Désobéissance - Palaye Royale

Chapter 3

III

FORMING THE NEW BAND

The weekend is going fast and the audition day for our band is finally here. Matt has left us the keys to the rehearsal room where we will be hosting the musicians. It's like any self-respecting garage band : a real mess. Old vinyl records, torn posters and empty beer bottles rub shoulders in a big mess. Ellie and I exchange a look and decide to do a minimum of cleaning and storage to give a little more professional image to all of this. When I'm done, I'm adjusting my hair that I curl this morning and dusting off my Iron Maiden t-shirt.

Around 2 p.m. someone knocked on the door of the room. We then open it, two young women, both carrying bass on their backs were there. After a brief presentations, we let enter the first one. Her name is Camille, she's twenty-three, and studying medicine with the hope of becoming a veterinarian. At first glance, she seems very nice and makes a good impression on us. She's wearing a Metallica t-shirt which I love. Ellie and I sit in front of her while she plugs her bass into the amp. I speak quickly to lighten the mood because I feel her nervous.

"First of all thanks to you for responding to our ad. As you know, we're trying to reform a band. Ellie and I are both guitarists and I also sing."

"We have no constraints to impose on you, just show us what you can do."

"OK..."

She thinks for a few moments then starts playing. From the first notes, I recognize "The Call Of Ktulu" by Metallica. A choice that hardly surprises me given her t-shirt. We can say that she's doing quite well, because it's a song that requires great dexterity. Ellie and I exchange a look of satisfaction and move our heads to the rhythm of the bass. Once the song is over, Camille looks at us, but seeing our happy faces quickly understands that we liked it.

"Wow! It was awesome! How long have you been playing bass?"

"About four years, but I started the guitar at the age of 12."

"I want to say that... It fucking rocks!"

"Thank you!"

We discuss for a few more minutes our musical influences, the reason why we are forming this group and the investment that it will represent in the days to come. She seems quite ready to try the adventure and sees this as a good opportunity to rub shoulders with real rock stars. She leaves us her number so that we can contact her quickly to keep her informed of our choice, whether the answer is positive or negative.

After Camille, the second young woman enters the room. She plays relatively well, but doesn't really match what we're looking for.

The afternoon ends without us realizing it. It is 7:30 p.m. and we still have a drummer to meet. His name is Hugo, and I recognize him quickly because he attended the same high school as us. Ellie nudges me when he arrives. He has indeed tried to ask me out several times but I have always rejected his proposal because he's not really my type. All I hope is that his presence here is not interested.

"Uh... Good evening... You pass the auditions for the drums I suppose since you didn't bring a bass guitar..."

I clear my throat. The situation makes me uncomfortable.

"Exact..."

He blushed, making me even more embarrassed.

"I didn't know you were playing drums."

"Well, the two of us never really talked."

He scores a point. I have never made an effort to get to know him better before. I was busier chasing after Estébane at that time. Wanting to dispel the embarrassment, Ellie invites him to take a seat behind the drums and improvise whatever suits him. My doubts quickly give way to a certainty when he starts to "play". It's simply inaudible. No sense of rhythm, no restraint when he hits the cymbals, creating a real cacophony. I then quickly stop him to preserve our eardrums.

"Hugo... I'm sorry but... It won't be possible..."

"Yes, I know this sentence in your mouth..."

"I didn't want to... hurt you..."

He has already left the room, obviously very disappointed. Ellie lets out a nervous laugh.

"Well, that's it!"

"Stop Ellie! He looked super sad!"

"Well if you weren't so cute and pretty maybe you wouldn't have that effect on him." Ellie said jokingly.

She manages to extract a smile from me. I rub my eyes with fatigue, forgetting at the same time that I am wearing makeup, spreading my mascara all around my eye making me look like a panda bear.

"Hugo come back! She's uglier than she's actually looks!"

We laugh and turn off the lights of the room before returning home while debriefing on the day. Many of the musicians we have seen have potential. We still have three meetings for tomorrow, then we will have to determine who will join us.

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