Oh, come one and all, to the debutante’s ball
- This is absolutely brilliant – Simon stood in front of me, with a copy of The hanging gardens in his hand and he just kept turning it over, as if he wanted to see and memorise every single detail. He had a box of freshly made copies, all shiny and new by his feet.
- Listen to this – Alfie flipped the pages of the insert, skimming through the lyrics and some photos – Alfie Wright: Drums. Our names! On an album. Our names, gentlemen!
Johnny Bishop put another box of CDs by my feet – You’ve delivered, girl. I grant you that – he took out a pocket knife and slashed the tape that kept the box sealed, opening it and taking hold of a copy that he tossed on my lap – Now comes the hard part. You gotta sell all this shit, Elz.
I nodded. I was thrilled to have made it that far, but I was also scared out of my mind.
- How are things going otherwise?
- Peter has gotten us a van and we have two scheduled concerts already. It’s not much, but it will get there – I was trying really hard to sound more optimistic than I really was.
- Not bad, for a start. But I hope you’re ready to give up the luxury of Belgravia, for the shittiest pubs in the land. Because I really need you to bring in the moolah – Bishop took back the CD he had given me, amidst the smoke from his cigarette, and put it back in its box, all neat and tidy with its plastic brothers and sisters.
Freddie put down an empty beer can on the floor by his seat – Yeah, we know, we know. Someone’s got to pay you. We know, Bishop.
- She knows – he underlined the word she, waving his finger around like a bossy school teacher – Little miss additional clauses here knows the rules of the game.
Simon chuckled – What was it again? Little Monster?
- The Little Clause Monster – Bishop laughed loudly, before putting his hand on my shoulder – I’m just kidding, kid. You know that. How are we on the agent?
- I’m working on it – I said, as nonchalantly as possible.
But the truth was, I was not working on it. I was, instead, fighting an idea for quite some time now, weighing pros and cons before making a move, because Mami had mentioned that Peter had decided to take a gap year, at the last minute. For me, it was obvious that he should be involved with all of this project because he had been there at its inception. He had been the one who had pushed me forward and I wanted to repay him the kindness he had given me.
But I just kept postponing the talk because I knew how Collins felt about all of it, even if Peter was of legal age by now and there was really nothing he could do to stop him, if it ended up being what he wanted. Even so, I had too much respect for the man to just step over him like that.
I took my chance when I went back home, that weekend. It was already dark when I stepped out of the train, into the rain and there he was, waiting for me on the platform, with an umbrella that he swiftly held over me.
We walked to the car, silently and I waited until he turned his blinker on, to somewhat get it out there.
- May I ask you something?
- But of course – he looked in his side mirror, as he got the car on the road.
- I don’t want you to be cross at me.
- I could never be cross at you, Lady Eleanora.
I bit my lower lip – Well, you may still be. I want to make Peter a job offer.
Collins took a deep breath – I… There is nothing I can say to Peter to stop him, of course, but I do not like the idea of him in the music world…
- Hence my condition – the rows of houses passing us by were sparser, as we went further into the countryside – I know he’s taking a gap year and I really think he should be going to Uni eventually, because Peter’s a brilliant person.
Collins nodded – I would very much like him to go, as well.
- So – I went on – I would like to ask him to be my agent for a year. I can’t offer him a salary, but I can discuss commissions with him… I just know that Peter is really good at talking to people and… And I really think he truly believes what I’m doing. I can think of no better person to work with.
Stolen novel; please report.
Another deep breath – Don’t you be cross with me now, Lady Eleanora.
- I could never…
- I know my opinion doesn’t really matter, but I do believe this is all too sudden – we turned into the dirt road that would take me home – Lady Margaret is not well and you being so far away is only making her feel worse. I know Her Grace believes in you and so do I. But I also believe all of this should wait.
We turned left, passing the two short tower structures that indicated the beginning of the estate.
- But that’s just the thing, isn’t it, Collins? It truly cannot wait and Mami knows it well. If I do wait… I’m afraid you’ll all end up without a job and I will end up having to sell all of this…
- This should not be falling on you – he shook his head and I could see him clutching the wheel. It was something he truly needed to get off his chest, apparently.
- But it did – I said, matter-of-factly – There is no one else and I would never let my siblings live with this sword of Damocles over their heads. So, there’s only me left. And I am trying my best to fix things…
The rain had stopped, as he parked the car by the entrance steps. I opened my door and stepped onto the wet gravel, breathing that fresh and delicious post-rain smell.
- Peter must be down in the kitchen – Collins said, as he walked to the boot, to take my bag – You should go down there if you want to have a word with him.
It was confirmation enough for me – Thank you, Collins – I smiled at him, from atop the steps.
- No, my Lady. Thank you.
- 20%? No, that’s too much, Ellie – Peter sat at the large wooden table in the kitchen. We both had plates with sandwiches and a packet of crisps opened in front of us.
I put my sandwich down – Well, 20% of nothing is still nothing…
There were some leaflets from several universities on the table, as well. He might be doing a gap year, but he was still looking at different options.
- Eventually you will earn something. And I think that’s too high of a rate.
- 20% for you, 40% for me, the rest is for the band. All costs come out of my percentage.
He grabbed the leaflet for Business in Edinburgh – That is a horrible business plan. I’ll take 10, we’ll allocate another 10 for expenses. You’re being a numpty, as per usual.
- Hey, I’m still in the room – I laughed, as I took a crisp from the packet – Let’s do it like this, then: you take 10% and I’ll give you another 10% for guitar lessons.
- I’m taking guitar lessons?
- Who’s being a numpty now? - I frowned at him – You’re giving me guitar lessons.
Peter opened his mouth to say something but he knew he could not win that battle and that we would just be going back to the rate I had suggested, so he did the only thing he could, he reached out his hand and I got myself an agent. None of us knew what we were doing, so it should be fine, right?
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Firefly had organized the album launch party at the Underground and I was starting to think that that was where we were doomed to play, for the rest of our careers. Not that it was bad, but one starts craving diversity at some point.
Bishop invited other artists from the label and also some small-time zine reporters, always on the lookout for new stuff. The rest of us ended up inviting every single person in our lives and gave them carte blanche to pass the invitation along. We still had a few people short of a full house, but we were happy to see some familiar faces among the crowd.
Mami wanted to be in the front row, along with Edgar and Collins. I offered her some earplugs, but she said she would not mind going deaf, but she wanted to listen to every single note, which is quite endearing in a rather masochistic way.
Pat had taught me how to recreate the make-up look from the album cover, so I would be able to do it myself when she was not there. In that small amount of time, in between getting the album on our hands and getting Peter as our agent, he had managed to schedule 15 gigs for us and everyone was elated. The pay was very close to nothing and we were praying Mr. Kay’s former van could take the miles of road in front of it, because we were about to roam up and down the country, as much as we needed to.
We had stickers with the logo, t-shirts and posters, all with my face on them and I was having a hard time convincing myself that that was, indeed me. The dissociation was a hard phase to get over.
That night was like a slightly less graceful and much louder debutante ball for me. It was the first time we were playing the whole album live and we did our very best to do it justice.
We walked off stage to the sound of the kind of applause that tells you that the show was great. My grandmother gave me a very tight hug.
- I am so proud of you, my dear – she shouted, as her ears really were buzzing – And I’m so happy to be able to see your project come to life.
- Hi – a tall, lean man, with ruffled black hair came by us and reached his hand – I’m Alan Winnick, from Rock Revolution. I really liked your sound. Could we talk for a little while? I’d like to give you some space on our zine, if you’re interested.
My grandmother nodded and said she had to go, anyway, as she was getting too old to be hanging around clubs.
Adam asked me some basic questions about the album, about my inspirations, about the rest of the band.
- Why Eleanora’s Sundown?
- Because Sunset would be too cliché – I laughed – No, but seriously. Sundown’s just that fleeting moment after the sun’s gone, in the horizon, just before nighttime sets in. It’s a very brief moment, but it can be chock-full of all sorts of emotions, from fear of the dark, to excitement for what could happen. I think it’s a very underrated time of the day.
Alan laughed and I was glad he could see the tinge of humour I was adding to it, and not taking it literally.
- And who is Eleanora, and how did you get to where you are today?
- Well, Eleanora Blackburn is a girl who was born in the far East and who has lived a very dull life, in between London and Somerset, until she found out she had music running through her veins.
- And she had to do a little blood-letting?
- A music-letting, yes.
We kept talking for quite some time and he thanked me, praising what we had done and showing me his copy of the album, which he asked for me to sign.
Peter came by just after Alan had left and started introducing me to so many people, it got to a point where my head was spinning and I had no more mnemonics to pair faces with names.
I still think it was a great start, for such an odd band of ragtags.