The Reunion

Chapter 11

THIRTY-TWO YEARS AGO

I looked at the four eager faces staring at me, bursting with anticipation that I had good news to tell them. Unfortunately, at that precise moment in time, what I did have to tell them was not something they wanted to hear. 'Look, I'm sorry,' I began to explain. 'You all auditioned fantastically but, because of time restraints, I can't fit you all in the show.'

'How many of us can you fit into the show?' Gillian demanded. I took a sharp intake of breath.

 'One,' I admitted. 'I only have room for one of you.'

'If we were so good then why can't you drop other acts to fit us all in?' Graham asked.

It was a fair point but the balance of the acts had already been arranged. 'I'm sorry, but the running order has already been arranged so there is a good balance between comedy, music and speciality acts. So you can either fight it out amongst yourselves as to who goes on,

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or you join forces and get together as a pop act,' I suggested. 'Either way, let me know by the end of the day.'

I could see something in their eyes which meant that at least three of them were toying over what I had just said. So I decided to leave them to it and walked away.

The four teenagers looked at each other. I think they had been quite shocked at my suggestion but something was definitely turning the cogs in their brains.

'What do you think?' Graham asked. 'If we join forces then we all get a chance to play in the show.'

'What instruments do we all play?' Gillian questioned.

'Drums,' Tony simply said.

'Bass and other guitars, keyboards and violin,' Samantha answered. 'But don't expect me to sing.'

'I play guitars, keyboards, violin, drums and others,' replied Graham. 'And I can sing.'

'And I also play guitar, keyboards and can sing,' said Gillian.

'Why don't we go to the music studio and have a quick jam session just to see if we can produce anything that resembles a tune?' Samantha suggested.

The others quickly agreed so the set off to the studio. After setting up the instruments – Tony's taking the longest as he had to adjust cymbals, adjust the tightness of the drum skins and adjust the height of his stool a couple of times – and tuning up, they looked at each other nervously.

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'What do you suggest we play?' Graham asked.

Samantha started to play the opening bass chords to "Summer Nights" from the film Grease. Everyone else joined in with Graham singing the male lead and Gillian the female. After completing the song, Samantha went straight into play the bass for a Fleetwood Mac song titled "The Chain" which used to be the intro music to Formula One on television. The others again joined in. However, after completing this song, the teenagers looked at each other.

'I suggest that we go and tell Chris that we should play as a group,' said Gillian. 'What do you lot think?'

'I totally agree with you,' said Graham.

'It certainly went better than I thought it would,' said Tony.

'The only concern I have is, what type of music will we play at the concert?' Samantha said. 'I mean we're bound to have a different taste in music. Who does everybody like?'

In unison they said, 'Steps.'

'You've got to be kidding me,' said Graham. 'Even you, Tony?'

'Although the beat is done by a drum machine, it is actually fun to play,' said Tony, and with that he started playing the beat to "It's the Way You Make Me Feel". Again the others started playing and after stopping and changing the lead vocals so Graham and Gillian could share them, they played it all the way through.