by Every, Donna
The private jet landed at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport at 10:00 a.m., exactly one hour after they had taken off from Kansas City International Airport. The Kansas City tour had been a whirlwind, with them flying in from Denver in the evening and practically walking onto the stage for another sold out concert at the Landon Arena. They had hung out backstage afterwards for a while before heading to their hotel. No-one had seemed inclined to go out, for which Shari was glad. She had managed to get into her bed fairly early for a change and was up early and ready for the trip to Chicago.
The short flight from Kansas had been fun, with great camaraderie and teasing between the band members. Even Tim was on his best behavior and seemed to have gotten over whatever his issue was with Nick in Las Vegas.
The jet had soared through a beautiful, clear sky and the good weather, the successful concerts in Denver and Kansas City plus the bonus that they would stay in Chicago for three days buoyed everyone’s spirits. Steve was especially excited because it meant after the concert that night he could fly home for a couple of days and then meet them in Cincinnati. The mood seemed to be contagious because Shari began to have a sense of excitement about the documentary and was happy with how it was shaping up so far. She had even arranged to speak with Tim the following afternoon.
Lily had told her that they could easily have sold out the United Center with a capacity of 20,000, but after such a large concert in Denver with another one planned for Cincinnati, they had decided on a medium sized venue in Kansas with seating for 10,000 people followed by an intimate concert in Chicago, if 5000 people could be considered intimate.
Not even Nick’s whisper in her ear, reminding her that if she wanted to join the mile high club he was willing to initiate her, could affect her great mood. She simply swatted him away like a bothersome fly and warned him to behave himself. His warm breath tickled her ear as he chuckled and said that if she changed her mind she shouldn’t be shy in letting him know.
Three limousines met the plane on the tarmac and transported them to The Waldorf Astoria. Shari was excited. It would be the height of luxury, even if she was in a standard room, as standard at the Waldorf was anything but. She knew better than to say anything this time as she didn’t want to deal with any scathing comments about her liking the high life, although Nick was in his Dr. Jekyll persona today.
They reached the hotel in about forty minutes and the limousines drew up along the curb next to an elegant fountain. A doorman greeted them and welcomed them to the hotel. Shari fell in love with the lobby with its black and white design and modern sculptures. She could hardly wait to see her room.
Lily informed Nick that he and Tim would be sharing the Presidential Suite since there weren’t enough suites available for everyone to have their own. “It’s over three thousand square feet, so do you think you guys can get by for a few days?”
“Of course, Lils,” agreed Tim. “All is well.” Nick wasn’t thrilled but, as Lily said, they could go three days without running into each other in that suite.
Shari confirmed with Tim that she would interview him the next day around two in the afternoon to give him time to recover from the concert that night. She was secretly looking forward to seeing the Presidential Suite and she was also glad that Nick would be close by. Tim seemed in high spirits, but there was still something about him that made her a bit uncomfortable. It was nothing that she could put her finger on; she was just going by her intuition.
Chapter 10
As the limousines skirted the arena and headed for the back entrance, they could see lines forming already. The gates would open about an hour and a half before show time, but the band was planning to do a short rehearsal before then.
Shari was looking forward to this concert since the smaller crowd was more manageable for her. She knew that Nick was also keen to perform as he had said that he could connect more personally with the smaller crowd.
“The crowd seems kind of big already,” Shari commented to Lily, while the band went ahead to get set up. Brian went with them to get some footage of how they prepared for a concert.
“I hope they haven’t oversold the arena,” Lily replied. “That could be disastrous. I know that the guys wanted to play at this smaller location, but I’m not sure if I’m as happy with this as we would have been at somewhere like United Center.”
“Because they’ll be performing for a smaller audience?”
“Well, that too. But when there are limited tickets available there’s the temptation by the venue to oversell to make more money and then everyone can’t get in and it can get stressful or, worse yet, dangerous. We’d better get inside before there’s not room for us,” joked Lily, trying to dispel her concerns.
“OK, that sounds great!” Nick praised as the band ran through their first song without a hitch.
“Happy that you’re happy, Nick,” joked Tim good-naturedly.
“Let’s see if we can repeat that with “Moving On”.”
The band ran through the songs that Nick wasn’t happy with from the last concert a couple of times until he was satisfied. Everyone was eager to get through this concert and enjoy the few days of downtime they would have before going on to Cincinnati.
“Let’s crank up the volume a bit and test the speakers.” This was from one of the sound technicians. “I want someone at the very back to tell me how the quality is.”
A trainee hustled to the back row of the arena in a minute.
“OK, guys. Let’s see how much juice we have.”
““Moving On” again and then let’s head to the dressing rooms,” Nick instructed.
He played the opening bars for “Moving On” and the band joined in. Adjusting the mike more comfortably around his ear, he began to sing:
It was good while it lasted
But we never would have made it
It was good while it lasted
But I’m moving on…
The sound technician waited for the signal from the back. He saw his trainee gesture with his hand to pump up the volume a bit more and pushed the controls up further until he got the thumbs-up sign.
Outside the arena
It was good while it lasted
But we never would have made it
It was good while it lasted
But I’m moving on…
“That’s “Moving On”! Is the concert starting already?” someone asked.
“They’re probably just practicing,” someone answered.
“When are they opening the gates?”
“Gates! Gates!” The crowd started chanting.
Inside the booths, the ticket takers were beginning to feel a bit nervous. There was still half hour to opening and the crowd was beginning to get impatient. One called the manager and asked whether they should open early and was told that they shouldn’t as yet since the band was still on the stage rehearsing.
They managed to announce via the PA system that the gates would soon be open. That quieted the crowd for a while.
Half hour later the gates were opened and the lines started to move through the gates quickly and orderly. General admission tickets had been sold since the venue could only hold a small number and it was expected that the crowd would be orderly.
Almost an hour later a message came from inside the arena to the ticket takers that they were full. The arena had been oversold.
“What do you mean full? It looks like we’ve got another thousand people out here.”
“Well, there’s no more space!”
“But they have tickets!”
“Get security to close the gates.”
The security team began to close the gates, telling the fans at the front that there was no more space inside.
“What do you mean ‘no more space’? I have a ticket and I paid a hundred bucks for it.”
Suddenly there was a surge from behind as frantic fans saw the gates closing. Those in front were forced against the gates which crashed back under the forc
e. One security guard could not get out of the way in time and fell under the storming feet. The surge continued and anyone who lost their footing went down and the momentum pushed people over them.
The police who were patrolling finally realized what was going on and swarmed over to push back the crowds. They were able to close the gates and bring order back to the situation. About two hundred extra people had gotten through the gates. Once the situation was under control, they discovered that three people, including the security guard, had been crushed to death and several others were injured. Ambulances were quickly called to take the injured ones to the nearest hospital. For the others, it was too late.
Inside the arena, Nick and the band were queued to go onstage, oblivious of the tragedy that had taken place at the gates.
Backstage
Brad’s phone rang. He almost ignored it, wondering who could be calling him minutes before the show. Who called a band’s manager just before a show was due to start?
“Yeah?” He barked into the phone impatiently. It was the manager of the arena.
“What? What happened? … My God! How many? … Oh no. Oh no. Should we cancel the show? … Yes, yes, you’re right. The last thing we want is a riot as well. I won’t tell them anything until afterwards. OK, thanks. We’ll talk later.”
He sank down on the nearest chair with his head in his hands. Lily and Shari found him there a few minutes later as they were heading to the stage to watch the concert from the wings this time.
“What’s up, Brad? You look like you have the world on your shoulders,” teased Lily.
“I feel like I do, Lil. You’re not going to believe this.” He rubbed his hands over his face and turned to look at them. “I just got word that three people were killed when the crowd rushed the gate before the concert.”
“What? When? How?” Lily spluttered, turning pale.
“But the band is playing,” added Shari in disbelief.
“They don’t know yet. I only just found out and we’ve decided to let the show go on. I’ll tell them afterwards. The police are carrying out their investigations now.”
Shari sank to the floor next to his chair as her legs suddenly lost their strength. Her heart literally hurt for the people who were killed and injured, but also for Nick. How would he deal with this?
“Great job, guys!” Nick shared high fives all around as the band headed into the wings.
Backstage was like a ghost town. Where it was usually bustling with activity, there was an eerie quiet as the guys headed for their dressing rooms.
“Where the hell is everyone?” Tim asked, looking around. “Back here is like a morgue.”
They all came to an abrupt halt at the sight of Brad and Lily standing in the hallway outside the dressing rooms. Brad looked disheveled as if he’d been running his hands through his hair. Lily looked pale and distraught. Shari was standing off to the side as if she didn’t quite know if she should be there or not. Nick’s eyes sought hers and in a split second noted that they were red as if she’d been crying and dread began to churn in his belly, making him feel sick to his bones.
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded, not really wanting to hear the answer.
“I’m afraid we’ve got some really bad news.” Brad paused. “We think the venue oversold tickets and there was a rush on the gate before the concert. Three people lost their lives and several were injured.”
There was a stunned silence.
“What the hell! And we just played as if nothing happened? This is like the Who concert in Cincinnati all over again!” This was from the base player, who was usually fairly quiet.
“We couldn’t cancel. That may have caused a riot. We’re going to go to lockdown on this for the time being so I need all of you to get your stuff. We’re heading back to the hotel. No one goes out and no one comes in.”
Nick looked stunned. Shari felt helpless as she watched him stumble towards his dressing room as if his feet were too heavy to lift. She wanted to go and comfort him, but it seemed too intimate, considering that she barely knew him. Instead, she prayed that he wouldn’t begin to blame himself.
The drive back to the hotel was silent as each person grappled with the tragedy of the evening. Shari chanced a glance at Nick and found him lying back against the seat with his eyes closed. The agony on his face reflected the thoughts that plagued him. Her heart ached for him as she realized that he had no one to share this tragedy with. Steve would no doubt call home and talk to his wife; even Tim could call his, but Nick had no one. Well, he could call his parents, but it wasn’t quite the same.
As they headed for the elevators, flanked by the entourage of bodyguards, Shari couldn’t help but notice the accusing stares that the group received. The news had no doubt hit the streets that the band had performed even as people lay dead and injured outside their concert.
“Shari.” She looked at Tim in surprise. “Since we’re grounded tonight, do you want to get the interview out of the way? I’m thinking to go home tomorrow.”
She looked at her watch. It was only 10:30, not that late, compared to the hours she’d been keeping lately. “Are you sure you’re up to it?”
“Yeah. Just give me an hour to process this stuff and I’ll be fine.”
“OK. See you in an hour.”
Shari was surprised when Nick answered the door to the suite. Had he been waiting for her or was he just passing the door as she knocked? A wave of alcohol from the glass he held assailed her nostrils, but she didn’t have the heart to comment on it. The grief on his face was too naked.
“How’re you doing?” She asked as he stepped back to let her in.
“Not good. I can’t believe this is happening.”
He downed the rest of his drink and leaned against the wall for a moment with his eyes closed before he roused himself enough to lead her into the suite.
Shari subconsciously appreciated the décor, but was distracted by the events of the night and her concern for Nick. Tim appeared from somewhere in the suite also holding a glass and looking worse for wear than Nick. She wondered how many drinks he’d consumed in the hour.
“Hi, Shari,” he greeted with a slight slur, his gaze roaming over her. Shari had changed into a leopard print skirt that ended just above her knee and a black sweater. She was adequately covered, but somehow Tim made her feel undressed.
“Are you sure you’re up to this now?” Shari asked again. She felt uncomfortable under his gaze and almost felt like postponing the interview. Besides, she wondered if she would get any coherent answers out of him.
“Better do it now because we never know what tomorrow will bring,” he said philosophically. “Isn’t that right, Nick? YOLO,” he added, raising the glass in a salute.
“Yes. You only live once,” agreed Nick. “And you shouldn’t have to die trying to get into a concert,” he added bitterly. “I’ll be in my room,” he said to Shari, heading to another part of the suite. Shari felt the loss of his presence.
“Let’s talk in the media room. It’s nice and cozy. Do you want a drink? I’m getting myself another one.”
“No, thanks.” Shari gazed after Nick, wishing that he had stayed. She didn’t feel comfortable with Tim when he was sober far less when he’d had several drinks. The fact that Nick was in the suite made her feel better but, then again, the suite was bigger than some people’s houses. Would he hear her if she called? Would anyone? She was being ridiculous. Tim was probably harmless. At least she hoped so.
Chapter 11
The media room was truly luxurious, but a little too intimate for Shari’s liking. The walls were finished in black and brown and the room was dominated by a large, dark-colored sectional with a few throw cushions scattered on it and an oval coffee table within reach. A massive TV was mounted on the wall and there were other electronic devices for entertainment. The dark walls and partly-drawn curtains gave the room its intimate feeling and the last thing Shari wanted was to be in a dimly lit room with Tim
Benton.
He gestured to the couch and waited until Shari sat and took out her recorder and tablet. He sat closer than Shari would have liked and leaned forward to rest his glass on the table. His jean-clad knee brushed Shari’s and she moved hers slightly in what she hoped was a discreet way.
She’d done some research on him and found that he’d been with the band from its club days. He had left another band at a time that Nick’s fledgling band was looking for a drummer and he’d been with them ever since. He’d been married for four years during which time he and his wife had split twice. He’d been arrested for possession of cocaine a year ago, but the charges were dropped. That didn’t seem to have stopped him from using by the looks of things. Wonderful! She wondered if that was why Nick had told Brad to look for another drummer. Maybe that was what the anger in Vegas had been about. Now, it was as if the outburst in Vegas had never happened.
“Do you mind if I record our conversation?”
“Go right ahead, darlin’.”
Shari spent a few minutes talking about his music career, how he got into drumming and how he started with Nick’s band, although she already knew the answers. She just wanted to get the flow of conversation going.
“When I joined the band it was called Unzipped and then it became Nick Badley and Unzipped and now it’s just Nick Badley,” he laughed mirthlessly.
“Does the rest of the band have a problem with that?” Shari asked.
“I can’t speak for the rest of them, but it sure pisses me off. It’s as if we’re only there to support Nick, while we’re all great musicians in our own right. Drummers get the least respect. I’m sure you’ve heard some of the drummer jokes.”
