"We are going to be performing, 'keep yourself alive'," Brian said through the mike, earning a loud cheer from the crowd of people.
We were back at the university where I had watched them not long ago, and now I was apart of the band.
"Whose he," someone called out from the front as a few racial slurs were called upon seeing me.
I didn't mind though.
They'd love me soon enough.
"This is our new lead singer. Freddie Bolsala-Bulsara," Brian tried to say my name, fucking up horribly the first time but nailing it the second.
"Yes, that's right," I nodded to the audience who I could tell just wanted to see if I could sing, and with that I gestured over to Roger who got the Memo to start playing.
Everyone began cheering for Roger and Brian as they smashed the intro, and as it got closer to my part I tried to release the mic from the stand.
"Fred!" Brian coughed as I missed the intro. Only I could hear him over the booming bass but the slight boos gave me the impression that the audience knew also.
I needed to release it, it wasn't tall enough to reach my mouth and I wasn't one to slouch.
With two aggressive tugs I ripped the mic away...half the stand coming with it.
Confused looks were exchanged by Brian and Roger as they continued to play, but I just smiled, and began to sing.
The audiences initial dismay and disgust to me instantly changed as I earned a few cheers.
My eyes drifted around as I walked the small stage, adding a few spontaneous movements here and there.
Mary, I noticed was right in the middle. Her eyes fixed on me as I smiled with pure intent happiness at her.
"Learn the words Fred," Roger called to me as I forgot the bridge and began to make my own thing up.
But that's were Roger was wrong. It didn't matter if I knew the words, the audience loved it all the same. All that mattered was we put on a good show for them, and to me they seemed beyond entertained.
Within this short hour I'd impacted 50 people's lives, but I wanted more.
... much more.
—————
We'd been travelling all over England as a band for the past year now. Selling out gigs and events, travelling to them in this shitty little van.
It had served us well for a long time. It was always going to burn out and break down eventually.
"It's counterclockwise I think you'll find John," Brian teased as he tried to repair the tire which had burst on the country lane we'd been travelling down.
"Oh is it?" He fired back, "thank you Brian, would you like to do it? Please feel free."
"No no no, you're doing a good job."
John was also a guitarist, we spotted him and he's a great addition to the band. Him and Brian work amazingly together.
"We've sold out every pub and Uni south of Glasgow and I'm stuck, in the middle of nowhere, eating a ham sandwich," Roger complained, his mouth full.
"Problem is, we're just not thinking big enough," I admitted, looking through some of our new songs.
"What've you got in mind Fred?" Brian asked as deaky joined us from the floor.
"An album," I teased.
"We can't afford an album," John stated flatly as none of them seemed to understand my vision.
"Oh, we'll find a way," their faces still looked at me blankly.
"How much do you think we can get for this van?"
Brian and John smirked at my outrageousness as Rogers face twisted immediately.
"I hope you're joking."
Right now me and the other boys had a mutual agreement via facial expressions to ignore whatever Roger was going to say.
"I mean it Fred!"
"Don't worry Roger. We won't do anything with the van."
