Page 56 of The Fire Walker
“Just checking out the gear you use,” Isaid.
The guy scratched his head. “Yeah, not the top-of-the-line shit, but we get a decent sound outtait.”
“Orange are great,” I said pointing to the heads over their amps. “I have a lot of mates who use ’em and swear by ’em.”
“Do youplay?”
“Yeah.Guitar.”
“What’s yourrig?”
“Similar, though I have a more recent model Marshall, and my head’s a Marshall aswell.”
“Sweet.” The guy was well and truly hooked with the amp talk. “What pedals do youuse?”
“I made my own,” I said. “I had some old stuff lying around, and I got a mate to help me withit.”
“Shit, that’s a bit complicated for me, hey. I got mine off eBay fordirt.”
“Nothin’ wrong with that if it makes a goodsound.”
“Dave,” he said, holding out hishand.
“Dee,” I replied, shakingit.
Another guy came up beside us and looked me up anddown.
“Hey, this is Stu, our drummer,” Dave said, elbowing hisfriend.
“Hey,mate.”
“Hey, you’re Australian?” Stu asked, narrowing his eyes atme.
“Yep.”
“Then I’m positive it’syou.”
Ifrowned.
“Yeah,” he said. “RollingStone.”
I grimaced. “Yeah, that’s probablyit.”
“You’re in that new Aussie band that’s been kicking about. The Devil’s Tattoo. I was reading that article today, and when I saw you come in with your girl, I thought I recognizedyou.”
I was in another country in the middle ofbuttfucknowhere, and some guy had just recognized me. I probably should’ve been all over it, and on an ordinary day, I would’ve, but I wasn’t feelingit.
“What are you doing here of allplaces?”
“Holiday.”
“And who’s the girl? She your other half?” Dave nodded toward thebar.
I glanced over at Jessie. She was leaning across the bar, giving her order to the bartender, and my gaze skimmed over her ass. “Nah, I’m just giving her alift.”
“You just picked her up?” he scoffed. “Where do I find one likethat?”
“Oh, no, I know her. It’s just…complicated.”
