Post by Brad White on Dec 2, 2010 17:29:48 GMT -8
Life was hard yet good. Over the last couple of weeks Brad had through the means of busking made not much but more money then he use to. Putting in long hours to do so. The increase in cash flow coming in though came with a problem. Because he got it bit by bit, and normally had it on him for long periods of time the urge to spend it was great. At least half of the money that he was trying to earn had ended up being spent on games and the like. He had started to realize that in order to make the sort of money he wanted to so he could make a real difference in people lives would require either much more discipline or a better sort of income. Luck and good will hopefully would bring these. Recently he had applied for a job, a construction position in his own school to help with some repairs, and he was waiting on a reply to find out if it would turn out his way.
This story though was about something else. A small turn of events taken up on the same lure for money that had made him apply for that job would take Brad to discover something about himself. He was about to learn just how far the music flowed. It was a Saturday night, and Brad was at Jacob's Hall. Jacob's Hall was a small music venue where people played for free in order to show off and maybe get heard. It was a place where Brad went often and tonight like most Saturday nights he was there. Brad watched bands and performers come and go, and late into the night he took the stage. Pouring his heart out to one of his favorite song, the crowd applauded like they did for everyone brave enough to take the stage and bring something good to listen to.
Brad eventually finished the song, bowed and received more applauds from everyone and then returned to close knit crowd. A couple more performances passed and Brad listened and cheered, when a hand touched him on the shoulder between the break between performances. Brad turned to look at the owner of the hand and saw a much taller and older man. Short haired and with a beard Brad wondered what he wanted. “I'm Thomas, you got a minute to chat?” The man asked. “Sure.” Brad replied simply. The people here were normally good people and he had no reason to say no.
“I saw you play, been awhile since I've seen someone else do Matchbox 20. What other song do you know the word to?” Thomas asked, and now Brad now could start to hear some urgency in his voice. “Most why?” Brad responded to the man. “I've got 5 minutes before me and my band need to be on stage and playing, our singing in a van out back drunk as hell and your the first guy here I've seen can sing and might know the songs we've rehearsed.” Thomas speed of talking was picking up now but Brad kept up with him. “You want me to sing, but I don't even know you.” Brad replied sounding warier of the man. “Please man, 50 bucks for just two song.” Thomas offered. Brad knew it was either say yes or know, and the mention of money took him in. “Which songs?” Brad asked with a nod. “Busted and Downfall come on.” Thomas said taking Brad's question as yes and dragged him off out back.
Brad was at what same like the speed of light introduced to the other three members of the band, not including the singer. He was also told that the Thomas' band was in actually a Matchbox 20 tribute band, know as 'Hand 20 Down'. Thomas made sure that Brad knew they would be doing Downfall first, they took the stage. With Brad having to be dragged on almost to do so and pushed up to the mike. “Okay everyone up now we've got 'Hand 20 Down' with Brad White from earlier singing as there normal singer couldn't make it.” A voice announced, some applauded and then once again a matchbox 20 song started to be played.
For the first time in a long time, nerves hit Brad. He couldn't do this, what if the band behind didn't play the song like the original what if this was all a prank at his expense. Stupid thoughts of why this could go bad flared through his mind so fast in the few seconds he got to think before he needed to sing and then. “Well, I forget when words were only words. She knows the party makes me nervous.” Brad came in singing as best his could his body shaking still thinking that something wrong was going to happen. “In this stage we can't get hurt. Don't try to understand me.” As he sun the next two line he started to feel more confident holding his mike hard, and still shaking like mad he gave it all he got, as they came it to chorus.
It was at the point he noticed it out of the corner of his eye. Another man was a side of the stage and holding a bottle raised high and back ready to throw. “REPLACE ME WILL YOU” Brad wasn't sure what the man had screamed but Brad continued to sing as the bottle flew towards him. Thoughts swelled in his head as the bottle came at him, the nerves mixed with the new feeling of fear, as the music flowed through him, and then it hit him.....And flew back in the direction it had come.
Doing a double take as he sung he saw what he was seeing was really what had happened. The bottle had hit him in the side of the head and then almost perfectly flew backward before smashing into the face of the man who had thrown it knocking him straight to the ground. Brad waved to the band not to move and ran over to the guy, mike in hand and still singing as he checked the guy over. Taking one of the natural breaks in the song he told someone to call the guy a ambulance. All the time without know that the injured man in general was the guy meant to be singing instead of him. Running back on stage still singing, Brad felt like as long as the song continued he could take on the world if he had to. No bottle throwing man would stop him. The show must go on and it did. He also got that 50 bucks at the end of it all as well.
(OOC: Oneshot thread for me getting my Qi.)
This story though was about something else. A small turn of events taken up on the same lure for money that had made him apply for that job would take Brad to discover something about himself. He was about to learn just how far the music flowed. It was a Saturday night, and Brad was at Jacob's Hall. Jacob's Hall was a small music venue where people played for free in order to show off and maybe get heard. It was a place where Brad went often and tonight like most Saturday nights he was there. Brad watched bands and performers come and go, and late into the night he took the stage. Pouring his heart out to one of his favorite song, the crowd applauded like they did for everyone brave enough to take the stage and bring something good to listen to.
Brad eventually finished the song, bowed and received more applauds from everyone and then returned to close knit crowd. A couple more performances passed and Brad listened and cheered, when a hand touched him on the shoulder between the break between performances. Brad turned to look at the owner of the hand and saw a much taller and older man. Short haired and with a beard Brad wondered what he wanted. “I'm Thomas, you got a minute to chat?” The man asked. “Sure.” Brad replied simply. The people here were normally good people and he had no reason to say no.
“I saw you play, been awhile since I've seen someone else do Matchbox 20. What other song do you know the word to?” Thomas asked, and now Brad now could start to hear some urgency in his voice. “Most why?” Brad responded to the man. “I've got 5 minutes before me and my band need to be on stage and playing, our singing in a van out back drunk as hell and your the first guy here I've seen can sing and might know the songs we've rehearsed.” Thomas speed of talking was picking up now but Brad kept up with him. “You want me to sing, but I don't even know you.” Brad replied sounding warier of the man. “Please man, 50 bucks for just two song.” Thomas offered. Brad knew it was either say yes or know, and the mention of money took him in. “Which songs?” Brad asked with a nod. “Busted and Downfall come on.” Thomas said taking Brad's question as yes and dragged him off out back.
Brad was at what same like the speed of light introduced to the other three members of the band, not including the singer. He was also told that the Thomas' band was in actually a Matchbox 20 tribute band, know as 'Hand 20 Down'. Thomas made sure that Brad knew they would be doing Downfall first, they took the stage. With Brad having to be dragged on almost to do so and pushed up to the mike. “Okay everyone up now we've got 'Hand 20 Down' with Brad White from earlier singing as there normal singer couldn't make it.” A voice announced, some applauded and then once again a matchbox 20 song started to be played.
For the first time in a long time, nerves hit Brad. He couldn't do this, what if the band behind didn't play the song like the original what if this was all a prank at his expense. Stupid thoughts of why this could go bad flared through his mind so fast in the few seconds he got to think before he needed to sing and then. “Well, I forget when words were only words. She knows the party makes me nervous.” Brad came in singing as best his could his body shaking still thinking that something wrong was going to happen. “In this stage we can't get hurt. Don't try to understand me.” As he sun the next two line he started to feel more confident holding his mike hard, and still shaking like mad he gave it all he got, as they came it to chorus.
It was at the point he noticed it out of the corner of his eye. Another man was a side of the stage and holding a bottle raised high and back ready to throw. “REPLACE ME WILL YOU” Brad wasn't sure what the man had screamed but Brad continued to sing as the bottle flew towards him. Thoughts swelled in his head as the bottle came at him, the nerves mixed with the new feeling of fear, as the music flowed through him, and then it hit him.....And flew back in the direction it had come.
Doing a double take as he sung he saw what he was seeing was really what had happened. The bottle had hit him in the side of the head and then almost perfectly flew backward before smashing into the face of the man who had thrown it knocking him straight to the ground. Brad waved to the band not to move and ran over to the guy, mike in hand and still singing as he checked the guy over. Taking one of the natural breaks in the song he told someone to call the guy a ambulance. All the time without know that the injured man in general was the guy meant to be singing instead of him. Running back on stage still singing, Brad felt like as long as the song continued he could take on the world if he had to. No bottle throwing man would stop him. The show must go on and it did. He also got that 50 bucks at the end of it all as well.
(OOC: Oneshot thread for me getting my Qi.)