Stronger Within (The Silver Lake Series Book 1)

by McCallum, Coral

  “Love you too, Mz Hyde.”

  Ending the call, he passed the handset back to Maddy.

  “You’ll see her soon,” said Maddy quietly. “Now, are you ready for dinner?”

  “Almost,” replied Jake. “Let me drop off my jacket and freshen up. I’ll be five minutes.”

  “Knock our door when you’re ready. We can all go down together.”

  Dinner proved to be a rowdy affair as the restaurant manager had seated both bands and their entourage in the one section of the dining room. The Weigh Station party also included several invited guests plus four lucky fans, the winners of a radio competition. Under the ever watchful eye of their manager, the boys from Silver Lake were on their best behaviour and politely declined several offers of more beer or wine as the meal progressed. Weigh Station had invited along a filmmaker to document the tour for a proposed DVD release. Shortly after ten thirty, Jake excused himself apologising that jet lag had caught up with him and that he was headed to bed. He walked out of the restaurant to a few pleas from the party behind him to stay. The camera man followed him and asked if he could spare a few minutes. With a yawn, Jake agreed and stood outside the elevator while the filmmaker set up his camera.

  “Jake, tomorrow’s the first of Silver Lake’s shows with Weigh Station. How are you feeling right now about it?”

  “Right now I just want to sleep. Grey and I walked down town to take a look at the venue before dinner. It hit me then just how big a deal this is for us. The US audiences, especially on the east coast, know us, but this is unknown territory. It’s a whole new crowd to convert into Silver Lake fans,” replied Jake. “I just hope they like what they hear and tell their friends.”

  “What’s your initial impression of Dublin?”

  “Cold, wet and windy,” Jake joked. “The people seem friendly. Can’t understand a damn thing they’re saying though!”

  “Thanks, mate,” said the filmmaker, shaking Jake’s hand. “Appreciate that. I’m Scott by the way.”

  “Pleasure,” replied Jake with another yawn. “Now I really need to get some sleep.”

  “Can I ask one more favour?”

  “You can ask,” said Jake, pressing the button to call the lift.

  “Can I interview you guys backstage tomorrow before and after the show?”

  “Fine by me, but clear it with Maddison,” he agreed. “If it’s ok with her, we’ll talk to you anytime.”

  “Thanks. I will.”

  “Night, Scott,” said Jake, stepping into the open elevator. As the doors closed, he thought the young film maker looked like one of the students he had left behind at school. So young, keen and eager to please.

  After a sound sleep and a morning of interviews and more photos with Dan Crow from Weigh Station, Jake finally arrived at the theatre for the sound check. The road crews had worked hard setting up the stage. While Weigh Station completed their sound check, Silver Lake warmed up backstage. The theatre was as quaint inside as out and the backstage area was a rabbit warren of small dressing rooms. Wherever they went there seemed to be people scurrying about with cables or coffees or lists. The management company had put a new British stage crew in place for Silver Lake so they spent a fair amount of time explaining how they wanted to be set up for the gig. When they finally got out on stage, they were mesmerised by the beauty of the small auditorium. At capacity the theatre held just less than two thousand, but it was incredibly ornate. There were two balcony levels plus small private boxes to either side of the stall area. The carving between levels and the ornate ceiling with Victorian plaster cornicing made them all feel as though they were performing inside a birthday cake. There were a few minor glitches during sound check but no major debacles and the four of them returned to the dressing room quite calm about things. As usual Maddy was buzzing about checking and double checking everything. She had authorised Scott to film whenever the band were happy to be filmed so he too was wandering amongst proceedings, camera in hand. As Jake was getting changed for the show, there was a knock at the door.

  “Have you got five minutes?” asked Scott hopefully.

  Jake was stripped to the waist, but had luckily just fastened his favourite black ripped jeans.

  “Two minutes,” he agreed, reaching for his black shirt.

  “That’s some art work!” said Scott. “Want to talk me through those?”

  “Some other time,” said Jake. “It’s a long story.”

  “Do you ever go out on stage with your shirt off?”

  “What kind of video are you shooting here?” teased Jake, causing the younger man to flush red with embarrassment. “No, seriously, I’ve taken my shirt off a few times at summer outdoor gigs but never indoors.”

  “I’m sure your female fans would love a closer look at that tattooed body,” commented Scott, with a wink.

  “I’m sure they would but not tonight,” stated Jake, putting his shirt on. “There will be no messing about tonight. Strictly business out there. Need to create a good impression.”

  “What’s your pre-show routine?”

  “Pretty much what you’ve seen,” answered Jake warmly. “Sound check. Something light to eat, warm up, get changed, then more or less get on with it.”

  “And after?”

  “Wait and see,” said Jake, checking the time. “Need to make a move.”

  With Scott still in tow, Jake went back to join the rest of the band. They were gathered in the one dressing room. All of them were twitchy and restless, anxious to be out on stage. When Maddy saw the film maker in their midst, she chased him out, promising that he could come back later. She shook her head as he left the dressing room looking dejected. With one eye on the clock, the band waited to be called through to the side of the stage. Five minutes before show time, Maddy led them all out of the dressing room.

  From the side of the stage, they could hear the buzz of the capacity crowd. The house lights dimmed and the crowd roared and cheered. Show time! Once out on stage, all nerves vanished as Silver Lake launched straight into Dragon Song followed by two of the heavier tracks from the album. The audience were quickly on side and were singing along enthusiastically.

  “Hello, Dublin!” yelled Jake, as he gazed out at the sea of faces before him. The crowd cheered. “I can’t hear you! You still with us, Dublin?”

  A roar came straight back at him.

  “This is a special show for us so thank you for coming out tonight. This is our first show outside of the United States.”

  A huge roar erupted from the crowd.

  “Now we are going to slow it down for a minute or two,” continued Jake, accepting his acoustic guitar and settling himself on the stool that had magically appeared. “This is Stronger Within. Sing along if you know this one.”

  The gentle first few chords of the song drifted out across the hall. When Jake began to sing, the crowd sang along with him. It totally amazed him that the Irish crowd were so familiar with his lyrics. When the song ended, he started to play Lady Butterfly straight away, not trusting himself to speak to the audience for fear of his emotions catching in his voice. As the final notes of Lady Butterfly soared high over the audience they cheered wildly.

  “Thank you,” called Jake, smiling. “You guys are amazing. Totally blown away by you.”

  Behind him, the band began to play the ACDC rock classic, Highway To Hell. In between the next two numbers Jake whispered to Rich and Grey about an impromptu set change. They agreed and Grey stepped back to alert Paul to the change of plan.

  “Ok, guys!” called out Jake, sounding a little out of breath. “We’re going to try something just for you. Something totally unrehearsed.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maddy at the side of the stage frowning at him. He winked at her then turned back to the audience, “This could crash and burn, but we’re going to try one we hope you all know. Sing along and help us out if you know it. This is Whiskey In The Jar.”

  The crowd went wild. Their enthusiasm f
or the popular rock song helped to carry Silver Lake through it virtually error free. All too soon they were starting their final number – their favourite finale song, Flyin’ High. The set had been the quickest forty five minutes of their career and as the last notes faded away, Jake called out one final time to the audience, “Thank you! You’ve been awesome. Till next time. Stay safe.”

  All of them were trying to talk at once as the post show adrenaline surged through them. Trying to keep them under control, Maddy ushered them back to the dressing rooms and clear of the immediate backstage area. Once they were safely back in the dressing room, she hugged each of them in turn.

  “Jake, that set change was inspired!” she squealed, hugging him tight, her baby bump hard against him.

  “Thanks. It felt like the right thing to play once we were out there.”

  “I’m just glad we made it through it,” stated Grey, grabbing a bottle of water. “It’s been a LONG time since we last played that one.”

  “More than two years,” added Rich. “Was a great shout though, Jake.”

  “So are we keeping it in for tomorrow night?” asked Jake with a cheeky grin.

  “Hell, yeah!” cried Grey. “They loved it!”

  Nodding Maddy declared, “You’ve made fans for life out there tonight.”

  Once he’d got showered and changed, Jake said he was going back to get a glimpse of Weigh Station. Before Maddy could stop him, he had slipped out of the room and back towards the stage. Standing at the side of the stage, watching his heroes, Jake transformed into “Jake the fan” instead of “Jake the rock star” who had commanded the same stage an hour before. As he stood discretely out of the way, Weigh Station’s manager spotted him and came over to congratulate him on their set. Having mumbled a humble reply Jake was then asked about performing two numbers with Weigh Station the next night. It was the dream ending to a perfect night and, as he watched Dan strut his stuff in front of his adoring fans, he wished Lori was there to share the moment with him.

  Twenty four hours later, Jake was standing on the same spot, waiting for his cue to step out on stage. He had run through the two songs earlier on at the sound check and was anxious that he would forget the words or fluff the guitar part. Silver Lake’s set had been another amazing experience, possibly even better than the night before. Now the adrenaline rush was wearing off and nerves were creeping back in.

  “Dublin!” screamed Dan into the mic. “I’d like you to welcome a good friend of ours out on stage now to sing with me.”

  The crowd roared expectantly.

  “Give a huge welcome to Mr Jake Power from Silver Lake!”

  The crowd went wild as Jake loped out on stage, plugging his guitar in as he went. A roadie brought out a second mic stand already set up for him.

  “Ok Dublin, this is one of our new tracks. This is Broken Bottle Empty Glass.”

  Taking a deep breath, Jake listened for his cue to come in on guitar, then stepped up to the mic and began to sing the hoarse throaty lyrics. It was a different style to his Silver Lake vocals, but one that was fun to perform. As he reached the chorus, Dan and the entire audience joined in. During the mid-song guitar break, he stepped back towards the drum riser to allow Weigh Station’s lead guitarist, Mikey, to take centre stage. Dan stepped back with him and reached over to whisper, “Awesome job. You lead on the next one.”

  Jake only had time to nod before the solo ended and he was back out at the mic for the final verse and chorus.

  “Folks, I’ve asked Mr Power here to sing it out for you on Sunset After The Storm. Let’s hear it for Jake Power!”

  The intro to the song was soft and haunting, with the vocal almost whispered, before it exploded into a frenzy of fast paced lyrics. The guitar part was easy after the complexity of the vocal. Making a show of letting Jake hold court on the Weigh Station stage, Dan sat on the edge of the drum riser, allowing the younger man the freedom of centre stage. As the song drew to a close, Dan came forward.

  “Give it up for Jake Power!”

  With a theatrical bow to the crowd, Jake walked off stage feeling on an all-time high. All his Christmas’s had come at once. In the wings, the rest of Silver Lake had gathered to watch and all rushed round him, congratulating him on an amazing performance. Weigh Station’s manager clapped him on the back and declared him to be sensational. As the headline act continued their set, Jake tried to make his way back to the dressing room. He had one mission on his mind – to phone Lori. Eventually he reached the door and, after politely excusing himself and promising to be back shortly, Jake found himself alone in the tiny room. His bag was hanging on the back of a chair and he reached into it to retrieve his phone.

  It only rang twice before Lori picked up.

  “Hi,” she said softly. “I was just thinking about you.”

  “Hi yourself, li’l lady,” he replied, suddenly lost for words.

  “What time is it over there?”

  “No idea. Around ten thirty I think,” began Jake. “Tonight’s been incredible!”

  “Did you duet with Dan?”

  “Just off stage,” he laughed, still buzzing from the experience. “I hope someone’s videoed it so you get to see it. I can’t describe how amazing it felt! I’ve played on stage with my heroes!”

  Laughing with him, Lori said, “And I’m sure it won’t be for the last time.”

  “I hope not,” said Jake. “I hope this happens every night. The crowd loved it.”

  There was someone knocking at the dressing room door yelling his name.

  “Lord, I wish you were here, Lori,” he breathed softly.

  “Soon, rock star,” she promised. “I’ll catch up with you in just over a week. It’s not so long.”

  “Feels like forever right now.”

  “So where are you off to next?” asked Lori.

  “We fly to Wales tomorrow, then play in Cardiff the following night. No idea what to expect there.”

  “More of the same, I’d guess,” she replied.

  “I’d better run, li’l lady. Someone’s beating on this door. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Looking forward to it already.”

  “Love you.”

  “Love you too, rock star.”

  Ending the call and slipping the phone into his pocket, Jake opened the door to find Paul standing there with a beer for him.

  “The boss wants us to be ready to leave in five minutes,” he said, handing the bottle to Jake.

  Accepting it, he replied, “Ready whenever she is.”

  “She wants to be clear of here before Weigh Station leave. They just came off stage,” explained Paul then added, “I think she really just wants to get to bed.”

  “OK. Let me gather up my gear,” said Jake, taking a quick swig from the bottle. “I’ll be out in two minutes.”

  A small crowd had gathered round the stage door and when Silver Lake stepped out to head towards the minibus that was waiting to take them back to the hotel, they were quickly surrounded by fans. As the venue’s security personnel tried to clear a path for them, the four members of the band obligingly signed autographs and posed for numerous photos. Every fan they spoke to was so grateful for their few moments of the band’s attention. The warmth and affection stunned them all and, as they finally made their way onto the minibus, it was the sole topic of conversation.

  “Get used to it, boys,” said Maddy as the minibus drew up outside the hotel. “Looks like there’s a few more folk here. Try not to get too caught up. The hotel has a late dinner waiting for us.”

  “Yes, boss,” joked Jake, with a salute.

  He was the first to step out onto the pavement and was immediately surrounded by four young female fans. Smiling, he signed autographs, posed for more photos then politely bade them goodnight. Another two fans were waiting right by the door, but they seemed satisfied with a wave and a “hello”. At last Silver Lake were safely back inside and heading for the dining room. The hotel staff had excelled themse
lves and laid on a buffet style supper that catered to all tastes and preferences. It was after one o’clock before they finished their meal. The long day had taken its toll on Maddy and she was the first to leave the table, saying she was heading off to bed.

  “Guys, we have a late check out tomorrow. The bus is picking us up at five to go to the airport. You’ve nothing lined up for tomorrow. Just make sure you are all back here and packed up for four,” she instructed with a yawn. “I’m going to sleep until then. This being a baby carrying manager is tough going.”

  “Night, Maddy,” they all called after her.

  Paul walked out to the elevator with her then came back to join the others for a night cap. The four of them sat chatting for a while, then Jake said quietly, “We’ve done it, guys, haven’t we?”

  “Done what?” asked Paul, looking confused.

  “Crossed that line,” said Jake. “No more bar gigs. No more make-ends-meet jobs. This is it.”

  “He’s right,” agreed Grey, the realisation hitting him. “Silver Lake are on the international rock road map.”

  “Here’s to it being a hell of a long road!” declared Rich, raising his glass.

  ♪

  The next eight days cemented the feeling that they had finally broken through to the next level. As the tour wound its way through Cardiff in Wales, onto Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle in England, the band continued to attract fans in every city. Their confidence on stage grew and as they crossed the border into Scotland en route to Glasgow all of them believed that this was as good as it got. Adjusting to the late nights, hours of travelling, interviews, sound checks, more interviews and finally their performance had been easy; second nature to them all. When they had arrived in Cardiff, they had been introduced a new member of the team – Gary York, their British tour manager. Almost instantly they had gelled with him and welcomed him into the Silver Lake “family”. Gary’s arrival made life easier for Maddy as it left her free to focus on the band’s wellbeing while he dealt with the venues, travel and basically anything she delegated to him.