughing louder than everyone else, talking more than anyone else. Constantly on the move as if standing still weren’t an option.

It made Rick uncomfortably and by the time Lori arrived, he was surprisingly glad to see his partner. Finally! Someone he could count on being on his side. At least when it came to all matters related to Carl anyway.  

“You didn’t tell me it was formal wear Carl.” Lori lamented as she walked up to Rick, Carl and Shane.  “I would’ve gotten here earlier had a certain somebody warned me about the type event this was.” She said pinching her son’s cheek after kissing it.

Rick smiled warmly at his wife. “Yeah we didn’t get the memo on that one either.” He said offering his wife a warm smile and solidarity in his disapproval of Carl’s absentmindedness.

Unflustered by the glares he was receiving from both his parents, the boy simply shrugged. The grin on Carl’s face however was short-lived as Lori gently smacked his arm.  

“Not funny Carl! I almost showed up in overalls!”

Rick noticed she had gone to great lengths to ensure she hadn’t. Lori Grimes was wearing a completely new outfit – a long, flowy, white maxi dress with small red, green, and yellow flowers running up and down it.  Her normally wavy hair was perfectly blow-dried straight and swept behind her confidently, revealing pale freckled shoulders as she moved in to hug Shane.  

When their brief yet completely chaste embrace ended, Rick couldn’t help but notice the way Lori ran her fingers through her hair, tucking the loose strands behind her ear before smiling for the man with dark eyes firmly fixed upon her.  

“Still would’ve been the prettiest girl in the room Lor.” Shane said smoothly and to Rick’s horror, Lori blushed.

“Yeah mom you look amazing.” Carl kindly concurred, giving his mother a confidence boost Rick was ashamed of he couldn’t quite muster.

He quickly moved in to hug Lori and her lips, painted a deep red Rick hadn’t seen in years, granted him an obligatory kiss on the cheek; but making sure to pull away before his own could touch hers.

With Lori finally standing close to him, Rick noticed how his already tall wife was almost towering over them all. On her feet were brown sandals with the huge chunky, block heels –  sandals she once upon a time told Rick she loathed enough to bury.

She must’ve dug them up just for tonight.

“Prettiest girl in town.”

“Maybe at one point.” She said answering Shane, acting all unnecessarily coy.

Shane shook his head firmly.

“No. Always.”

There was nothing particularly special about Shane’s behavior, yet the way his wife was responding to it irked Rick. Thankfully, his son was there to defuse the situation. With the niceties out of the way, Carl was ready to drag Lori away and showcase his work to her.

“Mom, that’s my piece!”

The boy didn’t need to wait long for Lori’s praise.

“It’s wonderful baby. Amazing.”

“It’s called The Way Back.” Carl said addressing all three of the adults admiring his work. “It’s about finding your way back, because nothing ever changes so much that we can’t. You know?”

Sadly, Lori and Shane seemed to not know but politely nodded nonetheless. Rick on the other hand, wished he didn’t know as much as he did. He had all the context now, facts regarding how deep his son’s unhappiness ran. Well informed, however, did not mean well-equipped to handle any of it.

“If we walked a path once, we can always walk it again. Just need something to jog our memories. You know?”

“That’s really insightful of you Carl.”

Rick was spared having to answer his son by the sudden arrival of Michonne who caught Carl’s last words and responded with the sincere encouragement of a mentor.

She ignored Rick, walking straight past him and Shane to introduce herself to late addition to their party.

“Michonne Anthony.” She said warmly extending her hand to his wife.

“Lori Grimes.”

The two women meeting should’ve cracked open the ground under Rick’s feet, causing him then to fall deep into that chasm and straight towards the hell that he knew awaited him. A hell he deserved.

But it was a quiet respectful affair. Michonne showing no desire to hurt him for his earlier transgression.

“You have a special boy Mrs. Grimes. You and Rick both.”

“Call me Lori. Please.” It was supposed to be friendly, but Rick knew Lori’s every inflection. She was demanding the similar familiar treatment Rick had gotten from the sophisticated ‘city gal’ in front of her.

Rick winced a little. If left unchecked, Lori’s insecurities would undo the happy family home narrative he’d been hoping to construct for Michonne. Besides, he had let the family unit down enough for the both of them tonight.

Lori deserved to come out of the evening untarnished.  

“Whatever Carl does right in school, he got it from my wife. She’s the genius in the family.” Rick piped in, trying to play the role of the loving husband.

Lori smiled at him appreciatively, happy to play her part in the pretence. Just like a partner.  

But just as soon as he commended her, Lori switched on him.

“Always the mothers, picking up that slack!”

Michonne frowned a little, as if she had suddenly become aware of what Rick was up against. Without the others noticing she shot him a sympathetic look. The look should’ve been comforting but it had the opposite effect.

“You’re both extremely lucky to have such an amazing kid.” She said diplomatically. “Regardless of who put in the work.” Her clear laugh taking the mean-spirited edge right out of Lori’s comment.

“Guess I shouldn’t be offended.” Rick added sarcastically, feeling every bit as petty as Lori in that moment and unable to mask it.

“You shouldn’t be.” Michonne said, looking him dead in the eye. Her eyes telegraphed an apology for their tense earlier interaction and the sincerity eased Rick’s mind. He was feeling fragile, his life an act and now he found out that his son was in on the charade.

Tonight, had been devastating.

Or it should’ve been.

Michonne’s soft eyes connecting with his told him another tale.

The conversation about the joys of parenting continued without him. With Shane now unapologetically acting as a placeholder for him, an overwhelmed Rick checked out.

Then the party moved on, setting up camp by the refreshment table.

Leaving him with his thoughts.

All but Michonne.

Left together Rick took the opportunity to speak his mind and make amends, but she stopped him.

“Don’t apologize.” She said surprising him.

Rick frowned, and after a moment of contemplation she boldly placed a soothing hand on his shoulder, adding in a low pressing whisper. “Just do something. Whatever it takes to get there. Just as long as you get there.”

She was pointing at his son.

“When you first came to town and got to know Carl. What did you hear him say about me?”

“Nothing.”

“And Shane?”

There was a pause on her end and Rick filled in the blanks for himself.

“Sometime tomorrow or the day after, I’ll be outside my home. And without seeing inside or calling ahead, I’m gonna have to decide to open that door.” Rick admitted, his voice hoarse and fraught. He was leaning against a wall for support he hadn’t anticipated on needing.

Michonne nodded, her eyes no longer hesitant about meeting his own unblinking ones.

“You asked me before what it would take for me to believe what’s happening is real. The truth is, I’m not sure that anything can convince me to go in there. To find out.”

Rick took a step forward, bridging the gap between them before speaking once more.

“But I’m gonna see.” He promised her and only her. “I’m gonna see.”

Michonne simply nodded, relief washing over her face for a moment before being replaced by a more sombre look.

“The struggle. You gotta let it go.”

“I know it’s hard. After it’s kept you warm, your family together. Kept your vows alive. But the struggle –  turns on you. Eats away at what was there. What you thought you were fighting for in the first place. You gotta let it go. It’s the only way to find your way back to where you need to be. With Carl.”

“That’s what you were trying to tell me, back in the classroom. What to risk. What’s actually important.” Pausing to inhale deeply, Rick looked away before continuing. “I thought I knew what it meant. What being a father – a husband meant. But the rules keep changing.”

For better or worse…

Or hushed phone calls…

Or hard to explain receipts from never explained solo trips to Atlanta…

Or the tall unmistakable figure of his best friend, not sick in his own bed, but slinking out of Rick’s house, in the middle of the day.

Michonne smiled sadly as if suddenly overcome by poignant pain. “They did for me.”

He wanted to ask her exactly how, but he never got the chance. They were interrupted by loud yells from Carl, calling them to come join him at the refreshment table.

Carl. Lori.

And Shane.

A pretty enough picture to challenge the ones on any billboard or in any shopping catalogue.

To challenge the one sitting framed on his desk.  

Feeling an unexpected wetness in his eyes, Rick turned to Michonne.

“Before we get going. I gotta take a moment.”

Understanding, the woman before him nodded. Instead of waiting with him, she made her way to the join the rest of the company first, buying him that moment.

Rick waved his fingers weakly, with the last of his strength forcing one final grin for the sake of his son.

His tired eyes then turned to his beautiful bride, the woman he built a life with these last twenty-two years. The only girl he ever loved; now laughing brightly at a joke told by a man he trusted above anyone else. A good joke, Rick was sure of it, one that would’ve reduced him to tears too.

Shane loved to tell dumb cop jokes.

Rick sat and waited for a moment longer than he needed to. The strength returned to his body with each breath, his eyes hardened and the salt water turning to steel. The punchline came and went without him needing to hear it.

He knew enough.

When the laughing stopped, he walked over slowly to meet the people who had made a fool out of him for long enough.

“You’re here.” Lori said her face smug and uglier than he ever remembered it being. “We weren’t sure if you’d come back.”

Shane placed a careful hand on Lori’s shoulder, a small brief action powerful enough to command her attention and relax, suddenly forsaking her planned attack on her no good husband.

There was a pause, a friendly grin on Shane’s face clearly waiting to be thanked.

Had Shane known the extent of the hatred in his best friend’s heart, he’d know that he was the one who needed to express gratitude; simply for still having the use of the limb with which he made the fateful mistake of latching onto Lori Grimes.

“I was just telling everyone about that time whe –”

“You need to go.”

Shane didn’t blink for a second at Rick’s icy interruption.

Carl however, was openly disturbed by the foreign fury on his father’s face.

“Dad?”

“Go.”

Shane’s smiles were getting difficult to maintain. “Hey buddy, I don’t know what’s up with you bu –”

“Now and quietly.” Rick growled.

He could feel his wife’s body tense beside him and when Shane turned to Lori for even the slightest indication of support, Rick had to fight the devil himself not to put his best friend in the ground. Right here. Right now.

In a several torn parts and in front of all these damn kids.

He was pleased to see his wife had at least some sense left not to respond.

Rubbing his head, frustrated and confused Shane rocked uncomfortably. Taking glances at Carl, then Lori and then back to Carl he waited for someone to say something more.

Finally, he straightened his back, staring down Rick directly in hope something more would be said between them.

Turned to stone, Rick remained silent, numb to even Carl who continued to desperately tug at his father’s shirt.

Shane let out a sigh signalling defeat.

“Your dad is right kid.” He said with a perfectly manufactured smile to comfort the young boy. “I – I got something I need to go do. Work.”

Unconvinced but unable to argue with either men, Carl instantly twisted towards his mother, hoping to try the softer of the three.

Rick remained unmoved despite seeing the color drain from Lori Grimes’s carefully bronzed cheeks as their son looked for answers.

“What’s happening?”

The already small voice was microscopic, unable to reach any ears after being crushed to nothingness under the weight of the tension Rick had created.

Shane didn’t stay long. After a rushed, uncharacteristically solemn goodbye the man was gone, leaving behind the Grimeses to pick up the pieces.

Next Michonne, who had been forgotten by everyone but a bewildered Carl who just lost one grownup to turn to, made her own excuses and left.

It was the act of her looking straight past his son that snapped Rick out of his rage induced fugue state. She looked spooked, Rick thought, noticing her face just before she deserted them. At first, he attributed it the ethical dilemma and the uncomfortable burden of realizing some of the details surrounding Carl’s family problems but being unable to tell the boy.

However, Rick was wrong.

It was some entirely different family drama that had unnerved her.

The sudden and apparently unexpected arrival of Carol Peletier sans Sophia Peletier. To Michonne, the sunken in eyes staring from across the gym had the weighty pull of a terrible star.

Unable to press time out on his own crisis but unwilling to fully commit to it now – Rick’s attention became divided. Sensing his hesitation and choosing to view it as being granted a so-called stay of execution, Lori took her son by the hand and departed, immediately cooking up the latest lies for Carl to swallow.

Rick stayed. The Cop inside him beating out The Husband and Father.

Watching the two women standing deep under shadows of the gym bleachers, he noticed Michonne clutch at that disturbing signature brown bag a little more tightly. Their interaction, lasting a mere minute, was one wholly made up of frantic whispers. It ended in Michonne unclasping the bag and her right hand disappearing inside.

Carol’s eyes flashed with fear, her trembling hands shooting up ready to meet Michonne’s, only relaxing slightly upon seeing the hand return empty.

In the end, arms linked, as a show of strength against an unknown enemy, they hurriedly exited together –  leaving Rick Grimes suddenly with a second decision made for him tonight.

It was finally time to seriously start worrying about what exactly it was that Carol Peletier and Michonne Anthony were intending to get involved in.  

 ----------

[kmp78]

I No Longer R*E*S*P*E*C*T Jared L.

I’m calling him out.

I’ve been home sick for 2 days w/ a sick kid (real sick, not fake sick) so our pastimes are limited.  Maybe it was the fever or perhaps hopes for the new single that pulled me to this site. I’ve learned a few unsettling things. 

I’m an old school fan of Fleetwood Mac & happy they were being honored to benefit charity.  But JL was the standout, stand alone attention seeker.  His ego was on full display.  A HUGE turn off. 

1- Because I had time & anon suggested KU clip I watched it & then watched ALL other Musicares performance clips.  Each artist quietly came out, dressed appropriately (even Harry S.), did their thing & honored FM well…very well.  EXCEPT JL, he dressed to be seen, talked about & unlike ALL others he made a loud grand entrance followed by a speech about his family & childhood.  Completely self serving.  I was surprised he didn’t mention “the Muddy banks."  I’m sure each of the performers had a story to share about their connection to FM, but chose to not make the moment about them.  They didn’t steal the spotlight in flashy white designer duds, man heels & a family stroll down memory lane. Remember this event was to honor FM. 

2- JL’s performance was so off putting compared to ALL others- it was embarrassing.  Amature Amer. Idol kids perform better, hell my kid performs better.  It was as if he really didn’t care & was just play acting as a singer- Not Oscar worthy.  This made his speech seem disingenuous.  If the music was SO important growing up & shaped his life then do it justice- practice, prepare, put your heart into it.  Not phone it in.  His work was not worthy of his ego or saintly attire.

3- JL is a 46 yo man.  It’s fair he paid his dues to get where he is, but shows no sign of valuing what he has.  Because KU clips were offered & I’m down w/ fever, I checked him out (his ass was mentioned- I felt compelled…nice.) I learned KU also paid his dues for 20 yrs before hitting it big.  The difference is KU never misses an opporunity to express GRATITUDE. His SM is full of it & very professional- as is many other SERIOUS artists.  JL’s is anything but & as I learned he has ill trained staff representing him.  Being humble pays off, being thankful is priceless!  Being a leader means knowing you’re only as good as those supporting you.  My husband owns a business- this Dai would be shown the door. Fans are paying Mars customers. Period.  

4-  OK, I’m no saint, but I am trying to raise our son to become a polite, respectful man who honors ALL, especially women.  The light is shining brightly on Hollywood these days.  Time for JL to grow up.  Seriously grow up!  It’s not cute.  Ignoring loyal fan base, tongues sticking out, clown clothes, 20 yo models & blatant attention seeking mixed w/ snark doesn’t make for an attractive MAN. There is no SM filter or money to erase that BS!  It lives on…

I had my son watch a video I stumbled on (literally) from KU’s SM.  "KU- Female (Live from the CMA awards)”- Stunning message for today’s culture. I hope you can post it- I’m not sure how to post links.  I told him- this is how good men see women.  Unlike JL collecting young play toys to stroke his ego & dutifully follow/ hide.  (FYI- KU's  twitter is asking for fans to post their #FavoriteFemale- Brillant marketing for his song.) By all evidence Mars marketing doesn’t even exist.

5- I was hopeful, but not impressed w/ new Mars single.  They can do MUCH better.  They can rebuild, refocus & reinvent- if they invest in some serious rehab.  Meaning they have to dig deep into their collective issues & change course starting from the inside out.  Shake up that staff, hire professionals & hunker down in the bunker- all 3 working together!  JL’s one man Joker show isn’t working…I suspect he knows it & is trying to keep the sinking boat afloat. It’s rapidly taking on water…he can’t walk on it.

6- Don’t even get me started on Stevie wearing a ski mask on TV.  Beyond pathetic.  JL didn’t respect his contribution. Period. If my son was told/ asked to do that I’d tell him to walk, not look back & keep his dignity.  Own your shit.  If SL was absent- Deal, don’t make someone else complicit in hiding the truth. Let the one who showed up shine, not hide.  The cover up is always worse…that move was particularly bad & I’ve lost all respect!

I’m a rocker & alt fan at heart, but thanks to this blog, a fever & down time I’m now also a little bit country.  If your fav’s don’t deliver, don’t inspire, don’t care- move on, other Artists will be happy to welcome you!  

Be Well, Be Warm-

***

Thanks, anon :)

The song you mentioned:

I can agree, JL/Mars is just adrift at sea at this point.

(Disclaimer and rules)

[hopeandharmonizing]

Halloween evening

As usual, James left a bowl filled with candy in front of his office, so no one would pester him while he works. It gets wonderfully quiet on holidays. No one bothers him, he doesn’t have to disrupt his flow to accept yet another report or solve some minor but urgent issue.

His chair creaks when he leans back. Claiming he’s not tired would be an obvious lie. The last time he refused to take part in a silly holiday, Briar came through the door and just pulled him into it. She left him enough space to keep on working, but she did stress at least a dozen times that he should go out more. To the club to be exact. The last place where he would go if he decided to take an evening off.

And yet he catches himself thinking about it. He didn’t see her for a while, each was busy with their job. Sadly no concerts were held in Atlas and James didn’t have enough time to spare to go to Mantle. Unless he would…

He could make her a little surprise. He could check where she plays tonight and buy a ticket. He could for once go out of his way to meet her. He could dress up, simply and boringly, but he could afford to put little effort into digging through his old clothes to find something more fitting for a Halloween concert than his uniform. Strangely it brings him some joy to fish out pair of old jeans, and a leather jacket. They barely fit, but they fit, so aside from little discomfort, they will do fine. He used some hair gel to… mess his hair up, he won’t in good conscience call this “styling”. A bit odd, like something from the gone era, between greasers and rockers. He even considered shaving, but not enough time if he wants to make it to the concert.

Well, hopefully, he’ll manage to blend just enough into the crowd. Drawing attention is the last thing he would like, but he’d rather die than pay Qrow a visit dressed like that to ask how to sneak around. All he recalls is something about being relaxed and changing baseline. He will try to keep his military stance in check then and hope for the best. Time to make Briar a little surprise.

@hopeandharmonizing

Briar’s surroundings boomed and electrified with anything but quiet. The nightclub boasts creatures and colors and costumes that make her usual attire of long-sleeved, low-cut, rock-witch black dresses and studded leather look tame. What is a big-bad-wolf to a bunch of ancient monsters and other creatures of the night? 

And yet her presence still commands the stage. Her howl still pierces through the din. He essence still reaches out beyond silver watery tendrils of semblance (or maybe just the influence of a friend), calling to those brave enough to be part of her pack. 

General Ironwood heeds the call of the wild tonight, all on his own. Brave, indeed, for the commander of Atlas to deign among the crowds of Mantle, put his money where his mouth is in support of the city, to fraternize with a faunus, considering the state of things as of late. 

He manages, for awhile, to slip below the radar and into the throng of things, Briar fully concentrated on her work - Harmonizer’s string and key spiderweb weaving along with all the way from her spookiest, silkiest siren’s call to the most monstrous of growls. A little bit of everything for every reveler in the crowd. 

Then she smells it: the telltale signature of steel and oil mixed with skin and the musk of missed sleep. James Ironwood chances too close, and dare Briar believe that while he hides from too many prying eyes, he had every intention of making himself known to her. 

He looks good, even behind the glare of spotlight. Not for the way the costume clings, nor his grooming, but in the relaxed pride of letting go for a night. The shoulders carried but not squared - confident, because he knows he’s stepped outside of himself and his office and done right by someone else. Hehe, could one consider him under her spell?

He looks like he’s having fun.

Her voice skips, scratches ever so slightly in her song when she sees him, if only because her heart feels as if it swells three sizes in her chest with happiness and pride so that there’s hardly space left for her lungs; it nearly knocks the wind out of her. Salt-and-pepper tail holds higher and wags a little bit wider, and once she recovers there is just that much more body to her voice, and that much more gleam in gold eyes, emboldened, empowered.

What a treat, this Halloween.

In return, she will not call attention to him, not give him away. No need for games when she’s finally gotten what she wanted. No need to take him out of his comfort zone when he’s already there. She would love it, perhaps, he might find her after an encore, that she might hear any change in tone and have a little more personal time, maybe over a drink or two, but if not, that’s alright too. She will give him a performance worthy of his audience, that speaks every note of her appreciation, draws him in as part of a bigger crowd, a greater connection. He is under her roof now, and everyone here at the party will raise it together, if she does her job right.

James Ironwood surprises Briar, alright, and it makes her wonder with hope what other worries he may prove her wrong about, what other surprises are under those rolled up sleeves...

[ikuyeah]

i sold my soul (and gained a heart)

Chapter 1: Screening

Note: This took way too long to write. Mostly because I also run a Gladion blog. And that takes up all my time. XD

@historymakerimagines, here you go. XDDD

Pairing: Yuri Plisetsky x Reader.

Yuri watched every match, it seemed the entire Sinnoh region decided to sit up and notice her really. All of a sudden there were live streams of her Gym challenges, footage of her entering tall grass, interviews, and gossip. Oh, the gossip about you was even worse than the gossip about Yuri.

They said you were royalty in another region. Your tan suggested the more tropical ones like Hoenn and Alola, but people were going as far as considering Unova and Kalos and just about every other region wanted to claim that you were from there. A little digging found Yuri staring at a graduation certificate from a Trainer’s School in Alola. Some principal there apparently took a picture and posted it so that it was undeniable you started your journey in Alola. They even had the pictures of you with your Popplio to prove it. But, you were born in Hoenn, hence the Swampert.

“Why do you care?” Yuri asked himself, groaning as he stretched out in his little house in Snowpoint. His grandfather was outside making Pirozkis for your departure. In two days, the Lily of the Valley Conference would start and he would see you again. Watching your battles proved what Victor had been trying to say.

She was good and she had Pokémon Yuri hadn’t even heard of before. And she could be the end of Yuri’s winning streak.

Pulling out the three Pokémon he didn’t keep out of their Pokéballs, he examined them each encased in the protective shell. One was a Pikachu Rockstar that he’d gotten off a trainer who came to Jubelife once from Hoenn doing a TV collaboration for something called a Contest Spectacular. It was wearing a cool red jacket and looked like a rocker. But, more importantly, it was an electric type which would even the odds against your Primarina.

The next was a Sharpedo from some weird trainer he fought on a ferry wearing some kind of pirate uniform. The trainer gave him a Sharpedonite since they didn’t have money to give him when he won and now he’s grown fond of the Pokémon, being water and dark type it would be useful against your Talonflame.

Last was Typhlosion. You’d actually been given the egg by that Yuuri from Kanto that Victor is so fond of. He’d acted like he hadn’t wanted it but he watched the egg endlessly and trained up the Cyndaquil until it inevitably turned out to be one of his favorite Pokémon. Typhlosion would be for your weird ice type Ninetails.

Your Swampert wasn’t an issue, not when Yuri had a legendary on his side.

He stared out into the snowy plains of Snowpoint and grinned.

“You better be ready for me to kick your ass, [Y/N].”

It’s not the Gym challenges that catch Victor’s attention, it’s the Contests. He expected you to show up at the Lily of the Valley Conference, not competing in one of the Contests he’s judging. Being a Top Coordinator himself, he put a lot of his time into Contests. He was rooting for the boy from Kanto, the one with a surprisingly vicious Eevee and fed his Pokémon too many poffins sometimes.

So, to find you standing at center stage with a frankly beautiful Alolan Ninetails, he thought immediately that he needed to talk to Yuri.

After all, he was your biggest fan.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

He smiles down at the younger Sinnoh native and pinches his cheek. “But Yuri, did you forget that I’m from here in Snowpoint too?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“No, but you hardly ever come here!” He growled, pushing Victor’s grabby hands away from him.

“Ah, you take all the fun out of everything. Fine.” Victor threw his hands up in mock surrender and gave Yuri a knowing look. “I was judging a contest today.” He smirked.

Yuri scoffed. “So you saw your Kantonian boyfriend. Why is this my problem?”

“Because, I saw your Alolan girlfriend too!” He said, his mouth doing that heart shaped thing it did and his eyes becoming large and shiny as he leaned in to coo at Yuri.

“She’s not my girlfriend, you dumbass!” He shouted, slamming the door in Victor’s face.

Victor pouted, his pout turning into a smile when he heard footsteps leading away from him and heard the slam of another door. Well, he got Yuri interested.

“My, my.” He called out his Altaria and stroked it’s neck before climbing on. “Tomorrow is going to be interesting.” He smirked.

Yuri passes the screening round with flying colors. It’s not even a question of if for him and everyone knows it. It’s obvious when he walks up to registration and the crowd parts for him. What stuns him is that when you arrive the crowd parts for you too. He isn’t able to see your screening round battle but he knows it was great, better than great, because everyone is talking about it and Yuri doesn’t like it.

“Angry that you’re not getting the spotlight this year, Yuri?” Victor smirked, walking up next to him with his mob of paparazzi following him. Next to him was Kanto’s Yuuri, the one who placed second in the League there and was offered a place in the Elite Four but declined opting to go to Sinnoh to fulfill his dream of battling Victor. “Or angry that people are beginning to notice her?” He winked.

Yuri opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by a high scream.

“Yuri!”

All three of them turned around, the paparazzi and other trainers parting for a girl. A girl who wore sturdier winter wear in blue and white. A navy blue coat over a white sweater, a navy skirt over black stockings and fuzzy navy blue snow boots with white laces. But, more importantly, wrapped around her neck was a familiar black and orange striped scarf paired up with a black beanie. And not just any beanie, a black beanie with cat ears and white whiskers stitched onto the front.

It was all Yuri could do not to fall to his knees. “Awesome…” He muttered, straightening his expression when you came to a halt in front of him with your amazing beanie staring him in the face. “Took you long enough-” Warm arms wrapped around him for five seconds before letting go and Yuri was speechless.

The press were having a field day, taking pictures from all angles of the hug, muttering about that newbie hugging the Snowpoint Punk calling you Alola’s Catgirl and various other things.

You gave Victor a quick hug too and greeted Yuuri before turning to address all of them.

“I’m glad I caught you guys before I had to go look for my room. Did you make it?” You asked, eyes looking expectantly between Yuri and Yuuri.

Yuuri flashed his pass and smiled. “Yeah!”

“Of course, I did.” Yuri scoffed, turning his head away so you couldn’t see how thrown off he was by the hug.

You smiled at them and looked around. “Tomorrow, there’ll only be 64. Then 32. Then-” You trailed off, shaking your head and grinning. “I’ll see you both in the Top 8, yeah?”

Yuri, in a spur of surprising confidence, walked forward and placed his hand on top of your beanie, looking you straight in the eye. He didn’t know what to say, but he couldn’t let you have a look like that on your face when he could easily do something about it. “You promised, right?” He patted you on the head. “I want my stuff back.” He shoved his hands in his pocket and walked away to nowhere in particular because like hell was he staying there after doing that, the press – and Victor – will eat him alive.

He looked over his shoulder discreetly to check in it worked, he caught your eye and saw you smiling and staring at him as he walked away.

“I need to train.” He muttered to himself, releasing his Weavile from it’s Pokéball and plunging into the nearest patch of tall grass he could find. It didn’t matter if the Pokémon there were no match for him.

With the image of your smiling face and the feel of your arms around him, he trudged through the grass in search of his indifference and didn’t find it.

[webart-studio]

21 Inventive Electronic mail Concepts for Individuals Who Don't Prefer to Write – Electronic mail Advertising and marketing Ideas

You don’t want to write down a 1,000-word weblog submit to have content material to your subsequent electronic mail publication or automated electronic mail collection. In reality, you don’t want to write down something in any respect.

You’ll be able to overlook about author’s block and check out one among these 21 inventive concepts as a substitute. They’re easy, simple, and confirmed to work — the professionals use them on a regular basis!

1. Movies

Including video to your emails can improve click on charges by 300%, in keeping with one research from MarTech Advisor. To place that in perspective, for those who common 1,000 clicks every electronic mail, including a video would improve to that 4,000.

If you happen to create movies often, promote them in your emails. Health Knowledgeable Betty Rocker shares her new and in style exercise movies with electronic mail advertising and marketing.

Associated: Your Information to Brainstorming Inventive Video Concepts

2. Podcast episodes

Have a podcast? Add it to your subsequent electronic mail publication to extend downloads. Discover how Productiveness Knowledgeable Michael Hyatt makes use of a fascinating story to introduce his newest podcast episode within the electronic mail under.

Do you know that subscribers can truly play and take heed to your podcast episode straight from an electronic mail? With AWeber’s Curate app, you’ll be able to merely add your new episode to a publication, and the app will robotically generate the code for you.

You’ll be able to see this characteristic in motion under with the Would You Quite E-newsletter, a weekly message that presents “Would you moderately… ?” situations.

Associated: Four Simple Methods Podcasters Can Use Electronic mail to Develop Their Audiences

3. Quotes

Individuals love inspiring or motivating quotes. We all know, as a result of we embody a quote in lots of our FWD: Pondering newsletters, and our readers find it irresistible. And lots of the most profitable newsletters combine quotes into their content material as nicely, like monetary publication Finimize with this quote from Pearl S. Buck.

Want quote inspiration? Try BrainyQuote. It’s like an encyclopedia of quotes.

4. Webinars, tutorials, and workshops

What’s the #1 solution to get folks to register to your webinars? For us, it’s electronic mail. A single electronic mail can contribute a whole bunch, even 1000’s, of registrants.

Electronic mail is what different specialists depend on too. Beneath, Joanna Wiebe, Founding father of Copy Hackers, promotes her workshop with an electronic mail that explains the important thing takeaways subscribers will get.

Associated: The Not-So-Secret Tactic to Rising Your Electronic mail Viewers Actually Rapidly

5. Trade information or updates

You’re an skilled in your trade, whether or not that’s health, writing, diet, journey, or enterprise. Subscribers be a part of your record to study vital details about your trade, like the most recent information and updates.

For instance, for those who’re a health skilled, this may be a brand-new meta-analysis or analysis research that additional proves the science behind excessive depth interval coaching.

Morning Brew, a publication that relays the most recent information from Wall St. to Silicon Valley, provides inventory market updates to the highest of their emails to maintain subscribers up-to-date available on the market.

6. Instagram posts

Your Instagram posts don’t want to remain on Instagram. Repurpose them in your subsequent electronic mail publication. Your submit will get extra publicity, and also you gained’t must hope and pray that Instagram’s algorithm will show it in your followers’ feeds.

Check out how Advertising and marketing Knowledgeable Gary Vaynerchuk hyperlinks off to one among his in style Instagram posts within the electronic mail under.

Professional tip: You need to use AWeber’s Curate app to pull Instagram posts (or any content material!) into your subsequent publication in seconds.

7. Fb reside movies

If you happen to create Fb reside movies, promote them in your electronic mail newsletters.

Extra folks will watch the video. (Fb loves that.) And it can save you time by reusing your social content material to your electronic mail publication. (You like that.)

Health and productiveness skilled Chalene Johnson will get 1000’s of individuals to look at her Fb reside movies. Her secret? She promotes her movies on social and in her electronic mail newsletters.

8. Tweets

The lifespan of a Tweet is 18 minutes. Which implies your carefully-crafted Tweets collect cobwebs after solely 18 quick minutes. What are the possibilities your followers will truly be on Twitter throughout that temporary interval? I wouldn’t guess your enterprise on it.

Enhance the lifespan of your nice Twitter content material by speaking about it in your subsequent electronic mail publication.

You’ll be able to even embody Tweets from different profitable firms, like Brass Ring Every day — a publication for profession, productiveness, and writing recommendation — does under.

Associated: 9 Methods to Develop Your Electronic mail Listing with Twitter

9. Social campaigns

Sharing social content material isn’t the one manner to make use of electronic mail to get extra social engagement. You can even encourage your subscribers to submit about your model on social. Ask them to share a testimonial on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Fb. Or, get them to submit with a hashtag on a social platform, like journey firm Topdeck does on this electronic mail.

10. Subscriber data

Individuals like to see their identify in lights. Point out subscribers in your publication if it’s their birthday or after they take a sure motion.

The every day publication theSkimm has thousands and thousands of subscribers. But, in each publication, they nonetheless name out their subscribers’ birthdays and spotlight people who find themselves doing nice issues.

11. Footage

Have stunning or humorous photographs and an viewers who would like to see them? Put them in your subsequent publication.

Buzzfeed has a weekly publication about cats (Sorry, canine folks. There’s not a canine publication . . . but.). Readers ship Buzzfeed photos of their cats, and Buzzfeed provides them to the publication with a quick description.

Associated: How one can Create Wonderful Pictures for Your Emails on Zero Finances

12.  E book suggestions

If you happen to wish to learn, this tip is for you! Advocate the great books you’re studying to your subscribers. If the books are related to them, they’ll admire it. Plus, it’s a simple publication content material thought for you.

The Mind Meals Weekly Digest is a publication devoted to serving to you turn into a greater model of your self by sharing academic content material. Shane Parrish, the creator of the publication, typically shares what he’s at the moment studying.

13. Questions and solutions

Do your subscribers ask you sure questions repeatedly? Reply a kind of widespread questions in your subsequent publication. This may improve engagement by making your publication interactive.

See how monetary publication Finimize provides a query and reply to their electronic mail under.

14. Particular provides or offers

When you’ve got a limited-time or can’t-miss deal, add it your publication so subscribers don’t miss out.

Liberty Journey all the time contains trip offers of their in style electronic mail publication.

15. Occasions

Occasions, whether or not they’re digital or at a bodily location, take a whole lot of preparation and energy. Benefit from all that work and fill extra seats by selling your subsequent occasion in an electronic mail publication.

Nomadic Matt, a profitable journey blogger, promotes all of his Journey Meet-ups with electronic mail.

16. Tales

Calling all authors! This concept is for you. Your subscribers like to learn. Share quick tales, poems, or chapters out of your guide in your electronic mail publication. It’s the proper content material to your bookworm viewers, and may also help improve your guide gross sales or downloads.

Writer Penguin Random Home sends a publication with one part from a brief story inside. You must learn the subsequent electronic mail to proceed the story, which retains subscribers coming again for extra.

17. Instruments

Nice newsletters resolve their viewers’s issues and reply their questions. That’s why subscribers proceed to open and skim them.

Whereas academic content material is a superb solution to educate your viewers, it doesn’t assist them truly do the work to resolve their issues. Instruments, however, make it simpler for them to perform duties.

For instance, we created a instrument referred to as Electronic mail Libs to assist our viewers write their electronic mail content material in a couple of minutes. They simply reply a number of easy questions on their enterprise, and the instrument generates electronic mail content material.

If of a instrument that might save your subscribers’ time, whether or not you created it or another person did, hyperlink off to it in your publication.

In a latest TotalAnnarchy publication, MarketingProf’s Chief Content material Officer Ann Handley dedicates a whole part to helpful instruments she used that week.

  Associated: 12 Free Instruments to Create Jaw-Dropping Electronic mail Photographs

18. Plans or steps

In case your subscribers wish to accomplish one thing and so they’re undecided how you can do it, add a plan or detailed steps to your publication to indicate them how.

Each week, Meals blogger and founding father of Skinnytaste Gina Homolka sends her subscribers a meal plan crammed with wholesome recipes. It makes her subscribers’ lives simpler. As an alternative of spending hours planning their weekly meals, they’ll use Gina’s easy plan.

19. Trivia questions or riddles

Asking questions in your publication is a good way to extend engagement. As an alternative of merely studying your publication, your subscribers will work together with it.

Morning Brew typically features a trivia query of their newsletters. They provide the reply on the backside of the e-mail so subscribers must hold studying to see it.

20. Programs

The worldwide marketplace for on-line training reached $255 billion in 2017, and it’s not slowing down (in keeping with World Financial Discussion board). Hundreds of thousands of individuals purchase on-line programs with a purpose to improve their data and abilities.

Dreaming of making your personal free course for electronic mail subscribers? You don’t want a course platform to do it. Simply use electronic mail.

Construct an automatic electronic mail collection with 1 or 2 days between emails. Then, every electronic mail in your collection could be 1 lesson of your course. Your complete lesson might be throughout the electronic mail or you can hyperlink off to a video or touchdown web page that hosts the lesson.

Talia Wolf, conversion skilled and Founding father of GetUplift, promotes her electronic mail course as a lead magnet (a.ok.a freebie) on her electronic mail join type. As soon as folks join, she delivers the course classes by a every day message.

Associated: How one can Create Your First Electronic mail Course or Electronic mail Problem

21. Weblog posts or articles

“Wait a minute … At first, you stated I didn’t want to write down a weblog submit!”

You don’t. Embody nice weblog posts and articles created by different firms in your subsequent publication. That is referred to as curation, and it saves folks time as a result of they don’t want to look the web to seek out the content material. It’s delivered proper to their inbox.

Dave Pell writes NextDraft, a profitable publication with 1000’s of subscribers. He fills every electronic mail with academic weblog posts and articles.

The shocking half? The vast majority of the articles aren’t written by Pell. They’re written by different folks. However they’re nonetheless helpful to his subscribers, which is why they hold studying.

Associated: Four Electronic mail E-newsletter Concepts for Bloggers

Put these concepts to the check.

These 21 concepts show you could add any form of content material to your subsequent publication, so long as it’s helpful to your subscribers.

Now that your inventive juices are flowing, it’s time to attempt these concepts out! Create a free AWeber account right this moment and get began.

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[mikeyd1986]

BYP VI: SPECTRAL FIRES w/ Greyview (Single Launch), Valerie Avenue, Parkwood & Vermont @ Reverence Hotel, August 2018

On Friday night, I ended up attending a local gig at The Reverence Hotel promoted by Born Yesterday Music.  I really haven't been in the best head-space all week from lack of sleep, being drained and stressed out, overthinking, dealing with change, saying stupid things on social media, not having much social connection with others. I really hoped that coming out to this tonight would help to shift my mindset. I just need to be around positive, supportive people who care about me and my well-being. Plus this is a really good quality lineup of local bands. I won't let my mental illness destroy me.

The weather tonight wasn’t exactly ideal especially when I live out in the south eastern suburbs and takes me over an hour to get to Footscray via public transport. But I decided to brave the freezing cold weather and drizzling rain. Thankfully The Rev is only a short walk from Footscray station so it could be worse. I had dinner with the boys from Spectral Fires, ordering myself a classic cheeseburger with spicy fries and a pint of Coopers Pale Ale.

There were several potential triggers for my mental illness (people not noticing me or saying hi to me, being overwhelmed by crowds and lots of sensory information) but I actually managed quite well tonight. I think I’m slowly learning what coping strategies to use like needing my own space and remembering that band members are generally flat out and focused on more important things like unloading gear and setting up merch. Basically to not take things the wrong way or personally.

It’s tough for me sometimes connecting socially with otherwise but it felt good that I was able to put myself out there enough to do just that. Thank goodness for Mikey Moore, Michael McLaren, Paris Rowe, Josh Layt, Amber Hardy and Cassie Sutton for including me and helping to improve my mood.

VERMONT                                                                                                              “There's nothing left of me that's not the same. Locked behind closed doors; I feel nothing. A swelling in my head of thoughts that bled. Quiet voices of the words they said.”

Tonight was my first time checking out this four-piece Melbourne-based Alternative Rock band and I really enjoyed their performance. They have some strong influences with bands from the last 1990’s and early 2000’s such as Goo Goo Dolls, Creed and 3 Doors Down. The lyrical content drips with intense heartfelt emotion and sung with an aggressive passion by lead vocalist Joshua Swanwick. The band performed a catchy and playful cover of the new Trophy Eyes’ banger You Can Count of Me plus their own singles Lonely Mind and Breathe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLEL7tjyPOs

PARKWOOD                                                                                                          “And if you ask me. I am in no way sold on the idea. That there are ghosts and there are souls. But one day I’ll die and maybe I’ll know. But until then I’ll love what’s close to home. That is my friends, that is my home.”

Parkwood are a band that I seem to be growing more and more fond of the more I see them play live. They are a melodic hardcore band from the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The band effortlessly blends high octane guitar riffs with passionate screams and heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics. The vocal duties are well balanced between Alec and Sam whilst adding healthy doses of humour in between songs. The crowd really responded well during their set and reciprocated the energy produced by the band. They played several tracks from their EP Close To Home including Hold, Prove Myself, Four Years and Goodbye. https://open.spotify.com/album/6yDS8Y2nJELmdBys4rx6ZZ

VALERIE AVENUE                                                                                                  “Cause I’ve been drinking myself numb and you’ve been playing dumb. I’ve been bleeding all my pay-checks dry, getting high to pass the time.”

I’ve been supporting Brad Dixon and his various solo and band projects for a couple of years now but this is the first time seeing Valerie Avenue play with their current lineup. I really enjoyed the friendly banter between Brad and the band’s drummer Nick. They were also very encouraging, getting the crowd involved with handclaps and several wailed “whoaaaaaaaaas”. Mixing elements of indie rock, pop-punk and emo, the songs are very bouncy and vibrant with lyrical messages that hit home on a personal level. They are in the process of releasing their debut EP in the next couple of weeks so make sure you pick that up. Check out their latest single Numb here: https://valerieavenue.bandcamp.com/track/numb

GREYVIEW                                                                                                            “We always divide. Each time leaving us faded. Until we're mostly grey but not erased. Digging the same holes stuck on repeat. The worst in you brings out the worst in me.”

It’s been over six months since I last saw the three-piece indie pop-punk rockers play a show and despite some hilarious technical issues involving the stage lighting (Well Michael McLaren did want them less intense, not sure about pitch black though), this was easily their best performance yet. The band are highly talented with plenty of boundless energy. Vocalist Michael and bassist Paris Rowe could be seen bouncing around the stage in an animated fashion and pull off some unusual dance moves.

During the “black out”, the crowd was actually very resourceful and rolled with it, bringing out their phone flashlights and lighters. It actually made for a very dramatic lighting effect and even drummer Josh Layt had a few moments in the spotlight from the overhead strip lights. The problems only made their set stronger with a few memorable riffs from Nirvana’s classic song Smells Like Teen Spirit and their current singles Faded and Mostly Grey (with exceptional guesties from Cassie Sutton). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xE9W56Y1II

SPECTRAL FIRES                                                                                                “Old haunts that had a hold on me. Are fading from memory and losing their sheen. If you challenge ideas. You can challenge yourself. And get back the mojo you left on the shelf.”

Sadly I wasn’t able to stick around for the five-piece Melodic Hardcore Punk-Pop outfit but I’ve heard that they’re on the verge of releasing new music so be on the lookout for that. In the meantime, check out their acoustic version of New Resolve here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QjkBnjvXgc

[jesusvasser]

Woodward Dream Cruise: Cruising With Fiat-Chrysler’s Jeff Gale

Jeff Gale currently serves as chief designer in Jeep’s Exterior studio. He’s worked at Chrysler for 17 years, but the Mopar design blood in his veins runs even deeper than that. His dad just happens to be Motor Trend Car of the Year guest judge and design consultant Tom Gale, who retired after 33 years at Chrysler in 2000—the year Jeff arrived. Jeff graciously agreed to take us cruising on Woodward in his badass baby, a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner he’s owned since 2004. We headed out and asked him to point out everything that he found cool and intriguing. But first we got the full walkaround on his ride.

1970 Plymouth Road Runner

Jeff’s Road Runner is something rather special. The Mopar nerds among you might be wondering what’s up with all the chrome and the lack of racing stripes, as Jeff was when he first went to look at the car. Is this a Road Runnerized Satellite? Nope, the VIN checks out as a natural-born Road Runner. The previous owner reluctantly shared the infamous history of this car. It was special ordered with a décor group that bought the lower rocker trim, a stripe-delete package, and—via pulling some strings at the factory—Satellite chrome trim ringing the rear taillamp panel. Then the dealer receipt shows two more options installed prior to delivery: the accessory wheel-opening chrome and an extra leaf in each rear spring. What? The original owner was reinforcing the rear suspension to shoulder the weight of moonshine and ladling on the chrome to lend some stealth to this muscle runner.

Designers often find it difficult to leave a car completely alone, but Jeff’s mods have been minor and reversible. He’s done some suspension work to improve the handling, and of course he mounted the wider, lower-profile wheels and tires (but the original rally wheels are in storage if he ever takes it to Mopar Nationals). He also restored the metallic argent grille surround himself, starting with a base coat of matte gray cast iron paint then shooting it lightly with silver spray glitter from Michael’s and clear-coating over it all. “It looks exactly like the original finish.”

1971 Plymouth Cuda 440/6 Pack

When Jeff began his Mopar muscle quest, he was searching for an E-body Dodge Challenger or Plymouth Barracuda, but the price lines of those cars started shooting up at a steeper rate than that of the slightly larger B cars Plymouth Belvedere/Satellite/GTX/Road Runner and Dodge Coronet. (The Dukes of Hazard made the Chargers scarce and pricey.)

1932 Ford Roadster Hot Rod “Rolls Powered”

“Hey, that looks like Mark Allen’s car!” Sure enough, we doubled back and parked to confirm that indeed this spectacular roadster was once owned by Jeff’s boss in the Jeep studio, Mark Allen. Mark detailed the engine compartment with a serious sense of humor. The engine is a regulation-issue Chevy small-block, to which Allen managed to attach modified valve covers with Rolls-Royce embossed in them. He also managed to fake a Rolls-Royce engine-casting VIN number. The automatic choke is hidden by a decoy glass fuel bowl that appears to have dead bees sitting in a bit of old fuel. The finishing touch, fake engine mounts that appear to be installed with spring-loaded wing nuts. Very fun indeed.

1960-66 First-Gen Chevy C/K pickup

“Man, those vintage trucks are really getting popular,” Jeff mused as we rolled along near this beauty. Then he conveyed a story about working at one of his pre-Chrysler jobs. He was running just a bit late for a meeting and overheard one of the engineers saying, “We’ll let the design guy say his piece and then we’ll get down to business.” Recalling the anger that inspired, he pointed to the Chevy truck again and said, “My face turned as red as that truck.”

1969 Dodge Dart Swinger

Jeff has a Dodge Dart “not quite as nice as that one” at home awaiting some further ministrations. This one, like hundreds of other recently buffed-up cars parked along Woodward, is for sale.

Rat Rod Pickup

Tom Gale has built a few custom hot rods in his day, so we asked Jeff if he any ambitions to do likewise. “I’d kind of like to build something wild—kind of a lakes racer, but a pickup. I like the irony of building a speed machine but making it a pickup.” Shortly after we had that discussion, this rough facsimile of what he was talking about rolled by.

1953 Ford Crestline Ranch Wagon

It’s no Mopar, but Jeff was loving on this fairly heavily patinaed Ford Crestline Ranch Wagon, built in Ford’s Golden Jubilee year, 1953.

1999-2001 Lamborghini Diablo

“My dad worked on that design. Flew back and forth to Italy to do it. He was even invited back for the recent 50th anniversary of Lamborghini celebrations.” The Nissan 300ZX headlamps give this model away as a late-run 1999–2001 model Diablo.

1973-1980 Volkswagen Type 2 Westfalia Camper

“Who can help but smile when you see one of those?” Not us. This one looks fully outfitted for a weekend at a lakeside state park campground, with curtains, screened side-door windows, and hookups for water.

Ca. 1970s-’80s Jeep CJ5

“Man, you don’t see those hardtop Jeeps around much.” Life was certainly simpler for Jeff’s predecessors in the Jeep design studio back in these days. The left-hand drive rules out a postal service past for this one. The diamond-plate is probably an ex-works upgrade.

1955 Forcury

“That is a tasteful custom.” This 1955 Ford appears to be running Mercury Monterey wagon taillamps, along with side pipes with cutouts, spotlights, a tuck-and-roll interior—you know, the usual.

1965 Ford Mustang

“Those first-gen Mustang fastbacks are pretty classic.” The smoothness and flow to the lines of this original ponycar still impress today’s crop of working designers. Long may it be so …

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Woodward Dream Cruise: Cruising With Fiat-Chrysler’s Jeff Gale

Jeff Gale currently serves as chief designer in Jeep’s Exterior studio. He’s worked at Chrysler for 17 years, but the Mopar design blood in his veins runs even deeper than that. His dad just happens to be Motor Trend Car of the Year guest judge and design consultant Tom Gale, who retired after 33 years at Chrysler in 2000—the year Jeff arrived. Jeff graciously agreed to take us cruising on Woodward in his badass baby, a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner he’s owned since 2004. We headed out and asked him to point out everything that he found cool and intriguing. But first we got the full walkaround on his ride.

1970 Plymouth Road Runner

Jeff’s Road Runner is something rather special. The Mopar nerds among you might be wondering what’s up with all the chrome and the lack of racing stripes, as Jeff was when he first went to look at the car. Is this a Road Runnerized Satellite? Nope, the VIN checks out as a natural-born Road Runner. The previous owner reluctantly shared the infamous history of this car. It was special ordered with a décor group that bought the lower rocker trim, a stripe-delete package, and—via pulling some strings at the factory—Satellite chrome trim ringing the rear taillamp panel. Then the dealer receipt shows two more options installed prior to delivery: the accessory wheel-opening chrome and an extra leaf in each rear spring. What? The original owner was reinforcing the rear suspension to shoulder the weight of moonshine and ladling on the chrome to lend some stealth to this muscle runner.

Designers often find it difficult to leave a car completely alone, but Jeff’s mods have been minor and reversible. He’s done some suspension work to improve the handling, and of course he mounted the wider, lower-profile wheels and tires (but the original rally wheels are in storage if he ever takes it to Mopar Nationals). He also restored the metallic argent grille surround himself, starting with a base coat of matte gray cast iron paint then shooting it lightly with silver spray glitter from Michael’s and clear-coating over it all. “It looks exactly like the original finish.”

1971 Plymouth Cuda 440/6 Pack

When Jeff began his Mopar muscle quest, he was searching for an E-body Dodge Challenger or Plymouth Barracuda, but the price lines of those cars started shooting up at a steeper rate than that of the slightly larger B cars Plymouth Belvedere/Satellite/GTX/Road Runner and Dodge Coronet. (The Dukes of Hazard made the Chargers scarce and pricey.)

1932 Ford Roadster Hot Rod “Rolls Powered”

“Hey, that looks like Mark Allen’s car!” Sure enough, we doubled back and parked to confirm that indeed this spectacular roadster was once owned by Jeff’s boss in the Jeep studio, Mark Allen. Mark detailed the engine compartment with a serious sense of humor. The engine is a regulation-issue Chevy small-block, to which Allen managed to attach modified valve covers with Rolls-Royce embossed in them. He also managed to fake a Rolls-Royce engine-casting VIN number. The automatic choke is hidden by a decoy glass fuel bowl that appears to have dead bees sitting in a bit of old fuel. The finishing touch, fake engine mounts that appear to be installed with spring-loaded wing nuts. Very fun indeed.

1960-66 First-Gen Chevy C/K pickup

“Man, those vintage trucks are really getting popular,” Jeff mused as we rolled along near this beauty. Then he conveyed a story about working at one of his pre-Chrysler jobs. He was running just a bit late for a meeting and overheard one of the engineers saying, “We’ll let the design guy say his piece and then we’ll get down to business.” Recalling the anger that inspired, he pointed to the Chevy truck again and said, “My face turned as red as that truck.”

1969 Dodge Dart Swinger

Jeff has a Dodge Dart “not quite as nice as that one” at home awaiting some further ministrations. This one, like hundreds of other recently buffed-up cars parked along Woodward, is for sale.

Rat Rod Pickup

Tom Gale has built a few custom hot rods in his day, so we asked Jeff if he any ambitions to do likewise. “I’d kind of like to build something wild—kind of a lakes racer, but a pickup. I like the irony of building a speed machine but making it a pickup.” Shortly after we had that discussion, this rough facsimile of what he was talking about rolled by.

1953 Ford Crestline Ranch Wagon

It’s no Mopar, but Jeff was loving on this fairly heavily patinaed Ford Crestline Ranch Wagon, built in Ford’s Golden Jubilee year, 1953.

1999-2001 Lamborghini Diablo

“My dad worked on that design. Flew back and forth to Italy to do it. He was even invited back for the recent 50th anniversary of Lamborghini celebrations.” The Nissan 300ZX headlamps give this model away as a late-run 1999–2001 model Diablo.

1973-1980 Volkswagen Type 2 Westfalia Camper

“Who can help but smile when you see one of those?” Not us. This one looks fully outfitted for a weekend at a lakeside state park campground, with curtains, screened side-door windows, and hookups for water.

Ca. 1970s-’80s Jeep CJ5

“Man, you don’t see those hardtop Jeeps around much.” Life was certainly simpler for Jeff’s predecessors in the Jeep design studio back in these days. The left-hand drive rules out a postal service past for this one. The diamond-plate is probably an ex-works upgrade.

1955 Forcury

“That is a tasteful custom.” This 1955 Ford appears to be running Mercury Monterey wagon taillamps, along with side pipes with cutouts, spotlights, a tuck-and-roll interior—you know, the usual.

1965 Ford Mustang

“Those first-gen Mustang fastbacks are pretty classic.” The smoothness and flow to the lines of this original ponycar still impress today’s crop of working designers. Long may it be so …

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[robertkstone]

Woodward Dream Cruise: Cruising With Fiat-Chrysler’s Jeff Gale

Jeff Gale currently serves as chief designer in Jeep’s Exterior studio. He’s worked at Chrysler for 17 years, but the Mopar design blood in his veins runs even deeper than that. His dad just happens to be Motor Trend Car of the Year guest judge and design consultant Tom Gale, who retired after 33 years at Chrysler in 2000—the year Jeff arrived. Jeff graciously agreed to take us cruising on Woodward in his badass baby, a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner he’s owned since 2004. We headed out and asked him to point out everything that he found cool and intriguing. But first we got the full walkaround on his ride.

1970 Plymouth Road Runner

Jeff’s Road Runner is something rather special. The Mopar nerds among you might be wondering what’s up with all the chrome and the lack of racing stripes, as Jeff was when he first went to look at the car. Is this a Road Runnerized Satellite? Nope, the VIN checks out as a natural-born Road Runner. The previous owner reluctantly shared the infamous history of this car. It was special ordered with a décor group that bought the lower rocker trim, a stripe-delete package, and—via pulling some strings at the factory—Satellite chrome trim ringing the rear taillamp panel. Then the dealer receipt shows two more options installed prior to delivery: the accessory wheel-opening chrome and an extra leaf in each rear spring. What? The original owner was reinforcing the rear suspension to shoulder the weight of moonshine and ladling on the chrome to lend some stealth to this muscle runner.

Designers often find it difficult to leave a car completely alone, but Jeff’s mods have been minor and reversible. He’s done some suspension work to improve the handling, and of course he mounted the wider, lower-profile wheels and tires (but the original rally wheels are in storage if he ever takes it to Mopar Nationals). He also restored the metallic argent grille surround himself, starting with a base coat of matte gray cast iron paint then shooting it lightly with silver spray glitter from Michael’s and clear-coating over it all. “It looks exactly like the original finish.”

1971 Plymouth Cuda 440/6 Pack

When Jeff began his Mopar muscle quest, he was searching for an E-body Dodge Challenger or Plymouth Barracuda, but the price lines of those cars started shooting up at a steeper rate than that of the slightly larger B cars Plymouth Belvedere/Satellite/GTX/Road Runner and Dodge Coronet. (The Dukes of Hazard made the Chargers scarce and pricey.)

1932 Ford Roadster Hot Rod “Rolls Powered”

“Hey, that looks like Mark Allen’s car!” Sure enough, we doubled back and parked to confirm that indeed this spectacular roadster was once owned by Jeff’s boss in the Jeep studio, Mark Allen. Mark detailed the engine compartment with a serious sense of humor. The engine is a regulation-issue Chevy small-block, to which Allen managed to attach modified valve covers with Rolls-Royce embossed in them. He also managed to fake a Rolls-Royce engine-casting VIN number. The automatic choke is hidden by a decoy glass fuel bowl that appears to have dead bees sitting in a bit of old fuel. The finishing touch, fake engine mounts that appear to be installed with spring-loaded wing nuts. Very fun indeed.

1960-66 First-Gen Chevy C/K pickup

“Man, those vintage trucks are really getting popular,” Jeff mused as we rolled along near this beauty. Then he conveyed a story about working at one of his pre-Chrysler jobs. He was running just a bit late for a meeting and overheard one of the engineers saying, “We’ll let the design guy say his piece and then we’ll get down to business.” Recalling the anger that inspired, he pointed to the Chevy truck again and said, “My face turned as red as that truck.”

1969 Dodge Dart Swinger

Jeff has a Dodge Dart “not quite as nice as that one” at home awaiting some further ministrations. This one, like hundreds of other recently buffed-up cars parked along Woodward, is for sale.

Rat Rod Pickup

Tom Gale has built a few custom hot rods in his day, so we asked Jeff if he any ambitions to do likewise. “I’d kind of like to build something wild—kind of a lakes racer, but a pickup. I like the irony of building a speed machine but making it a pickup.” Shortly after we had that discussion, this rough facsimile of what he was talking about rolled by.

1953 Ford Crestline Ranch Wagon

It’s no Mopar, but Jeff was loving on this fairly heavily patinaed Ford Crestline Ranch Wagon, built in Ford’s Golden Jubilee year, 1953.

1999-2001 Lamborghini Diablo

“My dad worked on that design. Flew back and forth to Italy to do it. He was even invited back for the recent 50th anniversary of Lamborghini celebrations.” The Nissan 300ZX headlamps give this model away as a late-run 1999–2001 model Diablo.

1973-1980 Volkswagen Type 2 Westfalia Camper

“Who can help but smile when you see one of those?” Not us. This one looks fully outfitted for a weekend at a lakeside state park campground, with curtains, screened side-door windows, and hookups for water.

Ca. 1970s-’80s Jeep CJ5

“Man, you don’t see those hardtop Jeeps around much.” Life was certainly simpler for Jeff’s predecessors in the Jeep design studio back in these days. The left-hand drive rules out a postal service past for this one. The diamond-plate is probably an ex-works upgrade.

1955 Forcury

“That is a tasteful custom.” This 1955 Ford appears to be running Mercury Monterey wagon taillamps, along with side pipes with cutouts, spotlights, a tuck-and-roll interior—you know, the usual.

1965 Ford Mustang

“Those first-gen Mustang fastbacks are pretty classic.” The smoothness and flow to the lines of this original ponycar still impress today’s crop of working designers. Long may it be so …