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Category:
Arts/Entertainment
Publisher: Createspace
ISBN-10: 1535586664
Type: Fiction
Pages: 142
Copyright: jull 4 2015
ISBN-13: 9781535586665
Price: $6.95 (eBook)
A burnt out rock star manages to turn his life around.
Derek Harris had a genius IQ and penchant for music. He joined a famous band and fell foul of the trappings of fame.
He decided to move to the other side of the world where he met his lifelong girlfriend, a flautist. They enjoyed a different sort of fame until she tragically passed away.
When their son got into trouble, Derek and his son moved back to start a fresh, uncomplicated life but he couldn't stay away from mmusic, albeit on a much smaller scale to which he was once accustomed.
Excerpt
Unlike their first album where Derek worked like a man possessed on getting new material down on demo tapes, he spent his time holed up drinking and taking drugs. With a two month deadline until studio time, Michael and Kevin would visit him frequently to see how he was progressing. Sometimes he wouldn't answer the door. Other times they couldn't get any sense out of him. The clock was ticking.
Derek managed to get enough material down on demo tapes with one week to go before studio time. The band weren't pleased as this gave them next to no time to rehearse the song and thus increase the time and cost of studio time.
When they all arrived in the studio to commence the album, Derek was different. Firstly he was extremely drunk but it was his attitude. As recording progressed it became clear that Derek wasn't particularly interested in recording. Many times he would arrive incoherent because of drugs or alcohol and sometimes he simply wouldn't turn up at all. He was a loose canon. Even when he was there and coherent Derek was apathetic, saying that no extra tracks were needed on certain tracks, not offering the guidance to the others that he had previously done and his playing was confined strictly to the guitar.
After the album was completed the band....and more importantly Holden....were impressed by it. It was more sparse. More earthy. This was not a deliberate move. It was due to Dereks' lack of input. Holden wanted the band to tour on it again but like the rest of the band was reluctant about Dereks' reliability, even more than previously. They decided to announce a tour two months after the albums release.
Unlike their first album, this one only contained the standard two singles. This time around the singles were released prior to the album. They both entered the Top Ten and both went to Number One, back to back.
During the tour Derek was more subdued on stage. He was a shadow of his former self. This didn't stop him, however, getting back up to his old tricks between gigs. Partying, drinking and drug taking filled in all of his time between performances, some of which he still continued to miss.
By the end of the tour Derek was a millionaire. This didn't concern him. All he seemed to care about now was drinking, drugs and women. Music had well and truly taken a back seat in Dereks' life.
Although the band were taking a well-earned break after the album and the tour, they remained in touch. The other band members started to become worried about Derek even more. He wouldn't leave his house as he was so paranoid that he would get arrested. Visitors were warned not to bring drugs to his house in case he was raided. This was all in spite of the fact that he had drugs all through his house and was using them all of the time.
One day when Colin visited, Derek began to start talking jibberish. Then he began to start talking to someone who he thought was on the ceiling. Colin was then accused of being an undercover police officer and was asked to leave the house. Colin went straight to the other band members who went straight to Holden. Holden contacted Harvey Michaels who suggested that Derek visit his psychiatrist again. It took two weeks and the entire band to convince Derek to see his psychiatrist.
On visiting his psychiatrist, Derek was in for some unpleasant news. He was diagnosed with a drug-induced psychosis and would have to be on medication for the rest of his life....medication that did not mix with alcohol or the illicit drugs that he was so familiar with. The psychiatrist told him that it would take several weeks for the medication to work and for him to feel better.
Derek commenced the medication immediately. He told Holden and the band that he would be locking himself away at home until the medication started working then he would ideally be ready for action again. Holden and the band were pleased to hear this.
Locked away with only his musical instruments was almost like returning to childhood for Derek. The first three days were very unpleasant as he went through withdrawal symptoms from many of the illicit drugs that he had been taking. After about a month Derek began feeling better....but it came with a catch. He started craving the drugs and alcohol that he loved so much. He was beginning to find reality again and he didn't like it but he persevered. He only persevered because of Colin recanting the story of his behaviour when he visited him.
Derek was also began churning out tune after tune once the medication started working. He was planning the bands next album, another tour of America and maybe even the world.
Once his medication was working the band commented on how Derek was back to the quiet, polite and well dressed guy that they first met at Aeroplane Records. With their third album planned The New Weird Things began socialising as a band. One night at a party Derek was approached by a fan and they began chatting. The fan asked Derek if he would like a puff of cannabis. Derek refused. “Here,” said the fan. “Take it for later.” Hesitantly Derek put the roll of foil containing the cannabis in his pocket. “How about a trip?” said the fan, referring to LSD. “No thanks,” said Derek but put the small piece of blotting paper in his pocket.
Being too afraid to have the drugs in his house, Derek invited the band around the following evening. He wanted to take the drugs but wanted them out of the house as soon as possible. He also wanted to be in the presence of people that he trusted when he took them as he didn't know how they would react with his anti-psychotic medication.
The following evening the band came around and they sat and chatted about the old days and how well Derek was looking and was doing. After a couple of hours the band members had had a few drinks and things were getting rather jolly. Derek thought that this was the right time to take the LSD. He went to the toilet and took it. A short time later he began to feel quite strange. Not like a normal LSD trip. Suddenly, to Derek, the band members were all dressed in police uniforms and were dangling handcuffs in front of him. He jumped up from the couch, went to the kitchen and grabbed a carving knife. He then began waving it wildly at them and yelling, “I knew you were all cops!” In his rage he lunged at Colin. As he did, Michael and Kevin grabbed him from behind, wrestled the carving knife from him and pinned him to the ground. For two hours they pinned him down until he had stopped yelling about police persecution.
When they trusted him enough to let him up, Derek made a full and humble confession. “Is there anything else in the house?” asked Colin. Derek told him about the cannabis. “Maybe you should have a puff to calm down,” suggested Kevin. Derek went and got the cannabis, rolled a joint, had a puff and passed it around.
No sooner had Michael stubbed the joint out than there was a loud knock at the door. “Police! We have a warrant to search these premises!” Dereks' head fell forward. “Not again. I'm for it this time.” Michael said, “No you're not. Tell them it was mine.” Six police officers entered the smoke filled room. Luckily the combined smell of all of the bands cigarettes overwhelmed the smell of the cannabis. The police searched high and low. Derek was nervous in case they planted something but this never eventuated. “Enjoy the rest of your evening gentlemen,” said one disappointed looking officer.
After the police left, Colin said to Derek, “You need serious psychiatric help. Not just pills. You need to be institutionalised and assessed for a while. I've been through it with my brother.” Derek began crying. “I hate reality Colin. Music takes me away from all of that.” Michael replied, “You almost lost the music Derek but you're on your way back. We can see that.” They all nodded.
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