The stage was unbearably cramped. It felt better suited to an open mic night rather than a four person band complete with drums, guitars and amps. Then there was the lightin, an abysmal array of spotlights that flickered from the front of the stage, each a slightly different hue of off-white. I'd been to high school band recitals with a better setup than this. Maybe though that was for the best, maybe I could hide in the shadows, let the more experienced members take the brunt of the crowd's attention. Haha, yeah right, I knew that wasn't gonna happen, after all I was the new girl in the line up. Everyone here would be waitin to see if I lived up to the late and great Athena, the bands former bassist and back up singer. The curtains weren't fully closed, rather they couldn't fully close, so I was able to catch a glimpse of our eager audience. It was a small crowd, the pub could probably only seat fifty or so people, I had that small bit of fortune in my favor at least. So then, it wouldn't be a big of a deal, right? Why be nervous about a lightly packed pub? It’s not some big concert hall venue, or a nationally televised performance. No, it’s a seedy little pub in my hometown of Copper City. Yet, it was precisely because of the location why I felt my very soul shiverin inside my body.
My knees began to shake and rattle makin my platform thigh-high boots click against the creakin loose floorboards. They will notice me, they will judge me, but isn't that why I'm here? To be seen, to be heard, to be as adored as the rest of this amazin band? If not that, then why join the band in the first place? Come on, you got this Harpy!
Feedback started floodin in from the amps which were too close to everything else on the aforementioned miniature stage. My head was poundin, and honestly I didn't know if the amps were to blame, or if my own anxiety was the one jackhammerin into my brain. It was probably both... It was definitely both.
Finally the curtains began to pull back, and our beautiful front woman, Nymph, took her place at the mic.
"Hey there Copper City, we're Pantheon of the Apostates, and we're here to commit sacrilege and debauchery!" Nymph's voice screeched from the speakers, elicitin a cheer from the ecstatic patrons of Copper City tavern.
The cliché clickin of drum sticks and readied stance of my new bandmates was my cue. It's time, you've practiced this, you're an excellent bassist, and a decent vocalist, don't screw things up now.
The drums kicked in, the guitarist played the opening chords, and the songs began, it was time to fuckin rock! My heart raced for a moment, as I began to pluck away at my bass strings, followin the rhythm and flow set by the drummer. A moment, and just a minor stutter later, and my heart was now in sync with the music. The tight knot in my guts began to unravel, and I opened up, lettin myself get lost in the words Nymph sang. Her melodic tones harmonized with the music, the crowd cheerin as she sung her heart out.
One song down, a minor hiccup at the start, but I did good, now on to the next one. I had to struggle with my nerves to keep my eyes open, to actually look at the crowd, and take everything in. They bobbed and swayed to the slow songs, and jammed out with the more wild songs. Their eyes were transfixed on us. Each song we played, a new anthem for them to rage with, another song for me to screw up… but I didn’t screw it up. A smile stretched across my face as I found myself in sync with my bandmates. It was a five song set, four down, one more to go. The first song where I would provide backup vocals, a song Nymph said she'd written especially for me.
She sang her part, passion and rage oozing with every note and every lyric, then the hook came, and after that I'd scream the chorus. Here it comes, the words, what are the words? Shit that’s right… I know this, I got this!
"The haters come in quick succession, I just say fuck the world, but use protection. These chasers ask to see my cock, I don’t got a condom, I got a glock because I'm sick of bein your obsession. I fuck the world and use protection!" I belted out the words, pourin all the pent up rage of my last two years since beginnin my transition into my performance. I screamed with my heart, becomin animated as I delivered my lines. Damn it felt so freakin good! That was the moment I was there for. The euphoria washed over me as the crowd roared along with me.
The song continued, and I kept playin the bass, the second chorus was sung by our other back up singer, Siren. Then the final verse came, and the two choruses were combined allowin me to sing again as we closed out the song.
Our performance was over, but there wasn't a moment of silence in the bar. The audience cheered as Nymph delivered a closin remark, "We've been Pantheon of the Apostates, you've been amazing. Fuck you, and good night!" And the curtains closed.
***
"Awesome job, Harpy," Siren, our lead guitarist, shook my shoulder as we sat at the bar.
"Not bad for your first time girl," our drummer, Gryphon raised her mug as she praised me.
"Eh, I don't think I was that great. I could have done better with that first song," I brushed off their praise, though I really did appreciate the encouragement.
"Nah girl, you did freaking fantastic," Siren said, shaking me slightly, a wide grin across her sunkist face.
I sat between the two of them, sharin a celebratory drink, while feelin a bit out of place. It was about a half hour after the performance, and we were still there at the bar. Siren changed from the intentionally torn catholic schoolgirl outfit she had worn on stage, to a surprisingly modest red dress and knee high black strapped sandals. Gryphon swapped her cropped t-shirt out for a strapless dress that had cuts near her ribs and thighs. I however was still in my stage clothes, an short pleated skirt over some asymmetrical jeans and a black cropped hooded sweatshirt with a big "Fuck Off!" Written in white goin diagonally down my chest. I didn't really think to bring "after party clothes" because I didn't think we were goin to stick around for an after party. I should have known better. The other girls had informed me of Nymphs wild party girl mentality, and how she never missed an opportunity to get trashed followin a gig. We had all wondered if the pay would have been better, had Nymph not always negotiated free drinks as a performance perk. In addition to this, they told me Nymph liked to slip off with a fan or two, and they'd not see her again till the next day. It seemed the stage name she had taken, Nymph, had a bit of a double meanin.
Honestly, I wasn't there to judge her, if anythin I'd encourage her to express her sexuality. I lived a lifetime trapped in a repressive religious mentality, so I also felt a desire to let loose and explore my worldly desires. Though that certainly wasn't goin to happen there, at that bar…
As we sat and drank together, I began to listen out and try to hear any kind of feedback or criticism that those still present may have had. To my surprise, I heard a lot of positivity. They liked the songs, they liked us, some even said they liked me. My nervous tension was liftin, and I finally felt like I could relax. I was worried for nothing, things are different now. I was feelin happy and high... until a grating nasty voice began to speak.
"Freaking ridiculous. How are they going to still call themselves an all girl band with that thing in it," a girl sittin at a table not too far from us said. She sat with her back to me, but I was pretty certain she knew I was within earshot. I expected backlash, but she didn't have to be such a bitch about it.
"Yeah, kinda weird I guess," her date chuckled along, “trying a little too hard to be current right?”
I clenched my fist, and gritted my teeth, as I continued to listen to the two spew their toxicity. "Would have been a great song, but they gave him the chorus and just had to ruin it. Like seriously, nobody wants to hear a tranny complaining. " She continued.
Tears were wellin in the back of my eyes. Siren also heard, and she grabbed my hand and squeezed it, "ignore them, their fucking ignorant."
I nodded, the droplets in my eyes starting to roll down my cheeks.
"Obviously they don't know much about the band sayin shit like that," Gryphon grumbled as she stood up, "hold my beer." She was about to hand me her drink but someone else beat her to the punch.
"Oh, I've seen you before haven't I?" I looked up and saw Nymph approachin the bitch and her date. She also still wore her stage clothes. A skirt cut in half with a some ripped up shorts underneath and black tank-top that read 'I heart monster' above a picture of a cockatrice.
"Oh shit, Nymph! Hell yeah we've gone to almost every performance!" The fangirl practically squealed at seein her idol.
"So your pretty big fans, you and your boyfriend?"
"Hell yeah we are," the girl answered enthusiastically, "oh but he's my brother not boyfriend, I'm single," she laughed in an obvious flirty way. It seemed Nymphs reputation preceded her, and this awful bitch was hopin to get lucky.
"Ah, so he won't mind then if I do this?" Nymph spoke with a sultry voice as she straddled herself on top of the girl. She ran her hand over the girl's cheek, her emerald eyes leerin with a hunger. She brought her face closer as if to kiss her lips, then reeled back and delivered a nasty lookin headbutt to the girl's face.
"Youth broke my fookin nothe" she cried covering her bleedin snoz.
"Good, probably looks better like that," Nymph spat as she stood back up. She wiped blood from her forehead, and cracked a dry laugh. The injured fan's brother sat there, flabbergasted, before tendin to his sisters nose, all while she screamed profanity at Nymph.
The singer snorted, squeezed herself between Gryphon and me, turnin me around to face the rest of the bar. She wrapped her arm around my neck, takin a swig of a beer she plucked off the table and shouted, "anybody fucks with my Harpy, then I'll castrate ya with a rusty razor! Got it?" The bar roared in a wave of mixed reactions, though a good number actually seemed in favor of Nymphs 'heroic' declaration. "Remember girl, fuck the world."
"Yeah...and use protection," I laughed and rolled my eyes.
Paypal
Pantheon of the Apostates is an awesome band name.
Thanks~ I been wantin to use that band name for a while now. Think Bonbon referenced them in one of the other novels too but I'm not sure