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canyouhearthelight · 3 months

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Nihilus Rex, Ch. 14: Date Night

You didn't really think that yours truly could write this much of a story without some flat out tooth-decaying fluff at some point, did you?

I mean, who do you think I am??

But don't worry, @baelpenrose definitely did his part. Don't let his angsty ways fool you.

Hang my coat up in the first bar

There is no peace that I've found so far

The laughter penetrates my silence

As drunken men find flaws in science

Their words mostly noises

Ghosts with just voices

Your words in my memory

Are like music to me

Snow Patrol, “Set Fire to the Third Bar”

Lash

At six forty-five on the dot, I spotted Nils from across the parking lot behind the comedy club. His expensively worn-out leather pants made me feel a little better about having braved the kohl eyeliner and mascara, along with wearing clothes that actually fit instead of the baggy cargos I wore day to day. It looked like I overshot, though, because he started to walk right past me.

“It can’t be that bad,” I joked, grabbing his arm and startling him into turning around. I forced down the self-conscious feeling that tried to bubble into my throat.

He started and then turned and stared, pale face flushing. “I uh…I’ve never seen you dressed up like this before.” His eyes flicked up and down my outfit, then fixed on my face. “You look amazing.”

I kicked one foot playfully, looking down at my jeans and boots. “Usually I’m trying to avoid being noticed. Pretty sure these boots were made to grab attention - they’re vintage. Borrowed them from Mama, and don’t ask why she owns them, because I don’t want to think about it.” Thank god she did, though - cavalier boots were expensive, and these were actually real leather.

“They look good on you. So does the sweater.” Nils took my arm. “I believe I promised you a drink?”

“Yes, sir. One cherry bomb, let’s go!” I tugged on his hand, leading us to the door. Without batting an eye, I handed my ID and cover to the door guy, knowing he wasn’t going to look hard enough to do the math. Sure enough, he took the cash, handed back the card, and slapped a wristband on to show I was old enough to buy alcohol. Nils just arched an eyebrow at me as he did the same.

Once we were in, Nils let me lead him to the bar and delivered the orders - a cherry bomb and a Malibu sunrise. “You a fan of standup, or just the headliner?”

“Mmmm, bit of both,” I answered carefully. “Not a fan of the kind of standup that goes for the cheap jokes, but the headliner tonight is really clever. You don’t really expect the punchlines, it’s smart.”

“Gotcha. So, uh. What the fuck is a cherry bomb? I’m not like. A mixed drinks expert but I know my way around a bar and I’ve never heard of that one…”

“Ooo, you’ll have to try a sip,” I teased. “It’s cherry vodka and Redbull, kind of a big girl cosmo. Tastes like those sour cherry candies, the bright red chewy ones.” I paused for a second before remembering. “If they’re mixed right. Some places add grenadine, and then it tastes like cough syrup. They should be clear if they’re made right.” Our drinks were set down right then, and I grabbed mine, taking a sip before holding it in front of his face. “See? No color.”

Nils raised his eyebrows. “Swap sips? Thing I ordered is peach, rum, and coconut. Tastes like a melted smoothie, mostly - strong though, but it doesn’t taste like it.”

I reached for his, game for a little challenge. It was smooth, as promised, kind of like a fuzzy navel if it weren’t for the coconut. Not my jam, but not bad at all.

He took a sip of the cherry bomb and smiled. “This is excellent. Not quite my taste for a mixed drink, but amazing. Doesn’t taste like alcohol at all.”

“I know, right? Yummy.” I turned to scope out the room before settling on a table roughly mid way back on the left hand side. Without a word, I grabbed the first thing my hand landed on above Nils’ waist - either a pocket or a belt, I wasn’t sure - and started dragging him behind me. “Gotta snag the heckle-free table before it gets taken,” I explained when he yelped. Something wet sloshed on my arm, and I mentally promised to replace the drink I was probably now wearing.

“Sorry!” he grabbed a napkin and started dabbing at my sleeve as we sat down. “I did not mean to splash that on you.”

“No worries, it’s my fault. And it’s wool, don’t worry about stains or anything.”

“Ah.” He sat down. “How did you find out about this place originally?”

“Really bad day, and I wanted cheering up?” The look he gave me made it clear he wasn’t buying it, so I relented. “They actually found me. Needed some advertising done and some security cameras set up, paid me half cash and free tickets to a show. We’ve been loyal business partners ever since.”

“That makes sense. So you did some art for them and did the systems for the security cams? That’s pretty awesome.” He gave me a strange look, very obviously forcing himself to keep his eyes on mine. “So you take all your shady hacker friends here, or just me?”

I stretched, waving at one of my favorite servers with a grin. “Nah, this is my sanctuary, kind of. Somewhere I can just be young and normal, do completely legal work for legal-in-two-weeks pay. Please tell me you guys have poppers tonight? You were out last time, and it made me sad.” I pouted at the server with the biggest doe-eyes I could manage without laughing.

She scowled at me for all of three seconds before cracking a smile. “Double order, extra ranch?”

Nils pulled out a card. “Whatever she says. She’s just showing me around.”

I bit my lip to stifle the laugh when the server rolled her eyes and flipped her hair in mock arrogance. “Lashy-love does not pay for food. Anything but the drinks are comped.” She looked at me and rolled her eyes again. “New guys. What are you gonna do?”

His face! “I told you it was cute when you thought you won.”

He recovered with reasonable game. “You, Lash, are a genie and not the nice kind. Side note, you get better ‘free stuff’ contracts than I do - best I have is a nerd hobby shop that gives discounts.” He paused as he took another sip. “Though it is nice to finally get actual confirmation on your age. You’re 21 in two weeks, huh?” The lazy grin was back.

“For the record, I’m still trying to find volume seven of Battle Angel Alita,” I pointed out. “But yes. Lash Dalita is twenty-one as of a month ago. Elakshi is twenty-one in two weeks.”

“That’s your name? It suits you. Thank you for telling me. Still can’t use it, right?”

“I would prefer you didn’t, yeah. It’s… kind of the line in my mind that keeps my parents and sister safe. For them, I’m Elakshi. For everyone else, I’m Lash. Lash Dalita can get arrested without hurting my family.”

He nodded, somberly. “I won’t use your real name. Not unless you tell me I can.” he let that sit between us. “Question though - why Dalita? I’m not an expert on Indian or Pakistani culture, but isn’t ‘dalit’ the term for…low-caste, often discriminated against?”

Ooo, not so dumb after all. “It means ‘outcast, untouchable, undesirable’, yeah. It’s kind of a private joke - who chooses to work with the ‘poor, discriminated against girl’, and who steers clear.”

Nils visibly thought about saying something. “No One, apparently.” The tone made it clear that the word was capitalized. “I like your alias. Good signal for solidarity with people who need it.”

I winked as the plate of deep fried goodness hit the table. “You aren’t the only one with clever jokes.”

“Clearly not.” He gestured at the guy who’d taken the stage. “Warm up acts here normally good?”

“He’ll either make us laugh, or make us laugh at how bad he is. Worth finding out, right?”

“Oh totally.” Nils leaned back. “If I can ask, and you can tell me to fuck right off, how are your family doing since…” He left unspoken the obvious. Since the liens released. Since debt stopped hanging over their heads. Since we rewrote millions of people’s financial situations.

I lowered my voice as the opener started what looked to be a truly poor patter. “He’s being Baba - I promise that will make sense eventually. But he doesn’t fully trust good things, so he is putting what he would pay on the car and my student loans into a separate account, just in case he has to end up paying. He says worst case scenario, he has the money to pay, best case scenario, he has extra savings. Truly a win-win, insert self satisfied expression here. For him, that means he is happier than a pig in shit, honestly.”

“And, if i can ask, how are you feeling about no more student loans?” There was something urgent there. His gaze snapped back to the stage and he chuckled. “Wow, you weren’t kidding about win-win with comedy. Latter option, here, but hey, it’s a warm up act.”

“Poor guy, yeah,” I chuckled, snagging a jalapeno popper and drenching it in thick ranch. “Student loans weren’t a huge problem, for me, thankfully - I got lucky. Only had a loan for my first semester, so it was something just north of seven grand. I gave Baba the principal, he insisted on paying the interest because ‘usury is theft’, but it was something around seventy-five a month. I still give him the money, he sets it aside in savings, and I draw a couple more yaoi to make up the difference, just like before.” I took a bite of food and pointed at Nils with the other half. “By the way, South Park yaoi, real big right now.”

“I’d say ew but my most profitable artistic side hustle was Avengers Mpreg A/B/O garbage paid by the page, so…actually, fuck it. ‘Ew, but I’ve done worse’.” He shrugged. “Amazing what internet perverts will pay for.”

“Aww, A/B/O Mpreg not your jam? More of a tentacle guy?” I teased before giving an exaggerated shudder. “Don’t get me wrong, I have drawn entirely too many ovipositors and feet. But those so-called perverts pay really good money, so I refuse to judge them.” I did a mock toast before draining what was left of my drink. “Hmm. Water or another? The dilemma is very real.”

“I’m more of a ‘dangerous women who could kill me’ and ‘cute femboys and/or barra’ guy, which you almost certainly could have guessed from my everything, but that’s hardly the point. Also, I generally space drinks with water because it makes it take longer to get wasted and we’re gonna be here a while. Figure water first, then another?”

“I think we do both, since the water will get refilled automatically, whereas we have to get up to get drinks. Sound good?” I pointed at the plate between us. “Besides. While I am fully capable of eating these by myself, I have no intention of doing so.”

He laughed. “I appreciate you. And yeah, sounds good.” He picked one up and took a slow bite. “Oh, holy shit this is amazing. I love this.”

“The only place I know that makes their own,” I shook my head slowly in disbelief. “Fresh peppers, cream cheese, bacon wrapped, breaded, and fried.” I pointed to the ranch. “Don’t miss out on that shit, either. Extra garlic, extra salt, extra dill. Amazing.”

He dipped the popper in it and took a small bite, his eyes popping. “Oh my god. Lash. How did you..?”

“I will eat jalapeno poppers from any gas station or drive through… this is all the cook in the back. Who I joyfully would one day marry, sight unseen, if he weren’t already married.” I took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “Wife’s pretty cute, though. You saw her.”

Nils raised his eyebrows. “Damn. Just a husband-wife team run this place, huh? Love it.”

I waffled a hand back and forth. “Sort of. Bartender isn’t family, and I don’t think they’re related to the owner. But if there is a good show, those two are always working. You can imagine she cleans up on tips, between the food and - I mean, you saw her.” I gave him a sardonic look, knowing good and well the man wasn’t blind, no matter how much he was trying to make a good impression. Michelle plus pulse equaled crush, it was just physics.

“I can imagine.” He seemed to decide to take a chance, after weighing his thoughts for a second. “If I may be so bold, though, my attention was rather occupied by another young woman.”

Thank fuck the lights were dimmed, I thought as my face heated up. “Glad to know the effort hadn’t gone to waste,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. A hand immediately flew to my mouth and my eyes widened. “I - I didn’t mean…. Oh, god, I said that out loud…” I groaned and covered my face with both hands.

Nils was smiling, but it wasn’t his usual, something-far-away, private-joke smile, with something else he was thinking about. It was a sincere expression, with an amusement entirely in the moment. “Apparently I’m not the only one who trips over my own words sometimes either? But no, Lash.” He blushed. “I’ve noticed for a while. Hard not to when we did all that together and I got to see firsthand how brilliant you are, how hard you go for…everything.”

Applause erupted around us, and I was relieved to see the poor opener had finished his set. I felt so bad for him, but right now I was too embarrassed to do more than clap enthusiastically that neither of us had died of humiliation. “Hold that thought, I am going to get our next round of drinks. You flag down Michelle and order waters. No lemon, they don’t wash them. And if she asks, tell her tap water. It’s the only kind they have, but she asks sometimes to figure out if people are going to tip or not.”

Nils nodded, face flushing, hopefully harder than mine. I took off to the bar, holding up a twenty to get attention. “One shot of vodka, neat. Then a cherry bomb and a… shit. Malibu sunrise! That’s it.” The shot was delivered first, and I downed it immediately to calm my nerves. When the other drinks appeared, I stuffed the twenty in the tip jar and paid with my card before heading back to our table.

“One Malibu sunrise, as promised for spilling the first one,” I proclaimed, setting the drink down with a flourish before taking my seat. Two glasses of water and an empty shot glass were already there, and I barely set my drink down before tipping my head back with laughter, tears coming to my eyes. “Same brain, I see. I had one at the bar.”

“What’s your shot of choice?” The grin was back, even if the flush was still sort of there, as he, seeming to act almost by instinct, had stood up as I’d come back and sat down.

“Stoli,” I gasped, carefully dabbing tears from my eyes to avoid smudging my makeup. “Just the right price point that I don’t feel bad throwing back, but doesn’t burn or taste foul like the cheaper stuff. You?”

“Jack Daniels. Cheap whiskey, you know. My grandfather was the first one in the family to make any money, said he really liked the kind of cheap stuff he grew up with. Kind of a soothing thing, and he and I were close.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but shrugged.

“My family doesn’t drink except for holidays that require it,” I confessed. “We aren’t Muslim, by the way. A lot of people seem to think that, like I’m some black sheep or something. Baba just doesn’t get the point of drinking, and Mama is too much of a control freak. But Holi…. Hooo, you should see them.”

“Hindu holidays then? Tell me about some of those. Google only gets me so far and I want to know more about you. What’re they like?”

“We’re… culturally Hindu, I guess you could say. On Baba’s side. Mama is culturally Jewish, actually. It’s a weird mix when it gets to holidays - Holi, then Passover, that kind of thing. Funerals are very emotional. Beef and pork are pretty much just out of the question at home, in general. Mama isn’t observant, so fermented foods are okay, and Baba would die without yeasted bread, I swear. But both sides are very family oriented, so any excuse to get together is always an unbelievable amount of people. I gave up keeping track, honestly.”

“Big family get togethers. That sounds awesome. Complicated, but beautiful. Energetic, amazing.”

I wanted to ask Nils about growing up Catholic - a kind of sterility I couldn’t even fathom, honestly, in my messy, emotional family - but the headlining act came on and wasted no time in doing her audience work. “Hands up if you’re married! Keep them up if you came without your spouse! And whose spouse has already messaged or called…”

I took a long chug of water before I started laughing, knowing that I had about thirty seconds before I would start choking otherwise. Sure enough, the first person in the crowd was called upon and Nils’ drink went spraying on the floor as some poor woman called out that her husband had texted asking where the ketchup was.

“Okay, yeah, see why you love her.”

“They asked if we had any clean towels!”

I nodded, my face hurting too much from laughing to give a good response. The second an older man shouted out that his male partner texted to ask if the partner had already had a hysterectomy, I knew any conversation was done for the rest of the set.

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #nihilus rex #afterverse #modern dystopia #cyberpunk #alternate timeline #nils andover #fluff

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goalhofer · 3 years

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2021-22 Seattle Kraken Inaugural Roster

Wingers

#7 Jordan Eberle (Calgary, Alberta) A

#13 Brandon Tanev (Toronto, Ontario)

#14 Nathan Bastian (Kitchener, Ontario)

#17 Jaden Schwartz (Wilcox, Saskatchewan) A

#19 Calle Järnkrok (Gävle, Sweden)

#72 Joonas Donskoi (Raahe, Finland)

Centers

#9 Ryan Donato (Scituate, Massachusetts)

#15 Riley Sheahan (St. Catherines, Ontario)

#16 Jared McCann (Stratford, Ontario)

#21 Alexander Wennberg (Nacka, Sweden)

#22 Mason Appleton (Green Bay, Wisconsin)

#37 Yanni Gourde (Saint-Narcisse-De-Beaurivage, Quebec) A

#43 Colin Blackwell (North Andover, Massachusetts)

#67 Morgan Geekie (Strathclair, Manitoba)

#90 Marcus Johansson (Landskrona, Sweden)

Defensemen

#3 Will Borgen (Moorhead, Minnesota)

#4 Haydn Fleury (Carlyle, Saskatchewan)

#5 Mark Giordano (Toronto, Ontario) C

#6 Nils Larsson (Skellefteå, Sweden) A

#24 Jamie Oleksiak (Toronto, Ontario)

#28 Carson Soucy (Irma, Alberta)

#29 Vince Dunn (Mississauga, Ontario)

#55 Jérémy Lauzon (Val-d’Or, Quebec)

Goalies

#31 Philipp Grubauer (Rosenheim, Germany)

#35 Joel Daccord (Boston, Massachusetts)

#60 Chris Driedger (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

#Sports #Hockey #Hockey Goalies #NHL #Seattle Kraken #Celebrities #Wisconsin #Canada #Ontario #Massachusetts #Minnesota #Finland #Manitoba #Alberta #Saskatchewan #Quebec #Germany #Sweden

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sounds10thapr1976-blog · 6 years

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Final page of news.

Page 4 SOUNDS April 10, 1976

NEWSDESK

TOUR DATES

NILS LOFGREN A further date has been added to the Nils Lofgren tour: Edinburgh Usher Hall May 13.

DARRYL HALL/JOHN OATES Darryl Hall and John Oates, the blue-eyed soulsters who made their British debut at the New Victoria last autumn, will play nine dates next month.

The full list is: OGWT Special May 18, Bristol Colston Hall 19, Manchester Free Trade Hall 21, Oxford Polytechnic 22, Croydon Fairfield Hall 23, Birmingham Town Hall 24, Brighton Dome 25, London New Victoria 26, Leeds Town Hall 28.

MANHATTAN TRANSFER Manhattan Transfer have added a third night to their stay at the London Palladium so the dates are now April 26-28. Their second Atlantic album, produced by Richard Perry, is set for mid-May release.

HEAVY METAL KIDS Heavy Metal Kids have already started on a short series of gigs which they describe as “a tour of our favourite clubs” before picking up work on their first album with Mickie Most.

The upcoming dates are: Birmingham Barbarellas April 13, Cromer Pavilion 15, Maidenhead Skindles 17, Croydon Greyhound 18.

Their first RAK single, produced by Most, titled ‘She’s No Angel’ b/w ‘You Got What It Takes’ will be released on April 21. They are about to finish mixing the album which has been recorded on the RAK mobile in France and at Morgan Studios in London.

JACK THE LAD Jack The Lad are back at work after their bad road accident in Norway and are recording and preparing to go out on tour again. They plan a single and album with producer Tom Allom who has worked with The Strawbs and Hundson-Ford.

Gigs so far confirmed are: Cambridge Lady Mitchell Hall April 26, Southampton University 30, Bristol Polytechnic May 1, St Ives 2, Colchester North-East Essex Tech 5, Liverpool Polytechnic 7, Leicester University 8, Carlisle Market Hall 12, Lincoln Drill Hall 13, Reading Coatham Bowl 15, London Marquee 20, Ilford Town Hall 21, Sheffield University 22, Alsager College 28, Oxford Polytechnic 29, Aberdeen Music Hall June 3, Edinburgh Herriot Watt University 5.

WIDOWMAKER Widowmaker, the new Ariel Bender/Steve Ellis band, are to support Nazareth on their short UK tour of six dates from April 20-25.

AL GREEN Plans for Al Green’s British tour have been deferred and the previously rumoured May gigs are unlikely to take place.

FROGMORTON Frogmorton play Towcester Cornhill Folk Club April 8, Portsmouth Centre Hotel 11, Slough Rotunda Folk Club 20, Ilford Tiffany’s 27, Chichester Bishop Otter College May 1, Norwich Keswick Hall College 7, Cambridge Bassingbourne Folk Club 8, Birmingham Boggery 10, Wellingborough United Reform Church 21, Grantham Kesteven College 22, Ilford Tiffanys 25, Verewood Homelands Farm College 27, Southampton University 30.

CHOSEN FEW The Chosen Few are at Peckham Bouncing Ball Club April 17, Ilford Tiffany’s 18, Manchester Russell Club 19, London Carnaby Street Colombo’s 23, London All Nations Club 24, High Wycombe Newlands Club 25.

BOTHY BAND Bothy Band play Redcar Coatham Bowl April 14, Kilmarnock 15, Inverness Festival 16, Dingwall’s 21, Cambridge Festival July 30-31.

CARAVAN Caravan go back on the road this month with a tour of major colleges and concert halls. They will be promoting their new album ‘Blind Dog At St Dunstans’ out on April 23 – the title comes from a Noel Coward joke in which he tells a curious young nephew: ‘Well, the dog in front is blind the dog behind is pushing it to St Dunstan’s”.

Support on most dates will be Stars who have their debut singles ‘Crossed Line’ out on RCA this week and an album out later this month.

Full dates are: Maidenhead Skindles April 17, Guildford Civic Hall 18, Dunstable Queensway Hall 22, Lancaster University 23, Nottingham University 24, Canterbury Odeon 25, Brighton Dome 26, Liverpool Polytechnic 28, Lancaster Polytechnic 29, Manchester Free Trade Hall 30, Sheffield University May 1, Croydon Fairfield Hall 2, New Victoria 4, Bristol Colston Hall 7, Birmingham Town Hall 9.

SMOKIE Smokie have been added to the Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel bill at Wembley Empire Pool on April 12. The start will be 10 minutes earlier than advertised, at 7.50, to accomodate Smokie and the full two-hour Rebel set.

This comes in the middle of Smokie’s own nationwide headlining tour the remaining dates of which are: Harrogate Royal Hall April 9, Redcar Coatham Bowl 11, Southport Floral Hall 15, New Brighton Winter Gardens 16, Ashford Stour Centre 17, Southend Cliff Pavilion 19, Scarborough Ocean Ballroom 22, Glasgow Kelvin Hall 23, Carlisle Cosmo 24, Hull New Theatre 25, Bournemouth Winter Gardens 26.

UPP Upp are hitting the road again this month with a new lead guitarist, David Bunce. Their dates are Cheltenham Pavilion April 16, Wigan Casino 17, Norfolk NI Club 22, Scunthorpe Oswald Hotel 23, Dudley JBs Club 24, Chester Quaintways 26, Lancaster University 27, Stafford College Of Art 28, High Wycombe Nags Head 29, Burton-on-Trent 76 Club 30, Birmingham Barbarellas May 1, Twickenham Winning Post 2, Chelmsford Mid Essex Tech 3, East Retford Porter House 5, Torquay 400 Club 6, Portsmouth Poly 7, Nottingham Boat club 8, London Roundhouse 9.

NUTZ Liverpool band Nutz have added keyboards player Kenny Newton to their line-up and a lot of dates to their present tour: Thurrock Technical College 9, Darlington Masonic Hall 10, High Wycombe Town Hall 12, Shrewsbury Music Hall 13, Scunthorpe Priory Hotel 17, London Roundhouse 25, Derby Cleopatras 29, Isleworth Borough Road College May 8, Plymouth Woods 13, Wigan Casino 29.

JALN BAND JALN play Coventry Tiffanys 5, Sheffield Top Rank 6, Brise Norton RAF 7, Hanley The Place 9, Manchester Piccadilly Club 15, Birmingham Barbarellas 16, Margate Dreamland 17, Tottenham Royal 18, Farnborough Burlesque 21, Wolverhampton Lafayette 23, Cheltenham College of Technology 24, Newport The Village 29.

HEDGEHOG PIE Cheadle Threapwood The Highwayman April 11, Ambleside Park Hotel 13, Towcester Cornhill Manor Hotel 29, Lincoln University 30.

HEAD Scottish jazz/rock group Head start an English tour this week. Stockton Dovecote Arts Centre 3, Hull Humberside Theatre 4, London 100 Club 5, London The Phoenix 7, Liverpool Banyan Tree 8, Leicester YMCA Theatre 9, Sheffield Hurlfield Campus 10.

STEVENSON’S ROCKET Dunstable Queensway Hall April 5, Northallerton Sayers 7, Grangetown Rockafellas 8, Cleveland Philmore Disco 9, Cleveland Spa Pavilion 10, Kettering Central Hall 12, Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall 15, Coventry Tiffanys 16, Goole Viking Hotel 17, Mexborough Jesters 18, Warley Haden Hill Leisure Centre 19, Sheffield Top Rank 20, Barrow-in-Furness Maxims 21, Doncaster Bailey’s 22, Edinburgh Clouds 24.

JOHN GRIMALDI John Grimaldi, former Argent guitarist, has got his new band together and they will be making their debut at the Marquee on April 13. The line-up apart from Grimaldi, is Mick Parke (keyboards), John Giblin (bass) and Preston Ross Heyman (drums).

REAL THING Real Thing’s dates are Birmingham Barbarellas April 23, Stroud Leisure Centre 24, Barrow Maxim’s Club 29, Andover Country Bumpkin May 1, Manchester Piccadilly 6, Leeds International Club 8, Norwich Crocker’s 20, Wolverhampton Civic Centre 21.

TRIBUTE TO DUSTER BENNETT

ANY BENEFIT concert that Alexis and Co. might organise for the family of Tony “Duster” Bennett would make real sense if Peter Green was there to lead the parade.

For at a time some eight years ago when Duster was reluctant to push his one man band routine it was Green who gave him more encouragement than anyone, urging him to make a career of his music and ultimately bringing him to Mike Vernon’s attention by putting him second on the bill to Fleetwood Mac at the now legendary Blue Horizon Club.

Tony Bennett was almost dogmatic in his beliefs and was not easily persuaded to abandon a career in ceramics and pottery. But with a guitar style similar to Jimmy Reed, a brilliant harmonica technique in the tradition of Slim Harpo and a Heath Robinson rig out which evoked comparisons with Jesse Fuller, Duster quickly made the Surrey club scene all his own just as the Stones and Yardbirds had done five years before.

This quiet, diffident bluesman never really received the acclaim he deserved although down in Surrey – particularly at his ‘home’ club, the famous Gin Mill in Godalming, where he always outdrew Fleetwood Mac, Free, Jethro Tull and so on – he was a legend. His second album “Bright Lights . . .” was recorded live at the Gin Mill and featured his wife Stella, Peter Green (credited as Blue), Top Topham (the old Yardbird) and Tony Mills (his bass player-cum-roadie).

Over this period he became a good friend although he never seemed certain which way his career should be guided. He turned down many tempting offers . . . including a management offer from Peter Grant after touring the States. In fact his overall guardedness probably stems from the days shortly after he quit the Georgia Skin Band and wound up across the national newspapers busking to theatre queues with acoustic guitar, bass drum, hi hat and harmonica. It was something that repulses him.

Coming from Richmond, the sixties home of rhythm and blues, his vista was much wider than that, and his first album “Smiling Like I’m Happy” had every texture of fifties blues from city r&b to loose southern combo music. He would state such diverse influences as Tommy McClennan on the one hand and Bobby ‘Blue’ Band on the other.

When it looked as though Duster’s career was heading into a rut John Mayall asked him to join the band for a British and American tour. But on his return Duster’s career once again fluctuated. He’d built up a huge following in British clubs and in the States, but afer an abortive attempt to get his own band going with American RICK WRIGHT he went into a recession and over the past five years had largely fallen into oblivion, changing his base from Hampton to Dorking and finally to the Midlands. His third album “12DBs” had not been wholely successful and once he quit Mike Vernon’s Blue Horizon label his recording career was at an end.

But despite his relative absence from the music scene over recent years he will be greatly missed, not only for his genuinely self-effacing, philanthopic demeanor but also because he went as far as anyone in proving that white men could indeed sing the blues. – JERRY GILBERT

We all need someone to lean on and friends, you can lean on SOUNDS’ 56 page musical extravaganza next week including . . .

HEAVY METAL HOPEFULS All the poop on the latest in dry ice, make-up, and guitar smashing from Aerosmith to Kiss to Z.Z. Top

I WAS A ROADIE FOR A WEEKEND We hump gear for Deep Purple and the Stranglers

J J CALE Gets down after midnight

TUBES Mind blowing LA creation starring Fee Waybill and a glittering cast of thousands

COUNTRY MUSIC How the Fest was won

Plus the baaadest singles reviews in North London. Blow your mind and then your nose with SOUNDS

Next time: page five

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sarumvelo · 7 years

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Dismal day for the sarum velo boys in Newbury cx Lindy and Peter saves the day

Well dismal day for David and Alex both puncture and dnf after a great starts so nil point for the boys Lindy larkin saved the day with. Great result 4th in her category sen women’s in the first race well done lindy Peter Williams making his debut in the 50+ vets was pipped to the post coming 61 by Andover wheelers dan colloby 60 place who has always supported sarum velo riders which we do…

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canyouhearthelight · 2 months

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Nihilus Rex, Ch. 16: "...and Tragedy"

Pretty sure that title says it all, so I apologize in advance. Please don't kill me!

Co-written and beta-read by @baelpenrose, so he's partially to blame. But he did pick out the song lyrics!

Warnings for racism, hate crimes, off screen deaths of minor characters.

Save yourself a penny for the ferryman

Save yourself and let them suffer

In hope, in love

Mankind works in mysterious ways

Nightwish, “Planet Hell”

Lash

Despite Nils’ earlier errors, the conversation with my parents was going surprisingly well. At some point, Nils had let slip that he didn’t get along with his father, and Baba just let the floodgates open on how hard it was to deal with man. Apparently, Mr. - sorry, DOCTOR - Andover was a complete and utter bastard, even by Baba’s very forgiving standards.

To say Nils and Baba got along was a huge understatement. “Oh no, sir, I’m not offended, everyone knows that he’s a great surgeon and an amazingly mean person. I think there’s a running gag somewhere about not letting him near the patients until after they’ve gone under?”

Baba chuckled - practically a roaring laugh for him - and nodded, knocking one hand on the table. “Yes! The nurses are the only people who are not intimidated, and seeing them physically drag your father away from a patient is often the highlight of my day.”

“It’s probably the highlight of the patient’s day too, they just don’t know it. Trust me, waking up to that frowny, disappointed-Catholic face when you’re already in pain…not ideal.” Nils grinned.

Mama started to say something, but I didn’t hear her as the sound of broken glass made Nils’ head jerk over to one side. “Nils, it’s a cafe. Glasses break all the - “

“Something is burning,” he cut me off. “Chemical burning, not food burning.”

Just as he said that, another crash led to one of the aunties we had been watching earlier jumping up with a scream, beating at the hem of her skirt. Another auntie threw the contents of the nearest cup on it, steam pouring from what had been a burning piece of fabric. Nils stood, yanking me to my feet by my arm. “Start getting everyone out of here,” he demanded. “If you smell gas, find another exit.”

I grabbed my parents first. “Someone is setting the cafe on fire,” I explained. “We need to go. Find an exit that isn’t on fire, and go through there.”

They took off, grabbing people as they went. Usually, Uncle’s shop was wide open, with doors that rolled up rather than windows, but tonight was especially chilly, so most were closed and locked down. Each one I touched was scalding hot, and the only option was one that wasn’t on fire yet but reeked of gasoline. “Lift your skirts!” I shouted, heaving the door up and gesturing people through. “Don’t drag it in the gas!”

Another wash of heat from behind, and I heard Nils shouting something, along with Baba and Mama. Both my parents were determined to help get as many people out as possible: Mama hurling any available liquid on clothes as they caught, Baba carrying older women out and rushing back in for another. Nils had pulled his leather jacket’s sleeves down over his hands and wrenched open one of the latches on the rolling window shutters before shoving it up. Flames roared on the other side, and I saw my father pick someone up and rush through, shielding them from the heat with his own body.

Mama and I took the hint and started yanking cloths from tables and shoving them in a sink full of dirty water, ignoring complaints as we wrapped them around people who could not get out fast enough under their own power. Each one, Baba or Nils would lift and carry out while we found the next, dunking whatever cloth we could in any water we could find. “UNCLE!” I screamed. “You have to get out! UNCLE!”

I couldn’t see him anywhere. “Did Uncle get out!?” I shouted at Baba.

“He is not on the outside,” came the response as a young mother and her baby were wrapped and ushered through the flaming exits.

Smoke started filling my throat, and I dropped to the floor, coughing for cleaner air. Someone pulled at my arm, and I yanked it back without looking. “UNCLE!” I screamed again before another coughing fit.

“We have to get out of here!” Mama was pulling me, Nils was pulling. A blast of fire came from the kitchen as shocking cold, stinking water poured over my head. “NOW, Elakshi!”

Mama and I were ushered out by Nils and his singed leather coat, Baba on the other side. I fell into the cold night air, gasping thirstily for it, as Baba ran back in one last time, shouting something I couldn’t understand. My vision swam as I tried to look around and count faces, desperate to find all of them.

I was still frantically looking for a handful of people - Imran, Uncle, one of the aunties who constantly tittered at me and Nils - when I was shoved to the ground by an unearthly noise. I shoved myself from the ground, hands cutting on the asphalt, to see Mama hit the ground coughing, Nils barely standing and holding up Baba.

“Lash, help!” Nils was coughing. “Press your hand down, here,” He planted a point on my father’s thigh. “Broken glass hit him. Hold it down no matter how much he yells. I have to get a belt off and make a tourniquet or he’s gonna die.”

Hot tears streaked down my face as I did what he told me. Baba groaned, and I pressed down like I was trying to crush his leg into the pavement. Nils ripped Baba’s belt off and tightened it around his leg, hard, twisted it, pinned it there with a pen, hard enough to make Baba shout. “Sorry, hold it here. DO NOT TAKE THIS OFF until the doctors look at it. Please.” His eyes were blazing.

“Check on Mama!” I begged, cranking the tourniquet as tightly as I could, slamming my shoulder into Baba’s chest to both keep him from moving and hide my sobs. “She can’t breathe.”

Nils sprinted over and I couldn’t see what he did, but he seemed to be giving Mama an airway check, then water, and pulled her over towards me, slowly sitting her down away from the fire. “Your dad got the worst of it. Your mom needs oxygen when the medics get here, best I can do is keep her from overexerting in the meantime. Keep her calm. I’ll keep an eye on your dad.”

Frantically, I ran my hands over my mother, checking her for any hidden injuries. I took several slaps to the arms and two directly to the face, but kept checking. When I was satisfied, I turned to Nils and Baba, where Nils was doing the same I had done - pinning Baba to the ground with one shoulder while cranking the tension as tight as possible on the belt around his leg. A smaller explosion within the cafe snapped my head up, and I started running. “UNCLE!” I screamed, still not having seen his face outside the now-burning shop.

A hand darted out and yanked an ankle out from under me, just in time for a lanky, leather-clad leg to pin me down. “I have two horribly burned and wounded Botelhos right now. I do not need a third. You can’t help him. Your mother starts,” he coughed, then finished in a snarl, “screaming she’s gonna die. Her lungs can’t handle that right now. Keep her calm.” Nils' voice was furious, and panicked, but as driven as I’d ever heard it.

I nodded numbly, going to reassure Mama while glancing around frantically. The young mother Baba had practically carried out was bouncing her screaming baby, and my nerves unexpectedly started calming. I don’t know that I had ever been so happy to hear a baby scream so hard in my life, but it was the reality check I needed in that moment. Those of us out here were still alive, by inches or miles, and we had to stay that way to keep the bastards who had done this from winning.

I pulled Mama to a sitting position. “We need to keep everyone calm,” I told her, well aware of what drove her more than anything else. I saw Nils mouth something that could only mean ‘tell her not to start shouting’. “I am going to prop you up where you can keep an eye on Baba, and I am going to bring people who are upset but not hurt. Can you help me keep them calm?”

This woman - my magnificent monument of a mother - looked at me like I had deeply offended her and all my ancestors. “Set me right there,” she gestured to a spot close but in clear line of sight to Baba and Nils, “and bring them to me.”

I did exactly what she asked. As neighbors came down to bring water and blankets, Mama commanded them like a general with her armies so that I could focus on those who were injured and needed more. Even then, Nils would shout what people needed, and Mama would command if someone didn’t listen. Someone would start wailing, looking for a family member who was unaccounted for, and after Mama started coughing, I did my best impression of her.

“It is the living who need us now. We will attend the rest when these are in the hospital.”

Baba was the first to go in an ambulance, with Nils shouting down his objections. “You may have waited too long to save the leg already and I don’t want you throwing a clot. GO!”

Every argument of “damn the leg” was met with an aggressive “you could still die, and then who will make sure the babies stay still for an x-ray”, until Baba surrendered under a murderous glare from the three of us. After that, it was the elderly, burn victims, smoke inhalation victims - a whole new argument from Mama, one which required sedation - and finally those of us who were part of the walking wounded were left to lick our wounds in peace.

“You should go, Lash. Your family’s hurt.”

“I need to call Mori,” I responded before adding lamely, “My sister. In case you didn’t pick up on that. She… she’ll want to know.”

“I can drive if you need. Call on the way.” he paused, then added, “Since the hospital is on the other end of town, it’s…probably better if someone drives you anyway.”

I felt myself falling into my mother’s role, unexpectedly and out of a habit I hadn’t realized I had until now. “The apartment needs to be locked up. I need to do that. And I need to let Uncle’s widow know… she shouldn’t have to hear about this from strangers. Baba and Mama will ask, so I can’t go to them without doing those things.”

Nils looked at me. “Lash. If you don’t want to go yet, if you can’t face it, I won’t make you. But your sister can lock up if she lives with you. Since you’re calling her. And Uncle’s widow is another call you can make. It’s a bit of a drive, it’s on the other end of the city.”

“No,” I cut in. “Mori lives an hour away, with her family. And I don’t know how it works for your family, but I do not want Uncle’s wife hearing this from a stranger. I can - and have - faced what is happening to my parents. But, when they wake up, they will ask these things, and I have lied once today. I will not lie about something so important.” I drew myself as tall as possible and sniffed back a sob. “You may escort me, if you wish, and then drive me to the hospital. Baba is in surgery, and Mama is in triage, so I can do nothing for them right now. But I can do the right thing for other people.”

Nils looked at me for a long moment, then he nodded. “Come on, then. Call your sister on the way to meeting with Uncle’s widow. We’ll tell her first.”

His phone started ringing, and he glanced at it and hung up. I only barely made out that his father had called him. “Come on. Let’s make sure you tell who you need to tell.”

#nihilus rex #afterverse #prequel #traumatized characters #the miys #arcadian inquisition #original fiction #science fiction #original writing #original science fiction #writeblr #modern dystopia

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