Gaby Book 27 Smell of the Crowd by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2022 Madeline Bell Life has some certainties, birth and death of course, but the rest is a mix of Minestrone and Spaghetti, some of which we have no direct influence over. We can however decide whether we want Parmesan or other seasoning, we can give Gnochi a try, doesn't mean we'll like it but at least we'll know. Gaby has reached just such a point in her life, she knows she likes Pizza, she's not averse to Spaghetti or Lasagne but is Gnochi for her? The Gnochi in this case is doing the singing with BlauHase on a more serious level, as a 'hobby' its fine but could this be a change of career? Well you don't find out without trying so that's just what our heroine is about to find out in this, the 27th book of the Gaby saga.

 
"You really rocked tonight,” Misty told me an hour later back in our room at the Adler Turm.
"Hmm, me or my knickers?” I grumped.
"Well obviously they played a part.”
"Not helping.”
"Only kidding, seriously, it was a great set.”

In truth it did go well but comments about the brevity of my Kleid, well they felt wrong. Oh I'm not so naieve to think that some of the audience, the band even, would see the short dress, heels and stuff as, well, sexy and I guess subconsciously that was the intention. However, I sure as hell wouldn't dress like that to go out on the streets, it was a costume for the stage.

And whilst it did show off rather more of my legs than my parents would like, it did have some positives. Well one anyhow, I didn't get so hot and uncomfortable as in my 'proper' stage outfit, which can get a bit, erm, sweaty under the lights. The same goes for the doctored wig I wore tonight, it was still a bit yeuch by the end but nowhere near as bad as the long ones.

It might actually be into Tuesday but I was still buzzing from the gig, sleep would not be a visitor anytime soon. Whilst my stage outfit had been cooler, under the Perücke my own hair was still a sweaty mess and, well everything else was less than pleasant too, there was no way I could go to bed without showering first. It was only as I was drying myself that it occurred to me that Misty hadn't divulged the whole story of her shopping trip with Anna Louise.

"So what else did you get in Frankfurt?”
"I told you, a cute top, a new BH, some costume jewellery – oh and the skirt.”

I returned to the main room, having donned my PJ's.

"What about the other bag?”
"Other bag?”
"Come on Nen, I saw you slip it from the boutique carrier earlier, wotcha got?”
"Oh that bag,” she hedged.
"That bag,” I confirmed.
"Its er,” she started before clearly changing her mind, "I got you some hair dye.”
"And why might I want hair dye?”
"Well you were complaining that the wigs are hot to wear, I thought it would be better if we dyed your own hair, more comfortable?”
"The last time I did that I was stuck with pink hair for months and months, not happening.”
"I know but this stuff is temporary,” she pulled the bag from under her other purchases, still occupying the top of the 'desk', "Have a look, it just washes out.”

Whatever, I took the box from her and read the blurb, dur, dur, dur, vibrant colour, blah, blah, up to fifteen washes, natural blondes, dur, dur, dur. The picture on the box suggested a colour a bit redder than my wigs but still on the pink side of things, optimistically named Flamingo.

"The girl in the shop said that it usually fades quicker than it says on the box,” Mist advised.
"Hmm.”
"It would save a lot of time and be more comfortable.”

Both were valid points but whilst it was a bit of a lark having pink hair, how long the last time went on wasn't.

"At least think about it,” Misty pressed.
"I'll sleep on it,” I agreed.
 

Whenever we see one of those package tours on our travels, a coach load of Japanese or American tourists usually, with their expensive cameras and loud shirts, Dad always jokes about the itinery they have. 'It's Wednesday so this must be Switzerland' is his favourite line, bike racing can be a bit like that and so can a music tour like BlauHase'. Whilst the tourists are 'doing' 'all' of Europe in a fortnight, hitting maybe a dozen countries and seeing none, we get to travel and stay in different beds in different towns and see nothing.

Okay, we've been in Idstein since Saturday night but today, Tuesday, we move on to our next location. All the instruments, amps, speakers and stuff obviously got packed after the gig but our personal stuff is another matter. Of course, most hotels and the like want you out of the rooms as early as possible so they can do the clean up but when you don't get to your bed until the early hours, just getting to breakfast can be quite an effort.

"You girls okay?” Anna Louise enquired when we almost stumbled into the breakfast room.
"Ish,” I allowed making a beeline for the coffee.
"Where're the others,” a remarkably chipper Misty enquired.
"Most likely still in their beds, Marcus was still asleep when I came down.”
"Thought we had to vacate by ten o'clock?” I mentioned after downing half of my first dose of caffeine in one.
"We have an extension 'till eleven.”
"Urgh, if i'd known I coulda had another hour,” I complained.
"And miss breakfast?” Mist suggested, "They only do fruhstück until half nine.”
"Hmm.”
"Well I'll leave you two to it,” Anna Louise stated, "I want to have a quick run before we go.”
"Enjoy,” I offered as she left us alone in the company of the breakfast buffet.
 

I was busy making a salmon and scrambled egg brötchen before I remembered my conversation with Herr Silsman last night.

"Mist?”
"Hmm,” my friend allowed from around her own overstuffed breakfast roll.
"How would you feel about being on stage with us?”

She finished her mouthfull of food and set about extracting a crumb from her decollotage before replying.

"On stage? What for exactly?”
"Well, Robert thinks we could do with a bit more depth on a few numbers.”
"Okay, but where do I come in? You want that salami?”
I passed my plate over for her to take the meat, "How'd you fancy being a backing singer?”
"A what? You have to be jesting!”
"Straight up, its not like you can't sing is it.”
"Well I'm hardly in the same league as you am I, I can just about hold a tune but thats it.”
"You don't have to be Madonna.”

I could see the idea had piqued her interest but she's never been one to really put herself forward, that had been her sister Claudia's rôle.

"What do you reckon?”
She replied with her own question, "When are we talking?”
"We'd probably look at starting the end of the week, give us a chance to practice a bit.”
"What about Anna Louise? I'm sure she'd be up for it.”
"But she goes back to Bonn at the weekend,” I pointed out, "So?”
"Could give it a go I suppose.”
"Great, I'll let Robert know.”
 
"So you thought about the hair dye?”

I had but I was still not sure I wanted pink locks again.

"We could do it this afternoon ready for tonight,” she enthused in full dresser mode.
"I'll let you know later, think I need more coffee.”

 
I don't think any of the guys got to have any breakfast, indeed even as we loaded our personal gear up all four of them were still looking a bit mashed, only Marcus, no doubt under his girlfriends curation had even got as far as a shave. We didn't get very far when we did set off, the Maccy D by the autobahn in fact, the guys grabbing a burger breakfast which was tempting but I resisted all but an apple pie with my coffee. By the time everyone was done it was pushing midday – its a good job we haven't got a long journey ahead of us.

 
Looking at my road atlas we could have cut across country to Bad Homberg and missed the motorway altogether but Little Jo was doing the driving so we found ourselves heading towards Frankfurt again. Instead of taking the obvious link from the three across to the four we stayed on the three past the airport to find ourselves crawling for kilometre after kilometre around the south of the city. There were roadworks at the Frankfurter Kreuz so we ended up to the east of the city before we could turn north.

What should have been an hour and a half tops took us almost three hours by which time tempers were getting a bit frayed. Even so, it was still too early to check in at our overnight so first stop was the venue, Speicher which occupies part of the Bahnhof. We'd barely got parked before our manager appeared looking quite smug.

"Hello, I thought you'd gone back to Bonn,” he greeted as we de-bussed.

I'm sure it was supposed to be a joke but it came across as more of an accusation.

"Traffic,” Stefan offered rather diplomatically.
"Well you're here now, get yourselves set up, the stage manager already has the lighting almost ready.”

Of course being the singer – and a girl, there isn't much I need to do, its not like I'm built for shifting sound gear about is it? Instead, us three girls checked out the venue and facilities. A lot of these re-purposed venues have space issues, things like artiste changing, even backstage toilets, Speicher is one of our smaller venues on this Tour, just 250 punters, it does have the latter but the whole band are sharing one changing room which means I get to change in the toilet or at our accomodation – there is no way I'm changing with five hairy men!

Back in the auditorium the guys were busy with amps and stuff, I spotted our manager sat halfway along the hall on his phone. Misty and Anna Louise were discussing something, what I couldn't tell you as I wasn't listening, instead waiting for Herr Silsman to look my way. My patience eventually paid off, I quickly pointed towards Mist and gave a thumbs up, he raised a hand in acknowledgement, never once breaking from his Handy conversation.

We were actually heading towards our transport before I got to actually talk to the Boss.

"Gaby.”
"Uh huh?”
"That matter we talked about? I'll talk to the other parties tonight.”

Bit cryptic but easy enough to decipher.

"Sure.”
"You wearing the minikleid tonight?”

Said he was a perv.

"Not decided yet,” which was partly true, I had decided that the black and white frock won't be making a second stage appearance any time soon!
"I'll see you later.”
"Uh huh.”
 

"What's it to be then?” Mist enquired as Little Jo drove us the couple of kilometres to our beds for the night across the town.
"What's what to be?”
"Dur, Perücke or you know?”

Okay, I'll admit it, I haven't given it a second's thought since we talked this morning, eeny, meanie, mynie, mo. I guess I do need to make a decision.

I took a deep breath, "I'll probably regret it, lets go for it.”
"Yes!” Miss uber vanilla did a little fist pump, "What's the worst that could happen?”
"I get stuck with pink hair for another half year?”
"But it makes you look so cu.”
I cut her off, "Don't you dare use the c word.”
"Well it does, makes you stand out from the crowd.”
"Maybe I don't want to stand out?”

Further discussion was interupted by Little Jo calling back, "You two getting off, Animal spotted a Kebab place we can eat at on the way back.”

Mention of food set my stomach rumbling, even if it is another takeaway experience.

"Coming!”
 

The accomodation for tonight was a motel type place directly next to an industrial park, the sort of place frequented by Rep's and other budget restricted travellers. Rooms are spartan but functional and a bit more spacious than the one Misty and I shared in Idstein. I heaved my case onto the bed to start unpacking.

"Leave that.”
"I need to sort out what I'm wearing for the gig.”
"That can wait, we need to sort your hair.”
"Now? Tonight?”
"Yes now – unless you want to wear a sweaty wig again?”

I couldn't really argue the logic, we've got barely two hours before we head back to the venue.

I sighed, "Whatever.”
"Wash your hair, just once, no conditioner,” Mist instructed.
"Eh?”
"Just do it Gab.”
"I'm doing it already.”
 

Thirty minutes later my tormentor emerged from the bathroom having seen to her own ablutions whilst my locks marinated in what looks to be a very intensely coloured creamy goop.

"How much longer?” I whined in query.
Mist found her Handy and checked the time, "About another five.”
"Really?”
"The instructions say twenty five, thirty minutes, less time, less colour.”
“'kay, oh by the way, Robert's gonna talk to the others about the singing thing later.”
"I'm still not sure about that.”
"Don't back out on me now.”
"I'm not going to, just don't expect too much.”
"Such as?”
"Well I've not exactly got a voice for those high notes have I?”
"Don't worry, we can work around stuff.”
"If you say so,” she checked the time again, "Okay, times up, put the gloves on then you need to rinse until the water is clear then use the sachet of conditioner, you thought what you're wearing?”
 

It took a good five minutes to wash the tint out, the water ran the most vivid shade you can imagine at first but eventually it reduced, through more pastel hues to just the barest hint of colour. Hair rinsed, I did the washing bit whilst I was in the shower, I didn't catch sight of the resulting hair tone until I was drying my locks.

"Eeek!”
"Gab, whats up?” Mist called from the other room.
"Its pink, my hair's pink!”
"Well duh, that was the idea,” she pointed out before appearing at the door, "It'll....oh boy.”

I had been expecting pink, I mean yeah, that was the whole point of the exercise, I hadn't been prepared for PINK. My previous pinkness was a sort of dark pastel shade which, to be fair, wasn't difficult to live with, this on the other hand. This however, how can I describe it, well think of the brightest pink Fuchsia then zap it with neon – and its on my head!

"What am I gonna do?”
"Do? Not wear pink?”
"Nen, I'm serious, I look like, I dunno what I look like, it was supposed to be Flamingo not Tron on acid.”
"Well I reckon we've got two choices.”
"Which are?” I prompted.
"One involves the dreaded wigs, the other doesn't.”
"I could shave my head.”
"Okay, three choices.”
"Nena!”
"Well whilst a headshave would get rid of the pink, I'm not sure you could pull off the whole bald look and its a bit overdramatic.”
"So what're the other options?”
"You could continue with the wigs until it washes out a bit.”
"If it washes out,” I put in.
"It will,” my friend assured.
"What's option three then?”
"You just own it, we can put your hair in braids or something which'll make it less in your face, well everyone elses face really.”
"And which one do you think I should do?”
"Try three, if you aren't happy we can still run with the wigs.”

What she said made a lot of sense, there was no point in taking it out on her, it might've been her idea but I agreed to it and its not her fault that the colour has turned out so, um, vivid.

"Lets do it then,” I sighed.

Maddy Bell © 19.01.2022