All I Want Is You

The Concert

Chase

After my failed attempt at engaging Taz in a conversation and not being able to chase after her as I ran into Brent Simons movie star and friend, his wife and their friends and having to abort my pursuit, I concentrated on preparing for the up coming Concert.

Performing live in front of an audience of fun seeking fanatical music lovers was the ultimate adrenaline rush for any musician, to walk out there to rapturous applause and screaming fans just lifts you to another level, the need to please every single one out there, to hear then scream your name and show their adoration for every song is just the icing on the cake.

It takes the nerves and fear away, it replaces it with a swagger and showmanship, the need to please.

And that was how I felt as I stepped out onto the stage, the supporting group having done their job warming up the crowd for us, the flashing multicoloured lighting on the stage battling with the flashes of thousands of camera's in the audience for superiority.

The appreciative screams with the first beat of the drums, the first guitar cord played and the first words sung, there isn't another sound like it in the world.

As the familiarity of the whole situation swarms over me I reach for the microphone, pulled it free from its stand and approach the front of the stage where arms are held aloft and eyes wide open, screaming mouths greet me and as I walk along the front of the stage the arms up and screaming following along like some bizzare Mexican wave and when I speak all hell breaks loose and when I sing the audience rises as one from their seats.

Looking round at the band all reaching their musical high, like a well oiled machine we click and work together, we know what each other is thinking, we read and adapt to every eventuality, band in the true sense of the word, we band together.

"Ladies, gentlemen and rock and roll lovers welcome to Blenheim Palace, welcome to Nocturne Live and welcome to Phenomenon" I have to yell to be heard above the noise.

"Let's start as we mean to go on, let's rock" and with that the drums kicked in, followed by organ, bass guitar and me on lead belting out the lyrics to our first number one, Down a Rocky Road.

From the stage looking out over the audience though you can't really see beyond the first ten or so rows but you know there are ten thousand people out there for you, the continuous flashing from camera phones the continuous noise all driving you on to perform at your best for them.

"Fellow rockers" I bellowed to a screaming audience.

"We would now like to perform a song I wrote about a very special girl who means the world to me, this will be the new single from our new album to be released in a few weeks time, the songs called All I want is you it's a song for Taz"

The guys in the band looked at each other then at the pleading look in my eyes, I knew it wasn't in the original playlist, but after my encounter with Taz, I needed to do this, the guys nodded and started the slow beat that would build till it reached It's crescendo and full out rock towards the end.

The song was not one I had planned on writing or even to appear on an album, but it happened, one night when I couldn't sleep this lyric and melody kept playing over and over in my head and it was telling me that I wouldn't get any sleep till I put it down on paper.

When I played it, it was like a miracle everything about it fell straight into place, never had that happened to me before and when the guys and I fine tuned it and play it, a few tears welled up in my eye's.

I didn't want to put it on any album it was to personal, but the guys insisted, they said it had hit written all over it, so that was how it came to feature on Taz's album and would be the selling point not a filler.

As I sang feeling my eyes watering, I could not help getting caught up in the song and found I gave it everything I had, my eyes were closed as I belted out the lyrics and when I opened them I was so stunned at what greeted me that I nearly missed my cue.

The whole audience and I mean every single one had their phones help high and it was a sea of white light waving from side to side and they were deadly quiet as they took in the heart felt lyrics.

I had to quickly brush away a tear as it poignant message that I had definitely written from the heart bought back the memories of that fateful day.

As the last note hung in the air the phones started to move quickly in time to the loud applause, shouting and screaming of encore and more reverberated around the Palace walls.

And the applause just went on and on, as I had to leave the stage because like everytime I was emotionally affected so I rushed off to pull myself together under the pretence of getting a towel.

Rushing to the side of the stage, I brushed a tear away and began to wipe my face with the towel provided by Mitch one of the roadies, then in mid wipe realisation set in.

"Shit I do love her" I muttered.

And I knew deep in my heart I did, in fact I always had, I was just so screwed up and obsessed with my music I didn't realise it, now their was no way I was giving up, I needed to get Taz's forgiveness whatever the cost.

With that thought in mind my heart lifted and I felt alive a feeling I hadn't felt in a line time, now I had a purpose in life and I was going to grab it in both hands starting right this second.

I flew back on the stage and gave my all for the rest of the concert and I had never felt this euphoria before not even when I was taking drugs, knowing you loved a good women was better than any alcohol induced delirium or drug could give you, I sang my heart out.

Prowling the stage, I owned the audience, even the guys couldn't believe it was me out there, jumping about, inciting the crowd to sing, wave their arms above their heads and jump up and down, even pulling a girl from the crowd dancing with her and then sending her back, not keeping for sex afterwards.

Taz had literally made me, her money, the thoughts of her driving me to write, it was all Taz, Taz, Taz.

And after her reaction to me it I could tell it was plain and simply fright, she was frightened of me, now I knew I owed her big time and it was time for payback.

As we lined up and took our bows at the final encore, the crowd went wild, the fireworks lit the sky as I punched the air, in jubilation and in hope.

The hard part was yet to come.