Part 9

Steve had eased off on getting us shows this year, in deference to Angelica, Josh and Kieran, all who would be doing important exams. With that in mind, he released a single from the CD to the media, followed it up with putting the CD on the market, and just scheduled one show for us, in the break between terms.

What a show it turned out to be! We would be opening the first half, at Wembley Stadium, with Cleopatra and the Spice Girls doing the second half. We were each allocated twenty tickets. After our parents and relatives, the biggest recipients of our allocation were our friends at school. That was enough for the parents to book two large coaches to take everyone from Chard who would be going.

We, the performers, were picked up on the Friday and taken to a hotel in London. There, we had a meal, with the other two bands, in a big restaurant. It was a big event for us, and it was wonderful to be in the same room as our favourite singers, although we tried hard to not act like besotted fans.

Saturday was a day I’ll never forget. We were taken to the stadium to do a sound check. For us, it was awe-inspiring to just stand on the stage and look out over the huge area that should have fans on tonight. We had finished our couple of songs when Cleo came on stage and asked us if we still did the four songs from last year. When we said that we did still play them, sometimes, she asked us if we would allow her, and her sisters, to join us at the end of our set to do the four songs as a big group for our encore. When we agreed, the four Higgins girls joined us and we played the four songs, twice, to make sure everyone was happy.

We had an early tea, most of us being too excited to eat. At the stadium, Mary had our stage outfits ready, and we changed for the show. The girls all had yellow skirts with black tops, while us guys had black pants with yellow shirts. It sounds awful but seemed right that night.

For this show, we all had radio mics, buds, and us guitarists had radio senders to the amps. I say amps, how else would you describe the Berlin Wall of speakers on each side of the stage. Sandy was back, next to Josh, and was plugged in the old-fashioned way. When we walked out, playing the first notes of our first song, the blast of noise that we produced was almost drowned out by the noise from the crowd. It was the biggest crowd I’d ever seen, all bouncing to our music.

We had started just before seven, so had planned a set that took us to after eight. It was magic and we all had smiles as it went from strength to strength. At the end of ‘Traction’ we stood for a while as the crowd roared, and then went into the first notes of the four songs as Cleo and her sisters came on stage. That four-song session took us to after eight thirty. We didn’t mind, it would be up to the others to finish the show on time.

At the end of the last song, while all the singers were at the front of the stage, waving to the crowd, I, and the rest of the band left the stage, switching off all our electronics as we went. We were replaced by Cleo’s band, and as Angelica, Jan and Lucy left the stage, that band started up the first song of their set. When they had finished, there was a short interval while the Spice Girls band got set up, and then they finished the night with a very polished performance of strong girl pop. We all watched from the side of the stage. At the end of their set, they called for us all to join them to say goodnight to the crowd. It was strange, standing there, waving to tens of thousands, most there to see the other bands, but by now, possibly wanting to buy our albums.

We had another night in the hotel, while the other bands went off to their homes. We were all quiet, and in the morning, it took a while to start discussing what we had achieved that evening. Josh was the first to comment that he had never, ever, thought that he would be sitting at his drums, looking out over a sea of faces such as we had witnessed. Steve and Mary joined us and congratulated us on our part of the show, as well as the extra bits with Cleo. We had made a lot of people happy.

Over the next weeks, leading up to the summer holidays, we didn’t have a rehearsal or show to do. We just hit the books to make sure we passed our exams. The kids from school, who had been at the show, were all full of praise for our set, as well as the rest of it. I was passing the gym, one day, when Miss Harris called me into her office.

“Tom, I have to thank you for letting me see my daughter in a way I would have never thought possible. She was totally part of your show, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so happy. Have the two of you decided on what you want out of your relationship? With most boys, I would have been able to make a guess, but with you there are so many levels to your being, I’m sure you’ve thought it out a bit deeper than mere sex.”

“I love Sandy, and she loves me. We are like two parts of a single entity. When we write songs, they come with such a rush, it’s almost too hard to get them on paper. Yes, I do think of other things when we’re together, but we have decided that we are too young to do anything that could harm our parents. I have another year to go before I can leave school and want to spend that year with Sandy. After that, who knows. We may be members of a waning band by that time. Whatever happens, we can make a living writing songs. I know that Angelica will be in Uni for the next few years, so it’s unlikely that we would be doing as many shows as we have been doing.”

“Well said, young man. You know that I’ll be happy to call you my son-in-law when the time arrives. You have given so much to Sandra, me, the school, and the community. I, for one, hope that you go to Uni, as you have a first-class brain and could have a life outside of music, should you want it. Sandra has spoken about her future, and she would be happy to shelve performances for Uni, as long as you are both still together. You could both get degrees in music.”

“Thank you for your faith in me. I’ll try to not let you down. As far as performances go, I’m not sure that I could stand a lot of nights like the one at Wembley. It was full-on, but, there again, we have gone from small crowds to bigger ones each time we play. I suppose that it’s a microcosm of life. Every time you get used to something; another comes along to challenge you.”

In the summer holidays, Steve had given us just six shows, all large venues, all in big cities, and all away from home. With three we would open for a top ten band, the others we would close for up-and-coming bands. We were all picked up, mid-week, for rehearsals, and stayed in hotels for our shows. Mum joined us for those, just to keep an eye on her children. We didn’t do the steam rally, this year, but, seeing that it was on a weekend when we didn’t have a show, we all went along to just help out with our display, Dad taking both Burrells this time.

For me, it felt as if we were letting the organisers down, but the bands they did have were happy to be there, having listened to all the previous bands who said that it was a great experience. The last show of summer was in Manchester, and Archie came to the hotel to see us. He was happy, doing well, and already had a couple of hit records under his belt. We stayed in that city, after the show, and went into his studio to put down four new songs that we had added, but not played live. It was a thank-you to him, but we all did very well out of the CD that he produced, which had a few of our newer masters added. The result was called ‘Gaining Traction in Heaton Park.’ That was enough to keep the fans happy until next year.

Over the winter period, we did some shows as a smaller band. Jan was out front, with Sandy and me either side of her. We had a new drummer, Bill, to replace Josh, and it was enough to maintain our name out there. By now, we had a big repertoire to pick from, with plenty that fitted the pared-down line-up. The band didn’t detract from our schooling and both Jan, and I got our good marks, as expected, and would be thinking about getting a job or going for sixth form. When we got to summer, expecting Angelica to be back out front, we were surprised to hear from her, telling us that she was heading for Europe with Josh, and that they were expecting a baby.

She had been studying modern languages at Exeter, with her main ones being French and German, and had scored a summer job in the Black Forest area as a tourist guide. Josh had a hidden skill as a climber, so was at the same place with beginner rock climbers. She did send us postcards, and one letter with a photo of her in costume singing in a beer tavern.

Steve acted quickly, and looked at his bands to see if there were any with girl singers to take over the empty spots. He had a pair of sisters, a bit older than us, who had been singing country music. He got us together in the studio to see if it could work. Luckily, they had been listening to our songs and were very happy to try out with us. The sound was different, with their older voices, and we tried things with both Sandra and me singing as well. In the end, it didn’t sound too bad, so we came back the next day and we all adjusted our presentation to work best with the line-up we now had. Steve had organised four shows, already, so we had a deadline to perfect the act.

When we did hit the stage, at a show in Brighton, we had been away long enough for most but the die-hard fans to forget who they had seen before. With Janet, Helen and Joyce as the main singers, Sandra and me as back-up and playing keyboard and rhythm. Jock was on the lead guitar. Kieren was on bass and our drummer was Bill. I think we did well, considering how little we had played together. It got better with every show, the reviews were good, the crowd still sang along with the songs and bought the merchandise.

At the end of that summer, Jan and I were going into sixth year, so we still needed to be looked after, timewise. Kieren was going back to Uni. We got a card from Angelica, telling us that the baby would be born in January, and that she and Josh had rented a flat near the Uni, and, that they would be married in three weeks’ time, at a registry office. That put the cat well and truly among the pigeons.

A trip was planned, Mum and Janet needed new outfits, Dad and I went to hire suits. On the day, we started before the sun came up to be outside the registry office at the right time. We met Josh’s parents there and we followed the happy couple as they went in to tie the knot. We all had lunch, then went to see where they were living. Angelica pulled Jan and I aside and apologised for not coming back to the band. We told her that it was all right, we now had a slightly different sound and would arrange to send her a new CD when we made it.

Back home, we had a family conference, realising that Angelica would not be singing for her living in future. We decided that the current line-up of ‘Traction’ would be our future. We let Steve know that this was the situation and he told us that any money that had been earned since the beginning of summer would be shared by the current band, with Josh and Angelica being cut off. They had both received a good income for the years they were in the band, so we weren’t being too hard on them.

Our plan, for the winter period, was for Sandra, Jan, and me to concentrate on sixth year, as well as to record an album with the new line-up. We had a couple more songs from Henderson, Watson, and Merriweather, and Sandra and I had added a few more. Our new singers surprised us by having a box of lyrics that they had written, over the years, without ever trying to turn them into songs.

They sent us copies of the ones they considered their best and we put music to them, giving us enough to head into a studio with. There turned out to be several that were about travelling or seeing things, so we called the album ‘Gaining Traction – Along for the Ride.’

Steve arranged a good set of shows for us over that next summer, now that we had a settled line-up. Next winter would see Jan and I going to different tertiary establishments. Jan had decided to follow a fashion and dressmaking path, while Sandra and I would be going to the London College of Music, in Ealing. Sandra planned to continue her piano and keyboard learning, while I was more taken with the notion of songwriting and production, seeing that they taught skills to record and produce.

Of course, there was a discussion regarding the propriety of two teenagers in a flat in London. That led to me proposing to Sandra and us getting her a ring. So, the shows, that summer, were in anticipation of our wedding in September. That took place on a free Sunday, in the local church with a lot of family, friends, and the rest of the band in attendance. Angelica, Josh, and little Barbara came up from Southampton, where they were living while finishing their studies. Our honeymoon was a week in Blackpool, where we were due on stage the following Saturday.

We found a flat within cycling distance of the college and moved there a week before our first attendance. We went to the preliminary meetings, spoke to the lecturers, and got our courses sorted out. Sandra was doing classical and modern piano, while I would be studying production and guitar. We were both in a small songwriting group that would give us all the tricks to turn mere lyrics into blockbuster hits, or so we hoped.

We had the odd weekend where we would be playing, over that winter period. Nothing too drastic in terms of distance. We did do some shows when the others came to us, in London, when we played in dance halls. That made it easy for the two of us, but also put the band into the spotlight in the capital. That led to us moving another step forward, being asked to do a summer tour as part of a four-band show, playing almost every night for three months. It hit almost every major city across the country.

Over that summer, we became a well-polished unit, able to take our place in the top twenty bands in the country. Before the tour, we had gone into the studio with me handling the mixing board, using the skills that I had gained in college. Sandra was sparkling on keyboard, and the whole album was made up of songs we had completed at college. It was called ‘Hitting the Road’ and sold well wherever we played over the summer months. The following winter period had us mainly playing in, or around, London, in bigger venues. We did our usual thing and put together another album for the beginning of summer, before we went on another tour, this time taking in Scotland and Ireland, with a week at the Isle of Mann.

When Angelica and Josh graduated, they moved to Europe, with Angelica getting a good job as an interpreter in Brussels. Josh had his degree in Sports Training and also had a good job. They came to see us play when we were in Southampton, and it was lovely to know that they were in the audience. We all had a late meal, after, and there were a lot of stories traded.

So, the years rolled on, with Sandra and I both graduating with our different degrees, the band continuing to play regularly. The odd thing, during that time, was when Janet announced that she would be going for her surgery, so would drop out of the band. After that, she told us, she had managed to follow Angelica to Europe, to work in one of the Paris fashion houses. She had graduated with Honours, from University and had been headhunted because of her design skills.

We carried on for two years with our two, older, singers out front, making a new album every year, like clockwork. The difference was that we were using more of their lyrics and the band slowly became a country-rock outfit. Sandra and I were in our early twenties when we, too, were headhunted.

The London College of Music wanted us to come back to run a course in Music Creation and Performance. We would be leading students through the things needed to become performers in their own right, with some hints and tips from us who had done it, for real, for close to ten years. We helped the band find a new guitarist and keyboard player and then pulled away. Finally, ‘Gaining Traction’ was without a single Gaynor in the line-up.

Now settled in one place, we started our family. You guessed it! We had twins. The grandparents were over the moon. Unfortunately, both were girls so the Thomas and Charles names could only be Thomasina and Charlotte.

In 2016, we were contacted by another college. After, several amalgamations and changes of address, the Taunton College had become the Bridgewater and Taunton College, then were now planning a new University, the University Centre Somerset, based in Bridgewater. When we went to talk to them it looked like a magical set-up. They would be doing a music course which would be having a full suite recording studio, performance capability and access to the real world with visiting professionals.

We were asked to help set it up and get the whole thing going, along with some other band members from older bands, who were getting close to retirement. It was an opportunity too good to pass up. We would be living close to our old homes, doing something that we loved, and, best of all back in the West Country. There was only one drawback. We would both have to learn to drive and get a car, never needing one while in London with the easy transport there.

We found a house near the Centre, and it was close to a primary school, which was good as the girls were now about to need one. The college was within walking distance but we both took our driving lessons and passed. We then had a car so were able to then go down to Chard to see our parents. With both Janet and Angelica in Europe, we became the mainstay of the ongoing family. Sandra’s sister, Brenda, had got married in Scotland, after eloping. The baby was born just five months later, and she came back to Chard two years after that, minus a husband. She was a bit prickly about it, so we didn’t pursue the matter with her.

During our time at the Centre, we both took a course in Business Administration, graduating in time to leave the Centre to take over the transport business when my parents decided to retire. It all worked out so that our girls finished primary in Bridgewater and started secondary school in Chard. We had enough lead-time to build a separate home for us on the property. With our years of performing, we had the money to please ourselves. That allowed the parents to remain at home.

When Sandra’s parents retired, they also stayed in their house, with Brenda and her child. She had got a job, in Chard, so was earning a wage, and the parents had saved during their working life. They had contracted an apiarist to manage the bees and he had enlarged the business with more hives and had added the output to his own produce, now one of the biggest suppliers of honey for miles. That added to the family income, so they were settled.

We made our living with the transport business, modernising the fleet as we could. The biggest outlay was a multi-wheeled low loader, to take over from the two tank transporters. The Gaynor’s and the Harris’s were regular attendees at some of the steam rallies. Usually with the Burrells, and I helped dad maintain them, as I had in the earlier days.

One year, we were all in the audience, at the one that had started our musical career when the current line-up of ‘Gaining Traction’ was on stage. I know that I now had another life, with the business, my darling wife and my two teenage daughters. We went to say hello to the band before they left, but the magic had gone.

Sandra and I still play, usually at the community centre, as a duo. She is in great demand at the school, as a piano player for the gymnastic dance classes, while I have set up a small studio in the hut and enjoy my time playing guitar and singing new compositions which I send off to Steve to use as he wants with his stable of bands. The income from these is a steady bonus. The only worry is that my daughters join me in there and sing on the demo tapes as well. Who knows, one day they might want to go on stage themselves. If they do, we’ll be right behind them.

Marianne Gregory © 2024