Pieces of Us| h.s.

Chapter Thirteen.

Sydney Archer

We just arrived in Amsterdam for our first show of this final leg of the tour, and I couldn't be more excited.

We spent the last four days in the studio rehearsing again but it came naturally to us. Even with a month off we still had all our chemistry and felt like we had never had the time off. It's been a fun few days back at work, despite battling a three day hangover and trying to convince Harry to sing on one of our songs, it's been a lot of fun.

Our first night back at work was crazy, we went for drinks and I got so beyond drunk I can barely remember getting back to the hotel. Harry says he had to put me to bed and Myles bruised his whole arm that night somehow. We sure did pay the price, I certainly did. The hangover definitely reminded me I can no longer drink like a teenager which is a devastating reality. However, despite the everlasting headache, it was a good night. It's great to be back with my best friends.

Standing up on this stage, even with it just being a soundcheck, playing for an empty venue with people setting up for the evening, it fills me with anticipation for tonight. I've missed being on stage, and I've missed playing music with these guys.

'I'll do another chit chat in between these two songs, then we go to...illusion and then encore, we come back on and Harry will sing the second verse in strangers?' I said with a grin, knowing damn well Harry is gonna object.

'I am not singing that verse.' He said bluntly.

'Why!? You join in on the chorus of the song before anyway, why not sing a whole solo part?' I shrugged.

'Backing vocals are different to a whole solo verse, just sing the original nobody will care.' He protested.

'Maybe you'll change your mind when there's a crowd,' I smiled, knowing that wouldn't be the case.

'It won't.'

'It might.'

'It won't.'

'What if it does?'

'It won't.'

'Fuck me sideways,' Jamie interrupted. 'Are we soundchecking the next song or are you guys gonna keep arguing? Harry, stop being so grumpy, who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?'

Jamie taking my side made me smile, Harry gave me a look where he pretended to be mad but he was too focussed on his guitar solo to be mad. He was also too busy taking in the size of this place, so was everybody else.

Last time we played together was Festival X, we haven't played a venue like this in a while, where people are paying solely for us and to think that this will soon be full of people here to hear us play is just insane. It really does mean the world to us, and there is not one night of tour where we stand up on the stage to soundcheck where we're not faced with another pinch me moment. It always feels surreal, every single night it feels too good to be true. I don't know if it'll ever start to feel like reality, it seems as though we'll be living a constant fever dream forever and I don't mind at all.

By the time we reached the final song to soundcheck, Harry was still stubbornly protesting singing along to the second verse. Even when I held the mic to him he pressed his lips together so that not even the sound of air leaving his lungs could escape. He might still change his mind, and I hope he does.

Soundcheck wrapped up and we all headed backstage for a while. The crew all ordered pizza which was great because the pizza over here is always so incredible. It's always so good that it vanishes so fast, and being a much slower eater than everybody else, it's always devastating when I reach for another piece and they've eaten it all.