Patsy Power Part 35

On Monday we all went our separate ways. Joanne and Minh went back to Nashville with the band; Julia went home; Riordan and Nina left for Riordans’ house; Tom and the crew in the trucks and the buses left for Nashville by road; Angela and Mary and I went into the head office as Simon wanted to talk with me.

When we got to the office building I was amazed at the size of it. I had to get ID before I was allowed past reception but Angela smoothed the process. We went up in an elevator that seemed to go forever to get to the floor where the general managers lived. Simons’ office seemed to be close to the clouds and there were lots of floors above that but the view took your breath away. He welcomed me with a hug and directed me to some seats by the big window. I said that I would think that I would be hard pressed to get any work done with a view like that taking all my concentration. He replied that it was hard when there is spectacular weather but he had got used to it. “Besides” he said “I have other people to actually do the work, I just look at reports and offer advice, usually. I think I have done more actual hands-on work since you came on the scene than I had done in the previous five years.” I told him that he had done it so masterfully, too.

His secretary came in with coffees and gave me a big smile when she gave me my cup. “You have made a friend in Jenny here” said Simon “she is very happy when the boss is away from the office so she can get some work done.” I told Jenny that it had been a pleasure to be of assistance. When she left the room Simon said “Right, let’s get down to business. This company is very appreciative of your input that saved the tour from disaster and also from the continued evolution into a new ‘Amazon’. You all had a bright future as the ‘Party’ but the future as ‘Amazon’ is going to be astronomical. I know you are going to tell me that it is Riordan who is in charge of the band but it is you that can make things happen. I will grill Angela and Mary on their thoughts of the tour and where we could make better arrangements but I have the feeling that they will have a hard time putting the last couple of months into words as it has been such a roller coaster.”

I agreed that it had seemed crazy at times and added that the only thing I could see to improve the future tours is to be certain of venues in advance. A lot of our problems came from continually adding equipment to cater for the bigger venues as we went along and also having to alter play lists to suit the space. I also suggested that every date on a future tour have a dedicated space for the vendors with signage to suit. He then asked me my thoughts on the other members of the group. I had to say that all were first class and I was particularly happy with the way the younger band fitted in.

He laughed when I told him that I didn’t think that Jake had washed his right hand after Grog had shaken it. I told him that Joanne was a good additional keyboard player and that I thought our sound was better for it. I mentioned that Minh was leaving the band to pursue her, more ‘teenie’, music and that we would continue to write together. I said that we think we would have her album recorded in about a month, in time for Christmas, as it would be an ideal present. That could all be done at the K Beat studio. I told him that Riordan had insisted that ‘Amazon’ recordings would be done in New York and that Nina was staying here with her.

He nodded as I said all this. “I can tell you a bit about Lorraine” he said “my CEO has decided that we should get more involved with film and TV distribution so he has registered a new company to market that media. I think that Lorraine will benefit from this as her ‘little TV movie’ has now become a major project for general release and that script writers have been employed to develop a number of films that would feature her singing. We already own her vocal output for five years and I think we will be making a fair bit of profit from the whole deal.” He sat back, taking a sip of his coffee, and then said “Talking about profit, do you have any idea how much the tour made?”

I said I had no idea but we seemed to be spending money like water at times. He laughed and said “It can look that way but the reality is that from Seattle onwards we have made at least a half a million dollars per performance from the figures I have seen, and none of the performances before that made a loss. The takings from the first few in smaller venues were not high but were never in the loss side of the ledger. I saw what you did with the car company money and that may well have been a good move as it puts you on good terms with the IRS but we have put a hundred thousand into your account as a special bonus from K Beat and ourselves. You have deserved it and I know you will use it wisely.”

I was taken aback and said that it was a team effort and he told me that everyone had received a bonus as well, including the support crew. “It was a very successful tour, despite the changes. Sales of the albums and DVDs are on a high and through the events of the tour we now have a supergroup under our banner at, thanks to your information, a bargain price. In fact, it would have cost more than we have paid you if we had signed them a month before or a couple of days after we did. I know we are going to make good money on future tours, albums and DVDs for not only ‘Amazon’ but also Lorraine, Minh and even solo work from Nina. We are winners all around.”

He then told me that Jock had called him this morning to say that ‘Primal Purge’ had been to two of the dance performances and were all very happy with what they saw. “I believe that you may have to put six months aside next year, but we don’t know for sure yet” he told me. “If it happens, the tour you have just finished will seem like a local hop in a town hall. Last tour they did they had nearly fifty tons of equipment that is in two lots, with one leap-frogging to the following venue to set up.”

“They use air freight and have a deal with an international trucking company to be supplied with identical trucks at each venue so the roadies have no problems. The venues will be a minimum forty thousand and the maximum will be as big as we can book it. They have played to eighty thousand and bigger in the past. As this will be their farewell tour I think that almost every venue will be huge.” I was taken aback. “That certainly is a bit different. We were all a bit scared when we played our first stadium but it got better. Funnily enough, the dance venues would have been over five thousand from the start and they didn’t seem scary at all.”

He sat quietly as I finished my coffee and then said “there are a couple of other things that we need to do while you are still in New York. One is to meet with Riordan tomorrow for lunch and then tour her recording studio and meet her sound man. Another is that we have been asked by a couple of big companies to have you visit them with a thought to write an advert for them with a twist, similar to the car company. This will be purely on how you feel when you get there, if there are no vibes then you say no. Jenny will give you the details before you leave. The last is that a large cosmetic company wants you to do a photo shoot with their photographer to see if you would fit as their new face. They have linked this with a clothing company who will dress you for the shoot and also gauge your suitability to be one of their advertising models. Jenny has those details as well.

Again, if you don’t fit, don’t stay. It would be good if you can fit these in before you go back to Nashville as I know you will be lost to the world while you are putting finishing touches on songs.” “Wow” I said “that sounds like three full time jobs alone, without the recording.” He told me that it would only be a few days before each product launch and, maybe, having to attend lots of glittering parties wearing the said product.

Before I left he told me that Mary will guide me out and stay with me for my time in New York and that she has a car and driver at her disposal as well as a company credit card should I want to shop!

Part 36

Mary met me in the outer office and Jenny gave her a folio of information. It seemed that as I was a ‘star’ I was not allowed to carry anything but my purse. We went down in the elevator that, thankfully, did not go as fast down as it did going up. We checked out from the reception and, when I went to hand back my ID lanyard, I was told it was mine whenever I visited the head office. Mary said that I looked like I needed a quiet sit down and something to eat and I couldn’t disagree, so we went, in the car, to a less crowded suburb and a very pleasant Italian Restaurant. We were seated at a table near the window so we could watch the world go by and placed our orders. Mary suddenly said “Just two months ago I was a gofer in the office but was considered young and hip enough to deal with a dying band. I now find myself sitting for lunch with a star guitarist of a legendary group and have just been through the most exciting period of my life. Weird or what?”

I laughed and told her that there was a long time before I would be a star and that I had found the last few months an amazing experience myself. I said that if she stayed with us she may be in for the ride of her life next year and mentioned that Simon equated what we have just completed as a ‘local hop in a hall’ compared with what may be if we were lucky. I also told her that she was in for a grilling from Simon about what went on during the tour and advised her to make some notes of her thoughts as he would be interested in her input. We had a pleasant lunch and looked at the folder she had been given. She rang the cosmetic company and arranged a photo shoot for tomorrow morning and then we got in touch with the companies wanting me to write an advert.

We were able to see them this afternoon so, after our lunch we went out to the first one. It was a large software company that had been using the same format for some time and I thought that there may be some chance that we could come up with something. We left with a DVD of all their previous adverts and a folder of printed matter, including brief descriptions of their products. I told the guys that we saw that I would get back to them one way or another in a couple of weeks and they seemed happy enough. The second visit was a large oil company and the only thing I could tell them was that until they made their processes more environmentally cleaner, there was no way I could come up with any quirk that would revive their reputation and that pictures of dying seabirds trumped catchy songs any day. They were not happy but realistic enough to know the truth. I asked Mary to show me the places that she liked so we had an hour or so looking at small parks and a couple of small cafes. We then went back to the hotel and had dinner, after which Mary left, saying she would pick me up at 9.00am. I had a quiet evening and a good sleep.

Next morning, after breakfast, Mary took me to the address that the cosmetic company had given. It seemed like a run-down factory building but there were several cars and a van outside and the sign said it was a photography studio. We walked in and were amazed by the interior which was totally modern and sparkling. A bearded chap was talking to the receptionist and turned as we walked up to him. He gave us a big smile and took our hands and said that he was honoured to be visited by a pair of angels.

I told him to stop with the BS as neither of us is wet behind the ears and he laughed and said “Spoken like a true rock and roller, Patsy. I am Alexi and I am your photographer this morning. Actually, I would like to include this young lady as well as she has much promise. I think the camera may like her.” Mary protested that she was my assistant and had a good job already but he was adamant that she took part in the shoot. “The way your hair and looks complement each other will be an interesting subject to explore” he said “come along, we haven’t got all day.” Through the tour I had only seen Mary in jeans or the office wear – pencil skirt and blouse – and she always had her ash blond hair up in a bun so I thought that this could be interesting. As he led us through to the dressing room he asked her if she had ever done a photo shoot before and she replied that she had, but from the sidelines with a clipboard in her hand. He muttered that some fool had missed his chance.

In the dressing room he introduced us to Ann, the cosmetic specialist, and Meg, the clothing company’s’ dresser, and left us to their ministrations after telling them that we both needed preparing and he wanted an evening dress shot first. The two ladies would have been an asset on tour as they quickly went to work. Ann got me to strip to my underwear and, draped, sat me in a stylists chair and started to work on my hair. Mary was similarly stripped and was being measured. It seemed that she and I were very similar in size so they would have some clothes to fit. After about twenty minutes I was combed and styled and had been made up to the nines and so we swapped places. Meg tried a couple of dresses on me but decided I looked best in a midnight blue sheath with heels. Mary stood up from the stylist chair and I could not believe my eyes. Standing in front of me was a beautiful woman with her ash blond hair draped over one shoulder. Meg had picked the dress already and very soon Mary stood there like a film star in an off the shoulder emerald green number. "You’ve been hiding your light” I told her and she replied that she had never had the desire to look good as she had always been academically inclined.

We were led to the studio where Alexi clapped his hands and started setting lights. An hour later he was satisfied and we were a bit sweaty. We went back to the dressing room and Meg said that the next shoot was day wear so we took our turns again. Ann cleaned my face and did the make-up for day wear and combed my hair back a bit with a couple of clips and then I was put into a silk blouse and a multi-coloured skirt that was just knee length. It was decided that the shoes I wore into the place would work. In the meantime, Mary had a similar make-up and her hair had been put into a pony tail. She was dressed in a bright red mini skirt with a black camisole and back to the studio we went. Alexi was very professional and we had finished that shoot by midday. He thanked us both for coming and Meg told us we could wear our outfits when we left if we wanted.

Mary said we had lunch with Riordan for 1.00pm at an up-market restaurant and it was agreed that we looked just right. Our original clothes were packed into bags and we went out to the car. The driver had a bit of a shock when we tapped on the window as he did not recognise us. He jumped out of the car to open our doors and stammered “I am very sorry; I did not know it was you. Miss Mary, you look magnificent!” At the restaurant we dismissed our driver asking him to take our bags to the hotel, and walked in asking the maitre’d for Riordans table. We were escorted to a booth where Riordan, Nina and a hip-looking chap with a pony tail sat. They all got up as we arrived and both Riordan and Nina gave us hugs with Riordan saying that we looked like we should be on the pages of a fashion magazine. The chap was introduced as Brendan Rose. As we sat down I remarked that we had, indeed, been at a photo shoot this morning and our current looks were somewhat subdued from the earlier session. We had a good lunch with lots of chat about the past few weeks and then we all went in Riordans’ limo to the recording studio where Brendan showed us around. It was positively huge, with two studios the size of the biggest at K Beat and one that was big enough for a small orchestra. The equipment was all multi-track digital but, like Ron, Brendan had kept a tape machine, this one a thirty six track.

Late afternoon Mary had a call on her phone from the office. They asked her if the two of us could drop in, so Riordan had her driver take us there. We walked into the foyer, putting on our lanyards and went up in the elevator. At Simons outer office Jenny looked at Mary and said “Excuse me, madam, but who are you?”

Marianne G 2020