Who: David Wood and Damien Carroll What: Damien's audition at Vice Where: Vice When: Wednesday evening, February 13th Warnings: Warning, lyrics from rock songs in this thread? lol
Damien was at the address given to him by Piper at 9 pm - 8:55 to be precise, allowing a few minutes for unforeseen things. But generally his life ran rather smoothly, on the whole, and he walked into the club, glancing around him. Nothing he hadn't seen before. Circular bar, bartender. Neon lighting of the purple variety - probably thirst inducing. Customers drinking - standard issue for a Wednesday night, no doubt, in Miami.
He had his acoustic guitar with him, in its case. Instrument in hand, he approached the bar, waiting until he had the attention of the man behind it before inquiring where he might find David Wood. "I have an appointment with him," he said, "my name is Damien Carroll." Vice Club. Interesting name, but he wondered if the reality lived up to the promise inherent in the title. If he got the gig, no doubt he'd find out.
"Yo!" David called out, intercepting the performer. "You with the guitar. I almost forgot you were coming," he chuckled, reaching out his hand for a shake. "Then two seconds ago, I was all 'oh crap! this kid is coming'...I'm David Wood by the way. C'mon. I'll show you to the stage."
Damien barely had time to acknowledge the introduction and shake the proferred hand before he found himself being led off. "Good to meet you, David," he said smoothly, as he followed the older man. Damien wasn't the least bit nervous. Performing came naturally to him, whether for himself or for a crowd. It's what he lived for. The faces changed, but the song remained the same.
"It's gonna be a bit noisy down there," D explained. "It's a club most of the time...we're still working out this entertainment issue." He led him down the stairs. A DJ was playing music over the speaker system. "So that's the stage over there....a tech guy'll help you get your levels set up. Just try not to keep the sound dead for too long. I see people leave, I get angry~"
Damien nodded his understanding of the situation. Nothing new here. Nothing he couldn't handle. "I don't like dead sound myself," he said with a little smile, "it's offensive to the gods." Without waiting to see whether his little joke amused or offended, he walked toward the stage, listening to what the dj was spewing out. Drivel mostly. The audience didn't seem to be reacting to it one way or another, so he thought he'd not go with that. Rather, something more pleasing to himself.
He conferred with the man about the levels, got them squared away within seconds, took out his guitar, surveying what was now his domain, at least temporarily. She was tuned and ready to go, no need to fiddle with her. So, this was it.
Putting fingers to strings, he began to sing, as he played, "Would you believe in a night like this, A night like this, when visions come true......" The song was Skalds and Shadows, but this was an acoustic version of the Blind Guardian number, one he was rather fond of, and which was enhanced by his melodic voice.
Though D had disappeared from sight, he remained where he could see the performer --- see the floor. He could see it all. And the people....they liked it. He grinned. It started with the drunken floozies swaying, but before long the more quality customers were getting involved. Swaying. Dancing. D grinned more broadly. This could be lucrative.
After Blind Guardian, Damien chose Helloween, but he played it the way Sonata Arctica did, because he favoured them. He felt they gave it more impact, more emotion. And emotions were what he aimed to touch. By the time he reached the chorus, his voice was resonating with the strength of his conviction. "I want out--to live my life alone,I want out--leave me be,I want out--to do things on my own, I want out--to live my life and to be free...."
He closed his eyes and dipped his head as he sang, his red hair falling across it like a veil, although it did nothing to muffle his voice in any way. Images formed in his mind, images which he conveyed with his music, not knowing how or why, it was simply part of his nature.
Music was his life.
D could see numbers. Numbers and smiling faces. Happy people. Ecstatic passion everywhere.
He fucking loved it
When he had finished with that number, Damien raised his hand, as if seeking some sort of sign - as in, continue, or cease. He saw no indication that he was to cease, so forged ahead, this time a Rusted Root number. AIrplane. He could feel that he was reaching them, their pleasure was resonating about him, and he played to it, feeling the power as it flowed into the strings, and into the air about him. He was doing well, and he knew it, nothing could quite compare with the power of the music - it was like a religious experience, only secular. If that made any sense. Music transcended all, crossed all lines, destroyed all manmade boundaries - music was the great equalizer.
Dionysus found his foot tapping, walking forward to the front of the stage. He stayed tucked away in a side corner. This guy was good. Really good. Maybe he could work out some exclusive deal for this guy to play at Vice...before anyone else realize how good he was. Before Damien realized how good he was.
Damien finished out the set, as if he were actually working there, leaving them with a final number, "The Well," an Omnia song, and he let the final chorus echo away...."green grows the lily - o - right around the bushes-o.." until all that could be heard was the echoing of the strings beneath his fingers, the sound dying away into the stillness of the club about him. He placed his fingers across the fret, stilling any further emanations, and as suddenly as it had begun, he was done. Now it only remained to be seen what the verdict was - did he have a place to play, or should he move on, thank Piper kindly and go back to the way things were before he'd met her?
D signaled to the boy, calling him over to the side as the DJ came back on.
Damien put his guitar back into the case, locked it handily and walked over to the beckoning man, pushing back his recalcitrant hair. "Yes, sir?" he asked, waiting to hear the verdict. Back to the other stuff, he thought to himself. They at least needed a better dj, that much was evident, even if they chose not to use him.
You liked playing here, kid?" D asked, offering him a warm smile.
"I'll be honest, yes sir, I did," Damien replied, his own face open and honest. No need to lie, truth was always best.
"I'll talk to your girl about setting something up then," D grinned, offering his hand out to Damien. "It was great to meet you."
Damien took the hand and shook it again, pleased that things had worked out. It never even occurred to him to question terms. Playing was what he craved, what he needed. It was his drug of choice, music was. "Thank you, sir," he said, "I enjoyed meeting you too." He took up his guitar case, remembering his way back up and out of the club, and as he left, he was humming the tune to something he was working on, his own composition. Perhaps he could enjoy being in Miami for a while, after all.
Summary: Damien auditions for David Wood at his club, aka Vice - and he is a great success. What is this the start of? Only time will tell.