“Okay, okay. I get your point.”
We hand our tickets to the security guard, and I’m quite flattered we have to show our IDs until I realise it’s not to check our age, but to log our attendance.
Once inside, we make our way as close to the front as possible, which really isn’t that close. The show must have sold out because the audience is tightly packed. We’ve missed the support act, and it seems like it will only be moments before Lincoln appears.
Several people are on stage, tuning guitars and checking equipment. I feel the familiar buzz of energy I remember from going to big-name rock concerts as a teenager. I can’t believe I’m more wired tonight than I was seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the height of their fame.
With the sound levels apparently ready to go, the stage clears, and the lights go down. The start of an old Rolling Stones song plays as Lincoln and his band take their places. The crowd goes wild, my cheering joining the cacophony of noise.
I sneak a glance at Millicent, and I’m pleased to see she doesn’t look completely bored. In fact, I think she’s almost as happy as me. She just wouldn’t ever admit it.
“Good evening, everyone,” Lincoln says, that tingle-inducing voice booming out from the stage. “We’re so happy to be starting our national tour here in my hometown. We hope you enjoy what we’ve got for you tonight. We’ll be playing a mix of covers, but also introducing a little original material.”
The crowd cheers louder. I’m so pleased he’s finally gathered the courage to play his own music.
He picks up a guitar and slings the strap over his shoulder. “But first, we need to get you warmed up!” He strums a loud chord, and the other guys join in for the opening of Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole.
I love this song, having been a fan long before Twilight stole it for their baseball scene. I watch mesmerised as Lincoln effortlessly emulates Matt Bellamy’s falsetto. It’s so sexy, seeing him up there in his element. He hasn’t lost any of the appeal he had on Sing to Me. And while his voice sounds a bit edgier, a little angrier, I think it’s an improvement. If I didn’t know that he had to go through such a heartbreaking situation to get that sound, I think I’d prefer it.
We’re so far back that it would be unlikely for him to see us. Half of me is disappointed, but the other half would feel a little self-conscious if he knew we were here.
The show is amazing. Lincoln is ‘on’, bantering with the crowd and enjoying the synergy with his bandmates.
But as with all Lincoln encounters, it’s over way too quickly. He and the guys leave the stage after the last song, and I’m left wanting more.
However, apparently, so does the crowd. They clap and cheer louder and louder until they return for another couple of tunes.
The first thing they play is a cover of Bon Jovi’s Keep the Faith. But finally, Lincoln sings the song he showed Felix and me in Sydney.
I watch, my eyes glued to him the entire time. Tonight, I imagine he’s singing it for me.
And then, by chance, he looks in my direction, and the corner of his mouth turns up in a pleased acknowledgement. That one tiny gesture turns my entire body to jelly. I look at Millicent, and she gives me a knowing smile.
He finishes the song, and the band leaves for the final time. The lights go up, and I audibly sigh.
“You’re smitten, aren’t you?” Millicent says.
“I’ve always been smitten.”
“What do you want to do now?”
“I’m not sure. Go out into the beer garden for a drink? I’m too wound up to head straight home.”
“Sounds good. I’ll just go to the ladies’, and then I’ll see you out there. Can you order me a red wine?”
“Sure.”
I head over to the bar, reliving the moment I made eye contact with Lincoln during the show over and over.
I’m a lost cause.
FIFTEEN
Tash
I patiently wait at the bar and order two glasses of red wine. The energy from the post-show audience is palpable. After paying for the drinks, I stand in the corner, breathing it in. These people are all feeling great because of Lincoln and his band.
Millicent takes her time but eventually finds me. She takes her glass and rests a hand on my arm.
“Okay, I’m going to tell you something, but I want you to promise you’ll behave.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “What are you talking about?”
“Promise?”
“I don’t know what I’m promising.”
“That you won’t take advantage of Lincoln when we go backstage.”
My eyes widen. “We’re going backstage?”
She nods, obviously pleased with herself. “I had a chat with the security guard, and I convinced him to ask Lincoln if we could go say hi. He agreed.”
I let out an excited squeak. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!”
She hands me a pass on a lanyard to put around my neck. “You’d better get that out of your system now. This is what I’m talking about. We’re going to act like actual human beings and not be weird around the guy.”
“Have I ever embarrassed myself in his presence before?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t always been there. But I suspect you may have.”
I think back to the plane ride where I first met him. Admittedly, I was a little frazzled at the beginning, but he clearly didn’t hold it against me.
“Don’t worry. You won’t regret this.”
“I’m actually doing this for me. Did you see the bass player?”
I laugh. “Not really. I was too busy watching the singer.”
“Well, let’s go. We don’t want to keep them waiting.”
I feel like a giggly schoolgirl skipping out on class. We reach the backstage door and flash our passes. The guard stands aside. I’ve never done anything like this before.
We head down a narrow hall and come to what looks like a converted shipping container. One of the doors is open, and inside, one wall is lined with old couches. Lincoln and his band are lounging around, drinking beers and chatting.
Lincoln glances over and sees me. His face lights up in a smile very close to the type I remember from before his break-up.
“Tash! Missy! Come in!”
I nervously enter. Millicent acts like she does this all the time and struts over, plonking herself down beside the bassist.
“That was a great set,” she says to him.
He is instantly entranced, but I continue to stand awkwardly near the door.
Lincoln scooches to the side of his couch. “Come sit down. I’m so glad you could make it. I would have given you both free tickets if I knew you wanted to come.”
I walk over and sit beside him. I’m just as nervous as I was back on the plane. “Don’t be silly. We were happy to be paying customers. That show was amazing. And you did your own stuff!”
“Yeah. The guys and I decided it was time. And Max, the guy who signed us up for this whole thing, was happy for us to experiment. I think it went down okay.”
“It went down phenomenally! I was in the middle of the crowd, and I know for a fact they loved it.”
He smiles appreciatively. “I’m glad you think so. Hey, are you right for a drink?”