Page 69 of All Right No
Ash had dutifully stuck the crumpled pages into the photocopier and produced enough duplicates for the whole band by the time Xane returned with Spook. The latter looked more ghost-like than ever, as he alternated between yawning into his palm and rubbing his red-rimmed eyes.
“Jet lag,” he complained, when he noticed Ash staring.
By the time the rest of the band joined them at around four o’clock, the rhythm, bass, and drums had been added, along with a few piano chords. The chorus got a do over too, in that the end became the middle, and the beginning the end. Everyone was all smiles and enthusiasm, but it wasn’t until Ash heard Xane sing his words that he accepted that his squalling offspring really was something precious.
“How in fucking hell have you written a classic?” Paul asked, six times over.
“No need to vote over what should be the lead track for the new album,” Spook said.
“It’s gonna be massive,” Xane added.
“Christmas release,” Paul piped up again.
Ash shook his head. “It’s not Christmassy,” and he didn’t want to add any sort of hideous seasonal jangle.
“Valentine’s.” The new guy nailed it.
“Yeah, definitely.” Xane wrapped his arm around his lover, and leaned in to smack a kiss upon his cheek, only for Luthor to turn to meet him so they ended up snogging. The rest of them averted their gazes, Dani included.
“So, how soon are you going to be up to recording this?” Rock Giant asked, freeing them from the awkwardness of attempting to ignore Xane and Luthor getting slurpy.
“Paul.” Spook shot a warning at the big guy, followed by an apologetic one at Ash. It made Ash realise exactly how much tiptoeing around him his band mates had been doing in case he had a meltdown.
“It’s okay. It’s a reasonable question. I don’t know that I have the answer. Soon hopefully, if I stick with Ginny’s rehabilitation program.” They exchanged smiles from across the room. She really had made all the difference.
“It’d be good to get this and the album done before we have to hit the road again. It’ll be murder if we have to squeeze things in between tour dates,” Spook remarked.
“Actually, about that,” Xane finally disentangled himself from Luthor. “I spoke to Graham yesterday. He’s booked us into Rockfield Studios for six weeks starting in November. We’ll be recording and then heading straight into the video shoot for the launch single.”
The buzz of a half dozen voices began at once, each with their own questions.
“I thought you were recording here.” Ginny managed to make herself heard over everyone else, citing the same thought that had immediately occurred to him. Wasn’t the fact that Spook had a state-of-the-art studio the reason they were all holed up here together in the first place?
“The label feels our needs will be better served at Rockfield,” Spook replied, cutting Xane off as he started to answer. “Also, they have the technical wizardry available on site, whereas we’re struggling with convincing anyone to travel, and there isn’t exactly room to accommodate them anyway.”
“Rockfield,” Rock Giant managed to make himself heard over everyone else. “Cool, but what happened to the woman you had lined up?” He swung his bass back onto its stand.
“She got busy,” Spook replied, turning his head away from all of them to occupy himself with some non-existent issue with the various leads running across the carpets.
“Bummer. She was good.”
“Yeah, but it’s not going to work out,” Spook mumbled.
“Mm, Ash,” Xane said, drifting towards him as the others chattered. “There was one other thing, Graham’s booked you in for a medical. Apparently, the insurers for the tour have insisted on it. It’s on the 17th.”
“Of October?” Ash gagged as if he’d been punched in the guts.
Xane got close enough to give him a one-armed hug. “I know, right? Sucky choice, but you’re going to ace it.”
“What if he doesn’t?” Ginny demanded, crossing the room to inveigle her way between him and Xane. “Does he then get locked out of the tour?”
Ash wrapped his arms around his precious lady from behind, as they waited on Xane to provide an answer.
“The impression I got was that it was more about establishing his level of fitness. There’s no question that he’s coming with us, more about what’s a reasonable work load. If you can’t do a full set, then I’m going to have to pick up the slack.”
“Reckon you can multi-task that well?” Ash asked with a laugh. Xane had always complained that he hated playing guitar on stage when he had to sing too, as he couldn’t then concentrate on one thing over the other.
“Also, being good for one show isn’t the same as being fit enough for a whole tour,” Rock Giant pointed out.
