Band imagines

Alan Ashby imagine

I watched in excitement as techs and stage assistants ran back and forth across the stage, testing equipment and assembling the drum set with the familiar symbol on them. My heart swelled at the realisation that I was finally at my first Of Mice & Men show.

Their music had always held a special place in my heart ever since my cousin played me one of their songs three years ago. Waiting for them to come to my city was the only thing that hindered the time gap between discovering their music and seeing them live. It was a festival but they had an hour long set.

My cousin couldn't make it tonight, he has seen them before so he wasn't overly disappointed. He spent the last week teaching me who was in the band. Three years and I didn't even think about the fact that they weren't just the instruments and voices I heard through my earphones.

I still had trouble with their names, I was a visual learner when it came to names and my cousin didn't have any photos of them.

A somewhat stocky guy dressed in all black took a seat at the drums and hit a few beats making the crowd go wild and the speakers in front of me made my sternum shake in my chest. I spent the whole day of the festival at the front of the barrier for the full experience but my fatigue was long forgotten at the sound.

Three more guys, looking rather tall compared to the drummer, graced the stage earning a roar from the crowd. From what instruments they held, I gathered that they were the guitarists and the bassist. The bassist took his place in the centre at the microphone.

There were random drum beats and guitar chords to warm the crowd but I could sense that everyone was waiting for someone. In this wait, my eyes drifted to the far right of the stage and saw one of guitarists with long brown hair signalling to someone on the other side of the stage.

My eyes followed his signals and my eyes fell on the other guitarist. In the roaming light display they had, his ginger hair lit up and something stirred in my stomach.

"A cut cannot heal!" A voice yelled with the drums but there was no guitar yet. "Unless you leave it alone!" The voice yelled again before an extremely tall man strode out from side stage looking over the audience. I knew the sing, the thought of finally hearing it live brought a smile to my face as I cheered with the crowd.

"I open mine daily!" He screamed before tilting the microphone to the crowd. "Leaving bones exposed!" I screamed with the rest of the crowd as the guitars and the bass kicked in like they usually did at the start of the song. I threw my hands up and jumped and head banged with everyone else.

They guy smiled over the crowd at how well we picked it up before continuing the song from the start. As everyone screamed the lyrics back at the guy who was doing the screaming and the clean vocalist, I couldn't help but let my eyes drift back to the ginger guitarist.

I know it was silly to think it, but I couldn't help but think that he kept looking back at me too. Even if I was front row, why would he notice me? I just could have sworn his eyes kept coming back to me.

The energy the band had on stage was captivating, you just had to give as much back. The song eventually came to an end and another one started. I recognised it as 'Second and Sebring' and screamed every single word with the rest of the crowd.

After the first verse there was a variation and the lead screamed said "I want to touch you! I want to touch you!" And came forward, reaching for our hands. I reached up as he came closer to me and his large sweaty hand gripped mine.