From where he sat on the drum risers, Brian looked at the band, Rog and Mal sitting in chairs flipping through a magazine, John and Veronica chatting on the couch. From where she sat next to them on the couch, Chrissie gave him a sympathetic smile, which he returned.
"Screw him." Freddie wasn't here to start rehearsal while the rest of them were, so his loss. With that, Brian leapt off the risers and stood. "Everyone up on the drum risers," he ordered. The others stopped what they were doing and stared at him.
Chrissie was the first on her feet. "Come on," she waved the others on.
"Thank you, Chrissie, for showing some enthusiasm." Brian pecked her lips. "Unlike the others."
"You mean wives, everyone, Brian?" asked John.
"Yes, come on, John! I'm not waiting any longer."
"Bass?"
"No, you don't need it." Brian gave John a kick in the bottom to get him up and moving.
"Okay then."
"Well this is a nice change," Mal observed, standing with Veronica and Chrissie. "Ladies. You two should come by more often."
"Come on, Rog, you're the last one," said Brian.
"Yeah, come on, Rog, he said wives too," Mal called, earning laughs from the others.
"Yeah, come on, Rog, take your time," Brian scolded.
"All right." Roger took his place on the risers next to his wife. "What's all this about?"
"Our last concert, the crowds were singing our songs back to us. It was deafening, but it was wonderful!" A grin split across Brian's face. "They're naturally becoming part of our show, and I want to encourage that, so I've had an idea. Stamp to this beat-" He began tapping his foot. Stamp. Stamp. Beat. Stamp. Stamp. Beat.
"Genius," said John.
Brian grinned. "Thank you, John. Now go on, all of you."
The rest humoured him, all beginning to stamp to his beat together. They chuckled when some of them were off time.
"Good, good. Now I want you to clap on the third beat-" Stamp. Stamp. Clap! Stamp. Stamp. Clap!
"See how good that sounds! Now imagine thousands of people all doing this in unison-" Freddie had chosen that moment to make an appearance, finally. "No Prenter? It's unusual seeing you without your clone."
"It's unusual seeing you be so bitchy," Freddie shot back. "What's going on here?"
"You'd know if you were on time," said Mal.
"Sorry I'm late."
"Again," John reminded him.
"Well I'm here now, so will you please tell me why you're not playing any instruments?"
"I want to involve the audience a little more," Brian explained. "So what can they do?" Stamp! Stamp! Clap! Stamp! Stamp! Clap!
Freddie was grinning now and joined in. "What's the lyric?"
---------------------------
"Freddie!"
"Freddie over here!"
"Another question-"
Always another question.
"Freddie, my readers want to know-"
YOU ARE READING
Real Life or Fantasy? - 'Bohemian Rhapsody', Roger Taylor
Fanfic"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?" London, 1970. Mallory May has been begging to join her brother's band for ages, and when the lead singer quits and they are searching for a new vocalist and bass guitar player, she might just find her...
