and then it started...

Pushing aside the curtains headed back stage.. the butterflys started.. felt em a little bit.. Bone, walkin in front of me.. just to the left.. the backstage lights were dim.. just enough to see where im goin..

headed into the backstage room.. lifted up gloria.. and headed to the steps..

lights were very dim now.. just the reflective glow of the tape on the steps to guide me...

few more steps and then at once i was presented with what would be my future for the next 25 minutes..

first foot on the back of the stage and i already felt the quite rage of energy comin from the invisible crowd..

the lights were hot.. beautiful but blinding.. clouding my vision... a Halo effect around that awaiting listeners critics and competition..

hearin the click of 1/4" cables and the small quite drum roll.. tryin to scare away whatever nervousnes we had inside.. and make a step stool out of the fear to be able to reach excellence..

a quick glance to howie.. he was nervous.. lookin back at smono.. he was nervously spinnin a drumstick between his fingers.. bone was very scared.. for some reason his guitar was getting no signal..

despite the countless checks and double checks to make sure everything was perfect.. no sound from the lead guitarist..

triple check the cables.. switch out for new 1/4" inches hopin' that was the problem..

everything plugged back in.. power on the amps..

nothin..

the crowd growing impatient and silence, the only sound coming from the rock band about to unleash fury on these beckoning listeners..

starin.. at who.. pretty much everyone on stage..

smono lookin to me to do somethin.. howie.. testin his bass with walkdowns makin sure hes in tune.. everything is in check..

i could feel the anxiety.. like a strong wind i could feel everyone growin a lil impatient mixed with excitement.. and all the while Bone.. frantically unpluggin this and that stage hands on the spot checkin cables and connections.. Ben @ the sound board checkin levels..

i walk over to bone..

note: now please understand.. every light in the entire club is facing us.. the mic's are hot so every sound made is picked up and amplified through 10 / 12" subs.. 4 / 18" subs and 4 / 15" monitors.. trust me.. it was loud..

so.. i walk over to Bone..

"whats happenin' buddy?" i ask...

"nothin" bone replies.. "i got nothin."

everything checked.. everythings plugged in.. so we thought

two cables connecting the Power Head to the Stack.. which is the lil box on top of the big box.. had come unplugged..

we found it.. after this final click all would be right with the world..

there are about 8 cables that Bone has to hook up exactly perfect for this to all work..

and after that final click...

nothin..

no sound.. Bone looks at Me.. I look at Bone.. then glance down at his guitar..

the 1/4" cable that plugs into his guitar was dangling in the air.. not connected..

Bone looks at me and smiles.. with an extremely loud POP!!!

Bones plugged in..

we shake hands.. give each other Gods blessing.. few hugs.. good lucks and hand shakes..

and it starts..

the entrance to "Drink with the sun" a killer rockin groovalistic jam begins with a slow melodic sound from just the Bone himself...

and of to the race we went..

ladies and gentlemen.. GOD could have chosen to take me away on that stage at the end of "My Embrace" as the crowd was erupting.. cheers claps.. a Roar of energy waves and waves pounding every inch of the stage with enough force to take down the Spartan walls...

thank you all for everything..

and for those of you that missed it..

it happens again on the 4th of June 2005 @ "The Club @ Firestone" 3:30PM Sharp!

love,

billy.

www.smilinmcgee.com

.oreZoTroF!yppaH