Jack was ecstatic. He could not wait for the start and he was almost bouncing, he of course was still in favour for some last banter however it seemed the doors had just been opened and people were now pouring in. Cheering and screaming the atmosphere was one of the best he had the honour of starting. As the others began to take their places and jam Jack stepped off the stage. It's not that he was leaving or something but he knew how much his friends loved their instruments with a passion and he was more than happy to let them jam out before the set without him. It would also get the crowd warmed up and he was all in favour of that. Turning he waved his hand and a very attractive 18 year old came over with a bottle of water. She was garbed in an 'Out of Thin Air' T-shirt and ripped jeans and he had picked her out of the girls Ned had been talking too just to give him drinks and keep the set ticking over. Kissing her on the cheek he patted her bum as she walked away. Maybe he'd set her up with Ben, it would cheer the kid up and he was sure that she'd be happy to get with anyone in the band. He took s swig of the water, swallowed it, before taking another and spitting it out. The jam was coming to it's end and Jack began to jump quickly from foot to foot as the crowd became louder begging for the songs. He let the jamming come to an end as the band saluted the crowd in their own way whilst the crowd saluted back. Finally when the crowd looked as it was going to burst from the barricades Jack sauntered into the middle of the stage, tapped the mic a couple of times and winked at a girl who was cheering just below him.

Drake watched as the crowd flooded in. He had most of the lights already planned out so he just had to hit his hand wired pedal to turn them on and off. When everyone was in talking and getting ready for the show, he could see some people who had seen their shows before and a bunch of people brand new. Everyone finally quieted down and Drake snapped his fingers while pressing the light pedal at the same time so the lights shut off. Then a minute later he clicked it again and started his finger tapping intro to their opener a great thing to draw in the crowd. His amps were kicking and the sound was great. This was one of those times where Drake got to show off as he put the guitar behind his back and continued to tap on the fret board getting a Eddie Van Halen tone. He stuck his tongue as he jumped and swung the guitar back in front of him as he kicked his fuzz pedal on for the bridge. Next everybody else was about to come in and it was going to be magic.

Candace was indeed amazed with Drakes all to famous stage antics, but the time to rock was now as the crowd's cheering thundered through the small but heavily packed venue, immediate flashing of horns in the air towards the crazy ensemble on stage. That roar, it filled Candy's heart with so much joy, so much excitement. Already she could feel the power coursing through her veins and onto her hands attacking the fretboard of her Gibson and launching into the first of their set, a damn excellent beginner for a show as wild as this. If Drake was gonna pull of his best Eddie Van Halen, then Candace was gonna follow suit with her best James Hetfield. Her down-picking speed was remarkable, just as her idol, as she pulled of power chord after power chords that built up the heavy and swift attacking riff.

Well it was all nice and good that Drake was going on. But there was one thing missing. The drummer. Not any more. Ben did not really have a music god to look up to. His drumming was his own. Course it fit the tone of the band quite well. He slammed down when he was supposed to. The drummer BEn was a different guy. It was like he was under the control of something. He was in his own little world. He was fine with it since it meshed so well with the band. His drums pounded and kept the beat going. Heck it was his job after all.

Jack felt the pulse of the music building in his veins as his band members were playing, the tones and beats moving in and around each other as if really alive. As the speed and sound rose and rose Jack pulled the mic up to his lips. Just as the song dropped it exploded into life again and the words begun to pour from his mouth. His gravely voice swam around the room like water, filling the ears of all who were listening. Moving around the stage he put his hand into the crowd singing just above them which drove the fans insane. As he stood up again he moved in and amongst the band, stopping at each member and singing in time with their own tune. When that was done he took his position in the middle of the stage again and hushed down his band. As the sound died down all that could be heard was the screams of the crowd and they rocked with excitement. Putting one of his hands to his ear he gestured that he couldn't hear the fans. Screams of joy and passion erupted from the crowd. Grinning from ear to ear Jack lifted both hands in the air and dropped them as if starting a race. His band members exploded into life almost throwing him into the crowd they were so loud. His voice rang out into the room again as the song split the night. This was the best gig they had ever had, everybody was working perfectly, sticking to the songs but with so much passion and freedom you would have thought they had all just made it up as they wanted.

Sky exhaled smoke deeply, finishing the last of her cigarette. She put away her lighter. It was expensive; metal, with circular swirling patterns engraved into it. It was a gift from her ex-boyfriend... why did she even still have it? Whatever. She could feel the music begin to pulse from inside the building, almost as if on cue. She threw the butt of the cigarette on the floor and crushed it with her boots. She approached the entrance and entered, the music notably louder. It was good.

Sky pushed through the crowd of people to get nearer to the front. She nodded her head in time with the music - it was really good. Most gigs she went to these days were really weak, they sucked. And she went to a lot of gigs. Sky noticed a lot of potential... for herself. I mean, they didn't have anyone on synths, and what band didn't need a little synth? She hadn't been in a band since... last time. She pushed further to the front. They were - hot. Like, seriously cute. All of them. Dreamboys and girls. Amazing. Not that looks were important, it was all about the music, sure, sure. But it couldn't hurt to be super hot in an industry like this.

Sky moved to the rhythm, including her head, arms, legs, torso. Everything was moving. Sky digged the vibes.

Drake continued playing into his first solo of the day. He kicked off his little fuzz pedal and kicked on his overdrive fuzz pedal getting a real gnarly bite to his sound and stepped on his wah and just went at it. This crowd was great and this was a group that still loved to hear some solos. He went back to his finger tapping and heavy action on his whammy bar. He was having the time of his life as got on his knees down at the front of the stage. He stuck the neck of his guitar out for the fans to touch. Then he noticed a girl moving through the crowd to the front and made eye contact. Someone is moving through the crowd to get to the front at one of our shows? He didn't see one of their shirts and he didn't notice her from any other shows. He had a question running through his head as to why. He soon shook it off and went back to the song. Soon they neared the end of their show.

Her frets were blazing and the heat resonating from her hands was hellishly astounding as Candy hammered her guitar with the power and aggression signature of the Thrash Metal Gods, all while keeping in perfect rhythm with Ben's expert drumming, still no Mike Portnoy or Lars Ulrich but he was killing his set, pounding it maniacally enough to bring a twinkling to the metal-chick's eye, and Lucy's bass bringing the low end hot from Hell with some sinister grooves that could conjure the Devil himself from the fire, and not to mention every chord Candy struck further emphasizing the melody and harmonizing so flawless with Jack's strong and enigmatic voice. They played a hard, blistering set of nearly eight of their best songs, and though Candace's fingers were on the brink of bleeding, pulsating from their rapid assault of her X-plorer, she was already amped up for their finishing song, and so was Drake by the looks of him going into Eddie Van Halen mode again, but despite his comical and show-offy stage persona, he ripped it with that badass solo, shredding the fretboard with fingers ablaze. Mr. Hammett would be damn proud. But all while the show was coming to a close, Candace noticed something out of the ordinary. There was a girl, a cute one too, but in all the gigs they've played, she had never seen this fan in the audience at all. Slowly, but surely the girl was making her way to the front of the stage. Maybe this was her first time hearing a band like this, so crazy but with their own unique sound. Hell, first gig Candace ever went to...she had done the same exact thing, and that was when she decided she wanted to play guitar.

Ben really never had a plan when he did his thing. Well that wasn't true. He felt drumming was a soul thing more than a talent thing. Again not true. It took talent to do what he did. However he needed to show how he felt while doing it. Why he did this was far more simple. He wanted to feel it in his body. That and the whole rebelling against the system. He was a part of it.

He knew the gig was ending soon. He also knew he had to do something special. What ever. He did notice something. Some girl walking to the front of the audience. Odd. He had never seen her here. He found that odd but kept on knocking out the beats. With style of course.

Jack was in a trance, as the gig was now in it's last song he could feel the energy draining from himself. It was tough being a lead singer, despite the arguments of other people that because he wasn't playing an instrument it was easy, and although he was getting tired the people all around him seemed to have more energy than when they started. Maybe 26 was old in the music business? Ah fuck it, he could be 60 for all he cared, Jack would sing for the band even if it killed him. It was so rare nowadays to find a decent small time band that played real music, all of it seemed to be pop crap that's bought up by Disney or some bloke who is buying them so young it's on the verge or peadophilia. Candy, Drake, Ben, Landon, Lucy and ,of course, himself were playing with a passion and soul that even in their previous smaller gigs hadn't been there. This was their best gig so far and Jack certainly wasn't going to let anybody down. Throwing the last of his voice into the song it begun to fade away as the gig ended. The last note echoed around the hall however you couldn't tell from the chorus of screaming fans doing their best to deafen all of them. Pointing his finger to behind the stage he sauntered slowly off, hopefully, with the band in toe. However they had always been ones to outstay their welcome so he had no idea what they would do. His motto was always leave them wanting you more and he was damn sure doing that now. They would make an even louder noise when the fans saw the band leaving now. However there was one girl in the audience that had caught his attention and it wasn't for the reasons they normally did. This girl wasn't going crazy or just smashed out. She seemed as if she was actually listening to the wqords and the beat and the power behind them, strange. Jack put it out of his mind. Now where was that little helper of his, and her two friends of course.

Drake finally hit the last two chords and hit the stomp box to turn their lights off. He dropped to his knees exhausted rubbing his face,"God I'm sweating like a fucking pig." Drake soon managed to stand himself back up to start tearing back down his equipment. At this point he could care less about getting into a lesbian's pants he was tired and that was that. He put his beloved Amber back into her practically bullet proof case and then started unplugging his gear and loading it back in their van. He then remembered that girl in the crowd then shook his head. He knew he wasn't the only one to see her the other guys were definitely going to try and get laid so chances are she would be back here anyways. He made sure give been a pat on the back after their performance, and congratulate everyone on a job well done. He pulled out another cigarette and quickly let his lungs fill with the poisonous remedy.

And that was it. The greatest gig ever in the history of Thin Air came to a close with the last resonating notes of their final song echoing from the stacks of amps and tapering off into the distance, being lost amidst the passionate and loud cheers of their devoted fans still rocking the venue, throwing their hands high into the air and shouting with much gusto towards the stage. Candy, such fire was in her heart as she gazed outward to the turbulent sea that was their crowd, a delightful grin parting her lips and her eyes wide with such excitement as she slipped her Gibson's strap off her shoulders and raised her mighty axe high into the air with an equally ecstatic shout, still coming off the rush of adrenaline that hit her at the start of the show and just freight trained it all through a blistering set-list, culminating to one final epic crescendo where the band just went nuts with their instruments. Just as the rest of her band, she gave one more salute to their beloved fans, throwing up the horns and tossing a few of her picks into the crowd as a parting gift for them before taking herself and her instrument off the stage. Tonight...would be a night she wouldn't soon forget, definitely.

---

Moments later, after the crowd had left, either to go back to their homes or to kick it at another club or a bar since it was like almost midnight, Candace laid her most adored weapon of choice into its hardcase and closed it shut before going back on stage again to get the rest of her stuff. All the while, she hummed a few bars of Bob Seger's Turn the Page, while she unplugged all her amps and her pedals and rolled up most of her cables. The song, yeah it wasn't metal, but hey, that didn't stop Metallica from doing a cover of it, plus the lyrics spoke to them as much as they spoke to Candace about being in a band and touring. It was a tough road to follow, but the ride was well worth it, and tonight just proved that to be all the more true. She found it humorous as she hummed along how one certain lyric matched what Drake said earlier about sweating like a pig, Out there in the spotlight, you're a million miles away. Every ounce of energy you try to give away. And the sweat pours out your body like the music that you play. That was definitely them. They gave it their all tonight. Now it was just a matter of what happens next? Candace didn't really think much of that though. Really she didn't care if they got famous or not. Music...was her true passion.

Her mind however was more on that one chick she saw in the audience. She was cute, really cute to be honest with herself. Candace wondered if she was still hanging around, even after all the others had left since the gig was pretty much done.

Now the fun started. Well the fun of picking up the groupies. Nothing like the dead sexiness that was Ben. Everybody loved the drummer. Well he thought so at least.

He grimaced as Drake lit up. A nasty habit that was. It suited the guy though. Ben thought of Drake as a good friend. Ben rarely ever drank it made him hook up with random people. Not all of them women. He had once woken up after bender next to a red headed guy. He had been relatively attractive. Maybe a bit frail but whatever. So Ben would pick up anything gender wise. There was one red head who caught his eye. A woman by the back. She had been giving him the eyes this whole time. Ben sauntered over to her and just started to chat her up.

Jack was off stage with the three girls now. He was laying back on a sofa that had been dragged in for the bands afterwards and despite it being filthy he was enjoying himself. The girls were pretty wasted and kept trying to get drinks down him. He avoided them since he definitely wanted to remember this night. Ads the others came off the set he gave them nod before returning his attention to the three girls. However he could tell the girls wanted to party and in a way sodid he. As the oldest member of the band it seemed he was the one with the biggest apartment as well and so helped each of the ladies off of his lap before leading all three towards the exit.

"You're all welcome back at mine after guys. Doot will be unlocked."

And with that he was in a car getting driven home.Greatest gig of his life followed by a very good evening. It was only a short trip home and as he used his arse to open the door he led the ladies into his bedroom. He was going to have a good time before any of the others showed up. that was for sure.

A bit disheartened Candace was as it seemed two of the cutest girls in this venue had just up and left so abruptly and without a single "bye" or "see ya Candy" or even the more anticipated words of "you wanna hang at my place" which Candy assumed would lead to....well...yeah. But damn...so much for her lucky night she guessed, shrugging her shoulders and sighing briefly with indifference as she lugged her heavy Line 6 amps off the stage and out to the parking lot, into the backseat of her 71 Camaro, or rather...her brother Ryan's Camaro she was borrowing while he was overseas. It took alot of convincing her dad though to hand over the keys to her bro's car, but it was every bit worth it. The girl could see clear as day why Ryan loved and cherished it, the motherfucker had war horses under its metal hood. Looking back at the golden yellow shade of the paint with a bit of a satisfied smirk, Candace returned to the stage to get the rest of her crap and maybe say goodnight to any of her band chums still left, since Lucy was nowhere to be found and Jack was already off to his chauffeur with a Sexy Party in tow behind him. Pfft! Fuckin' lady killer! Candace thought of the lucky bastard with a grin, bending over to grab the last of her amps.

She didn't know it, but at that particular time....someone was slowly approaching behind her. Well...she did hear the clopping of their footsteps coming closer to her, but she figured it was one of her bandmates trying to spook her or something, but....when she heard that voice...the male voice she knew all too well....she damn near dropped her amp on her foot, "Jesus Candy! If dad sees you dressed like that, he'll shit a brick!" Quickly Candace whirled around after setting down the amp, and.....she couldn't believe it. Before her very eyes wide with absolute astonishment stood a young man, maybe a bit older than her, clad in Marine desert BDUs and an officer's cap. "Holy shit.....Ryan!!" Instantly she threw her arms around her brother's neck and hugged him tight, the Marine hugging her as well with a jovial chuckle. "Aww man! I missed you, bro! I didn't think you'd ever come back." One of her greatest fears it was, losing her brother to the terrors of war. The life of a soldier was never a pretty one, that she certainly knew, and many a time most had gone off to fight, alot of them....never made it back. Thank God gratefully that Ryan did return home. "Psh! Thanks for the optimism, sis." Ryan joked ruffling his sister's hair like any older sibling would playing around. "So I...guess I missed your gig. Sorry Candy."

"Yeaah you did...." Candy replied. "But fuck it. I'm just happy you made it back. So did you already drop by Mom and Dad and tell them too? Also, how the hell'd you know I had a gig today?" Ryan nodded in return, "I asked 'em where you were, and they said you were here at the concert hall, so I figured you were at a gig. Still sucks I missed it."

"Yeah but..." Candace answered to her brother, "There might be more down the road." She sure as hoped there would be. Yeah this gig was their biggest in the band's history so far, but no way Thin Air was just gonna up and quit after this. No way in Hell, not after all that hard work!

After the gig had ended, Sky had managed to slip through the crowd and get backstage. It wasn't unlike her to pull a stunt like this, but they didn't have a keyboardist and she didn't have a job. It was at least worth a shot, right?

She went over to the band, most of them were attempting to get laid. Obviously. She couldn't blame them, musicians are in demand, being in a band is like signing your sex away. What a life. All the one night stands you could ever dream of, and more. Sky chuckled to herself, only in her head, not out loud.

"Uh... hey." Sky smiled in the general direction of the band members. "Great show."

Drake had girls come up to him (and a couple of dudes) asking for autographs and wanting to go back home with him. Drake signed everything that came his way including a couple napkins. Even though Drake called himself a lady killer he really wasn't feeling it tonight. All of his friends were out trying to get laid and most were succeeding. Drake just put up his equipment in the back of his car before walking back in the venue. When he did he saw Candy talking to her brother who had been in the military. Drake just grinned feeling happy for her but that also meant chances were she wasn't getting laid tonight. He simply patted her on the back as he walked by them before running into the girl that was in the crowd earlier. "Thanks for coming to the show. I saw you forcing your way to the front earlier. Was this your first time seeing the band?" Drake asked as he put another smoke between his lips. He wasn't going to light it right in front of her. He knew some people hated smoking so it was just there to rest for now.

Ben's attempt at getting lucky failed miserably. He had no luck with that. Maybe it was since he was so sheltered. Whatever the reason he came out holding his drum cases and put them in the car. He saw Drake chatting some girl up. Typical. "You know that stuff will kill you eventually. " He quipped at Drake walking over next to him.

"You got a light?" Sky asked, getting out one of her own cigarettes and placing it between her teeth. She looked over at the approaching guy, another band member. "It's either these or something else though; at least this is on my own terms." She spoke through her teeth, then took the cigarette out of her mouth and into her hand.

"You guys were great though. I've actually been scouting..." she looked around, trying to seem casual. "I'm a musician myself."

Ben shrugged. She had a point really. He fished a lighter from his pocket. It had the Ace of Spades and was his lucky charm. He gave her and Drake a light of the cigarettes. "Second hand smoke is worse I heard. But whatever. " He said smiling a winning smile. Out of his back pocket he got his stick out. He started to drum on the car. "So what instrument do you play?" He asked moving this along.