[He speaks with some small fondness though, as they head inside and onto the subway car. And he keeps talking about the band while he flops down near Ronstadt.] No, I mean it mate. They were so bad. If you heard them, there was only one thing that they even made worth a play. [He grins, there's something almost joyful about being able to look back at something with some sort of pleasant feeling. Yeah yeah it all ended up a shitshow, as usual. But he really thought that he'd go places with Chas, so there's warm feelings there still.] They had one awful single, Venus Of The Hardsell. Absolute shite.
[He doesn't have the voice for punk, that was part of the issue. He's improved a good deal over the years, but it's just not his genre as far as vocals go. Normally he wouldn't sing in public, much less this, but he's buzzed and with his favorite person. So it doesn't hurt to have a moment.] There're new uniforms at the church bazaar, fanatics got the rising star. Thin dark streets ring with marching men's feet. Past the billboard bride, troops the national pride-It's all supplied by the Venus of the Hardsell. [He laughs, and shakes his head.] Utter shit. That's it. I wouldn't say they were the worst of punk, but...
[he nods along with the little snippet of song, his mouth moving silently at the words when he remembers them, until "It's all supplied by the Venus of the Hardsell", which he actually sings along with him in a voice that's not half bad but also clearly not made for punk]
I remember it now. Definitely not a chart-topper, but you could tell they liked what they were doi--
[the lightbulb comes on]
Holy shit, John, are you ragging on your own band?
[he has the strangest little thought: he should have done more with the one about the double-decker bus driver. where the hell did that even come from?]
[His grin is so bright then, it's strange the affect that Ronstadt has on John. Once upon a time, he'd be too miserable to talk about the band, too ashamed of their shitty quality and failures. Further hurt by the connection to the Casanova Club, Astra, and all that came with it. Now? He's able to talk trash about what he once thought was his future with a sense of genuine fun.]
Maybe a little, mate. But really, if you recorded that shit, wouldn't you? [He feels so good right now, in a way that alcohol alone really can't provide for him.] Chas and I thought we were gonna be stars. We practiced on brooms and buckets, until we managed to get enough together to fund the band. [Fame in the music world was never in the cards for John Constantine. But they did manage to get somewhere. Just all the wrong places.] So I'm no rock star, but I managed well enough for myself anyway.
Ukulele? Can't say I'm any good at that. I've only played it once, absolutely hammered, and it sounded so bad that my mate snagged it out of my hands and broke it over the bar. The barkeep thanked him for it.
[The noise of the train is familiar, even if he's worlds away from the rails he knows back home. And Ronstadt's smile is welcoming and keeps John's mood pleasant.] Dunno. I wanted to get some drinks and ciggies too. [He looks comically serious for a moment. Then John nods suddenly, like the decision is entirely clear.] Alright! Vinyl first, then we'll grab my smokes, food last. We want it to be hot when we eat it anyway.
[Ronstadt laughs, even though he feels bad at the same time. good ukuleles aren't cheap, but then again, given how indie John's band was, it was probably the cheapest available, so. eh? that serious look on John's face only serves to make him laugh a little more.]
Alright then! Defiant Records it is.
[and he leads the way off the train, up through the station, and a few blocks down to a little hole-in-the-wall store that is clearly all about the music. unlike most modern stores that sell old vinyl, Defiant is without frills, the owners well aware that the music is the real reason people are there. The crates are organized by genre, then artist, then chronologically through the discography. One row off to the side separates "New Arrivals" from people who donated or sold their old vinyl, and "New Releases" from the bands who're releasing new stuff ... or re-releasing remasters. there's an R.E.M album playing quietly, but a curtain off at the back has a sign that designates it the Listening Station, where people can check an album out to see if they like it enough to take it home.]
[John nods, approvingly.] Always was one for a bit of defiance.
[John follows without question, if this was his old stomping grounds he would be the one leading the way to the records. But this is Ronstadt's territory, so John trusts him to take him right to the good stuff. And goodness, he delivers. No frills indeed, but everything seems legitimate and carefully curated. It's a music lovers paradise, at least for the ones that like their music without fuss and in well cared for vinyl format.]
Looks like they know their stuff. [He's seen more pretentious types of these shops, meant for a younger looking and more expensively dressed crowd. John doesn't fit in there, not in stores like that. Here, he's right at home.]
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Date: 2021-10-25 03:14 am (UTC)[He speaks with some small fondness though, as they head inside and onto the subway car. And he keeps talking about the band while he flops down near Ronstadt.] No, I mean it mate. They were so bad. If you heard them, there was only one thing that they even made worth a play. [He grins, there's something almost joyful about being able to look back at something with some sort of pleasant feeling. Yeah yeah it all ended up a shitshow, as usual. But he really thought that he'd go places with Chas, so there's warm feelings there still.] They had one awful single, Venus Of The Hardsell. Absolute shite.
[He doesn't have the voice for punk, that was part of the issue. He's improved a good deal over the years, but it's just not his genre as far as vocals go. Normally he wouldn't sing in public, much less this, but he's buzzed and with his favorite person. So it doesn't hurt to have a moment.] There're new uniforms at the church bazaar, fanatics got the rising star. Thin dark streets ring with marching men's feet. Past the billboard bride, troops the national pride-It's all supplied by the Venus of the Hardsell. [He laughs, and shakes his head.] Utter shit. That's it. I wouldn't say they were the worst of punk, but...
no subject
Date: 2022-02-01 09:51 pm (UTC)[he nods along with the little snippet of song, his mouth moving silently at the words when he remembers them, until "It's all supplied by the Venus of the Hardsell", which he actually sings along with him in a voice that's not half bad but also clearly not made for punk]
I remember it now. Definitely not a chart-topper, but you could tell they liked what they were doi--
[the lightbulb comes on]
Holy shit, John, are you ragging on your own band?
[he has the strangest little thought: he should have done more with the one about the double-decker bus driver. where the hell did that even come from?]
no subject
Date: 2022-02-13 07:03 am (UTC)Maybe a little, mate. But really, if you recorded that shit, wouldn't you? [He feels so good right now, in a way that alcohol alone really can't provide for him.] Chas and I thought we were gonna be stars. We practiced on brooms and buckets, until we managed to get enough together to fund the band. [Fame in the music world was never in the cards for John Constantine. But they did manage to get somewhere. Just all the wrong places.] So I'm no rock star, but I managed well enough for myself anyway.
no subject
Date: 2022-02-16 04:06 pm (UTC)[the train rattles and screeches around the last corner into the Koreatown station, and Ronstadt grins at his new friend]
Food first? Or vinyl?
no subject
Date: 2022-03-16 05:22 am (UTC)[The noise of the train is familiar, even if he's worlds away from the rails he knows back home. And Ronstadt's smile is welcoming and keeps John's mood pleasant.] Dunno. I wanted to get some drinks and ciggies too. [He looks comically serious for a moment. Then John nods suddenly, like the decision is entirely clear.] Alright! Vinyl first, then we'll grab my smokes, food last. We want it to be hot when we eat it anyway.
/shamelessly steals local used vinyl store
Date: 2022-03-17 01:06 am (UTC)Alright then! Defiant Records it is.
[and he leads the way off the train, up through the station, and a few blocks down to a little hole-in-the-wall store that is clearly all about the music. unlike most modern stores that sell old vinyl, Defiant is without frills, the owners well aware that the music is the real reason people are there. The crates are organized by genre, then artist, then chronologically through the discography. One row off to the side separates "New Arrivals" from people who donated or sold their old vinyl, and "New Releases" from the bands who're releasing new stuff ... or re-releasing remasters. there's an R.E.M album playing quietly, but a curtain off at the back has a sign that designates it the Listening Station, where people can check an album out to see if they like it enough to take it home.]
This is the best one in the neighborhood.
As you should!
Date: 2022-03-20 05:35 pm (UTC)[John follows without question, if this was his old stomping grounds he would be the one leading the way to the records. But this is Ronstadt's territory, so John trusts him to take him right to the good stuff. And goodness, he delivers. No frills indeed, but everything seems legitimate and carefully curated. It's a music lovers paradise, at least for the ones that like their music without fuss and in well cared for vinyl format.]
Looks like they know their stuff. [He's seen more pretentious types of these shops, meant for a younger looking and more expensively dressed crowd. John doesn't fit in there, not in stores like that. Here, he's right at home.]