London Harmony: Water Gypsy (13 page)

We accepted the beer from Harry and I gulped mine down. Teresa giggled. “Slow down there little fishy.”

I shrugged. “Liquid courage.”

My friends assured me I'd do fine. I felt like I was going to pass out, but then grinned. “Oooo I have an entourage.”

Just to be put in my place by the seductive voice of my obsession. “Yes little Miss Bighead.” I gave her a goofy look with duck lips and stuck my tongue out at her and she snapped her teeth at it. I eeeped and giggled, then we all made our way to our seats at the non-rave rave.

The energy was different, more subdued than we were used to. I could see a few of the regulars in the underground scene looking like they felt out of place here too. I had to chuckle at that a bit, that we all felt odd in a more 'normal' venue like this.

I looked behind us nervously, the place was almost full, only a few empty seats were sprinkled about, there had to be around five hundred people. Bloody Hell! Now my nerves kicked in double time.

As the main light started to dim and the stage lighting got brighter, the crowd murmuring quieted. I glanced at the side door to backstage at the end of the row and noticed Scratch was standing there in his oversize black hoodie. His back to the wall and one foot up against the wall in a relaxed manner, arms crossed over his chest.

There was a woman next to him. Chestnut hair bunched up under a Green cap that said 'Seattle' on it, and some large sunglasses that obscured and dominated her face. She was wearing a baggy green hoodie, with the hood down, that matched her cap. Her hands were in the pockets of the jacket and she had a similar relaxed posture as Scratch while she leaned against the man in a proprietary manner. They were a couple, plain as day.

Moments later, Ronnie was on stage looking debonair in his suit with a thin charcoal grey tie. I grinned.
Ronnie in a suit, the world is changing.

He had a headset on and put a hand in the air, silencing the remaining murmuring in the crowd. He looked around with a winning smile. “Good evening everyone and thank you for coming tonight. There was some applause and he continued, “I see a lot of familiar faces and some new ones too. I know this isn't exactly what you were expecting tonight, we just thought we'd try something new to shake things up a bit.”

There was appreciative murmuring and he said, “Don't worry, we'll go back to the normal Ronnie Marx raves after tonight.” This got some cheering. Then he grinned down at the front row. “You are in for a treat tonight! First we have the lovely Lisa T...” He motioned his hand down to the bleach blonde woman and her group to our left as the crowd exploded. She stood and started toward the stage door as he continued, “...who will warm us up and get our energy flowing for the one, the only, Tabby Caaaaaat!” He said my name, long and drawn out like a wrestling announcer would and the crowd got louder.

Then we all quieted down, as Lisa T took the stage behind him, she had a three person band with her this time. That's actually awesome, maybe I should post on the boards I am looking to assemble a band, it would be brill. The dull ache in my stomach had grown to a paralyzing fear that I was next after her set.

Ronnie stepped off the stage as he announced, “Everyone put your hands together for Lisa T!” I'm sure I was as pale as a ghost but cheered up quickly as her band started with an upbeat pop dance number. She was pretty good, like the last time I heard her.

I was yanked to my feet as some people started to fill the little dance floor directly in front of us. “Glurk!” Then nothing mattered suddenly as I found myself dancing and grinding with a chocolate haired goddess. We were laughing and just having a great time. Paya and Harry joined us and we had fun teasing the poor bloke.

He complained, “Bloody hell women!” Which just got a raised eyebrow from Paya as she exchanged looks with my traitorous girlfriend and they both turned their backs to him and faced to me and danced seductively.

I had to agree with Harry as I gasped out, “Bloody hell. Are you trying to kill me before I sing?” Things were heating up. I pushed my smirking bestie toward her man. She barked out her genuinely amused laugh and then made it up to her man.

I smiled at Ter, who was biting her lower lip as she looked at me. I said, “You are a cruel woman.”

She nodded like it was common knowledge. “True. But I am your cruel woman.” I blushed and looked down as we danced just to have my lips caught in hers for a quick feather-light kiss that only she could give. I was heating up from my core. She was my woman. I was hers. I wondered if I was moving too slowly or too quickly with her. All I knew was that I wanted more as she ran her eyes over me.

The number ended and we headed to the seats as the second number began, it had almost the exact same beat as the last. Then I remembered the first time I heard her sing, it was the same too. Too much repetition got old fast, no matter how fun she was on stage.

I had finally found my style, but it was a general thing and I made sure that the tracks always mixed it up somehow so they were distinct, but with a similar vibe. A fusion of thrash and pop with heavy emotional overtones. My new set started with the first one Ronnie let me sing, but then went into more vocally challenging tracks that had the same flavor. I had to thank Teri properly for that if I didn't cock it all up tonight. It was her training that gave me more possibilities with my own voice.

I gave her a quick peck on the lips as I stood to make my way to the stage door. Then gave Paya and Harry pecks on the cheeks as I passed by. They were all encouraging me as I left, but all I could hear was my pulse roaring in my ears.

As I approached the door, Scratch pulled his hood down a little more, hiding away in the shadows. His girlfriend seemed to be following me with her eyes though I couldn't see them behind those glasses, it was the tiniest motion of her head to keep me in her peripheral vision that gave her away.

I nodded at Scratch as I opened the door and up five steps, then went into a little hall and turned right toward the stage. Ronnie met me in some sort of backstage prep and storage area. I dropped my bag on a small table by the curtains beside a sequin covered purse.

Ronnie tilted his head and squinted his eyes. “Jesus Tabs, you look like you're going to pass out. You have this, you'll do great.”

I looked up at the bloke and nodded, taking a deep breath and exhaling. Then I winked, saying, “I'll try not to cock up your big night.” Then I gave a toothy grin as he rolled his eyes. He cuffed my chin then went striding out on stage as Lisa T's second number ended to the cheering of the crowd.

She scurried off stage and made a beeline for the sequined purse and frantically ransacked it as Ronnie announced, “That was Lisa T everyone!”

There was more cheering as the woman seemed to deflate. “Well damn,” she muttered then shot me a sheepish look. I gave her a sympathetic look, she was obviously disappointed about something. Then it hit me and I had to stop a smile from spreading on my face and making me look insincere. The git was looking for a J-Card, she really believed they existed.

In my distraction, I missed Ronnie's intro for me until my head shot up as he said “...Tabby Cat!” Oh, bloody hell! I felt the blood drain from my face as I stepped on stage to the cheering. Ronnie had a hand out to me beckoning. I looked at my feet and hustled to his side.

He handed me a microphone near a stand and covered his mic on his earpiece with some fingers. Loudly into my ear over the noise of the rowdy crowd and residual cheers he said, “You've got this Tabs.” Then he hustled off stage to the sound equipment.

I looked around, this was the largest group I had ever stood in front of. I squeaked out, “Good evening everyone.” This got some cheers. I smiled and gained a little confidence. “I'm Tabby Cat and my first song this evening is Tattered Soul.” I pointed off stage and Ronnie started the instrumental track as I got some more applause. I heard a woman shriek, “Go Tabby Cat!” I glanced down to grin at Paya at the base of the stage on the dance floor, then my grin became a full smile as I looked at Ter beside her acting like a cheesy fangirl.

I started swaying as the syncopated bass beat began to suck me in, music did this to me every time, I had to feel it, live it, breathe it. I closed my eyes and began with that first restrained melody that hid the furor that was to come. I looked around the crowd with a smile as I took most of them by surprise when my pianissimo of a slow love ballad hit that sudden stentato. That was such a shocking contrast to the subtly of the prior line.

A few things happened in that instant, something inside clicked with me. I sang with an ease I had never had before as all of the lessons I have been practicing over and over came pouring out with my song.

Something that had escaped me in that final impossible lesson was suddenly crystal clear. When I switched styles in this song but kept the overall feel and emotion the same, that is what I was missing in that damnable lesson, I needed to change styles while keeping the same intonation. That's why I couldn't do it. Dear lord in heaven!

Then I exploded with more confidence and emotion than I had ever put into my music. People started cheering louder as I sang while they crowded the little dance floor. I saw the woman beside Scratch push away from the wall and take a single step toward me with her head cocked. A shocked expression flashed over her face.

Then there was nothing but my music, moving my body as I danced. My vocals driving me, my hips punctuating the transitions. The melody held me like a lover, cradling me, keeping me safe. I could almost feel Teresa's arms around me in the words. I grasped a hand to the heavens in prayer that I could mend my soul with the light of hope. The maestoso of the power notes went beyond any I had ever sang, my new gifts given to me by the woman who made my heart beat like this.

I pointed down at Teresa and made a promise to her with the final power note, projection with such force and volume. You could have heard a pin drop as the instrumental cut out and the note suddenly and seamlessly turned into the barest of whispers. I hung my head and closed my eyes, then had to cover my ears a moment later at the cheering in the small space.

I smiled and raised a hand to the crowd. I noted that the woman in green was no longer by Scratch. That hurt a little, was it that bad that she couldn't listen to the end of the number? I smiled at Teresa, who was just making a beating heart with her hands over her chest. I locked eyes with her and mouthed, “I finally understand.” Her eyes went wide and her smile doubled.

Paya was shrieking like groupie at a rock concert and Harry was looking embarrassed for her since she didn't have the sense to be embarrassed for herself. I lowered my hand and the crowd settled down. Wow, that was unexpected. I strutted the stage. “This next one is brand new, I call it Dragon Lady.” I singled out Ter and said, “This one's for you Miss McClellan.” She gave a shocked open mouth smile, her eyes twinkling as I started to sing. This was on the edgier side of my new fusion style, closer to the thrash side of pop. It was all about initial fear morphing into longing and something more beautiful.

I was banging my head and swinging my head side to side, feeling the short locks of my hair slapping the tops of my cheekbones. I had incorporated a lot more transitions and more intricate vocalizations in my new music. Now that I knew my voice was capable of so much more than I had believed possible before I met the beautiful women at that music conservatoire.

I noticed the woman in green was standing by the door again bobbing and swaying next to Scratch. It looked like the music was flowing right through her, her motions seemed connected as an organic element of my song. I had never seen a person experience my music like that before. Scratch looked to be restraining himself from joining her, he just tapped his fingers in time to the music, keeping up with the transitions.

I was forging the song into an offering to the gods, a thanks for opening my eyes to possibilities I hadn't realized existed before, when I saw Lisa T come out of the stage door jumping up and down as she held something out to some friends who seemed extremely excited. It was a black card, I saw the glint of gold from where I stood, then smiled as I sang.
Bloody hell, J-Cards were real!
I was happy for Lisa, she looked chuffed. This just pushed me to put more effort and emotion into my singing to help her celebrate.

The woman in green was trying to walk over to her, and she looked beyond mad. Scratch grabbed his girl's arm and physically dragged her up and out of the playhouse. What the heck had that been all about? I finished to the explosive cheers of the crowd.

I can't tell you how much I was moved that night, it was almost like a religious experience for me as I sang the final song in my set, Heart of the Persephone. The crowd wouldn't settle down as I went to leave the stage just to see Ronnie holding up a hand to stop me, shaking his head. He pointed back to the stage and the music for my encore started up.

This one was meant only to entice a fun and playful mood in the listeners, Sweet Caramel. Daring them not to dance, not to feel the music. I didn't have many like this, but it was a great number to end on, a note of fun that was worthy of Amber LaLanie herself. When I finally stepped off the stage, it was like all the energy the music infused me with had suddenly vanished like a light switch was flipped. I was bloody knackered!