And They Call It Murda!

The wonderful ride that I had been floating on with a band that had a ton of potential is just suddenly over. I feel like something has died. It’s terrible. For the past couple weeks I have been running around like a damn chicken with it’s head cut off trying to organize this band for it’s most important gig ever, the Black and White Ball at the Manette Saloon for New Years. Plans for the future have been flying around hard core along with the idea of making me the actual manager. All of that ended tonight.
When last I left off, the Manette had let me know that the meals for the band would be covered by the bar and that I should get an order into them a week ahead of time so that the food would be ready. That has been a fiasco in itself. When I did finally make the call, Lynval had already left orders for his family and most of Chela’s. I was at a loss as to what was still my responsibility. Details kept shifting around me every time I tried to take care of something. Suddenly I was in the middle of the no communication situation that I had been trying to solve this whole time.
The DJ situation that had been driving us all nuts at Tommy’s followed right into the New Year’s gig. The Brewery that John had gotten to sponsor the band was putting up the first funds for this event. That included the cost of the DJ and the advertising banners. The guy that had originally agreed to be the DJ changed his mind at the last minute and suddenly we were to have a pair of girls that had been spinning at the Fun House the night the band had had a gig out there. All of that was indeed frustrating, but it had nothing really to do with the physical band just yet. I was stressing just because that is what I do. John apparently had it all under control. On the other hand, every time Cale asked for clarification on how the money was being split so he could be prepared once we got to the Saloon, John could never give a clear break down.
All of that mess aside, I was still in the middle of problems with the band itself. The booking agent for Tommy’s night club had been in contact with me. Ironically Tommy’s had come up with the same idea as the band had about the “Eternal Friday Night” gig. They wanted to shift the band to playing once a month, either the first or last Saturday. I immediately agreed since it had been something JC, Leo, and Cale had talked to me about earlier in the month.
I ended up spending my birthday at Tommy’s playing pool and just generally hanging out. Jeff came up to me mentioning that he had talked to John about the “once a month” idea and that John had given him a song and dance about no guarantees after the end of December. Jeff just shook his head and remarked as to how rude the whole conversation had been. After all Jeff had given the band: free advertising and a place to play every Friday for the last four months. I had just rolled my eyes at the fact that John was once again out of the loop. I assured Jeff that to my knowledge the band was all for the idea of playing there only once a month starting in January. I took a moment to mention there was talk about making me the new manager anyway. He seemed so excited about the idea that I really just couldn’t help loving the guy.
It was almost funny to remember being scared of Jeff. Since the band had started playing there, I had seen the many sides of him. At one side I’d seen Jeff take down drunken frat boys in the middle of the street or go all gooey when Chela sang one of their songs to him. He was a shrewd business man yet I really felt like he cared about the band, and as I had said before, he’d become a great sort of mentor for me. When I got a birthday hug from him that night I knew I would always call Tommy’s a place to hang.
This morning I emailed Lynval about the situation figuring I could get a jump on the discussion before practice that night. I had a lot of stuff I wanted to make sure the whole band knew before we went to Bremerton. The strange thing both Cale and I noticed was that the official website had changed. Besides having an advertisement for the Black and White Ball, it also read in a very obvious way that made the show at Tommy’s the next night to be the last one ever. EVER! Cale and I both went, “What the Fuck?” Was John at it again? This seemed very much like the last time, when the band’s name had changed on the website without the band knowing about it. Yet my talk with Jeff came flooding back. The conversation that Jeff had had with John made sense suddenly. Something was up.
For all the complaining and working or unworking that the band had been going through in the last couple months, I really felt the thousand dollar guarantee the band had received from the Saloon had quieted down the general unease. When we arrived at JC’s house, where the band had been practicing for several months now, he was very much down to business. All my experiences of hanging out at band practices in the past had made me wonder how they got anything done. Everyone seemed so unable to focus on anything for long. Tonight the feel was very different. They all wanted to practice the songs that would be performed just for New Years and get it all perfect. I started out with a few notes from my own soap box: the band should be dressed sharp. The Saloon was playing us one thousand dollars to be the sole entertainment that would ring in two thousand and six. The band should look the part not only for the sake of New Years but for advertisement. Even if they didn’t act like a professional operation a lot of the time, now was the time to fool people into thinking we all had our shit together. That merely opened the door for Cale to pin down Lynval. “Did you tell John that we’re not going to be playing at Tommy’s anymore?” The room erupted into confusion. The guys agreed that they wanted the Saturday slot but silence struck when Lynval answered Cale’s question with a very vague and yet firm statement of, “That place is tired and I’m done with it.”
I got all upset. Why did he always just randomly decide shit and not tell other people. Here I was telling Tommy’s that I knew what was going on and making promises when really I didn’t know a damn thing. I felt awful. I had only created more confusion for Jeff and not lessened it. I also felt awful that for all Jeff had done; we would only end up treating him like crap in the end. Sorry we’re not playing at all in your fine establishment. See ya! That was terrible!
I think JC could sense the inevitable for he jumped in and demanded that they practice first. I’m not sure if it was just me but that whole awkward feeling just hung in the air. When it came time for the practicing to end because of the rules laid down by JC’s roommates, the discussion was tough to start back up. Ultimately Lynval dropped the bomb that left no doubt as to his meaning. The band as it was in its current state and current members would not to continue into the New Year. That whole statement was made while he quickly packed his gear and headed up the stairs. Chela was right behind him, looking for all the world like she had known exactly what was coming and suddenly didn’t know how to deal with the guys now that everyone knew what had been on Lynval’s mind.
The four of us just sat in the basement looking like someone had killed our first born child. I reached for a cigarette when it was passed around, and I didn’t even chide Cale when he did too. Even though he was close to quitting for good, I understood this was a moment to sit with the boys and have a smoke.
JC immediately started planning for the next band with a sort of desperate intensity. When Leo turned to me and asked what I thought of being a lead singer I retreated hard core. I was no Chela. I had been out of the game for too long and I was not the front woman that they were looking to immediately replace. Sure I could dominate the dance floor and represent the band with confidence, that didn’t suddenly bless me with the talent to sing in front of a reggae band. Yet it was hard to resist the idea; especially when JC explained his idea for starting a Downtempo band. That was exactly what Cale and I had been joking about for a while now. If I was going to be a lead singer I’d have to have that dance connection. When JC busted out a Thievery Corporation CD I had to laugh. That was exactly the band that Cale and I had been thinking of as well. How strange and surreal that moment was.
As more ideas were kicked around, I watched Cale’s struggle too. The guys wanted to know that he was on their bandwagon of building a new band, yet I knew he was torn. Lynval had been vocal about taking Cale with him to England and always being plainly spoken about the fact that he appreciated Cale’s talent. Every time the idea had been kicked around about changing members of the band Cale’s position had always been secure. Now it was actually happening and I’m sure he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to make promises he couldn’t keep and yet he wanted to keep making music with them. I don’t envy him and the decisions he’ll have to make soon.
When we finally left JC’s, he seemed rather eerily resolved to just make the next two gigs the best of all; to go out with a bang. This wasn’t the response I was use to from JC. It was almost too good to be true, but at that point Cale and I could only agree that was the best attitude to have and trudge up the stairs feeling depressed.
Even as I sit here, I feel like the bottom has dropped out of something great. I worry for how the next two shows will go, but only hope for the best. I really wish this hadn’t happened.