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.

 
Now obviously I’m no stranger to hotels and the like, I mean, for the last couple of years its been a regular feature of my bike racing career and of course the BlauHase tour but would you believe it if I told you I’ve never checked in on my own before. Yup, up until now there has always been someone else either looking after all this stuff or at the very least I’ve been with Dad or Manda. I was actually a bit nervous as I wheeled my steed into the building, well I’m hardly going to leave it unlocked outside am I?

I spotted a bit of wall to prop my steed against and clopped across to the desk, all under the steady gaze of the chap manning the station.

"Erm, we’re booked in for tonight?” I opened.
"Name?”

Good question, with the cycling trips it’ll usually be under Apollinaris but what name, indeed who even booked these places I’ve no idea. Start with the obvious.

"Erm BlauHase?”

He tapped away at the keyboard, "Can you spell that please?”
"Er B L A U H A S E.”
He tapped some more, "Could it be under another name perhaps?”
"There should be like four rooms?”
"There isn’t anything booked with that name, a different name?”

I racked my brain but Stefan’s family name escaped me, bum, what then? Oh I know, Robert.

"Silsberg?”
More tapping before he paused, "I have four rooms for Silsman Entertainment?, three twins and a double.”
I let out a sigh,” that’ll be us, Herr Silsman is our manager.”
"And you are?”
"Um Bond, or it might be under Fischer?”
"Room three one seven, the rest of your group are here?”
"They’ll be about forty minutes.”
"You have luggage?”
"Er just me and my Rad at the moment.”
He looked at me slightly askance and raised an eyebrow, "So, its a card key system, this,“ he waved the bit of plastic, "Opens your room and gives you access to the building after the door is closed at midnight.”
"Thanks, is there somewhere for my bike, just until the others get here, it’ll go in the bus then.”
"I’ll put it in the luggage room for you, will you be dining here this evening?”
"I’m not sure to be honest, do we need to book?”
"The restaurant can get quite busy.”
"I’ll say yes then, if we aren’t we’ll let you know?”
"For eight? Time?”
"Seven?” I suggested.
He tapped at his keyboard again, "That’s booked for you then, party of eight, seven pm.”
"Thanks, so which way do I go?”
"There is a lift just to the left through the door.”
"Danke.”

I clomped towards the lift clutching my key card, pausing momentarily to slip my shoes off, cleats and hotel floors are not a great combination.
 

Three one seven is of course on the third floor, the sign as I left the lift pointed me off down a corridor to the left, I’m a dab hand at these key cards so of course it took me three goes to get the door to open! Once inside I was quite surprised, the room was quite generous, two beds and a wardrobe along one wall, lots of windows and a door onto a verandah at the far end, the en suit was typically inside the door to the left, a desk, bag rack and a wall mounted TV filling the rest of that wall. Well I’m in, what now?

A no brainer really, I claimed the ‘window’ end bed before stripping out of my riding togs, grabbing the towels and heading into the shower. It might not be ideal but the complimentary shower gel and shampoo were adequate for the job of making me a bit more suitable for polite company – I can do a more refined job later. The other thing that wasn’t ideal was my lack of fresh clothing, guess I can live with a ‘towel toga’ until the others get here.
 

With nothing better to do, I flicked on the telly, I think I’ve mentioned before, German telly is pretty dire, yeah there are one or two okay shows but most what is half decent is rehashed or even re-dubbed UK and American stuff. As for daytime viewing, well twee heimat is the order of the day or inane repeats of stuff that was on the evening schedule two days ago. As a result I was channel hopping in the vain hope of finding something remotely worth watching.

After ten minutes my brain was turning to goo so I killed the idiot box and started reading, well flicking through the folder of gumpf you find in most hotel rooms, you know the stuff, emergency numbers, channel numbers for the TV, breakfast menu, local attractions and so on. I was just finding out about the cities tourist attractions when I heard what sounded like our bus down below. About flippin’ time.

I rewrapped my towel, it of course barely covered everything being standard hotel issue, and opened the door to the verandah. The Aschaffenburg Hof is a bit of a Tardis, from the street entrance that I used it looks quite small but behind it extends behind the neighbouring properties around a courtyard that provides car parking and, so I discovered, another entrance to the reception area.

"Hi guys!” I called down to where the rest of BlauHase were just climbing out of the bus.
"Erd!” Stefan called back once he’d identified where I was, "Everything okay?”
"Yeah, could do with some clothes though.”
"Ha!”
"The guy on reception is expecting you.”
"Okay, see you shortly.”

Yes! No, no, no! I watched in mute helplessness as the veranda door slammed shut, a loud click confirmed it had caught the catch. You have to try though, right? I rattled the handle, pulled at the door, all in vain of course, worse still, when I looked down into the courtyard the others had disappeared inside. I plonked myself on the plastic garden chair which was the only other occupant of my eyrie, guess I’m waiting for Mist to come up.
 

Thankfully it was reasonably warm, the sun was still offering its rays to my perch which is just as well given my state of undress! So lets see, say five minutes in reception, five minutes to get upstairs, ten minutes tops, I could just see the red figures of the clock on the TV from the door, it felt like an age to see it turn over just a single minute. I sat myself in the chair, pulled my knees up and wrapped as much of me as possible in the towel, I’m sure I was exposing more of me than I should but its not like anyone can see me.

Of course, impatience got the better of me, it felt like at least five minutes had passed but the next look through the glass claimed just two, patience Bond, patience. I managed to contain myself for fully four minutes the next time, six minutes, seven, Mist should be here quite soon. Except she wasn’t, the time dragged on, its been fifteen minutes now, surely it doesn’t take that long?

Finally, by my reckoning twenty five minutes after they arrived, Mist followed by Animal came through the outer door.

I banged on the window, "Let me in!”

It was a moment before I was spotted, Animal reaching the door before my roomie.

"How long’ve you been out there?” our drummer asked as he pushed the door open for me.
"Since you got here, what took you so long?”
"There was some confusion at the desk,” he told me.
"Typical,” I moaned.
"Anyway, I’ll leave you two to it.”
"Thanks Pete,” Mist offered as he beat his retreat.
"Later,” and he was gone.
 

"So come on Gab, what were you doing practically naked on the balcony?”
"Mostly waiting for you, the door blew shut on me, seriously what took so long?”
"Firstly there was some confusion over a restaurant booking.”
"It was just a precaution, I didn’t, don’t know what we’re doing for food.”
"Well we kinda gathered that then they only usually issue one key card per room so there wasn’t one for me.”
"And I had the key,” I filled in.
"I knocked on the door, tried your Handy, when there wasn’t a reply I went back to reception, I thought something had happened to you.”
"It had, that flippin’ door, I need clothes, its a bit draughty in just a towel.”
"I thought you were starting a new fashion.”

I blew a raspberry then attacked my case.
 

"So you have a good ride?” Mist asked as I pulled on some underwear.
"Not bad, bit flat tho’”
"Thought that was good?”
"Bit boring after a couple of hours, so you guys eaten?”
"There was a BK on the way in from the autobahn so we got burgers, guessing you haven’t?”
"Had a coffee and sandwich but that was like hours ago.”
"So I guess that’s a no then?”
"Anyone said what we’re doing later?”
"Singing?”
"You know what I mean,” I huffed.
"Meeting back downstairs to go check out this Saal place, in fact they’re probably waiting for us, we were only supposed to be dropping off our bags.”
"Okay, I get it.”

I finished dressing, well my denim skirt and a T took but moments, dragged my trainers on, grabbed my Handtasche and phone et voila.

"Key?” my keeper hinted.
I snatched the troublesome plastic from the dock, "Key.”
"Come on then.”
 

"We can’t leave you on your own for five minutes Erd,” Stefan chuckled when we got down to reception, I’m guessing Animal spread the news.
"Don’t listen to them Gaby, it could’ve happened to anyone,” Hilde suggested.

Except of course it didn’t, it was me practically in my birthday suit out on the balcony for half an hour near as.

"Gab wants food,” Mist announced.
"I’m not desperate,” I added hurriedly, "A bag of chips would do until dinner.”
"The venue is only a couple of hundred metres away, they’re bound to have something there,” Marcus suggested.
"Guess we’re not driving then?” I opined.
"Animal’s taken the gear down with BJ,” Little Jo told me.

Something about the bus was niggling at the back of my head, ah, got it!

"My bike, what about my bike?” I got out in a bit of a panic.
"What about it?” Stefan asked.
"I need to put it on the bus.”
"Where is it now?”
"I’m not sure, the guy on reception was putting it in a cupboard or something.”
"Then its safe enough for now,” our leader pointed out, "Come on, the others will think we’ve got lost.”
 

It turns out that I almost rode past the place on the way to the hotel, we walked back down to the Ring at the bottom of the road and after crossing by that tower thing we took a left and literally a hundred metres down we could see Robert waiting for us. Just as intriguing were the several food outlets along the way, my stomach really was rumbling now.

"Everyone okay?” he asked in greeting.
"Apart from Erd,” Stefan smirked.
"Oh?”
I jumped in before the tale could get embroidered too much, "I managed to get stuck on the balcony earlier.”

You could almost see the cogs going, he knew there was more to it but wisely he didn’t pursue the matter.

"Well come on then lets get you acquainted with Colos Saal.”
 

Colos Saal is a ’band’ venue, okay its maybe a bit bigger than that place in Bonn but its essentially the same, a potential, well an almost certain sweat box, low ceiling, stage one end, space for maybe three hundred standing audience. This was certainly going back to BlauHase’ roots, no support act, just us and the fans.

"What do you think?” Robert asked.
"Its gonna get warm,” Big Jo offered.
"At least its only us, no warm up to warm it up,” Marcus stated.
"About that,” Robert interjected.
"Ot oh, I feel another one of Herr Silsman’s ideas coming,” Little Jo ventured.
"Go on,” Stefan encouraged, "What’re you thinking?”
"Well, if the guys and Fraulein Bond are up for it I was thinking a reprise of last night.”
"But that was a one off because of the accident, wasn’t it?” I ventured.
"Well I guess its up to you guiys,” Stefan suggested.
"The same set?” LJ asked. "It’d have to be the same set.”
"Guess I’m in,” Big Jo added, "Gab? You’re the one doing the singing.”

Oh boy, decisions, decisions. Last night, well it was fun but it was for a cause, repeating it tonight, I’m not sure.

"Go on Gab, you know you want to,” Mist enthused.

I looked around at the others, Hilde gave a shrug but the others appeared fairly ambivalent.

"On one condition.”
"Which is?” Robert enquired.
"That we go for dinner soon, oh and I’m not wearing that flouncy frock, its gonna be a sauna in here.”
"Done,” Robert grinned.

Someone has been and I’ve got a feeling its me.

"Now that’s settled,” Stefan told us, "Lets get the check done so that Erd can get her schnitzel or whatever.”

I could go for schnitzel with a side of whatever.
 

"Er Mist?”
"Hmm?” she replied from across the room where she was doing her slap, there was more space than in the bathroom for her collection of war paints.
"What are you wearing tonight?”
"On the door.”

I had kinda hoped that that was the case, the mock corset dress is a bit short for my taste but that’s her choice.

"So, do you think I could borrow those trousers again?”
"Why you hussy Gabrielle Bond!”
"Well can I?”
"Sure, you changing between sets?”
"Yeah, thought I’d wear this for the first bit,” I held up the summer frock that was least creased.
She turned from her artistry to look, "Interesting choice.”
"Well its easy to take off, if I wear hose it should be easier to get the trousers on.”
"What top are you thinking of wearing with them?”
"Dunno, hadn’t got that far.”
"I’ve got an idea,” she stated with a smirk.
"Am I gonna like it?”
"Possibly not but you’ll look awesome and if it gets warm it’ll be practical.”
 

Of course we’ve already eaten, the hotel restaurant was actually quite convenient for our needs. And yes I did have schnitzel with warm potato salad and Rotkohl, nothing fancy but it filled a hole. Mind you, it helped that Hilde had slipped out of the soundcheck and fetched everyone some sweet baked goods!
 

I looked out over the expectant crowd, we might only be doing a few covers but there was obviously a bit of confusion with the revised programme,

"Hello Aschaffenburg,” I started, "We’ve got a small change to tonight’s programme which I hope you’ll enjoy but first an explanation. Some of you may have heard about the incident on the autobahn over at Mainz yesterday, sadly our support for last nights gig were caught up with it and were unable to participate so my two friends here, Big and Little Jo,” I indicated the Jo’s with a wave of my arm, ”and myself, I’m Erdbeer by the way, did a short set in their honour. As there was no support this evening and because the rest of the band aren’t ready yet,” I grinned, "We thought we’d gift you with a reprise so without further ado lets do some music!”

Our audience gave a bit of a cheer and the guys started the intro to The Banshees Happy House although tonight there was a bit more gusto to it.

‘Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh
This is the happy house
We're happy here in the happy house
Oh it's such fun, fun, fun
Whoa-ohh
We've come to play in the happy house
And waste a day in the happy house
It never rains, never rains.’

And so our warm, sweaty night at the Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg got underway.
 
Maddy Bell © 16.08.2022