What Happens in Glastonbury

2004

(Jesse PoV)

I was getting ready to hit the town with Nate and Noah. LA was my favourite place to party, although I had only been out there a couple times. It was the homeland of the rich and famous, clubs and bars were always filled with celebrities, so many that it wasn't a thing, so I rarely got bothered by fans, the odd one or two but not constant crowds following me everywhere, LA was the only place that I could have a reasonably normal night out and I hadn't been out in ages, I was psyched.

I wasn't a massive drinker, I drank so much through my teens and early 20's, it got me into so much shit whether it was cheating on girlfriends, messing about with fans or getting into fights, trouble followed me when I drank and now that the media were following my every move and posting it online for the world to see, I had to be really careful, never get out of control and never let my guard down.

"Ready, man?" Shouted Noah

"Yeah, I'm coming" I called back as I headed downstairs to the waiting car. My phone beeped in my pocket, I walked out to the car, thankfully no one had found out where I was so for the first time in a long time there were no fans waiting outside and no paparazzi. That almost never happened! Nearly every door I had walked out of in the last few years had fans and cameras waiting. A combination of people in LA just not being impressed by celebrity, the fact that going to Nate and Noah's place was a very last minute, unplanned decision and also, they'd just moved, I'm sure none of the fans knew they weren't in New York anymore, that wouldn't last long, our fans were like expertly trained ninja, Sherlock Holmes bounty hunters! Or at least that's what it felt like when they knew my every move before I'd even decided to make it! I knew fans would figure out where the guys had moved too soon, probably within hours. But for now, it was nice to just get in the car without having to stop and pose for photos.

As the car sped away, I pulled my phone from my jacket pocket. Remembering the text.

I had a new text message from a number I didn't know for fuck's sake who has got hold of my number now! I thought.

Hey Jesse, it's Olly's friend Zoe. I just wanted to apologise for what Sam did the other night. I'm sorry he ruined your night and dragged you into our fucked-up situation. Olly was just sticking up for me because that's the loyal, selfless friend she is. She doesn't deserve to have her life ruined by bad decisions that I've made. I'm sorry. Please call her when you can. Thanks. Zoe x

I didn't know what to think. I wanted to call her, but it wasn't just Sam, it was the way she reacted that night. I didn't care that Sam hit me, I didn't care about being dragged into their shit, the thing that got to me was Olly throwing me out, without giving one fuck about what might happen to me. That was no one's fault but hers, I mean I'd told her how crazy my life was, she knew I couldn't just walk out of a door like a normal person, she'd seen it for herself. I wasn't sure if I was ready to forgive or forget, yet.

I had no clue what to reply so I just didn't, sliding my phone back in my pocket.

Soon my mind was elsewhere.

The club was busy, after all it was New Year's Eve, I don't know what I expected.

"Do you want security?" Asked Nate, Nate and Noah got recognised all the time, they were often confronted with fans when they were out but we weren't a band as such, I was an artist and they were my musicians, sounds so big headed but I was the one signed to the label, as a solo artist, I wish we had been a band though, I'd have much rather been a band of 4, I hated being a solo artist really, all the attention was always on me, it was always me that had to do all the shitty stuff, interviews, games and all that promo shit and the fans were 1000 times worse for me, the rest of the boys always got off lightly. They still got followed everywhere though, Noah in particular, Noah had been in some movies before he was in the band, you know like teen romance type shit, not my thing, but he was popular with the teens, the movies had been pretty big, I mean they weren't Hollywood blockbusters or anything, but they were in theatres in the states and I guess probably across the world, there was a big premiere in LA, so I guess it was kind of a big deal. But Noah's first love was music, so he hadn't made a movie in a few years, his heart was in the band for sure, but it meant he had his own group of 'die-hards' who showed up pretty much wherever he went. It took the heat off me a little sometimes, so I was pretty grateful for that. Particularly in LA, he was probably recognised more than me and his fans had come to know he was a twin, so Nate got a lot of attention too.

"Security, uh, I dunno, do we need it here?" I asked, I wasn't all that familiar with LA, I came out to record quite a lot but didn't really go out much, hitting the town like this was rare and it was New Year's Eve, it wasn't an average night out, I'm sure every single person in LA was out tonight.

"Maybe" smiled Nate, looking towards the entrance to the club, there were loads of drunk young girls outside, drinking, shouting, laughing, falling all over the sidewalk.

Great I thought. Here we go!

"Nah, I don't want to be babysat tonight" I replied. I wasn't sure if I was making a wise decision, but I really didn't want some dude following me around all night, it could be so suffocating. It also drew more attention to me. It was New Year's Eve; I wanted a somewhat normal night out with my friends.

"Ok. Brace yourself" laughed Noah as he got out of the car, followed by Nate and then me.

It took about 4.2 seconds before the screaming started. Girls rushed towards Noah, screaming his name. Within seconds I couldn't even see him anymore, girls were hanging off him like a plague of locusts.

And it only took a further 3 seconds before Nate and I fell to the same fate.

"Jay! Jay!"

"Jay I love you!"

"Can I get a photo with you, please!"

"Jay, your music saved me!"

It was always dramatic. Always. I know it's nice to be told those kinds of things but when it comes from strangers it's pretty meaningless.

I always thought in these moments how wrong it was that being in the career that I was gave girls the right to touch me, there were hands all over my body, rubbing me, pulling me, touching me in places that if it were anyone else, in any other profession they'd be filing sexual assault charges! This wouldn't be ok in any other situation but for some reason being a musician made it acceptable to have no personal space and to have your body violated on a daily basis.

I sound like I'm overreacting I know, what man doesn't want lots of beautiful girls touching him, telling him how much they love him? At first, I thought the same, I thought it was great! I loved the attention and the ego boost but as time goes on and as I get older, I realise that it's not ok. I don't want it. I feel smothered and the line of appropriateness is crossed every single day. But I have to put up with this. This is my life and I need to be a musician like I need to breathe.

"Hey girls" I said, with a fake smile

"Can I get inside? I will take photos with you all in there" I said, attempting to get them to back off a little.

A few stepped back, most still hanging off my arms.

The three of us managed to shuffle slowly towards the door to the club.

The doormen spotted us and thankfully intervened

"Right girls off the guys please, you're blocking the entrance to the club" said one large man dressed head to toe in black in a very stern voice.

The girls backed off a little

"Thank you" I said to him, he pulled back the rope across the entrance and allowed only me, Nate, and Noah to enter together, whilst another doorman stood behind us stopping girls from following us in.

"Joe! Take them to 3" shouted the doorman to another doorman just inside the club, he nodded in response, and we followed him in.

He led us to the back of the club to a table area with a rope and curtains around.

Great, VIP area I thought, at least I had somewhere to escape to. Sort of.

A girl who I assumed to be a bar maid brought over some bottles of beer and put them down on the table.

And that's literally the last thing I remember of what might have been one of the worst New Year's of my life.