queen 1

There are chickens in pens in the back garden. A dog is running around with a megaphone round its neck. The dog is mad. It chases its own tail. It chases the cats. It chases balls. It chases demons.

A stage has been set up. The Queen has never had a gig before. It will be The Sidekicks second gig. The first took place in Freddies’ toyes. Most of the songs are original. There are a few covers. Louie Louie. Love in Vain, Blues via Stones. Maybe an Iggy track.

It’s a warm Summer’s evening. The dog runs mayhem through the small crowd. Most of them from school. A few girls and strangers thrown in.

A seventeen year old is asked to introduce the band. He’s not sure why he’s been chosen and he doesn’t know what to say. When the call comes he goes on stage and looks over the garden and feels tongue tied. He mumbles something and dashes off.

The gig is a success. Kids dance under the apple trees, the sun shines, a respectable noise is made. The dog gets even more demented and the chickens flap their wings to the erratic beat. The only down note comes afterwards when Paul tells the seventeen year old he thought he was going to give it the big intro.

Ladies and Gentleman, tonight, The Queen Inn hosts the greatest band in the world: The Sidekicks!

Rather than the mumbled hello he shyly manufactured. Ten years later he might have pulled it off.

Not that it matters. It was all about being there.