Patsy Power Part 39

On the Sunday we went for walks in the city parks but had to get a taxi when someone thought they knew me and was getting a bit too personal. Sunday evening we flew back to Nashville. It seemed that we were better off in a town where everyone knew us and let us be.

Patsy Power Part 35

On Monday we all went our separate ways. Joanne and Minh went back to Nashville with the band; Julia went home; Riordan and Nina left for Riordans’ house; Tom and the crew in the trucks and the buses left for Nashville by road; Angela and Mary and I went into the head office as Simon wanted to talk with me.

Patsy Power Part 33

“I think I have heard of them “I said, “Aren’t they a heavy metal band from the UK?” Jake nodded his head, “Yes, if Carl was still here he would be on his knees right now as Grog is his hero.” “Grog?” I asked, “I thought he was teetotal.” Jake laughed and said “No, I mean the nuggetty guy talking to Jock. His name is Greg Goggins and he has been known as Grog forever. He was rather attached to drink in his youth but has tried every drug known to man. It’s said he is totally clean now.”

 
Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

Making Beautiful Music

 
Introduction

It's about the oldest continuous memory I've got. Sure, I can remember flashes of stuff like a toy or an animal at the zoo, but this memory is like a movie. I'm standing with my sister in the wings of a stage in a theatre, watching the empty stage as the audience waits for the performance to begin. A spotlight comes on and my parents walk on stage. Dad is in a tux, as an adult I would say he was resplendent in a tux but I was only about six at the time and such words were not in my vocabulary. He was just my father and he was smiling, doing what he loved to do most - make music with my mother.

The New Year and New Directions

In the New Year we started January the first a bit slowly, having had our usual two New Years’ parties in this neck of the woods. I had taken Fiona to the border where I saw Jerry, a guy I had gone to school with, and said hello to him, much to his surprise.

Patsy Power Part 27

I went to find the band and Riordan went to find hers while Angela went off to call Sarah at home. I found Carl and the boy’s playing cards in the hotel lounge, pulled up a chair and asked them for their attention. “Just a few minutes ago” I started, “Riordan proposed a scenario where ‘Amazon’ almost doubles in size and ‘The Party’ disappears altogether. “

Patsy Power Part 25

On the flight to San Francisco I sat next to Riordan. “How do you like being an Amazon” she asked. I said that it was a different feeling but I was sure I could get used to it if I had to.

We arrived at the hotel to find that the rest of the ‘Party’ crew had already checked in. Our concerts started on Tuesday and ran until Thursday then the ‘Party’ flew to Long Beach for a weekend performance at the dance festival before a week in Los Angeles for performances on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Patsy Power Part 23

We went back down to the changing room and Angela came up and said,” we have just decided that there will not be a usual type of break between sets. With these numbers a stadium audience is always on the move in and out of the auditorium so we will do a five minute break between sets. I have organised a curtained area for you behind the PA speakers for you to change. “

Patsy Power Part 21

Riordan then saw Angela looking at us so she beckoned her over. “Angela” she said “I know that Patsy and her band have to fly to Atlanta tomorrow morning; when does ‘Amazon’ fly to Miami, I know the first show is Thursday?” Angela said they were scheduled out on Monday so Riordan said “I want to reschedule to Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning and I want access to the K Beat studio with Chris here so that the whole band can see some video and audio; it may take some hours to watch.”

Patsy Power Part 19

Peter laughed and said “There are no limits to this girl; I would not be surprised at anything she gets up to.” He went on “She wrote and produced that advert in two weeks at one tenth of the cost of my usual advertising people. The folk set was perfect for our launch of the new look dealership, yet I was blown away the other night by both halves of the concert. “

Patsy Power Part 17

After dinner we made our way to the theatre, entering though the back as there was a crowd at the front. When we got in Lucy came up said she had the arm bands for us all but a little surprise for Riordan and the rest of the band. We went to their dressing room and she showed us a set of stage gear for them that it was similar to the biker grunge they had been wearing but no longer grunge, or even biker.

All right. I know that I listed the previous post of this story as the final chapter. It was - then. I also thought that it finished in a bit of a rush so here goes with more from Susie and the band. Marianne G

Part 7 The Story Continues

Patsy Power Part 15

When we finished I looked out at the small audience. The ‘Amazon’ crew were standing there open mouthed with all of the girls with tears streaming down their faces. Simon was smiling and Pierre, from the music store said “If I had not seen this with my own eyes I would never have believed it. I have to say that ‘Amazon’ has been reborn!”

Patsy Power Part 11

She went on to tell us that when the band was young, Ashley and Georgina were into drink but then gravitated to weed, on to cocaine and was now dabbling with heroin. She, and the rest of the band, were clean and intended to stay that way.

Patsy Power Part 9

We were all sweaty when we walked off the stage, shedding our mics, buds and instruments. The buds really worked well as I could hear quite well straight after the show. We all gave the boys a hug and I told Jake that they were awesome.

'Mihi nomen est Calpurnia Valeria, sed cum ego natus eram dicitur Sextus, sexta vivum puerum parentes mei, et in tantum puer.' ('My name is Calpurnia Valeria, but when I was born I was called Sextus, the sixth living child of my parents and the only boy.')

I read the neat Latin script on the roll of parchment a second time. No, there was no mistake, it said 'puer' (boy) not 'puella' (girl), and 'Sextus' not 'Sexta'.

Patsy Power Part 7

What else could I do but play the half minute advert again. While it was playing I looked around the small group. The mechanics were all smiling, as was the admin staff; the sales staff were clearly waiting on Peter as they were the ones that dealt with him every day. His wife and daughters were trying hard to suppress giggles and a guy I had not met before; in a jacket and tie that screamed ‘manufacturer’s rep’ looked positively stunned.

Named and Sorted

“Why do we need names?” I asked. “Because you have never seen a girl called Stuart.” I was told “Come on back to the library and we can talk about it, I think I need a drink after the relief of seeing you play as girls.” So we dropped our guitars in our rooms and went to the library where we all sat around and tried to relax.

Part Two – The Old Dart

We were told that we only needed to carry our guitars on the plane as amplifiers and drums would be rented while we were there. Lesley had her keyboard packed in a case to go in the hold as well.

We tidied up our affairs and paid our various bills in advance as it was expected that we would be away for three months. Steve sold the Transit cheaply to a friend who needed to move house and the rest of us parked our old cars in Terry’s garage.

Part One - Quimble

My friends and I had been to school in Brisbane together, dropped out of university together, got drunk and all lost our virginity on the same night at an exceptionally memorable party. Much of that party did not feature in my own memory but I was told I was no longer a child. We all worked as shelf stackers at one of the big supermarkets in Brisbane, Australia.