Positively Patsy Part 33

When everyone gathered for lunch I found Simon and just said “Damn you and your crazy ideas, you have just made me lose another year of my life!” He laughed and asked me what I had thought of and I just said “The life and times of Richard Reece with Drake.”

He said “That would be interesting to see on a stage.” I left it at that and we had a pleasant lunch; I gave out the buds and pads and then we took ourselves to the stadium, now needing two buses. I forced myself to think about the matters at hand as we walked through the vendor area again. Of course, the whole band plus five established singing stars meant that it was a long walk, with lots of selfies and pictures of us by various stands. One of our stars said that she had never experienced such a set-up and I told her that we sold the sites, provided much of the stock at a discount and benefitted from the sales from our company outlets for CD’s and posters. I told her about the ‘Amazon’ tour and the US leg of the ‘Primal Purge’ tour and when I mentioned the returns she whistled. We may be in it for the fun of singing but the business runs on profit and you can take it where-ever you can.

We finally got to the dressing rooms and, as the choir were being looked after; the rest of us went up to the stage and marked out the various standing positions. I made sure that the Fender and Gregs Martin were in place with the mic on its stand and the two stools. The rest of the band instruments were set in the centre stage rear with my SG in a stand. We had four amps behind us, each of five hundred watts and there were leads that snaked over the back of the stage to a mixing desk out in the middle of the audience. I waved at the guy at the desk and he flashed the interval light for me so we knew where to look for it. When I looked out I could see at least ten cameras on small towers so it will certainly be a multi-aspect show. After making sure we were happy with it, we went back to the dressing rooms to get ready ourselves.

We needed to get started before three ‘o’ clock so that we had a suitable break before the show itself so I asked the stage manager to get the TV guys to their positions by two thirty for a start at two forty five. Back in the dressing room we were very close to being ready to go so I commed my mic and asked if everyone could hear me and to put their hand up if they can. A couple didn’t raise their hand so we checked them out and refitted their buds. I asked again for a show of hands and everyone put their hand up. I told them we would start the rehearsal at two forty five and that we would go up at two thirty, or about five minutes time so take care of any personal needs now.

At two thirty the stage manager came over the buds that it was fifteen minutes to start and went through the list of camera men, sound desk and lighting techs to make sure they were ready. We led our choir to their first position and the rest of us stood in the wings. At go time the choir master raised his hands and they sang their three songs without a flinch as the extra amplification washed over them. When the light went on the extras joined the choir with Greg and me with our stools and guitars and did our thing for the following three songs. And so it continued, our stars did their things and we ended up with the penultimate set with Jake and Greg and band. Then it was ‘Amazon’. At the start of our final song “A Night in June’ I knew it would be a hit when the full volume worked its magic. At the end of it we stood there quietly with the TV techs and cameramen clapping us.

Back in the dressing room I got everyone to take off the stage clothes and put on dressing gowns while we had a light catered tea. Roger came over to me and told me that the show in Nashville was good but this is going to be magnificent with the bigger audience. I went to see the TV guy from the sound desk and asked him if he could quickly add a light, just below the edge of the stage; that was linked to the break light. He said it could be done in a couple of minutes so I asked him to get it fixed. We would be going live at seven so our break was brought to an end by six fifteen and everyone got dresses and touched up quickly.

I could hear a hubbub filtering down the stairs so we went through the ritual with the buds and everyone was good this time. I asked if the stage manager was on board and he said he was so I asked him to give us count down every five minutes and that I was coming up to the stage now for an announcement. I went up the stairs and out to the middle of the stage to a round of applause and held my hands up for quiet. I could see that the place was already close to full so I said “Ladies and Gentlemen. I am Patsy Meyers and I welcome you all to tonight’s one-off show. As you know, we are going out to the nation on live TV tonight and, because of that, everything is timed to the minute. We have, just in front of me, a light.”

I saw the light by the sound desk go on so I carried on. “When that light is on, the TV channel has gone to an advertising break which lasts exactly two minutes. This will go on a number of times during the show. While I, and my fellow singers, love to hear your applause, I do ask that you quieten down when that light goes off as we cannot stand and wait for you or else folks in their homes will be throwing pillows at their TV sets. There will be plenty of time for you to show your appreciation after the last song. Thank you and enjoy the one Night in June.” I turned and walked off stage to some polite applause.

As I walked to the wings I heard the stage manager give the twenty minute warning so I stayed where I was and commed my mic to get everyone up to the stage as I knew that the choir would take a few extra minutes to calm down. As we got them coming on to the stage there was loud applause and I checked them all out before we started. Jennifer said, as I checked her, “We haven’t even sung anything yet” and I told her it was because they love you already. As we had everyone in place we got the five minute warning and I took a look out at the vast crowd and saw a group of people I knew by the sound desk. It looked like most of the executives from Simon’s office as well as a bunch from K Beat and even Peter and his family with what looked like car company executives as well as Jim and Kay from the nursing home. I knew that the staff from our music store were here for the stall so would probably listen from the doorways.

At seven a voice came over the PA from the TV feed and told the viewers that tonight they were in for a treat and to sit back and enjoy ‘A Night in June’. As the light went out our first choir master turned to the choir and raised his hands. We were off and running again, this time for real. At the end of each song there was good applause which stopped when he raised his hands to restart and, when the light went on for the first break there was a wall of approval. The extras quickly made our ways to our allotted spaces and, as the stage manager called the ten second warning, I raised my arms and waved to the crowd to quieten.

As the light went out our second choir master took us through the piece with the classical guitar and I sensed a real hush from the audience as Greg played, with a roar of approval when he finished. We then got on with ‘Lucky’ and ‘When I wake’ and the applause was deafening as the light went on. We quickly moved the choir to the back of the stage, behind the keyboards and Julia and Joanne took their places.

The applause was still strong and I allowed it to continue when the light went out and Jake and the boys started the first stars number. It was almost like a rock concert as she did her two songs, only to be replaced by the second one. We had told the TV people who we had but not to advertise their participation until the final credits so it was a surprise to everyone in the audience, even more so after the two minute break when two more well-known stars did their thing. The choir were noticeable with their backing and swaying and I thought it was a good result. With the fifth star leaving, Nina came on for her solo songs to much cheering. It was all looking good. After the break Riordan stepped in front of the choir on her side while I stepped in front on mine and we stood there while Jake and Greg brought the house down. It looked like the audience was in seventh heaven.

Part 34

As they finished there was a lot of applause but we had to start our ‘Amazon’ set so started playing anyway. By the time we finished the three numbers the crowd was really going for it. As I walked to the front of the stage I tried to wave them to a bit of a quieter roar and managed to do so as they kept up the applause as our five stars came back on stage to line up with us. When the stage manager gave us the ten second warning I quickly commed and said I would make an announcement first and to follow my prompt to start. When the light went out I took a step forward and asked for a bit of hush. As the roar came down I thanked the audience for being so good tonight; and that they were all TV stars now and to enjoy our last song, ‘A Night in June’.

Turning back to the band I called three, two, one and we started the finale. Everyone gave it their all, our stars were getting to a level I had not heard before and the choir was magnificent. Greg and Jake added their guitar riffs and we all went for it. As the final chords faded the house erupted and we had got to the end. Those up front gave our bows and we called the choir forward to take theirs, then I brought the choir masters back on stage to take a bow. I knew that we were still live as the credits needed to roll so we all took more bows until the light went on and we were off the air. I commed my mic and said “Very well done, you are all stars. Please go down the stairs and wait by the dressing rooms as we have one more task for the evening”

I led them through the under stadium tunnel to come out in the foyer where a very long table was set up with queues of fans already lined up with merchandise to sign. We got everyone seated and supplied with a few markers each and we spent an hour and a half signing. I was glad to see several guitars being offered to Greg and Jake for their signatures and I even had a few SG’s of my own to sign. The stars were very busy signing their own albums and posters and every member of the choir had lines in front of them to sign posters and their own albums. As it drew to a close we did the final signatures and left the foyer to go back to the dressing rooms.

Jennifer walked on one side of me and told me I was right again – three times. The lass from the Cotswolds who spoke about her mother and make-up was on my other side and said that she now was going to tell her mother she orgasmed twice in front of sixty thousand people and thoroughly enjoyed it.

We were tired but in high spirits when we changed and left Lucy with the cleaning. Back to the hotel in the bus was taken up with everyone singing ‘A night in June’ and, when we arrived at the hotel, there was a welcoming gaggle of media folks with cameras flashing and microphones stuck under noses. I loudly told them that they could have a press conference tomorrow but tonight we were all too worn out to say anything meaningful, and we all went inside while the hotel security held the press at bay as the other bus arrived. In the foyer I told the choirs to head for bed as they would fall asleep as their heads hit the pillow while the rest of us went into the lounge to meet up with the TV and studio people. There was much hugging and high fiving and it was generally a feel good get-together. I was soon about to pass out and I could see some of the others in the band felt the same so we made our excuses and went off to bed ourselves.

In the morning I felt as if a load had been lifted from my shoulders and Joanne and I were in the breakfast room fairly early as we were quite hungry. We loaded up with a big breakfast each and a cup of coffee and had got about halfway through when Greg and Peggy came in, followed , in dribs and drabs, by everyone else. They all wanted to give me a hug and to thank me for the experience and I really felt the need to hug everyone. It was that sort of morning. The choir was amazed that fans wanted their signatures and I was told that several group pictures were passed along to be signed by all of the members. Lucy came by and told us that the stage clothes would be ready at lunch time so they could be packed when everyone left.

I asked her how the sisters went with the ads and she told me that the phones had started ringing at six in the morning and it was lucky they had recruited a small band of operators to take the messages. I hoped that the answering machine at the music store had enough memory to record all the calls. Peter and his family came in and all of them wanted a hug with both me and Joanne ‘my two favourite customers’ and I introduced them to our five stars telling them that if ever they were in Nashville and needed a car, Peter was the man to see. His daughters were beside themselves once again, especially as two of their favourite singers gave them a hug each. Simon came in with the TV guys and they all got hugs all round and the main TV guy said that his data people had told him this morning that the show started on eighty million viewers and peaked towards the hundred million before the end. He was very happy and so were his bosses.

Peter said the car company would be happy at those numbers. I still had not seen their ad and asked him about it so he pulled out his smartphone and played it for me. I was staggered as it opened up with the original ad I had done but with the company name over his franchise name and the second half was a series of pictures of big car yards with waving salespersons and the voice over saying that the company was proud to be associated with Patsy and her band as the originators of the most successful advertising campaign in the company’s history and that they knew the show would be a success as that’s what I did best.

“That went on national TV?’ I asked. “Yes it did; four times.” he answered. Riordan, who had been looking over my shoulder, said “Peter, do you have any idea of what that ad did for disadvantaged children?” Peter said he didn’t, other than the two hundred thousand that we had donated at the Detroit show. She told him “Because of the ad, and the acoustic set that Patsy played in your showroom, I got Patsy to play for the children in the homes and that generated a lot of interest in the homes. Patsy doesn’t know this yet but donations have doubled since she came on board. That also led to the ‘Angels of Joy’ charity being formed and, because of that, the ‘Angels of Joy’ double CD and involvement in Reece Manor schools for the disadvantaged in Gregs house in the Cotswolds. You asking for that ad helped hundreds of kids across the world and I, for one, thank you for that.”

She then pulled him to her and gave him a big smoochy kiss. Everyone cheered, even if they didn’t know why. His wife, who had been listening in, said that she was also proud of him and double smooched him. I had to laugh as he was very red in the face so I said, “Sit down, Peter, or your doctor might not like me anymore.” He sat and composed himself and said “You know, I always thought that the old saying about a butterfly flapping its wings was bunkum but this is how it happens in real life.” I told him that he had seen four documentaries on TV that Chris had made and that his career started because of the ad as well.

We all stopped talking when a waiter brought in a pile of newspapers and the New York Times had a picture of us doing the finale on the front page with a caption ‘A Night in June in New York captures the country’s attention’. I turned to the media pages and there was an article by their TV critic who was rapturous over the show. OK, that’s all I needed to see, others may not be so nice. However, it seems that they were all good. One even called me the ‘most influential song writer and producer of our times’. Well, they have to get some things wrong.

We managed to get all of our breakfasts finished when the hotel manager came in and told us that the ‘gentlefolk of the press’ were gathered in the big meeting room and he could lead us there. We followed him to the meeting room and answered endless questions with the hardest one being ‘What’s next’. In the end I stood up and said “To tell you the truth, there is nothing on paper at the moment except a bit of quiet time but I have an idea about a distant ancestor of mine and it will be an operetta about pirates called ‘Drake and Reece’.

Marianne G 2020