I decided to check on 'my' band Petrichor, because I hadn't seen them the whole day and I had my suspicions and wanted to make sure they were okay. When I neared their old battered RV that was parked in the back behind all the shiny band buses I immediately felt sorry for them.
Those guys were poor, they couldn't afford a manager or a Merch guy, I doubted they even had a tech. They had to do everything on their own.
The door stood open so I took that as an invitation to just get in for a surprise visit.
"Hey, mates, wassup!" I knocked at the wall and cheered as I entered the vehicle.

What I saw confirmed my suspicions. The members were all lying in their bunks, some trying to sleep, some just staring ahead.
The air inside was hot and stale, obviously their Aircon wasn't working but it wasn't the air alone it was the mood that hung in the room that confirmed that this band was about to fall apart.

The inside of the vehicle looked like a trash can and I wondered how they managed to accumulate so much garbage in so little time, we weren't even on tour for a week yet. I had seen this happen with other young bands on Warped before, they are away from home for the first time and it just gets all too much to handle.

So I decided it was time for a, what Matt called, 'motivational speech'. He had told me he had to pull that off numerous times with the young ATL and even felt the need to do so to this day once in a while.

I have to admit I am not one of the most sensitive people and maybe sound too harsh most of the time but so is Matt, so I figured I could do well.
I took a deep breath and clapped my hands to get the bands attention. Up to this point they hadn't even said hello or considered to get up to acknowledge my presence. At least now they looked at me.

"Guys and Girls," I started walking up and down the aisle kicking my way through the trash on the floor.
"I know Warped can get hard for a small band on its first tour. You get pushed around, you have to play different stages at different times every day, nobody knows or talks to you, you feel pretty much invisible." I see Lucy and Annika nodding and staring down on the floor. Oh my God, I hope they don't start crying now.

"But this is a once in a lifetime chance for you to get your name out, if you need help just ask for it, pull yourself together and try to give all you've got, everyday, if music is your passion and I believe it is, then go for it, as hard as it may seem today, all the other bands went through the same shit as you, believe me." By this time I had all eyes on me and I could see they were slowly coming out of their numb state.
"I have seen your set yesterday and I believe in you guys, you can make it but you have to toughen up and get your asses out of here. I will send someone over to fix your Aircon and I ask one of my techs to help you with your stage setup and sound check, you will sound a 100 times better with the right setting." Now I had put a few smiles on their faces.

"But first, you clean up this shit" I point at the floor. "Goddammit, we're all Aussies, we're gonna kick some ass."
I high fived the band. Then I turned to their drummer. "Tieran, can I talk to you outside, for a moment?" He nodded and followed me out of the RV with his head hanging low.
I led him a few steps off to the side and came straight to the point.

" I haven't seen you eat a single time since we're on tour. You look like a bag of bones. How do you expect to make it through this with your attitude?" Tieran still doesn't look at me but stares at his shoes pushing gravel around, he is a bit taller than me and I bet I am heavier than him. His black hair is always covered by a beanie and his skin is so pale as if he had never seen the sun.

"All drummers are skinny" he mumbles after a while. "Like James Cassells, Mike Fuentes or Travis Barker."

I roll my eyes. "Hey, I know those guys and believe me none of them are anorexic. Drumming is a physically demanding task. If I don't see you eat at least once a day. I'm gonna kick your band off the Tour and your career is over before it has even started."

He looks at me for the first time. "You know James Cassells?" He asks in awe, obviously that is all he had processed from my sermon.

"Yeah I do and believe me, he eats like a pig. I have to go now but this is not over young man, I am watching you." I point my two fingers to my eyes and then back at him before leaving. Okay, I think I sounded a bit like an angry mom, maybe that wasn't really a good approach but I can only do so much.

I am still deep in thought when I run into said James Cassells a couple of minutes later. Shirtless as usual.
"Why do you have to be skinny as fuck, dude" I yell at him as I walk past.
He raises his hands to his head as if it would explode and shouts at me. "What the fuck have I done now?"

At that moment an idea pops into my head and I stop in my tracks and turn around to him.
"Uhm - James, could you do me a favour?" I ask taking his arm and squeezing it lightly.

He doesn't buy my shit though and crosses his arms in front of his chest raising his brows at me. "What do I get for it?"

I am in the mood to start a rant. "you get a punch in the face. My God James, I said I wanted a FAVOUR, that means you get nothing in return if I would have offered you something, that's called a DEAL. Sometimes I wonder where you guys got your education from."

"Oy, are you calling me stupid? At least I went to Uni." He shoots back.

"Yeah, for droomming." I mock his accent and take a step backwards because he looks as if he's about to hit me with his sticks, but I can see he is trying to hide a laugh. "What?" he asks defeated.

"Okay, there is this young drummer kid, I think he has a slight crush on you." James takes me in an armlock and I raise my hands to stop him from ripping my head off.

"It's not what you think, dickhead, you are his idol, his drumming god or something." I shout and he releases me and looks awfully pleased with himself.
"Oh, really?" He is all cocky and I can't help but laugh at him.

"Yes, but it think he has severe issues and I was wondering if you would maybe hang out with him once, you know, show him some drumming or so, it would mean the world to him."

"Okay, let's do this!" He looks all excited and turns me around by my shoulders.

"What? You mean now?" I didn't think it would be that easy, what a bit of smooth talking can do to a rock stars attitude!

"It's now or never" he shouts and we both head back to the Petrichor van. I fetch some garbage bags on my way and when we arrive I am glad to see the band up and trying to clear out their shit.

I hand Lucy the bags and motion for her to pass them to her mates.
Then I ask her to call Tieran out. She just nods, her eyes fixed on James who is standing beside me playing with his drumsticks and she turns to call inside.

When Tieran appears at the door he still looks down avoiding our faces, he probably fears he will get more shit from me but then he notices two pair of feet in front of him and when he looks up and sees James smiling at him I swear he nearly faints with surprise.

James just throws an arm around his shoulders and starts talking non stop while he drags him away to god knows where and I can see Tieran nodding to every word.

Lucy jumps out of the bus and just hugs me. "Thanks, Gi." She whispers. "We are all so worried about him, you have no idea how much that means to us."

"No worries, sweetie and I think I get the picture. See you guys later." I pat her back and have to smile to myself.

I am only trying to make the world a little bit better every day.

Notes

I decided on a treat: it's double update Wednesday!!! (Or Tuesday) wherever you live. have a good one!!!! XoXo