Boring Girls(81)

There were two opening bands, both well received by the crowd but completely mediocre as far as I was concerned. I wished that we’d gotten this gig, but Fern explained that the two bands were on the same record label as DED and so they were probably on the tour with them to try to get them famous as well. It was more money for the record label that way. Well, I didn’t see them getting famous. They weren’t very good.

When the second band had finished, the room started to buzz. DED was next, and we watched some crew guys bring off the second band’s gear. DED’s stuff was set up behind it. The guys worked quickly, carrying the giant rack of weapons I’d seen on the internet videos. They pulled away a sheet to reveal the giant skull. The best part happened when the last band’s banner was pulled down, and DED’s giant banner was revealed beneath it. DIE EVERY DEATH was scrawled in giant letters, and the crowd cheered.

The room went completely dark. The cheer was deafening. There must’ve been a thousand people there, maybe more. Fern and I yelled too, adding our voices to the roar. Giant flames shot into the air from either side of the stage, revealing the five band members standing stock-still, each at their instruments, Balthazar centre stage.

When the flames went down, everything launched into blackness again.

“Die every death. Die every death.” The low voice came through the dark, whispering into the microphone, and we all screamed. The crowd began to chant along with him. Die every death. Die every death.

The flames shot high again as the band launched into “I Ignore Your Screams.” Fern and I started freaking out, along with every other person in the room.

The band played incredibly, with Balthazar looming tall and angry above the crowd. He swung around his battle-axe, he growled and paced, he stalked across the stage. The skull began bubbling the dark red blood from its eyes, and Balthazar filled his hands with it and threw it at the crowd. They played every single song I could possibly have wanted to hear. Sometimes people would climb up onto the stage to dive and crowd-surf, and Balthazar would go up behind them and shove them roughly back into the crowd, glowering and snarling.

It was absolutely amazing.





THIRTY-TWO


We should have left after the show, along with everyone else who started filing out. We should have gotten in a taxi and gone back to the bus station to wait for the late bus home.

“Let’s try to meet them,” I said instead. The house lights had come on, and the crowd pressed towards the back of the room and the exit doors. The room stank of sweat and smoke, and the crew guys were beginning to leisurely tear down DED’s equipment.

“How?” Fern asked.

“We’ll ask them.” I gestured at the guys onstage.

“What about the CDs?”

“Forget them. If we meet them we can tell them about the band. They probably won’t care anyway. But we can ask them how to get a record deal and stuff like that. Get some advice.”

“That’s a good idea.” Fern and I walked up to the stage.

“Hey,” I called up to one of the guys. He looked down at me. “We want to meet the band.”

The guy grinned at me. “You want to talk to that dude over there,” he said, pointing. There was a door beside the stage. In front of it stood a large, fat guy with long hair. In front of him stood a group of girls, all in short skirts and dresses.

“Great,” I muttered. “There’s a bunch of skanks and they’ll think we’re no better than they are.”

“We can try,” Fern said. She took my arm and we went to the back of the group of girls.

“C’mon, Jerry. Pleeeeease?” One of the girls was flirting with the fat guy. “Last time I came through I hung with the band. Sid will want to see me again.”

The big guy grinned at her, obviously enjoying this whole thing. I was disgusted to see his teeth were brown and rotten. “Sid won’t remember you, sweetheart,” he said, moving his eyes across each of the girls.

“Sure he will.”

The girls started to talk all at once, each of them insisting they knew someone in the band, and all of them were being so flirtatious with this toad. I was completely confused by it.

“Jerry, if you get us backstage, we’ll make it worth your while,” purred one of the girls, sliding her arm around her friend. Both of them smiled at him seductively.

“That’s what I like to hear.” Jerry laughed. “C’mon back.”