#just seen the setlist and it’s very almost perfect
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so very very very excited to see hot mulligan next week. post emo forever
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[ENG translation] Jamming sessions, the 'Jure Maček Curve', and new music - A Joker Out interview
An interview with Bojan Cvjetićanin and Kris Guštin, published on the Gedankengroove website on 12.04.2024. Original article written by Elie Mück, photos by Elie Mück. English translation by olenalinasarah and @nyx-aira, proofread by IG GBoleyn123.
Note: As the interview was originally conducted in English, author Elie Mück collaborated with us to give us the original wording wherever it was necessary for the right meaning to come across. Thank you, Elie!
"What would I do in this black night without you?" That's what Joker Out ask themselves in their (as-yet) unreleased song Šta bih ja. I was able to visit the five men from Slovenia in Cologne at the end of March and talk with Bojan and Kris about the song and the 'See You Soon' tour, which was almost over at that time.
The indie rock band was able to reach a wide audience across Europe with their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. Their song Carpe Diem is their most successful release to date with over 20 million streams on Spotify. After several concerts across Europe and an arena show in their home country, Bojan, Kris, Nace, Jan, and Jure travelled to London at the beginning of the year. The two-month stay in London, which didn't only consist of playing Jenga and cooking (as their Instagram stories made it seem), served as preparation for a studio session in April. Before that, the group went on a European tour at the beginning of March, playing 22 concerts in 14 countries - including five shows in Germany. Kris and Bojan tell me what's behind the changing setlists and how the band comes together in jamming sessions.
Elie: To start with, how are you doing? Did you get to Cologne safely?
Bojan: We're doing well. We arrived this morning and slept until 1pm, so we're well rested. Cologne has treated us very well. The venue is perfect, very cosy, and the staff are great.
Elie: The tour is almost over, what are your impressions so far?
Bojan: To be honest, the tour has been fantastic so far! The time has gone by super fast. We've seen so many more cities than last time. When you start touring, you usually just visit the capital cities and imagine that those are the only places you can play. But this tour consists of mostly the second or third biggest cities in each country and the shows have been great so far. We are thrilled with how many people have come and how their reactions have been. So, we're having a lot of fun.
Elie: It's interesting to see that you're playing very different sized shows on this tour. The hall in Helsinki, for example, has a capacity of about 1,500 people, whereas in Munich only about 400 people fit in. What do you prefer? The bigger gigs or the smaller ones?
Kris: It depends a lot on the audience and our mood. We have to go on stage in a good mood. I don't think the number of people makes a difference. At least not at these sizes. An arena show with 10,000 people is comparatively very impersonal and you focus more on the show and what you're doing. I definitely prefer the smaller gigs, but a concert in front of 500 or 1,500 people feels about the same.
Elie: I've heard from other artists that they prefer the bigger concerts because they have more space on stage, is that similar for you?
Bojan: For me personally, the concerts with an audience of 1,500 people are the ones where I feel most comfortable. The stage is big enough for me to move around freely without a fear of tripping over something and it still feels like I can interact with every person in the room.
Elie: Compared to the tour in autumn, you are now playing a varying set. I looked at your setlists from the last few shows and it seems like you have two or three setlists that you alternate between. Who came up with that and why did you want to vary the set?
Bojan: I think we collectively came up with that. When you play 22 shows in a month, you can get stuck in routine. It can feel like things are just repeating themselves and the mood of the shows is, in a way, predetermined by the songs you play. That's why we decided to break it up and make it a bit more fun. It's very cool because we have three setlists and I have no idea which song is coming next. That's good for me because it's always a bit of a surprise. It makes the whole thing more exciting. The fans like it too. There have been some who came to several concerts and heard different songs each time.
Elie: How did you find out which songs work together?
Bojan: It was a long process.
Kris: We sit down together and try to find out what works best. It can take several days but sometimes it works straight away. Our drummer Jure has his own technique.
Bojan: We call it "The Curve".
Kris: The "Jure Maček Curve" which determines how our concerts should go in terms of mood. We decide, for example, that we should start with something energetic-
Bojan: Shh, we should keep that a secret (laughs).
Kris: So, if you have calculated everything with the "Jure Maček Curve", you have a very good set.
Elie: You also play three unreleased songs. Were these the songs that were most ready to be played live or did you have other songs in mind that you wanted to put on the setlist?
Bojan: We had a few more songs that we wanted to try out on the tour. Our idea was that we would have time during the soundchecks and in between to turn the songs into something playable. However, we have less time than we thought, which is why we decided to leave it at these three songs. I really like that because it turned out that one of the songs will definitely be the next single. The fans went totally crazy. Shortly after we had left the stage at the first concert in Helsinki, the lyrics to Šta bih ja were already online. Afterwards we were told that a TikTok of the performance had over 400,000 views, which is crazy. People are even singing along already. It was nice to see that. We've also found things we want to change about the songs. A few things that work and a few that don't work.
Elie: Have these things changed over the course of the tour?
Bojan: Not yet, we have decided to leave them as they are. But we definitely know what we want to change.
Elie: I heard that after the tour you will go to Hamburg to record your next album. What is your plan for the time in the studio?
Kris: What I think will happen in Hamburg is that we will take the first couple of days to record Šta bih ja. I think that song is the most unchangeable in its structure. We have to be quick if we want to release it as a single before the album in autumn. After that we have the rest of the time to work on the things that were created during our time in London, most of which aren't nearly as studio ready. We also recorded our biggest hit Carpe Diem in the studio in Hamburg. That one wasn't nearly as finished either when we got there, so I don't think we have anything to worry about.
Elie: In London you worked on new music in the form of jamming sessions. Did you ever get to a point where you had something like a "creative burnout"? If so, how did you manage to get back into a creative mindset?
Bojan: Definitely. I wouldn't say burnout, more like frustration. Jamming always needs all five of us and of course five different minds can't always work towards the same story. Sometimes things don’t go the way all of us would like it to go for a longer period of time. When that happens, our biggest help is our producer. He always finds the cause of the problem and works with us to find a solution. I think it's important to have someone as a kind of filter. We are all emotionally connected to our music and of course he is too, but in a different way. Our producer is like the sixth pair of eyes and therefore a very important part of the writing process.
Elie: In your latest single Everybody's Waiting you used a keyboard, which is new for you. Do you have any other things you'd like to try out for the new songs?
Kris: Jan bought a mandolin in Berlin. I'm sure that will come up in the studio.
Bojan: I'm sure we want to use more synthesiser. One song we're playing live at the moment originally had a riff that was played with the synthesiser but is now played with the guitar. This change takes away the whole point of the riff. There are many things we want to try out. I think we will also work with choirs or similar vocals. We want to be as free as possible with our creativity for this album.
Elie: We are definitely looking forward to what will happen. I really like the new songs. To finish, a question that I ask often: Which song or album do you think everyone should have listened to at least once in their life?
Kris: I listen to a lot of old music, so I can't recommend anything new. But I would say (They Long To Be) Close To You by Carpenters.
Bojan: Right now, I would definitely recommend a song that I'm listening to a lot at the moment. My song is older too, I'll go with Il mio canto libero by Lucio Battisti. The whole album is very good, we listened to it a lot while Everybody's Waiting was being made.
—
After our chat, it's not long before the band starts their show. They enchant the whole audience with their incredible energy. Like Bojan said, the fans in the first rows are very confident with the lyrics. As soon as Šta bih ja starts, everyone sings along. "What would I do in this black night without you?" The song begins and ends with this line. A song about longing and missing.
The setlist takes us through every emotion and ends with a call to the current generation:
"We've gathered the courage to rebel and make a change," says Novi Val, the last song of the evening. Bojan invites everyone to become part of the "new wave". He says he wishes Joker Out concerts to be and remain a safe space for everyone.
Everyone, including the band, stands arm in arm and slowly sways to the music. A feeling of community accompanies us as we leave the hall of the Kantine and make our way home. Joker Out show that you don't have to stick to one style of music as a group and how diverse the result can be if you don't allow yourself to be restricted creatively. All five of them seem to have an incredible amount of fun with their work and I can only hope that it stays that way for a very long time.
Check out more photos by photographer and interviewer Elie Mück on Gedankengroove!
Do not repost! If you post quotes from this translation, please link back to this post!
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I’ve got a matty request if that’s okay? Just seen the video of matty singing about you with Carly at Finsbury Park and my heart is so full!! Could I request a fic where y/n comes to sing it on stage with matty and he’s all soft and cuddly and so in awe of her in front of everyone? No worries not, just love your writing and wanted to ask!!
something very small and mediocre at best but i'm trying haha. thanks to @toomuchracket for the name idea (you'll see which one 🤭)
god can you imagineeeee??? i had to look up the setlist of the show once again but i think it happens after they’ve performed the sound. you’ve been wired and you’re ready, waiting backstage, pacing nervously. five more minutes till you’re supposed to go on. a stage tech has already told you that and given you a little reassuring smile but it barely helps. there are fifty thousand people. fifty thousand. how are you even supposed to comprehend that number? let alone go out and perform in front of them all? so you just watch him on stage in his element. he’s dancing and singing and just being a star really. matty with a side of truman. your heart thumps in tandem with the beats of the sound, right in your fucking throat.
the song ends, cheers go up, matty does something cutesy before his voice crackles in your ear. “ready?”
you nod to yourself, throat dry, before realising he can’t see you. “yeah,” it’s barely a squeak. “yep.”
there’s a very brief pause before he goes back to chatting with the crowd, being perfect as always. the people cheer along—it’s louder than anything you’ve ever heard before. matty knows you well though, because seconds later his voice is back in your ear.
“you’re nervous,” he says. “it’s okay. so am i.”
that makes you giggle a little. it’s matty fucking healy, this is what he does every night. yet you know he’s not lying when he says he’s nervous. the little tells are there; how he swallows roughly, and fidgets with the mic wire more than usual. on stage, jamie starts a melody on the piano. this is your cue, you realise. you’re supposed to walk on stage as soon as adam starts strumming the guitar. your body stays frozen on the side of the stage, and matty extends a hand, smiling as if it’s only you in here and no one else.
you walk forward, only looking at matty and his outstretched hand, as adam starts strumming his guitar—a sweet acoustic tune. the cameras focus on you and matty, then zoom in a little to only show your face on the big screens—you in your flowy blue dress, complementing matty’s cream suit perfectly. a cheer goes up and stops abruptly as you look at the crowd for the first time. why did they stop all of a sudden? the reason becomes clear pretty quickly however. it’s not you, it’s the name that appears on the screen right below your face.
your first name that everyone’s familiar with. and then healy.
a collective gasp runs through the crowd before a cheer goes up so loud that you instinctively cover your ears despite having the noise-cancelling earplugs in. matty laughs and mouths something that vaguely looks like “the cat’s out of the bag” before he brings the mic up to his mouth and starts singing.
“you are mine, i’ve been drowning in you.” it’s a beautiful acoustic rendition of then because she goes. really the most perfect song he could have chosen. and as soon as his arms are around you, you forget the crowd, the cameras. you forget the loud cheers and the thousands of voices singing along. all that stays is his voice and his arms and his smile. and the way he looks at you—eyes soft, almost pools of honey in the golden light that falls on him. it’s easier to sing this way when you’re just looking at him.
it’s easier to the say “i love you” over and over again just to him. the easiest thing in the whole world.
but matty knows how nerve wracking it is. and as your voice mix with each other, creating the perfect harmony, you sway in each other’s arms lightly, feeling each and every word of the song. you use your unoccupied hand to hold his, just something to ground you a bit more. and of course, he wastes no time bringing your hand up to his lips to press a kiss right above the ring you’ve chosen to wear so proudly today. a loud chorus of awwws goes up, making matty’s cheeks tinge pink. utterly adorable and heartwarming.
and simply perfect.
#✉️#♤: matty blurbs#the 1975#matty healy#matty healy x you#matty healy x reader#matty healy fluff#matty healy blurb#matty x you#matty x reader#fluff
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Here Comes The Sun • Part 39
a/n: well. hi! i did not abandon her! she just... went on a small break, due to writer's block. but now, we are back! this series will finally end after literally existing for almost 3 years. one more regular update and an epilogue and we are done!! i am planning to end it within this year, so prepare yourselves, lmao. thanks for sticking around and being patient, i know being a reader of my series can get... tiring 😭. so, now enjoy this written piece, next updates will be smau style as it should be hehe.
wc: 1.9k
warnings: slight angst if you squint, member x member aka seungkwan x vernon (but you knew this anyways so)
Jihoon was a mess. Inside of him, at least. For the outside world he pretended to be fine. Because if he didn’t, he would have to talk about the fact his best friend slept with the girl he had been in love with for years and he sure as hell wasn’t ready for that. So, instead of focusing on his own lovelife, he decided to stick his nose in business that wasn’t his.
The business being Seungkwan and Vernon. It was incredibly obvious that Seungkwan had a crush on his best friend and while Jihoon did kind of see himself in the younger man, he did not intend to think too much of it. Reminding himself of his failure with you would only make him hate himself again. Or worse, pity himself.
So when Seungkwan had suggested a party, Jihoon had seen it as the perfect opportunity to play cupid and get his two new friends together. Little did he know that Seungkwan had kind of… a similar idea.
There wasn’t much you or Wonwoo could do except wait. Wait for the party planning done by Seungkwan to end, wait to figure out the logistics of the venue. It bothered you, Seungkwan chatting with Jihoon on the phone happily as you sat next to him, yearning to hear Jihoon’s voice again. It had been way too long and you missed him so much, you were sure you were going crazy. Still - there wasn’t much else you could do.
When the day of the party came around, almost everyone had their own plan. You had your plan with Wonwoo, Seungkwan and Hansol very much involved. Then there was Jihoon and his plan to get Seungkwan and Hansol together, something he had been plotting with Minghao. The evening was sure going to leave some impressions.
Seungkwan had found a cheap way to rent out a warehouse for the night - it was now packed with people, all friends and strangers the same, who wanted to hear Woozi’s new music. Not to mention find out who this up and coming artist was, he kept on talking about on his socials. The room was dimly lit, with a dj pult at the front, behind which Jihoon stood with Hansol, looking at his MacBook and going over the setlist once more. Unknowingly to Hansol, Jihoon would make a bit of a change in a few moments. Perhaps he was taking a big risk - premiering a song they hadn’t discussed, a song that was more than obviously about Hansol’s feelings for Seungkwan, but Jihoon just chose to ignore that. If he had taken that risk years ago, maybe you and him would be together now. He wasn’t going to let the same thing happen to his new friends.
Some light party music was playing as people grabbed drinks and talked, and Seungkwan stood by the bar nervously, tapping against his glass. You obviously hadn’t come yet. If Jihoon saw you now, all would go to hell. Who had just walked in, though, were Soonyoung and Jun, who both looked around just as nervous as Seungkwan. Chewing on the inside of his cheeks, Seungkwan looked over at the small stage, hoping Jihoon wouldn’t suddenly get cold feet after seeing his two (former?) best friends. In the end he had been the one to invite Soonyoung and Minghao had asked Jun to be his plus one - something Jihoon couldn’t stop him from doing, even if he wanted to. And he didn't.
Still, the whole situation made Seungkwan take another big sip from his glass of cheap white wine, only to take a deep breath after. Then, he walked over to Soonyoung and Jun, smiling at them as brightly as he could under the circumstances.
“I see, you made it,” he greeted them and they both turned around, slightly startled. When they saw who had approached them, they visibly relaxed.
“Yeah. Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Soonyoung commented back and Seungkwan snorted, scratching the back of his neck.
“I bet. Is Wonwoo in the back?”
Now, Soonyoung and Jun nodded.
“And you’re sure you didn’t spill anything to Hao hyung?” Seungkwan raised his brows at Jun, who blushed and shook his head.
“Don’t worry. He doesn’t know.”
Seungkwan chose to believe the older man. Nodding, he took another sip from his drink and looked back at the stage again, not able to take his eyes off Hansol this time. He looked so handsome tonight. Black shirt and washed out jeans, headphones around his neck. His hair was falling into his face and he was laughing at something Jihoon had said and Seungkwan was sure his heart was going to fall out of his chest. Maybe, sometime soon, he should talk to him. Tell him. But not tonight - tonight was for another duo of best friends to finally get their shit together. He just hoped it would all turn out the way Wonwoo had planned it out.
It only took another five minutes, before the official listening party began. Jihoon and Hansol introduced themselves, talked a bit about their shared experiences in the studio and how the last three months have been some of the most productive they have ever been. Now, they couldn’t wait to share their music with everyone. When the first song started, Seungkwan looked over at the door at the far end of the room, on the left of the stage. Wonwoo had been behind that door for almost all of the party, preparing. Everyone started dancing now, and Seungkwan also let himself listen to the song he had heard at least seven times before. It still amazed him. How great Jihoon and Hansol were at making music together. Almost as if they were meant to be doing exactly that.
You were waiting outside, Wonwoo had literally done an amazing job at all of this. You gnawed on your bottom lip, hoping that it would all work out the way Wonwoo had hoped it would. It was a stretch, a big one even, ambiguous to say the least, but Wonwoo remained confident and so you at last tried to do the same. When your phone pinged about fifteen minutes into the listening party, you took a deep breath and made your way inside, not forgetting to check the fence Wonwoo had set up on the other side of the alley. It was closed - just as it should be.
Seungkwan noticed something was different right away. The song Jihoon had put on hadn’t been on the setlist he had gotten from Hansol. In fact, he didn’t think he had ever heard this song. He looked over at the front of the room, where he saw a smiling Jihoon and a shocked Hansol. Just then, Hansol’s voice began blasting through the speakers over the sweet melody that Seungkwan had never heard before. He blinked, his mouth slightly dropped in confusion, eyes glued to the way Hansol was staring at him now.
Jihoon was proud of himself. Seeing how Seungkwan and Hansol were looking at each other, he knew he did something right. A smile spread on his lips, but it only lasted so long. Because why were you walking through the door and most importantly why was Wonwoo right behind you? His heart dropped and his first instinct was to flee, to run away and never come back. But it was something about the way you were looking at him, that stopped him. Your eyes were somehow pleading with him. There was guilt in your eyes, but also a different emotion he couldn’t really pinpoint. For a second he felt a strong pull towards you - but only until Wonwoo was next to you again. Jihoon felt his stomach turn and he quickly walked off the stage and through the mass of people who had decided to come support him tonight. He wanted to walk out, the front door right there - but there stood Soonyoung and Jun and Jihoon really couldn’t face them just yet. So, instead he sped walked over to the back door, just needing some air before he could go back in and tell Seungkwan to kick you out. What were you even doing there? And why was there a fence that didn’t let him leave to the main street? Cursing, Jihoon took a right instead, finding himself in an alley he had been in during the show of the location - just that it looked severely different back then.
Back then, there hadn’t been fairy lights everywhere, there hadn’t been polaroids of him and you hanging right underneath the fairy lights, there hadn’t been candles and there hadn’t been a small table with an envelope that had his name written on it. Jihoon felt his heart jump when he walked closer to the table, a shaking hand reaching for the envelope.
Dear Jihoon,
I’m not as good with words as you are. Actually, I think no one is as good with words as you. Still, I promise you the words you are about to read are my most sincere feelings. I am sorry, so incredibly sorry. Not telling you about Wonwoo and me, not telling you how I feel earlier, I wish I could do it all differently. The truth is: I’ve been in love with you for as long as we’ve known each other. And I know it’s cliché, but I was so scared to lose you, to lose us that I just decided it would be better to not say anything. Being in love with you… it has been a part of me ever since then, a loyal companion through life as I tried to distract myself, as I tried to find someone I could love instead of you. As we have found out… I failed at that. I know that I’ve hurt you and I wish I could take it back, I truly do. The mistakes I’ve made as well as the ones I will probably make in the future are things I sadly can’t change about me - but please believe me when I tell you I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for you to find out this way. I wanted to tell you myself, and I know it would be too late either way. I can’t change the past but I at least want to try to change the future. So, please, give me another chance to prove to you that it’s you, that it has always been and always will be you.
Y/N
At some point he stopped breathing. Just reading the words over and over again until his vision became blurry. It was only when he heard steps behind him that he breathed again.
“Jihoon-ah…,” your voice, your beautiful voice that he hadn’t heard in so long. He turned around, saw you again, saw just you in your pretty outfit and with your pretty face and the tears in your eyes.
“Jihoon-ah, I am so, so sorry. I don’t- I don’t expect you to forgive me right away, I truly don’t, but- but I just want you to know that I love you and that I want to be with you, if you- if you let me.”
Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours, or at least that’s what it felt like. Him staring at you with that unreadable expression. You felt your heart sinking, sure that he would reject you, when suddenly you were pressed against something warm and hard, against something that smelled just like Jihoon.
He was hugging you. Arms wrapped around your frame, his head on your shoulder, your arms trapped between your bodies.
“I missed you. Missed you so much,” he whispered into your neck and you felt yourself smile, freeing your arms to hug him back the way you had been craving to do for months.
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#svthub#seventeen smau#seventeen fanfiction#seventeen x reader#woozi x reader#jihoon x reader#svt x reader#chan x reader#dino x reader#mingyu x reader#seventeen imagine#svt imagine#svt au#seventeen au#svt smau
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Melian: Safety Zone setlist; 5/27/2023
Read chapter 4 here.
Hi friends!
If you clicked through, you know why you're here.
Every song Melian sings in chapter 4 has a real-world counterpart. Some of those songs are a perfect fit. Some of them have the right lyrics and not the wrong vibe. Some of them have lyrics that almost work and the perfect vibe. One of them has both.
This song isn't actually named in the text, just referenced as "the first song." But it's a banger, and it helps set a specific tone for the night. Before, that is, Melian sees Halbrand and things go sideways.
"The Wilds"
In an earlier draft of the chapter, I wrote, "If Girlfriend didn't already have you on your feet, The Wilds will." There is also a "Hey, hey" in the chorus that I like to think Melian delivered looking directly at Hal when she saw him I'm the audience.
"Gwenniel"
Gwenniel is one of Tolkien's early names for Melian. And rhythmically, it fits perfectly here.
This is one where the lyrics don't quite fit, but the feeling is exactly what I needed. Elwe might not like this song, but it's a personal favorite for me.
"Awakening"
Can you do Haladriel without Florence and the Machine? This one doesn't need much explanation, I think.
"Dream When You Wake"
Ugh John Mayer. This was originally a very different song that slowed the momentum of the show too much so I had to drop it. I started searching for breakup songs from 2006-08 and this just. Works.
"The Battle of A Thousand Caves"
There is no world in which I made it through this fic without promoting Fleetwood Mac somewhere. It just wasn't going to happen. Listening to the live version of rhiannon is a life changing experience. If you skip every other song here, listen to this one.
In the fic, Elwe is credited with calling the song an exorcism. That is actually something Mick Fleetwood said about Stevie Nick's performance of it.
"Anglachel"
This might be my favorite moment. You think there's going to be a moment of rest, and then she opens her mouth and just wails. Incredible. I listen to this one and have visions of Melian looking down at Galadriel to ask, "Why did love put a knife in my heart?"
"The Walls of Night"
"A cavernous expanse of a song waiting to be filled with our baggage." The lyrics aren't quite right, but God is the vibe perfection.
"Almaren"
I think this might be the first song I added to this playlist with any really intent. I searched for this one.
Actually, I searched for a cover with a female vocalist, and this version is just haunting.
"The Light At the End"
Let's talk about Passenger. I have seen him live.... a couple times lol. For years now, this is the last song he plays before the encore. The crowd sings along to the vocalization, and they keep singing until he comes back out. Haunting. Powerful. Perfect setup for what comes next.
From a haladriel perspective, I loved ending the initial set by playing with darkness and light.
(Tumblr is cutting me off, so the encore gets a reblog, I guess.)
#(artanis)#my fic#i did way too fucking much for this chapter and im making it everyone elses problem
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Did you read the new Yoongi Weverse article? It kinda talks about the D-DAY concert in terms of stage, setlist, and the vcrs. I was surprised that the chain hands in the background is Suga watching Suga. The reference to “first love” with the “brown piano”. WHY WASNT FIRST LOVE IN THE SETLIST?! 😭 I LOVE THAT SONG! It makes sense that it probably doesn’t fit in the overall storyline of the setlist but damn😢 I also can’t believe they weren’t sure about adding songs from the “Agust D” album. “The Last” is essential! It never fails to make me emotional. The shoulder grab 😢 The walk away is fitting. But it’s kinda sad to not have an official goodbye at the end of a concert. I love the ending ment Yoongi does though. He’s a cute tease lol
OMG MAPLELEEEAAAFFFF!!!!!🍁💜
you have once again fallen victim to responses getting lost in drafts. 😶😶😶 i think i went off to find images of the agust d/gimme more cgi to add to this response and then never came back. i am very flightly sometimes.
anyway, yes, i did catch that it was the creepy cgi version of himself watching and toying with the stage during the second and third nights when i was watching from up in the seats. so cool. he's so cool.
ANYWAY, here is what i wrote before i so rudely interrupted myself: AHHHH I LOVED THE ARTICLE. I LOVE YOONGI. I MISS THE D-DAY TOUR SO MUCH. 😩😭🥺😍 honestly, i love First Love, but i wasn't surprised that it was missing because it doesn't really match the vibe, overall? although!!! with a live band, he could have done anything to make it match the vibe, and i'm sure if he had included it, it would have been awesome. i personally really wanted to scream sing 28, but i was still very pleased with what i got.
i was actually very surprised to see The Last. a friend was saying she hoped he would play it and i was like "hmmm idk that one seems almost too personal..." but it fit PERFECTLY and GOD it was such a magnetic way to end the set. i remember seeing clips from it and being liek WHAT THE FUCK WHATTHEFUUUUUUUCCCCKK!!!!!!! i think it is perfect the way he did it, with doing some ending stuff between D-Day and Nevermind, introducing the band and dancers, and taking their bows then. i find it pulls me kind of out of the mood when they stop at the end to talk, so seeing him end on a powerful note and walk off was just asldjaslkdjalskjdaslda ugh so fucking perfect. i love him so much. everything about that set was so fucking good, and i could watch it again and again. 🥺🥺🥺
i really love having the chance to read about his thoughts and the plans, and hearing how the stage directors were planning. it was kind of clear to me, after a few watches, that they were stripping everything bare and that the fire was "burning everything away" in a way, and i loved hearing in their words what the plan was. it was so cool. i used to photograph live events, and i have seen well over 200 concerts, and i have never seen anything like that. 💜💜💜
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I loved every moment you mentioned too! The greatest is so good, it was one of my immediate favourites on the album on first listen so hearing it as the opener was awesome. SIBWAWC delivered as expected!!! So good. It was just such a strong setlist! I agree about the 1D songs, I never really listened to 1D (other than how everyone my age did, in the sense that the music was everywhere so you picked stuff up) so I wasnt that familiar with WDBHG but Louis made it fun! I'd be fine with only one 1D cover (especially if it gave us headline, common people or TTWLG which im keeping my fingers crossed will get rotated in)
The production was really good, I'm a fairly new fan so haven't seen too much of Louis' last tour (mostly just clips) so it was really cool to see all the screens and lights. You can tell a lot of thought goes into making it feel cohesive.
I was soooo pleased to hear Copy, it's just SUCH a good song and he looked confident singing it.
Also back to you!!! I really didn't expect that, it was such a good version. And "Miss you" was one of the first Louis songs I discovered and really loved (very late discovery as this was like...last year? Haha) and I've always thought it would be SUCH a great song to experience live so that gives me a bit of hope that maybe we'll get a version of it at some point on this tour. (Whishful thinking maybe!)
Also got to mention going from saved by a stranger (Also so good) to WAOYF...the emotional whiplash!!!! It worked though!
Honestly, I could probably run through every song with something I liked (I've barely mentioned HOTH and Saturdays and silver Tongues!) but I've already ranted in your inbox enough but what a great first show!!!! So excited for the next one!!!
I'm glad to see the greatest appreciation, it was one of my favs at first listen too. Louis writes the best tour openers. He really did transport us to another world with sibwawc didn't he 😌 his mind is just superior. The production was mind blowing and a true step up from last tour (ltwt's production was still amazing though). Copy is a masterpiece no doubt about that the imagerie of the lyrics is insane. BTY in 2023? If someone told me that before the show i would never believe them but it made me so happy for many reasons. There is hope for miss you after all 😭 ( i think at some point he's going to replace bty with miss you and if it happens idk how i'll survive). There was so many surprises last night but honestly the biggest one for me was him singing saved by a stranger ❤️🩹(the bravery, the grace!!). Not only that he also made it kind of rock and followed it with waoyf (that fan in the live stream who was silent the whole time but felt the need to shout "can we pls go back to fucking" instead of " loving" didn't go unnoticed🔪🔪). Tbh, i always thought if he really had to perform a 1d song, night changes would be a good one (his solo is so angelic in it) and i enjoyed it when he performed it in the past. But this time, even i was surprised that the 1d covers didn't work for me. I think fitf is just a beast on a whole other level and performing 1d songs among such a brillant setlist emphasizes the quality differece between Louis' solo songs and the band's, sorry. Night changes followed by Chicago and wdbhg put between ooms and saturdays (and then silver tongues) was almost humilating for them if it weren't for Louis' perfect delivery and witt (and angelic voice). I can talk about the show forever and in detail about each and every song but i didn't want to make this any longer. Feel free to rant about Louis' music and performances in my inbox i love those kind of rants 🥰. The second show is today and i couldn't be more excited 💙
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✨ CATB question time! ✨
Hey guys I almost forgot I said I was gonna do this! I’ll send a weekly ask to anyone who said they wanted to play, if you want to join in just let me know!
You get the chance to go back in time to any catb gig to experience it from the barrier!
✨ Which gig would you go to?
✨ Which songs would you choose to be on the setlist?
✨ You can meet one band member backstage after the show - who would it be and why?
Which gig would you go to?
First of all i’d say Lollapalooza Argentina ‘17 because nothing compares to see an artist that you love on your hometown, besides always we were called the best crowd ever so it would have been incredible see them among all this crazy and emotional people. I just love us, its a pitty that at the time i was not a fan. Secondly, i think the famous TRNSMT 2019 because it seems to me it was one of the last times that they really get along with each other and it was incredible too, i almost die at the transition Glasgow/Rango. But at the same time i would like have been some show in a small stage like the O2 or Brooklyn Bowl, even the first ones so i could get so close to them as i could, face to face.
Which songs would you choose to be on the setlist
I saw someone saying it usually are 15 so there would be my stelist (not in order):
- Outside
- Heathrow
- Overlap
- Cocoon
- Rango
- Kathleen
- Fallout
- Oxygen
- Conversation
- Sidetrack
- Tyrants
- 7
- Homesick
- Hourglass
- Pacifier
Also i would like some cover like Laid to hear Van’s high notes
You can meet one band member backstage after the show - who would it be and why?
Definitely Van. I’d love to talk with him to know a little bit how his mind works haha, i’d ask him a lot of music related questions like why he choose play the guitar, who/what brought him to the music world, if he plays or want to play another instrument, the creative process of the songs, what he feels being on stage and be such a rockstar, how he learnt to sing and control his voice like the man can do anything from the seductive roughness to a sweet falseto, and Im sure i’ll finde more and more 😬. Besides, i think that we have a very similar personality (maybe for the zodiac sign? The leos are the best) i tend to push me at my limits to being perfect, never conformed with anything, the tendency too to believe Im perfect and always right, make people do everything like i want, an egomaniac. Anyways you make an idea hahah. I’ll ask him what tea he likes the most too since i think i seen he is a tea lover.
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David Crosby 1941 - 2023; Music is Love - and Healing
- Steve Postell reveals setlist planned for Croz’s Feb. 22 gig; it’s a doozy
It’s Nov. 5, 2017, and Sound Bites is preparing to take a solo road trip to see David Crosby.
The trek from Columbus to Kent, Ohio, is about 2.5 hours. But opting to leave room for contingencies - and perhaps dinner - I set out early for a long-anticipated concert.
The blog had seen Crosby with CSN and CNSY multiple times; with Crosby-Nash once. But never as a solo artist. And given Crosby - who died Jan. 19 - was Sound Bites’ favorite of the four and probably his favorite male rock ‘n’ roll singer, this solo gig was a long time coming.
The drive was a bitch. The weather turned and rain fell so hard, 35 mph on the freeway felt reckless. A tornado warning was issued. Taking temporary shelter in a rest area seemed only vaguely safer than just driving, so after contemplating bagging the whole thing and turning south, I headed north once again.
The trip seemed to take eight hours, but it was closer to four.
There was no time for dinner. And nowhere to park.
After driving around the rain-soaked streets of what Crosby referred to as “the scene of the crime” before playing “Ohio,” Sound Bites found a side-street parking spot. It started to pour. No umbrella. Mad dash toward the venue, the 600-something seat Kent Stage, where a front-row seat awaited Guy Who Goes to Out-of-town Concerts Alone.
Winded, wet and wondering what the fuck I’d gotten myself into, I wander down front and … no seat.
Oversold.
A very nice and apologetic usher brought out a chair and Sound Bites was set. Uptight. Wound up. But seated. And still wondering what the fuck I’d gotten myself into when the lights went down and Crosby and band took the stage and lit into “In My Dreams.”
Less than five seconds had elapsed when … everything was perfect. Just splendid. Lost in the music, Sound Bites couldn’t have been happier as he internally scolded himself for ever considering turning back and for wasting time wondering what the fuck he’d gotten himself into.
This was a sublime gig; an all-timer among more than 700 concerts over the past four decades. Chills all night. And they had nothing to do with the rain-soaked attire or the skipping of the dinner.
It took me back to all those times I’d walked into Grateful Dead concerts feeling pretty lousy from the previous night’s Grateful Dead concert and wondering what the fuck I’d gotten myself into. The second the houselights went down and the band was onstage, all that stuff - physical, mental or both - utterly evaporated. Same thing on Nov. 5, 2017, in Kent.
And it wasn’t simply seeing Crosby, a guy I’d followed for as long as I’d followed music and one of the few artists from whom I’d purchased virtually everything he’d put on the market and some things he had not - like a killer Crosby, Nash & Young gig recorded inside a prison and released on cheap vinyl titled Waterbabies. I saw him a year later at the same venue with a different band and the results were not the same.
But on that night in Kent, David Crosby personified the power of music to heal, to restore and to make white-knuckle driving through a potential death storm feel like a small investment yielding a big return.
This is why you buy the goddam ticket and go to the show. Every once in a while, you witness something like David Crosby in Kent. Always a special memory, it’s even more so now.
Sound Bites is going to miss that guy.
——————————
Meanwhile, Crosby had been planning a dream setlist for his Feb. 22 show in California, according to guitarist Steve Postell, who posted the setlist the new band had fleshed out.
It read:
“Naked in the Rain;” “Long Time Gone;” “Homeward through the Haze;” “Carry Me;” “Wooden Ships;” “Delta;” “Guinevere;” “Dèjá Vu;” “Carry On / Questions;” “Woodstock;” “Almost Cut My Hair;” “Ohio;” “Anything at All”
“I once asked (Crosby) if I had to be as big an asshole as he was in order to play on his record; he told me that was something I could never achieve,” Postell said.
“ … This music is indelibly etched in my hands, heart and mind, and through that I will carry the memory of one of the most magnificent, flawed and beautiful human beings I have ever known.”
1/22/23
#david crosby#the byrds#crosby-nash#crosby stills and nash#crosby stills nash and young#steve postell#grateful dead
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LOUDER THAN WAR WITH NIGEL CARR 9.8.2022
TOYAH: How are you?
NIGEL: Great, thank you. How are you?
TOYAH: Oh really good, really good. You're not dressed for a heatwave. Where are you?
NIGEL: Well, I'm sitting in a cool shed, a lodge in my garden so it's out of the sun first thing in the morning. Progressively hotter as we go through the day so I'm OK with that. If it gets hot I'll just take my top off. So how are you? You have had a busy few days, haven't you?
TOYAH: Oh, I don't mind the gigs. I really love performing but the travel is a nightmare. Heathrow Airport on Saturday, all of us - Wet Wet Wet, me, Carol Decker, Chesney Hawkes, quite few others - were supposed to be on an 11 o'clock flight that got withheld by an hour
So by the time we landed in Belfast I literally had to get changed in the car, run out the car onto the stage, do the show, run back into the car and get the plane back. I mean, it's just … I get so wound up by these things. The only time that you think aaah is when you're actually on stage!
NIGEL: You can relax almost!
TOYAH: I can relax (they both laugh) People always say to me "you're so energetic" and I was just so fucking happy to be here
NIGEL: Well, I saw some of the photographs over the weekend. You had Rebellion Festival. Thursday, wasn't it?
TOYAH: Oh! Friday, it was amazing!
NIGEL: I did Friday and Saturday but I was working on Friday. So I was at the gig and I apologise so … and then you had Durham yesterday?
TOYAH: Yeah, Stone Valley (below) It’s been three amazing shows. R-Fest was breathtaking. My sound man didn't realise there was a sound limit. So for my first three numbers it was so loud it was breathtaking. And then someone came with a sound monitor and said could you turn it down, please?
NIGEL: Were you in the Empress Ballroom?
TOYAH: I was on the Promenade. It was huge. I loved it
NIGEL: I've got the setlist and everything and it looks like a really sort of fun show
TOYAH: For me to be on the Promenade - I'm not a great performer at midnight, and when I've done that at Rebellion before, and you go on at midnight, I really feel it - it's quite hard for me to deliver my energy at that time. For me to be on in sunlight and it was very bright on Friday - with the Tower literally yards away and people were on the glass floor watching the show. I looked up and you could see people watching the show
It was full, absolutely rammed and I loved it. It was perfect for me to do an alternate festival. Going back to my punk roots at four in the afternoon for me was absolutely perfect. And I love the audience and you could hear the waves, which for me was just orgasmic. You're just hearing them hit the shore while you're singing. It's just something that I want to experience again. I really enjoyed it every minute of it. And the audience was great
NIGEL: What a colourful audience. Have you ever seen it? The spiky hair, the studs, the leather jackets
TOYAH: What I really loved is you have the people who really look like that. And then you have the Blackpool holidaymakers who were wearing funny hats with mohicans. You just thought should the twain ever meet like that? It was so hard because the real punks and the real mohicans are very protective of the how they live and what they represent, standing side by side with someone with a stick-on mohican. It was fascinating
NIGEL: It really was and I was walking around the venue as well around the Winter Gardens and you could see all of the hotels and the punks were sitting in deck chairs out the front
TOYAH: I loved it!
NIGEL: It was just incredible. I've never seen such a colourful festival and I've been to Leeds and lots of different festivals, but where do you get such a concentration of just one mind, not one way of dressing yourself but a whole genre just represented so wholly in one place? It was incredible
TOYAH: And for me, it made sense of Blackpool (Toyah on stage at Rebellion, below) because it is a hit and miss sometimes. The sun was out. You have these wonderful, diverse human beings who are always friendly. And they were everywhere. And it was the most perfect day and the most perfect world for me on that day
Because when you look back to 45 years ago, that would have been a very different story. You'd have had riots, there would be chairs being thrown. But this was harmonious. It was beautiful. And I just thought this makes sense of Blackpool. It was the perfect place to have the festival
NIGEL: Oh, absolutely right. And I was thrilled to see the mix of audiences. You talk about the locals and the punks, but I was looking down from the balcony at Cockney Rejects and the mix of people down there. It wasn't just people in the 50s and 60s who remember punk the first time and actually if they did fall over they were helping each other up - not smacking the hell out of each other. There were kids there as well, 20 year olds
TOYAH: Very good disabled platforms as well. I can't bear it when people in wheelchairs are put right close to those speakers and they suffer for that. I looked out and I saw two fantastic platforms where they could really get the best view and they were safe. I thought it was very well designed
NIGEL: Absolutely, I did as well. I thought it was fantastic. I just love the fact that when there was a skirmish in the mosh pit, there weren't people being knocked over
TOYAH: They were holding each other up (both laugh)
NIGEL: And another thing I noticed, and you'll know what I mean, is that there were people crowd surfing and they'd crowd surf to the front. And then like a kid with a sugar rush on a helter skelter they'd run round and do it again
TOYAH: Yeah, it was great. It was perfect
NIGEL: I absolutely loved it. So we're going to talk about predominantly - you've got the tour with Billy Idol coming up, which is a fantastic event for you. Can you tell us a little bit about how that came together and how you got the -
TOYAH: A bolt out of the blue. I'm slowly learning the history of this tour, that it had to be postponed because of Covid and that The Go Go's were originally opening and ... just a bolt out of the blue. I got a phone call saying can I fit these arenas in while I'm doing my Anthem tour? Because my album Anthem is being rereleased on the 9th of September so I'm out touring that and by some really strange coincidence I can fit every one of the arena shows in. I'm wildly excited - not only about Billy Idol and I've been performing “Rebel Yell” for 20 years now -
NIGEL: I noticed that on your setlist and I was going to ask you when you were going to be included -
TOYAH: God no!
NIGEL: Can you imagine doing “Rebel Yell” and then Billy comes on and does it
TOYAH: The whole of my set - “Mony Mony”, “Rebel Yell”, “White Wedding.” “Enjoy Billy Idol!” (Nigel laughs)
NIGEL: It’s like telling the best joke at a wedding, isn’t it?
TOYAH: Yeah! Shouting out the answer. But another thing that's really exciting me about this tour is Television and (their album) “Marquee Moon”
NIGEL: Absolutely fantastic. I loved that when it came out in ‘79. I devoured it. I think it was amazing to see that
TOYAH: And I think it's so clever of Billy and his management to do that. Because everyone is going to hear “White Wedding”, “Mony Mony” and “Rebel Yell”, and Billy has quite an extended repertoire. And I think for him to add Television and to add me with my punk history it allows people to go into the genre that Rebellion festival goes into
I can play the pop, I've got “Slave To The Rhythm” coming out as a single. So we can deliver the hits, we can deliver the pop, but what I loved about Rebellion and Stone Valley this weekend - I was able to do my very first songs, which are completely out there. And this is what I'm going to try and do with the Billy Idol tour - just do the whole 45 year journey in half an hour
NIGEL: Yeah, so you're going to be playing “It’s A Mystery”, “Thunder In The mountains” and that's a really clever thing, as you were saying, that Billy has done because you've got that New York cool going on one side and you've got the pop on your side
And then you've got Mr. Arena himself Billy Idol in the middle, which, honestly, when I saw the venues I thought my God Billy Idol is huge still! The thing that hit me that he was playing all of those … the AO Arena (in Manchester) and all that sort of thing. That was a huge venue. So you've got 3000 - 4000, no, actually, on the front of the promenade sort of 10 000 people -
TOYAH: It was at least 10 000
NIGEL: I think we sold 15 000 ticket tickets, but even in the Empress Ballroom for people like Cockney Rejects, The Blockheads - there were 3000 or 4000 people in that ballroom. That was incredible. But moving up to the arenas, you're going to be talking 15-20,000 people, easily
TOYAH: Yeah. Billy is a classic name now. Like Alex Cooper, like Ozzy Osbourne
NIGEL: Yeah, they fill these big arenas
TOYAH: And I think it helps that Billy is a very visual artist. He's great looking. His videos are fucking amazing. When you've got all of those qualities about your historic work I think you can easily fill an arena
NIGEL: Oh, absolutely. Yeah, he's got such a rich history going right the way back to Generation X of course. So I believe that Robert’s appearing with you which I'm thrilled to hear. Is he going to punctuate it with some prog edge? How's it going to work?
TOYAH: Robert and I start touring together October 2023 with "Sunday Lunch" but you have preempted something because we are doing a premiere to it with Trevor Horn at Fairport's Cropredy Convention this Thursday (below)
NIGEL: Oh wow!
TOYAH: We're in the Trevor Horn band and no one knows yet
NIGEL: Can we say that?
TOYAH: Yeah! Well, my work with Robert – he is now part of the “Posh Pop” brand. Myself and Simon Darlow - we created that in lockdown with the “Posh Pop” album, which went to number one in about 36 charts. And 22 in the main chart. Robert is now part of the lineup, and we start writing “Posh Pop 2” in November. It's going to be quite a rocky album. So Robert and I are officially working together, but that's really coming in 2023
NIGEL: I'll talk about the videos later on, because I've got a few more things to go through. I just love the synergy of you two in the kitchen. It's just amazing, but I'll talk about that in a minute
I just want to ask you a few questions to fill in a few holes and make the connection from the late 70s to now - so just indulge me for a second. You've always been a trailblazing woman in a man's world and an inspiration for so many
Who did you take inspiration from in the late 70s - because you were a woman working in a very, very difficult industry, acting and then you jumped into singing through “Quadrophenia” and “Glitter”. So how did that come about and what gave you the inspiration and the guts and guile to push yourself forward?
TOYAH: I always intended to come to London and be a musician. My kind of rather stupid intention was using acting as a stepping stone. I got spotted on the streets of Birmingham because I was dressing like a punk when no one knew what punk was - including me
I was a hair model, I made my own clothes and I was a hair model for Wella so my hair was pretty strange in 1975. I got spotted and I ended up starring in a half hour TV drama on BBC2 about a young girl who breaks into the Top Of The Pop studios to sing two songs
NIGEL: That was “Glitter”
TOYAH: “Glitter” and I had to write those songs. I'd had no experience of being in a band or of singing at a microphone until that studio experience. And then when that was seen, I was invited to join the National Theatre by which time I was 18 and that put me in an environment of musicians
And I started to learn about the London punk movement and performers like Polystyrene and performers that weren't your conventional Farrah Fawcett - Majors model type looking women. They really inspired me because I'm barely five foot tall and at that time I was three stone heavier
I didn't know how I was going to fit into the music world but punk opened the doors for everyone - all diversity, all body types. And it made it possible for me and I put a band together and started to do gigs when I wasn't onstage at the National Theatre, mainly to help me get over my stage nerves which I had until about 1990. I just pushed and pushed and pushed to get gigs
Back then (there was a) hugely healthy pub circuit. And eventually towards the end of the pub circuit time in my career we had 2000 people turning up every night blocking the roads. I still wasn't signed and Safari Records wanted to sign a “punk” act. So they signed me. No other label would touch me
NIGEL: You were on Safari, but I didn't know any other bands on Safari. It wasn't a well known label at the time
TOYAH: At the time you had Wayne County who's now Jane County. So historically, all of that catalogue with Safari but they also had Deep Purple
NIGEL: Wow! And so that was the springboard into it
TOYAH: Very much
NIGEL: But must have been tough. So you were spotted, but it still must have been some sort of fight to get yourself out there
TOYAH: It's always been a bit tough. I think if I was 6'2" and looked like Elle Macpherson, life would have been much easier. But it's always been tough. I'm relentless. I don't go away. I got “Monkey” in “Quadrophenia” because I helped Franc Roddam out by putting John Lydon through the screen tests for “Quadrophenia”
I didn't get a role and Lydon was absolutely astonishing on that screen test. He's a great actor and waiting to be discovered and I didn't get a job out of it and I just turned up at the production offices at Wembley Lee Electrics banging on the window of Franc Roddam’s office … “Give me a fucking job!!!”
He called me in and he had Phil Daniels in the office with him and he said “well, if you can do the party scene with Phil now, you've got the job”. Well, Phil was in “Glitter” with me, I knew Phil. So we improvised the party scene there and then and I got the job but I think with Franc Roddam I was not the ideal person to play “Monkey”. But he knew I just wasn't going to go away and I was up and coming. I was an award winning actress. And I was a big name within London
But it's still tough, mainly because virtually every scene I've done in a movie I've had to be on a box to do a two shot (two people in a shot together) because I'm so tiny. And that does affect you, especially in the world of Hollywood where the average actor is six foot. So I’ve really need to push and persuade people that I am the woman for the job
NIGEL: Yeah, but it's really about the ability. It's about the skill. It's about the delivery. It's not really about being five foot one or whatever, it's in there, it’s in you
TOYAH: Yeah, it is but a lot of British actresses are small. Judi Dench didn't break big time into movies until about the mid 80s. Up until that point she's the world's leading stage actress, leading comic TV actress and then whoomp! Straight into Hollywood and she made it possible for smaller actresses - Imogen Stubbs, myself - to be a movies because suddenly people said the talent comes first
NIGEL: Absolutely. Tom Cruise is reportedly quite short, but I believe he's 5'9"or something. In a man's world 5'9" is short
TOYAH: In my world it's bloody tall! (they both laugh)
NIGEL: It's way up here! (points up)
TOYAH: (looks up) Wow!
NIGEL: I noted you've had 96 roles, it says on IMDb. I think they include TV as well. That's a lot and it begs the question what do you prefer to do? Do you prefer the sort of kudos, maybe it's more cerebral? Having to learn the lines and being in front of a camera or getting up on stage and wowing 15 000 people. Where does the heart lie?
TOYAH: They both have such a quality about them. I love performing on camera, and that's probably the only acting I'll do now. I don't think I'm going to do stage again. Unless it's like the National Theatre where you only do four shows a week
NIGEL: I saw you in Manchester (the stage play of Derek Jarman's “Jubilee”, below)
TOYAH: It's backbreaking doing eight shows a week and I don't feel my body can take that anymore. But as a performer to be in a state of performance, whether I'm singing or acting, is absolute nirvana for me. It's my commune with God, it's unbeatable and there is no choice between the two. I love going into an area of that life, that supernatural, and for me performance is supernatural. I could never give it up. I would go cold turkey and die. It's such a remarkably rewarding thing to do
NIGEL: The part itself - the learning the lines, that immersing yourself into a character … is that what you're talking about? Or the people and crew around you, the support that you get. Is that what it is?
TOYAH: What support? (Toyah cackles)
NIGEL: (laughs) Well ... you know I mean
TOYAH: I just won Best Critics Award at the Richard Harris Festival for “Give Them Wings” as Best Actress, which premiered in Leicester Square last week. I was working in five degrees in a silk slip in bare feet on the street in Durham in winter in 2019 when we shot that! The reward is for me the kind of schizophrenic escape
So when I’m learning lines and when I'm unravelling what the character is words give you every bit of information you need. It's like taking the best holiday to the Bahamas you can take because you don't know what the hotel's going to be like. You don't know what the weather's going to be like
It's all about discovering something that is governed by words and I just adore it. When I'm on stage singing - the words and how you deliver those words and the breathing techniques you use to deliver those words just take you into a higher consciousness. And I just couldn't live without doing that
NIGEL: Yeah. So actually, there's a lot to be taken from both. You can immerse yourself into acting, you can immerse yourself into the singing. I suppose with the singing you are singing more of your own words, your own creations and I guess that must give you extra. I can't imagine the feeling of writing something, a tune and words and having those people jumping around to it
TOYAH: And the word is immersion. It's total immersion when you're singing. It's not just about the breathing and the delivery. It's about listening. And you're having to listen to every member of the band and come back into timing, because once you get expressive, you move out of timing. I've only really learned in recent years to use a motion on the downbeat. So to finish a word quicker rather than hold the note because it has more impact
And another thing is learning about impact - music doesn't always come from having the bass end revved up. It comes from the harmonic interaction between the guitar, the keys, and the voice and all of that. So you've got your foot right down on the accelerator when you're doing a gig and you never take your foot off it. With acting most of the time you're working to a camera with an ensemble of actors but the other side of the camera, you've got people scratching their asses, yawning, eating, texting on their mobiles, reading the newspaper and that is terrifying
Especially if you've got to cry on cue, and you've got someone who's just got their finger up their nose in your eyeline. It is extraordinary and when you hear stories of the A-listers losing it on set, because someone is distracting them in their eyeline, it's quietly terrifying when you are carrying a whole day shoot that costs sometimes over 1 million pounds to run the film on that day. And you're dealing with someone in your eyeline who's texting or looking at porn on their phone. The responsibilities are huge, but at the same time the rewards are bigger
NIGEL: Yeah. You often go to the screenings and when you get to that it must be an amazing feeling to see how it’s put together
TOYAH: I never go to the screenings. With “Give Them Wings” (above, Toyah as Alice Hodgson with Daniel Watson as Paul Hodgson) I've got all these awards for it and its started to be available for streaming now. I will look at it now. But I have to say the context of the awards and the good reviews and for me the reviews have been phenomenal, makes it possible for me to watch it
NIGEL: Absolutely. There's been a huge renaissance in punk and post - punk and all of that type of music. It's like your time has come again, isn't it? That everything sort of converged in this perfect storm and I follow a lot of bands and a lot of bands that have burst out of Manchester and they've helped bring back this post - punk wave
I'm listening to “IEYA”, one of your core tracks and I love it and it sits slightly out of the “It’s A Mystery” “Thunder In The Mountains”. It's more sort of post - punk. It's more Siouxsie and the Banshees than anything else. It’s an amazing thing that this wave has almost hit perfectly for you
TOYAH: Yeah. I think the thing about “IEYA” and all my early stuff ... there were slight influences of prog rock in there - which was purely by mistake. I grew up in Birmingham. I was 11 when I saw Hawkwind and Black Sabbath, I grew up with Led Zeppelin. So all those influences were with me and when I discovered punk, what I discovered as a dyslexic was a form of music I could fit into but I still had in my memory the music I saw live for the first time
“IEYA” started its life as an improvisation because we needed to do so many encores on our shows. In ‘77,’78,‘79,1980 ... We were that large. We’d do 10 encores. So we just came up with “IEYA” and we’d play it for 36 minutes like a kind of tribal trance
NIGEL: It goes to your bowels and it can just go on forever
TOYAH: Just goes on and on and on until people just pass out. I can remember one performance we did the band was so hot they were down to their underpants and Phil Spalding was vomiting in a bucket. It just was going on and on and on and we couldn't stop it. So “IEYA” started as a live improvisation in front of screaming punks
NIGEL: That's amazing. And just going back to the very early days - because I do a radio show and in anticipation of this interview I played “Victims Of The Riddle” and it's almost avant - garde in its construction and in the way that it's delivered. There's a big difference between “Victims Of The Riddle” to “It’s A Mystery”. That was a massive jump. How did that happen?
TOYAH: “Victims Of The Riddle” was an improvisation at two in the morning. So Steve James, wonderful producer, two in the morning. I said "just play three notes". Keith Hale played three notes. We looped those notes because everyone was into looping then, it was the beginning of synthesisers
I said "give me a microphone" and I did a 20 minute improvisation, which is on the re-release of “Sheep Farming In Barnet”. So everything about the single is in that improvisation. And then Steve James and Keith Hale edited it into that single so it is avant - garde. Totally avant - garde
NIGEL: It really is
TOYAH: It is the most extraordinary vocal and a 20 minute improvisation. I have to say is fucking amazing!
NIGEL: Yeah, it is. It's an amazing track. And I like I said I played it in the middle of the show in anticipation of this, I absolutely love it. But there's a big jump from that to “It’s A Mystery”
TOYAH: Yeah. Keith Hale wrote “It’s A Mystery”. I contributed the second verse, but I was never, ever credited as that and I certainly don't earn royalties off it. But Keith Hale had a band called Blood Donor who I regularly sang with and I did a lot of demos for them
Keith had written this long song called “It's A Mystery”. It had a 12 minute vocal at the top and a 20 minute instrumental and Safari felt that that was going to be a hit song for me. So Keith and I went into the studio with (the producer) Nick Tauber and arranged the into the single that everyone knows. So the record label Safari were desperate to iron out my avant - garde approach to everything
NIGEL: Make it more pop
TOYAH: Make it more pop. I was complicit. I wanted success. Absolutely every other punk rocker around me was having major success so I was complicit in how that journey happened
NIGEL: You immersed yourself in it and allowed yourself to be transformed into, well … they call you the Punk Priestess, don’t they? (laughs)
TOYAH: Yeah
NIGEL: With the big hair - who styled all the hair and everything? Was that from the hair styling days?
TOYAH: The big hair started with “Thunder In The Mountains” (below) when I was in a shoot with the very famous fashion photographer John Swannell, and he brought in Robert Lobetta, who is a hair designer and Lobetta had spent a week making these amazing peacock fans that they attached to my head and then we had to find a way of making that work live
So live I would just back comb my very thick hair and have big sunflower hair, but I kind of adopted that with the makeup artist Richard Sharah on “Thunder In The Mountains” art work and never looked back. That really caught on
NIGEL: It’s an iconic look. Like a huge peacock. It was just absolutely amazing
TOYAH: And very, very satisfying at that time because it made look a foot taller
NIGEL: Yes, of course! Absolutely. Now, I have to ask you about "Sunday Lunch" because I watched some of the early ones and they were quite modest and then they got more flamboyant (laughs)
TOYAH: We were learning as we went along
NIGEL: You’ve got 430 000 people watching one video. It's incredible!
TOYAH: Yeah. And we've now had 111 million hits. We discovered as we went on that heavy rock, and the more extreme the rock, like Rammstein and all those wonderful bands - the more views we'd get and we think it's the simplicity of the kitchen
There's no production values. We do one take. Sometimes, like Alice Cooper's “Poison” we did 21 takes, but most of the time we do one take, and we just go with that. And some people prefer to listen with the sound off because they can’t bear the sound (Nigel laughs)
But we discovered … when we did Metallica's “Enter Sandman” and I didn't wear a bra and I was on the exercise bike we hit 10 million very, very quickly. And we thought we're onto something here
NIGEL: A bit saucy
TOYAH: We say it’s our “Carry On”. It’s rock’n’roll “Carry On”. I am the Barbara Windsor of rock and roll
NIGEL: What I love is the way Robert sort of looks into your bosom and goes (shakes his head)
TOYAH: Yeah. For Robert … he just likes having a hot wife. The way Robert sees it is “look, I'm Robert Fripp, I've got a hot wife”. He's not possessive or jealous at all. But he really does like me to look his ideal of hot which is very 1970s Benny Hill
NIGEL: He comes across as such a lovely man. I remember when you came out of the jungle (on “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here”) and think Robert was waiting for you and he was almost in tears. You have this very special relationship that really comes across, not just in the media, but on those videos as well. You can tell there's true love between you. It's lovely to see
TOYAH: We are that cliche that we are soulmates and best friends and I think it helps that we are like chalk and cheese and we don't hold each other back. If he wants to go to the States for two months he goes, if I want to go off and make a movie for two months I go. There's never compromise and I think that helps us a lot
NIGEL: What do you attribute that to, that relationship? I read somewhere that you lived in separate houses. I’ve read a lot for this interview!
TOYAH: For the first 20 years we lived in separate houses and then for the last 10 years we lived in the same house. And as of three years ago, we now have separate houses again. I just let him be what he needs to be. It's as simple as that. And he needs a hell of a lot of time alone. And funnily enough, I do too. And we we both give each other that space
NIGEL: It's fabulous. I love watching your videos. I think they're absolutely amazing. And I look forward to the next one coming out and I wish you well with them. You said you were going to do some sort of extra stuff on those videos or a film or something. What did you say?
TOYAH: In October 2023 we're touring “Sunlay Lunch”
NIGEL: Oh, I see. You're going to do “Back In Black” and you're doing maybe “Poison”, all of those live on stage?
TOYAH: Yes
NIGEL: You have some special costumes coming for that tour then, have you? (laughs)
TOYAH: Yeah. Basically it's going to be an absolutely stonking rock show, but it's all based around “Sunday Lunch”
NIGEL: Look, Toyah, it's been an absolute joy talking to you
TOYAH: Thank you
NIGEL: We are running out of time and I don't want to take up more of your time. I've loved talking to you and I really wish you well for the tour with Billy, I think it's going to be amazing
TOYAH: I’m so excited! I love arenas!
NIGEL: Bet you are! It will be absolutely great and it's an opportunity for all of those people to see, 1000s and 1000s of people in those arenas. You must be so excited!
TOYAH: It's thrilling, absolutely thrilling. I think I excel, I'm better Toyah in that environment than I am at home. So I'm very excited
NIGEL: Fabulous. Thank you so much, Toyah. Thanks for talking to me. A joy talking to you
TOYAH: Thanks, Nigel. See you out there
NIGEL: Take care!
TOYAH: OK! Bye!
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October 25, 2018 Ithaca, NY
This show was at the very beautiful and classy and clearly historic State Theatre. I got to briefly meet my fandom friend Heather before the show started, but sadly because it was a seated show and we hadn't gotten seats together we only had just a few minutes to chat and exchange hugs and gifts before having to split up.
So yes it was a seated venue, but then Flans does the thing he so often does at seated venues immediately after they came out, with ordering everyone to get up out of their seats and come towards the stage.
I always like it when they open with a really rockin' song that really gets everyone going right off the bat, and the one they did this time, "Damn Good Times," is definitely up there as one of the most excellent choices for accomplishing that.
Then they played "I Left My Body" and then "Your Racist Friend." Flans is so bad about perpetually fucking up the latter in various ways--I don't understand how it's so hard for him considering how often they play it. This time he sang the last verse first, which was particularly baffling because it so clearly doesn't even make sense in the context of the narrative of the song. After that, John wasn't even bothering to sing his backing vocals because it was all clearly such a mess (I've frequently seen him sing them correctly when Flans is not on the lead, which just makes it all even sadder).
After "Particle Man" and "The Famous Polka" (how exciting for me to get to see some accordion so early in the set, although I'd happily never see the first of those two songs again just because I've seen it about a gajillion times and didn't like it too much to begin with), Flans explained that the show was going to be two sets. He said they'd lock the doors so no one could leave, and they'd just be playing fusion jazz "until the last person falls asleep."
Then John went off on some silly bit (which he was clearly proud of, because he repeated it at at least one of the other shows I went to on this trip) about how AC/DC had replaced their lead singer with a crow, the entire basis of the joke being that the vocal on their songs sounds similar to the sounds a crow makes. He did a silly impression, and then there was some talk about how smart crows are and experiments that have been done with them, and then the fact that this whole discussion was the perfect segue into their next song, which was of course "Birdhouse in Your Soul."
And after that they went straight into "The Guitar," which is one of those things Flans sometimes does where he puts a couple of songs that are really high-energy and cause me and everyone else to do plenty of boppin' around in the setlist back-to-back, and it's always a great feeling to keep riding the wave of all that rockin' energy, but sometimes it almost feels like too much, sometimes it almost overwhelms me...but never quite, which keeps it wonderful.
During this particular performance Flans did the "And you don't stop" thing not once but twice, which I don't think I've ever seen him do before but I always really love it so sure, I'll take extra. Also, during the intro jam to the Future of Sound part, when everyone was starting to clap, John made both his hands into fists and was doing his own sort of "clapping" by smacking them together, which was silly. "Which fist will win?" He also played the keyboard with his forehead for a bit, which was even sillier, and then later he was hopping, which yes I've seen him do frequently during this song so it wasn't a surprise, but that doesn't make it any less (as always) totally adorable.
After that there was some on-stage discussion of what was next on the setlist, and when it was determined to be something from Mink Car, Flans said it was a "huge mistake" that would "kill the momentum" (see my previous comments about the building energy between the prior two songs).
Then Flans started talking about how much they love Ithaca, and then went off on this whole thing about the antique store next door to the venue (which I didn't see until I was leaving after the show, because I'd approached from the other direction, which was...a sex shop, which most definitely did not get any on-stage shoutouts), which he'd apparently visited before the show. He said he'd bought a bottle of what was, according to the label, a "lead and opium wash," which he thought sounded very refreshing, and that there was still a bit of something left in the bottle and he was curious what it was.
Then he was talking about some movie he couldn't remember the name of, but it had something to do with twin scientists and starred Jeremy Irons, and in the movie a character says that what he's doing is "pure research," which became a running joke between him and Robin as a way of explaining weird behavior. John said his equivalent line that he uses to justify it when he's "having a temper tantrum" is that he's "researching a role."
Then there was some talk bout how it was necessary to "slow down the show" and how "overcaffeinated" they were (what, as opposed to every single other show they've ever played?), and then they played "Bangs," which, although yes certainly not as energetic as the two songs that preceded it, is still bright and upbeat enough to be fun live. Afterwards, there were more references to the "pure research"/"researching a role" stuff in relation to some screwups during that song ("researching a role as the guy who didn't come in on time").
Then they played "Authenticity Trip," and I was glad to have that little more low-key breather of "Bangs" and some banter before going into it cos MAN does that song rock live. I really really love it.
Then Flans did the spiel I'd seen him do at other shows about how they know none of us know or care about the new material, but when they play some of it we should pretend we do. This tie it consisted of him saying that they needed to draw on the "strong theatrical background of everyone in the audience" and that we needed to act like "show-business phonies" who care about songs that are "unfamiliar even to people who brought friends." I know he's just kidding around around, but it still makes me sad how he kept doing this, especially when I love love LOVE the new album in question (which really wasn't even all that new at this point, as it had been out for over ten months already).
And I especially didn't want him to act like we needed to feign excitement about the particular new song he was introducing, "Let's Get This Over With," which as I've already detailed in the previous show review immediately became my Song of the Year for 2018 right from the moment I'd heard it and then I spent most of the year desperately waiting to see it live for the first time. That first time ended up being a week and a half prior to this, in Vancouver, so this performance did not quite have that extreme extra excitement that all songs I dearly love have when I get to see them for the very first time, but it was still really REALLY great, definitely one of the highlights of the show, especially with that accordion in the live arrangement which is I think about the only change they could've made to it that would've improved it so I'm thrilled that they did.
After that was "Doctor Worm," lots of fun as always, and then some talk about how the next song was going to be one they hadn't yet played on this tour and that they'd be "staring at their hands" as they played for that reason.
Then Flans started talking again about the antique store next door, and how he'd also acquired a piece of taxidermy, which immediately piqued my interest because taxidermy falls under the very broad category of "Strange/Morbid/Tragic Things I Find Fascinating." He said what he got was a sort of "faux tiger," a thing made to look like a tiger on a much smaller scale. He said he had no idea what the thing was in actuality. Then he was joking about how he was going to have to explain it to Robin and how he might do that.
Then they played "Museum of Idiots," which (as should be obvious from the fact that I picked it for my site URL) is a song I have a deep emotional connection to, and it wasn't one I was expecting because, yes, they hadn't played it yet on this tour.
After that John got out his contra-alto clarinet, an instrument Flans described as "an endangered species in the rock lexicon," which led to more discussion about taxidermy and its ability to shrink things down. They played "All Time What" and then there was more contra-alto talk--Flans said it had been stolen from Ithaca College.
They closed the first set with two extremely fun live songs, "When Will You Die" (sweet of John to cram Curt onto the end of the band member callout line, even if it does sound rushed that way) and "Spy," which included John using that sample of a woman singing "Now the night has gone" that I saw a number of times on the spring leg of the tour but still am not sure of the source of, and also goofing around some more with the "AC/DC's new singer is a crow" bit from earlier.
When they came back for the second set and started Quiet Storm, Flans was talking about the significance of the close proximity of Halloween and Election Day, and then he introduced "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" by saying it was about "something you might remember from AP History class."
After that they did the familiar transition to "James K. Polk," and then "I Like Fun" (which Flans introduced as being "about drugs"), and then "Applause Applause Applause."
After that there was more calling back to earlier banter, with John asking himself "What would my character do?" and more talk about "pure research." At the time John even joking about himself being an actor was odd to me because it feels like an activity he's incredibly ill-equipped for (the "accordion-playing mute" he played in that 24 Hour Plays thing notwithstanding), but some time later I remembered this one interview where he said that he doesn't feel shy or get nervous about being on stage when they do a show because he doesn't think of it as being himself, he thinks of it as playing a character, which I thought was very interesting and have since thought about quite a bit.
Then they played "How Can I Sing Like a Girl?" (GOD I love the accordion duo version of that song), and then "Istanbul," and then something unexpected that I didn't see them do at any other shows on this tour, the bit where Flans goes to the back of the stage and pretends to be someone else making a phone call to John. I've always loved this bit--it gives Flans a chance to show off his amazing and hilarious improv skills and John his ability to show off his straight man skills (a job that is more difficult to pull off well than it seems, I think, and so often not given enough credit). And I hadn't seen it in awhile so I was delighted to have a chance to again.
Flans's character this time was supposed to be TMBG's new manager, who could see that "your career needs guidance." JL: "That I know." Then he introduced himself as "Richard Face," which John pointed out that a lot of people were laughing at and JF/RF said "It's what you call 'a thinker,'" and John confirmed that he liked it. (I'm rather embarrassed to admit that it wasn't until much later into the night's second set that I suddenly got what the joke was myself.) He said it was "the name my mother gave me..." and John asked "Is your mother's first name 'Jerk'?" (It was not.) Several more minutes of goofing around followed, including something about a Chevy Bolt that was apparently "a callback to a conversation from backstage," which as always just made me even more terribly curious about all the details of what exactly they do talk about backstage/on the bus/wherever.
After "The Mesopotamians" (introduced as being the theme song for a TV Show that aired at 8:30/7:30 Central, which I appreciated as someone who grew up as a Central Time kid always having TV shows air an hour early for reasons I honestly still don't really understand), they played "Why Does the Sun Shine?", introduced by Flans with "We have a new album! And this is the single!" which is so obviously untrue that it's amusing.
For the section in the middle with the spoken facts about the sun, John was doing the same really silly, slow, deep, confused voice I'd previously seen him do in Vancouver a couple of weeks prior. When I saw him that time I thought it was something he made up on the spot because of his (admitted) jet-lagged loopiness, and I'm not sure whether that is in fact true and he got such a good response to it that he decided to keep doing it after that or what. Anyway, this time he explained that on the sun "aluminum, copper, metal, and gas is a gas," and that if the sun were hollow "a million earths could fit inside, but, yet, in spite of that, the sun is only a middle-sized, hollowed-out star." There was something about "I want to apologize for the way I behaved, it's not me, I don't recognize myself," and then that "scientists have found the sun is an atom-smashing, crushing, machine, but I don't know if that's true," and then there was more pausing, which he had already been doing so much of as part of the bit that the rest of the band seemed unsure whether he was actually done or not until he finally told them, "You can continue playing the song," which they did.
After all that silliness, they did a triple-whammy of three top-tier Pink songs all in a row, which was one of those times when I almost get overwhelmed by trying to handle so much awesomeness at once. It was "She's an Angel" into "Number Three" into "Don't Let's Start"--damn! On the last, he was really emphasizing each word in the final "in--this--world."
Then came "Whistling in the Dark" followed by "Let Me Tell You About My Operation," which remains one of my absolute favorite songs to see live. For some of it Flans switched the POV from first-person to third by changing the pronouns--I'm not sure if this was a conscious choice to change the perspective of the song or just a case of him fucking up and forgetting how the words actually go, but either way it was interesting.
After that there was some talk about how much they love Ithaca for reasons beyond just the taxidermy, and then Flans was talking about "Science is Real" and "unreasonable personal political trips," and how people hate it when bands "get political instead of just going along with the dystopian hellscape" (he really loves that phrase, but it is a quite evocative one, it's true). All of this segued very nicely into the next song (and final song of the main set), which was "The Communists Have the Music."
The first song of the first encore was "Twisting," which is guaranteed to be an absolutely fantastic time no matter where it's placed in the set but I particularly love as an encore song because I like it when there's a lot of high-impact rockin' songs towards the very end of the show and I can just keep coasting on all that energy once the show is over.
Then came band intros, including Flans instructing us to "loosen your ties and open your eyes" for Curt, informing us that Danny is from Long Island, "where the weak are killed and eaten," and revealing that Marty is "the star of Marty Beller's They Might Be Giants" and "knows how to have fun and how to hold a grudge against every drum."
Next was "The End of the Tour," which is at the absolute opposite end of the energy spectrum from "Twisting" but strangely another one I think works particularly well in the encore. It's such a deeply emotional song, but towards the end of the show it's in a way that feels cathartic rather than depressing--or at least, I think so.
At the beginning of the second encore there was some talk about how they'd be doing a show in NYC in a few days, and they'd be playing some different songs, but not too many, and they would not be talking about taxidermy and would "keep the political shit tucked in." Then there was more praise for Ithaca and the current venue in particular--"the State is great!"
Then they played "New York City," and closed the show with "Hey, Mr. DJ, I thought You Said We Had a Deal," which was definitely the song I enjoyed Curt's presence on the most so I thought was an A+++++ choice for closer, even if Flans yet again couldn't remember what the song was actually from and introduced it as "a b-side from our first single."
The Final All-Important JL Wardrobe Report: he was wearing a long-sleeved dark-blue sweatshirt, which is not too exciting in itself, but at some point in the course of the show he pushed the sleeves of it up, and that was definitely exciting because just in general I think it's much hotter to see his arms exposed that way than when he's wearing a t-shirt, for reasons I cannot really explain.
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Quiet Music: Scherzo (Chapter Six; Part One)
In collaboration with @bethanysnow
Dreams turn into reality on smokey breaths. Inner turmoil melts away with the touch from warm skin. Promises make the evening decisions go from complicated to deliciously easy.
Content | Fluff, slight smut warning, tw soft drugs (marijuana)
Pairing | fem!Reader x Damiano
Word Count | 4421
Taglist | @damianodavide @lizstans @unitersmoonshine @its-afucking-mess @ethaneskin @dont-let-me-drown-in-you @vampirtet @lividisuigomiti @juststalking @tabi-toast @ethan-torchio-angelo @cheese-toastie-11 @thewitchinthemountain @ethanesimp @sofckinelectric @man3skin @daddydamiano @finelinejpm @superchrystaldrug @ginny-lily @everythingisdefinitelynotfine @nientedaridere @rainbowmarta @tiaamberxx @shaunthesheesh @enjcltaire @rocketqueen @aleksanderwh0r3 @damianodavidhands @megann-duff @teatrodellavita @coven-daddy @till-you-scream-and-cry @solasullabarca @fanfictionandfluff @makapaka11 @slave4yourlove @geklutst-ei @marriedwithmarktuan @bookish0918 @mehrmonga @kanevill @butterfly-skinnylegend @lidiyabest @killerqueen1985 @ccweasley @bluscryn @deluxeplanteater @ohtorchio @messyhairday-me @bidet-and-legolas @maybanksslut @katyldamusic @fuckim-so-gay @demoiselle-en-detresse00 @petit-poussin @fedorable-killjoys @luvbadass @buttercup-beeee @navs-bhat @etaerealboyv @tryymebitch @mell-bell @fenhakwe @solacestyles @softforlukescurls @vicsangel @theimpossiblehologramtree @alina-exe @cherricola66
***
Soft skin against his fingers. A hand running down his chest to his pants. Heavy breathing filling the room. The flesh underneath him felt warm and welcoming, hot to the touch and begging for more. Her perfume filled his senses as she pulled him close. Nails running down his back. Whispers of "amore mio, just like that", "keep going,” “cara mia, vita mia, please".
A “Dami, fuck” leaving her lips as his hand started gripping her thighs. Running between them, as she threw her head back, fingers tangled in his hair, pulling on it. Biting her neck. Coaxing more moans out of him, on a mission to make him lose his mind. She was heaven on earth. Supple breasts moving with every breath as he let his mouth descend on them, one at a time, desperate to consume all of her. Kissing every inch of her, exploring her until he knew about every curve, every ridge, every little spot of her body. He wanted to know all the secrets she ever had. Drawing noises out of her that he wanted to keep hearing for the rest of his life. Her hands on his shoulders, on his back, on his arse. Pulling him further into her. Letting his mouth wander lower, getting wrapped up between her legs. She looked at him with dark eyes, nodding, and he was ready to suffocate in between her thighs.
Wait, was he actually suffocating on her thighs?
Damiano woke up with a start, face pressed deeply into the pillow, restricting his breathing in a way that was much less sexy than the one in his dream. A circle of drool had escaped his mouth and dropped onto the pillow. Well, that's embarrassing, he thought to himself.
He was in the middle of pushing himself up and out of bed, highly aware of the situation in his boxers - only to be interrupted when a knock on the door startled him. Trying to wrap the sheet around him, suddenly overly self-conscious of his state, he hastened to the door, almost tripping several times on the way. When he finally unlocked and opened it, he just about let his head appear in the opening, awkwardly hiding between the door still. Y/n’s face was painted in confusion. He forgot how stunning she really was, his brain not even coming close to painting her image in his dreams.
“Yes, hi, good morning, I’m up! I’ll be down in an hour!” He was rushing to finish his sentence, not giving her a chance to reply before he let the door fall back into its lock. A deep breath out. Her face instilled in his mind like a photograph, unable to be separated from the extremely vivid dream he’d just had. He felt bad. He had essentially slammed the door in her face while wrapped up in a bedsheet. Not a very good impression considering he liked the woman behind the door. This was going to be such a long day.
***
“Why are you so awkward?” Victoria nudged Damiano as they had settled on a couch on the bus. He had been looking off since she had first seen him that morning, which was odd. Especially considering he was usually more of an early bird than the rest of them. “Sleep badly? Bad dreams? Good dreams? Or did you scare Y/n away again with another morning wood incident.”
Damiano’s face burned up as if suddenly ignited, making Victoria gasp.
“Oh my god, did you?!” She smacked his chest with her hand as she let out a gasp.
“I wasn’t even aware you knew about the first time,” Damiano mumbled, slumping down deeper into the seat. Crawling into the shirt he was wearing. Anything to get out of this conversation.
“Word travels fast on tour, you should know that by now,” she giggled, repositioning so she had her legs spread across his thighs. “So what happened?”
“I’m not going to talk about that with you,” he scoffed. Victoria’s grin only spread further, though. She was loving this side of Damiano more than she would like to admit - shy, awkward, unsure of himself. He was one of the best people she knew, an amazing frontman, a talented musician, a loyal friend. Yet with one little addition to the team he had turned into a quivering mess.
“You know I’m just going to ask Y/n what happened, right?”
“Yeah good luck with that, she didn’t even notice. At least I hope not.”
“Wait - so you hid your boner from her? I mean, at least you didn’t traumatise her again. What happened though, did you have some good times before the wake-up call?” She once again nudged him obnoxiously, loving how uncomfortable she was making him. “Did you have a wet dream? Did- Oh my god, you’re blushing, you did have a wet dream! Tell me everything! Was it hot? Did she go down on you or something? Did you see her tits?”
“Fuck off Victoria, I’m not telling you anything, now stop! It’s no like-”
“Hi! Attention, everyone! I know it's early and everyone is probably still asleep. But - announcements! That includes you Thomas,” Y/n said pulling the curtain of the guitarist’s bunk back so he could listen too.
Victoria noticed how their assistant didn’t seem spooked by Damiano’s presence at all - it seemed like he had been right after all. She hadn’t noticed a thing. If only those two would stop playing cat and mouse and finally do something, anything, she thought.
"Now, I know we're all excited about going to Amsterdam today, and I'm not looking at anyone in particular here," she explained as she shot a pointed look at Damiano that no one missed. "But I have one ground rule: no weed before the show. You got tomorrow off, so whatever you do after the performance tonight is none of my business. But god help you if I find you with a joint in hand any time before that."
She smiled, but Victoria had no doubts she would be deadly serious if it came to it. Y/n passed out a map of the local area, highlighting the Leidseplein in the middle of town, and in red circles were the venue, the hotel they were staying at, restaurants, and several coffeeshops, all within easy walking distance.
“Do with that what you like,” she concluded. ”As long as you do it after the show.”
***
The band had gotten to the venue straight after lunch, excitedly discussing some new covers they were thinking about playing that night. Soundcheck consisted of a number of conversations all at once, trying to figure out how to change the setlist. Damiano found himself participating less, instead, staring down at Y/n sitting in the audience. She was busy writing in her notebook, the seats next to her taken up by her bag, folders, and laptop. He knew she needed a break. They all worked extremely hard all the time, so it wasn't difficult to spot the signs of a fellow overworked person. He made it his own personal mission to get her to go out with them that night. Spend some time outside of work, see the city, anything that made her put her phone down.
As day turned to night, the concert loomed on the horizon. As soon as they hit the stage, it was clear it was going to be a good night. Amsterdam was the best kind of crazy. Going from Zitti e Buoni into Billie Eilish's Bury a Friend, the crowd went wild. Damiano noticed with amusement that Y/n was absentmindedly dancing along from her spot on the side of the stage as well. His attention had only been diverted towards her for a second, he was sure, but it was enough to suddenly feel something hit his head. Soft, red fabric.
"Was wondering when the first of those would come around," Damiano chuckled into the microphone in between songs, swinging the bra around a few times, before draping it across his mic stand.
Yet as much as the energy of the audience rubbed off on the band, all of them felt like collapsing after the show, feeling like they'd given it more than their all. A perfect chance to unwind for the night, in a way only Amsterdam really knew how. It was legal, after all.
***
“I am absolutely not getting high with you lot.”
Everyone was gathered in Y/n’s hotel room more or less uninvited. It seemed like they were dying to drag her along on what was supposed to be one of the best nights out on that tour. After getting ready, they had simply stormed in as soon as she had opened her hotel door. Now they were perched on her bed, her desk, and her armchair, trying to convince her.
“I gave you all a map to see where you could go. I, for one, would like to stay in my room, just me and my bed, and sleep till my alarm in the morning. That sounds like a brilliant time in my book.”
“Boring!” Thomas shouted, hurling a pillow from the bed at her that she quickly caught and threw back with much less force.
“If you come out with us, we’ll be ready before your wake-up call for the rest of the week!” Victoria tried to bribe.
“If you come out with us, we’ll have breakfast ready for you every day!” Y/n shot a look at Thomas, knowing fully well this was not going to happen. The idea alone made her laugh.
“If you come out with us, you can keep me company while the other three go crazy?” Ethan finally offered. She knew she was close to giving in, no matter how wrong it seemed to blur the lines between working relationship and friendship. She barely even agreed to drinks when she was on the job, and technically, she considered herself to be on the job 24/7. Yet these four had grown close to her heart so much more than anticipated.
Out of nowhere Damiano appeared next to her, slinging his arm around her shoulder. The way his fingertips brushed her neck as he did so left goosebumps. “Come on, darling, I promise I’ll take care of you.”
It turned out, that was all she had needed to hear.
***
The coffeeshop didn’t differ much from the usual pubs and bars; people stuffed in every corner, a low murmur of talk with the occasional loud laughter over the music playing in the background, tables full of glasses and bottles. Only the smoke lingering in the air, its distinct smell, and the relaxed atmosphere let on that it was a slightly different kind of place. Y/n made short work of weaseling through the crowd and securing a table at the far end of the place, just enough space to accommodate all of them, as the others went to order.
“Do you want one as well?” Damiano asked as soon as he had let himself fall onto the couch next to her, already preparing to roll a joint.
“I think I’m getting a second-hand high just sitting here. Maybe take a puff of one of yours, but I won't be able to finish one myself."
Damiano nodded, licking the inside of the blanks as he prepared his joint. Victoria came bouncing in like a tidal wave - her usual fashion - and crashing into the others already sitting down. As soon as Damiano was happy with his creation, she snatched it out of his hand, making short work of lighting it and taking a drag.
“Hey, that was mine!”
“Make another one,” she grinned, obnoxiously blowing the smoke into his face. Rolling his eyes, Damiano quickly prepared another one for himself, everyone now happy and content with their smokes, until only Y/n was left holding at a glass of water.
She preferred to observe the scene from her little advantage point in the corner like she so often did. The mellow music in the background was loud enough to underline the atmosphere but quiet enough to easily talk to everyone around you without having to shout. She liked this much better than loud bars in the evening. Most people were minding their own business, in small groups or pairs, some on their own. Victoria was quick to start chatting to a pair of girls sitting at the table next to them. She wasn’t going to lie - while not her usual spot, she didn’t exactly feel uncomfortable.
A hand appeared in front of her face, seemingly out of nowhere, and it took her a second to realise it was Damiano, trying to pass her his joint. She hesitated - still not convinced whether she should be smoking at all, but one look into his eyes only proved to her that she was weak to his suggestions. Parting her lips ever so slightly, she let him push the blunt between them, his fingertips grazing her. She took a drag, careful not to breathe in too much too quickly, before releasing the joint. Damiano pulled it back towards himself immediately, putting it back between his own lips, and she felt hypnotised. The moment came to an abrupt end when a cough took hold of her.
“Easy, easy,” Ethan soothed from the other side, his hand on her upper back. “Breathe.”
Everyone around the table seemed to be looking at her now, but she quickly got her composure back, holding up her hands in a gesture that was meant to signal she was fine.
“Fuck,” Y/n choked, taking a drink from her glass to wet her throat. “This is why I don’t smoke.”
“Wrong,” Thomas threw in. “This is because you don’t smoke!”
Y/n shook her head, giggling at the guitarist and the know-it-all look in his eyes.
“Up to try again?” Damiano whispered in her ear as the attention had finally ceased to be on her. She found herself staring into his eyes once again, a fluttery feeling erupting in her stomach at having him watch her so intently, at being able to capture his attention so easily.
The look on his face was enough to get her to try again. And again. And again.
She couldn’t tell how much time had passed, but for once, she genuinely didn’t care. The people around them had changed, old ones leaving, new ones arriving, but the music stayed the same. She wasn’t quite sure what the joke Thomas was telling them was about, but she found herself giggling along nonetheless. This was the best she had felt in forever.
Unaware of what she was doing, she leaned back, finding Damiano’s arms carefully wrapping around her, holding her softly. To her own surprise, she was sinking into him.
“Having fun?” He asked in a voice so low she barely heard it. A voice so soft it made her heart melt. She nodded, slightly twisting around in his embrace to look at him again. She couldn’t get enough of his face. She’d stay and study it for all of eternity if he let her.
"Have you ever seen brown zircon?” She suddenly asked out of nowhere. “It's a gemstone that looks like they made sparkly salted caramel bonbons from rock. They mine it in Tanzania, I think? Your eyes sparkle just like that." She grinned at the man beside her. "I can attest to that from this angle at least. It’s like the one scene in Aladdin! 'She's got these eyes, and this hair and…’ Ah oh god, what am I doing?" She couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous she was being. She found her face resting on his shoulder, completely content. His eyes never wavered from her face, listening closely to what she had to say.
Then Y/n watched her hand brush Damiano’s hair to the front, attempting to style it in a slightly different way. “Did you mean to look like Eren Yeager or was that some sort of subconscious coincidence? Not that it doesn’t look good, of course.”
“You watch Attack on Titan?” Dami looked down at her with surprise.
“No I don’t, but my friends do. So you learn the names of the people they yell at through the TV screen very quickly,” she laughed, remembering the way her friends would huddle in the living room, shouting at whatever the characters were doing wrong in their opinion.
“The more I get to know you, the more I’m convinced you’re my kinda woman, you know?” he mumbled, a smile grazing his lips. The more she looked at him, the more she felt her brain shutting off and her heart taking over. Or was it the high? She wasn’t interested in trying to differentiate.
Once again, he pushed the joint between her lips, holding the eye contact and it felt so much more intimate than it should have. It felt like her nerves were on fire. When he pulled his hand back again, she wanted to grab onto it, keep him in place, keep the moment.
I could stay in this forever, Y/n thought to herself.
"Also, I'm not religious by any means, but whatever God was responsible for creating you sure took their sweet time doing it…" The words spilled from her mouth before she realized she was talking, eyes flicking back and forth between his. "You know?"
She caught herself looking at his lips. A small blush grew on her face as she looked away. Staring out into the room, out at the people sitting next to them at other tables. Something distracting to take the rising heat off.
***
Damiano could feel his defenses wearing away. All ideas of staying away completely vanished into the smoke that lulled them in as he was holding her in his arms, her back leaning against his chest. He could feel her breathing, giggling at nothing at all, or maybe something Victoria had said but he hadn’t heard.
“If anyone’s been made by the angels, it’s you, amore,” he mumbled more to himself than anything, but she had heard him. Another chuckle running through her body. The atmosphere was fogging up his brain. He watched in amusement as he let a finger run up her arms, from her wrist to her upper arm where the fabric of her shirt began, and goosebumps appeared as if standing tall in a row. He tried it again on the other arm, getting the same result.
“What are you doing?”
She was turning around in his arms, just enough to look at him without removing herself from his embrace. He wondered if it was the dim light or if she was always this radiant. His hands travelled to the elastic that was holding her hair together and carefully removed it, eyes on her. Her hair fell around her face, framing it beautifully in its typically wild manner.
“I…” Her eyes seemed to twinkle as the light of the bar reflected back at him through them. “I don’t know.”
He looked away, suddenly insecure. What was he doing? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he couldn’t keep his hands off her, now less than ever. He wanted her. Wanted her all to himself. Wanted to keep holding her like this forever. There was no denying that.
“You’re sweet.”
Her voice took a second to get through to him, but as it did, he turned his head as if in slow motion. All he had wanted to do was look at her again, but that wasn’t what happened. Instead, her lips were on his.
***
All Y/n had done was lean forward to press a kiss against his cheek. Now their lips were meeting and she didn’t know how she had gotten there. She wanted to pull back - no, actually she didn’t. But she thought she should. Though the spirit was willin - to pull away, that was -, the flesh was weak. Delving deeper into his arms, she found herself kissing him like she meant it. Her hands found his chest, feeling the rising heat from his skin. Being closer to him than ever before was driving her crazy. His soft, warm lips against hers. Just the tiniest movements, as if he was afraid of breaking her. She let herself enjoy it. For a moment. That was all her brain allowed before switching back to the rational part. She pulled back in surprise.
She moved out of his embrace, stiffening at the contact. All of the twinkling lights of romance that had just appeared around them now popped as the kiss ended.
I just kissed my boss. I just fucking went and kissed Damiano! I am so, so fucked.
Yet, she couldn't deny that she wanted to kiss him again. And again, and again until they ran out of air to breathe. She looked back at him and the expression on his face said it all. His lids lowered, a small smile appearing on his face. Eyes twinkling in the soft light. He hadn’t wanted the kiss to end either. Either that or the weed was affecting him more than she had thought.
But as cold air started to seep in between them he blinked a couple of times, only now noticing that she had pulled away.
"Sorry - about that. I was trying to- I wasn't trying to kiss you. Well, I was - but not on the mouth. That would have been very forward of me. I would never. That's not me. I don't know how that happened - sorry." Y/n rambled on, unable to stop talking.
Damiano smirked, pecking her cheek. "Y/n, it's fine, you're fine. I turned my head and we kissed. It happens." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. As if this was some sort of common occurrence. As if she was panicking for nothing. Was she?
***
Damiano desperately tried to hide the turmoil inside of him. It happens?! Damiano, what the hell are you thinking! Not the right thing to say in this situation! Now it just looks like you’d kiss anyone, great. He looked down at his hands, fumbling with his rings. Trying to get his breathing back under control. He needed to be cool.
"I mean - not that I didn't enjoy it. You kiss good!"
You kiss good? What the? That wasn’t even English. He was well and truly losing his mind.
***
Y/n took a deep breath, sitting back in her seat, making sure not to be as close to Damiano as she had been before. Victoria and Thomas had migrated to get more drinks and Ethan was deeply entrenched in some conversation with a man next to him. Luckily the rest of the band hadn't seen what just happened. Grabbing her glass once more, the cold wet condensation gave a stark contrast to her warm skin.
The kiss still left a tingly feeling on her lips. Quickly looking at Damiano, she met his eyes. He had not looked away yet, it seemed. She watched as he bit his lip in contemplation. Whatever was playing on his mind, Y/n didn't know. His words left her believing he wasn’t quite as put together as he tried to pretend. He certainly wasn’t making much sense. Although, she wouldn’t dismiss his compliment of her kissing abilities. She wondered if he would think similarly if they did it again, or did more than that…
Her wandering thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a loud crash. The culprit was quickly spotted. The middle of the coffeeshop, which had been empty of people until then, now had Thomas lying on his front, surrounded by liquid and broken glass.
Y/n didn’t hesitate, jumping up to offer her aid. The worry only lasted for a second though, until Thomas turned on his back, giggling maniacally. She barely managed to kick some shards out of the way before he could roll onto them.
She let out a deep sigh at the state of the guitarist, before quickly apologizing to the people at the bar.
“Everyone help me grab Thomas, I think this is our sign to call it a night.”
***
Y/n thought she’d have an easy time going to sleep. The effects of the joint were lingering, plus, the day had just been plain exhausting. Yet, as her head hit the pillow, she felt restless. Her mind kept circling around Damiano. The way he had looked at her. The way he had looked in general. She had seen him basically naked at this point, but she still thought about how it would be different up close and personal. She wished she had been able to read his eyes more. Had he been thinking about the same things she had? Had he wanted to kiss her again and again, get lost in that bubbling excitement of finally being close, finally let his hands wander to new places? She wanted to pull his hair. See what kind of sound would leave his mouth when doing so.
She wanted his hands and his lips, all of him really, badly. She wanted to know what he felt like when he really kissed her. What his fingers would be able to do to her. Biting and moaning. She desperately needed some release, wishing it would come from him, but knowing there was no chance, at least not tonight. Her hand wandered between her legs as she let her mind run wild. Imagining it was him instead, letting his fingers run along the inside of her thighs, exploring every inch of her. How he would treat her just right, hit all the right spots, do so much better than her own fingers ever could. The words he’d whisper in her ear, seducing her with his mother tongue, breath fanning her skin. How he would kiss her senseless. Feeling the rhythm of their bodies take over. Watch his tattoos start to glisten with a sheen of sweat from what they would be doing.
She found her release almost embarrassingly quickly, burying her face in her pillow. Her body felt more at ease, although her heart was still craving something more. She had almost calmed down, getting her breathing back under control. In a moment of clarity, she checked her phone to see when she had to wake up the next day, when the sound of a moan caught her attention. One that definitely wasn’t her own, but seemed to come from the room next door.
Damiano’s room.
#maneskin fiction#damiano david imagine#damiano david x you#damiano david x reader#damiano david fiction#maneskin imagine#maneskin x you#maneskin x reader#quiet music#bethanysnow#mywriting
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♡ måneskin scenario: getting to know ethan
↳ NOTE. by popular demand and because i’m entirely enthralled by the phenomenon that is ethan torchio myself, here we go givin’ the gorgeous drummer some love.
word count. 5.5k
TAGS. no warnings all fluff, fem!oc, slice of life, photographer!reader, first date-ish, shy flirting, ot4 is part of the plot, ethan being sexy in heels
Jacob had enough of that twilight bullshit and joined a glam rock band. At least that’s what you thought seeing Ethan around for the first time. Setting up the kit, carrying his whiny band members around, fixing his ruffle shirt, chugging some water: Big gig tonight, extra long setlist. Five minutes later, complaining about his brocade shoes being hard to kick the bass drum with. Even later, silently nodding along to an impassioned Damiano speech crafted to boost the morale, and posing for your camera in his silver jumpsuit. Friendly to approach all the way, but without initiating stable eye contact even once.
One thing’s for sure. As your favorite professor said back at university: Someone may be photogenic and unearthly as hell in terms of looks, and even be intimidating — but also so damn shy, you won’t see their eyes a single time. „Gotta work with it and not against. Then it gets interesting“. In essence, the takeaway from that course. Which does come in handy now. Ethan seems like the kind of guy you really have to get into for a more intimate-feeling picture.
Sure, many people in front of your camera have all kinds of introverted personalities anyway, wearing sunglasses in particular. So much about eye contact in the first place. And the aesthetic is priority, not studying character. Although you really are a fan of that, it’s a huge part of photography if anything. Alas, you’re here to „capture nothing more but the spirit of italo-rock, the attitude, the hedonism!“ (the exact words of your boss) for a music magazine after all. Really, nothing more? You paid attention to how he worded it. Fair enough. Rock spirit, that’s all, the exciting parts.
Ethan surely has it. Drumming on everything he can find during rehearsal breaks („music is everywhere“) with his sticks, even Thomas’ amplifier. He’s actually dorkier than you thought, less composed when he’s in his element. First impressions do deceive. The hair’s hard to miss, too. It’s the central motif that attracts you. You may or may not have taken over 50 shots of it just because. Ethan is a bad bitch and he better know. You climb around the venue to get any salient angle of Måneskin you can think of. Even from all the way back, last row. You don’t want to annoy them being all up in their face constantly. You’re hired to get all the good shots, they’ve been a band for seven years already, professionals in the making. Doesn’t mean you have to stand below the edge of the stage and never change position.
Even from back there, the silver reflects beautifully at the back of the stage. The fashion’s all designer and it shows, but Ethan couldn’t look bad in any of the shots even if he tried or wore the plainest black suit (hell, that would be just as beautiful in fact). Just how long is that hair anyway. All the way down to the solar plexus, must be 24 inches or more. 25, even. Many rockers would wear it that way, but Ethan seems particularly interesting with how he touches it, how he behaves with it. There we go again with the character study, you can’t help wondering.
But really. It’s any photographer’s dream when someone moves their hair around so damn naturally. Gives a great variety to how it frames and shades the face. You like to play with light all the time. And hey, why ask for eye contact when he does even better posing in other ways. The body, too, Ethan’s posture is great. Victoria and Thomas often bend to really get into their power chords, Damiano frequently hunches forward for a belt. But Ethan’s throned at his kit like some royals taught him to be a good boy. Back straighter than a pole, how the hell.
No glance in your direction still, even if you return from your last row spot to move around on stage with the camera. Which gives the band a motivation boost and chances to try out gestures up close, too, so even better. Hey, maybe it doesn’t annoy them. You can actually get used to it, this way of photographing them is all dynamic. Nearing the end of the first rehearsal, you’re all busy maneuvering between Thomas and Damiano to get a nice semi-profile from Ethan’s left side. Gotta work with it not against, you chant to yourself as a mantra, and it seems easier to stick to than you thought.
How glossy all that hair is commands all the attention of your shutter release in and of itself. That he takes good care of it and has been growing it since forever shows a dedicated guy. It’s actually quite wavy. The band arrived in the pouring rain and Ethan’s curly strands at the crown and nape of the head were definitely showing — super cute. An army of stylists took on the resulting humidity frizz. They whipped out the straightening iron and protective spray, and even now before the big performance, Ethan brushes his hair out in front of you, and sweeps it around with his fingers anyway. You take pictures of the bits you find most candid, and decide to rather perfect single shots instead of making several in a row. The more you photograph him, the more you want to discover his essence in one picture. His sheer presence almost begs for it, it’s ridiculous.
Victoria on the other hand has no problems with rapid-fire releases and comes close to your lens to pull funny faces. She’s got some of the coolest poses you’ve ever seen with her bass, and hops around the stage like a bunny to the beat. Thomas is a virtuoso and pro who keeps on doing what he does when you make him pose, and Damiano can flirt with any camera ever. He even lowers his red leather jacket off his collar bones for you to have a great shot. He’s promising and most definitely a born divo, your boss will be happy with those pictures most definitely.
Then again. Behind that supposed hedonism is so much hard work and thought. Damiano even gives you ideas for angles during the second rehearsal. „Hm, maybe stand on the amplifier?“ Eagle perspective, not a bad idea at all. After trying out said suggestions with the help of triggered stage security making sure you don’t fall off the construction („eh, Damiano always suggests the most reckless things to staff, don’t mind him“), you find yourself concentrating on what goes on at the back of the stage all over again.
Ethan is busy practicing a new solo which has you curious about whether it’s for an upcoming album. Though again — the shoes cause trouble. Ethan complains again, the music stops. That could very well be the reason why he seems so preoccupied today, or is it? The manager tells the stylist, and the stylist hurries, voilà, Ethan has a new pair of shoes brought in. Ones with a thicker sole, bit of a chunky heel, and laced up rather than being slippers, a drummer’s worst nightmare as you have learned today.
You wait until he changed. Then snap some more pictures how he continues practicing calmly, and the sound did improve since he can kick the bass drum better now. Now you position yourself across the stage all over, in the empty audience ranks. Ethan is the most radiant and confident when you just take a step back. But well, he still sweeps his hair around a whole lot and looks even more tense-looking than Damiano who’s doing vocal warmups and jumping jacks, „Come on guys, come on, we’re starting in 30 minutes!“.
You can tell he does it more often when he’s nervous. And that means he does it very often. People would probably assume it’s vanity, or the fact that the hair gets in the way. You can see that for him it’s a place of distraction, maybe safety. A gesture like an anchor. He’s used to it being long just like his eye shadow being dark and smoky all day. He knows the drums by heart, if it falls in his face no need to shake it away. And besides. The strands reach below his shoulder blades, it stays down his back if he doesn’t move around too much. He could easily tie it up as well. All those things go through your mind without you even knowing why.
To switch things up a little, you photograph Thomas fooling around with Victoria at the snack bar, stuffing fries up their noses, and already see the lighting technicians do their final check. Some of them you know briefly, you made shots at this venue before, last year for a Shakespeare theatre play. You did some freelance work in the scene, but now you’re put to the test for more involved jobs. Hard to complain though, Måneskin are amazing in front of the camera. If Damiano is not the ideal Hamlet, you don’t know anymore.
Something new happens all the time, the expressions are priceless. Ethan’s in particular, when he does his wide-eyed surprise faces learning that there’s actually healthy food at the snack bar. „Vitamins, how nice.“ — Thomas, pokerfaced, reacts with eating a mayonnaise-dripping sandwich. Ethan, unfazed. Headed straight to the fruits. You’ve never seen a tall silver glitter tower like him walking around biting a bright red apple. Well, you can take Jacob out of twilight, but not the twilight out of Jacob. Snap, another picture. Clash of words, that’s a nice theme.
The concert of this evening seems particularly energetic and leaves your camera roll with some brilliant, tweet-worthy material. Damiano covered in confetti, eyeliner running. Victoria on the shoulders of Ethan while he’s playing her bass. Thomas, stagediving. Fans waving banners and chanting along to Seven Nation Army. Your ears are ringing when the light technicians close down the stage two hours later. Thomas really played his soul out with the solos, and your feet seem to vibrate. That’s your body thinking Victoria’s bass is still playing, but the magazine is very happy with how the pictures turned out after you send the whole batch to them as soon as you can.
Little to no retouching, zooming, or cropping necessary. Ethan is just perfect as he is, you feel like you captured him well. After swiping through the gallery on your tablet, you think Victoria has some great ant’s eye perspective shots as well. Those go right on your own blog, she’s just amazing. The magazine has an enthusiastic article typed out already. Damiano’s mid-air split on beat for the final song makes the cover story on Monday, and Måneskin’s manager comes back to you a week later. „What would you think about doing some behind the scenes stuff for us? We’re planning a music video!“
And that’s how you end up in a Sicilian restaurant with Måneskin and crew a week later, stuffed with Calzone and mind filled with Damiano’s inspiring words (and the occasional catchy freestyle rap). The MV is as good as finished. Thomas had shown you around the mansion they were shooting at, and you could convince a taciturn Ethan to walk between the marble statues and boxwood trees in the garden. With his black cape on, a rhinestone choker, and the low-cut lacey blouse that the MV director was obsessed with as well, asking you to focus on it. Your best shot even ends up in the thumbnail of the Youtube video without you even expecting it would.
All the garden pictures turned out mindblowing. If not iconic, the best project you had so far. Gets to show you the best things are often improvised. Ethan, stoic as always, sat at the base of armor-clad Emperor Augustus twisting into the blue sky in a large gesture. The marble was a perfect contrast. Ethan ate a ripe pear from a tree, even that was aesthetically pleasing, then leaned against a hunting Apollo, and you also framed him from the back next to Aphrodite and Cesar. He put on his sunglasses underneath Achilles, and knelt at the feet of a Pietà replica. Marvelous panorama shots, with him the shining center. Well, we know since Queen that the drummer is the unrealistically pretty one.
The whole picture series is blowing up on your blog for the whole afternoon. „Count Dracula on a stroll in Versailles — eugh, begone sunlight!“ is what a comment neatly sums it up as. People seem to especially like the shot where Ethan playfully put his cape over Pallas Athena’s spear with a blurry Thomas having a laughing fit in the background. Well, even Count Drac gets photobombed sometimes. Your phone buzzes with notifications every other minute, you do notice it against your thigh. But the insalata of the restaurant is good and the night is young. Victoria and the manager tell old stories of Thomas snapping a guitar string while he was trying to serenade a highschool crush. Ethan scolds them for making fun of it.
Damiano gets drunk and dances on the table, the MV director discusses new ideas, some walk-in fans take pictures. The temperature is still unbearable. You order a dessert to share with Victoria and Ethan. A large tiramisu that the waiter cuts in three pieces, and it’s truly delectable. The chocolate, so crunchy, melty. The cream, fluffy and cool, making for a funny white beard that makes Ethan look like an arctic scientist returning from an expedition.
Of course, you take pictures, all the food is documented. As are late night restaurant shots with Damiano’s heels peaking into the frame when you photograph the band’s friendship bracelets, hand-made by Victoria on a tour bus last year. Damiano’s back down on the table soon, singing, while Ethan creates a beat with two forks. Thomas also agrees to take your camera for a while so you’d be in the frame for a change, too.
You pose for a group picture, or rather a group hug, and being in the middle …Ethan’s arm wraps around your shoulder loosely, hair dangling into his face, but also brushing yours. He focuses on the camera, facing away from you. The schooled eye could catch you breaking a sweat in the resulting photo. Ironically, the tiramisu doesn’t cool you down the way you thought. Thomas is too busy trying to figure out your camera dials and yelling „hey eyebrow king, smile!“ at Ethan.
A round of even more gelato goes down in spoons and spoons. The band members eat like they ran a marathon. Ethan clinches a third round because he can, unhealthy be damned, he needs some sugar and refreshment. And it’s true the MV shooting was strenuous in the heat, and had lots of intense performing parts. Even an invisible rope suspension were Thomas would descend from a ceiling during the chorus with little cherub wings attached to his back because why not. If the manager agreed to recreate this on tour some day, the pictures would be amazing.
You can’t help but think what kind of special effect would suit Ethan the most, and you come to the conclusion that a bridge lift would be the coolest thing ever. A rising part of the stage letting him emerge like an elevator from the underground. Maybe using smoke machines, too. The idea twirls around in your mind so intensely, Damiano asks if you’re wasted. You’re always getting carried away with all kinds of fantasies like that for over a week now. A dreamy photographer? Not unusual, but it’s seriously distracting you from the present moment.
The crew slowly heads home, and the band decides (translation: Victoria’s mood is) to head to the movies. Just when the waiter arrives with the bill, Damiano spills panna cotta all over Ethan by accident. So bad he’s all sticky from the shoulders down, making Ethan opt for the hotel instead. Besides, he’s been drumming his soul out, sleep is so needed now. Since the group is already gone and there’s still a forgotten cymbal left to carry back to the equipment bus by the hotel, you help Ethan maneuver it around. The heat is making either of you sweat, even with the full dark of the night coming up.
The gaffer lady you’re sharing a hotel room with is already fast asleep. Damn it. You want to cut a video and make screenshots with the laptop being decently bright. And with some volume if possible, you don’t find headphones in the darkness of the room. Ethan clears the desk in his own room for you after removing his make-up. He looks so young and beautiful and tired.
You type and drag and double click yourself through the video and do some last blog updates to deal with all the notifications. Ethan lends you some headphones, but you only keep them on one ear. The humming is too nice to ignore. Nor do you know what to even expect. The bathroom door is open, Ethan is topless washing the lace blouse by hand. Only wearing bellbottom pants and his lace choker — nothing else. He’s fully immersed in his task. He even adds some other shirts and silk scarves into the soap water along the way while he’s at it.
You’ve never seen someone do their own laundry so systematically. Ethan looks like Prince Caspian at the sink, wielding the almond soap bar like his weapon of choice against the enemies of Narnia (the devious panna cotta that’s still sticking to everything). He might be all mysterious, but he’s well able to curse all kinds of things. You tease Ethan for dropping his gentlemanly behavior for a stain of dessert. Ethan insists you sound like Thomas trying to test him with his slick comebacks, which makes you laugh. The blog has calmed down a little and your eyes hurt from editing, so you call it a day and send one last e-mail.
Ethan is drowning in bubbles at this point. The whole room smells like fabric softener. He thanks you for helping him carry around the equipment earlier. In return, you say grazie for him being your perfect muse in the garden today. Philosopher he is, Ethan remarks how Måneskin is usually the one searching for muses, now he ended up one himself — „Maybe not a bad thing, eh. Become the thing you want or something.“ That’s way too deep for a summer night in Sicily, and both of you need a huge portion of sleep. Tomorrow, lots of schedule. You do find yourself wanting to help lick that dessert off his chest. No way you’d tell him.
Ethan waddles off to shower after a crooked, reserved smile for a good night departure. When you close the door to your room and start brushing your teeth, the other members’ voices emerge in the hotel corridor — they’ve returned from the movies. Damiano is even more wasted than before and audibly sings. „You’ve looked at the photographer lady in a certain way earlier, huh. I saw, I saw!“ Victoria does a loud ‚shh‘ noise, and the stoic reply is a simple „Sleep, Damiano, you’ve had too much.“ Thomas giggles, and four doors click shut. Damiano’s singing is now muffled for two minutes until it’s silent. How the fuck can you even sleep after hearing that.
You assumed that Ethan would treat you differently the next morning, in whatever shape or form. But he doesn’t. The greeting is short as it would always be, and he informs you that he did manage to wash out the sugary clay from his clothes as he puts it. Damiano says nothing, adjusts his rings. Thomas randomly pulls zippers at his packed-up equipment. Victoria headed to the car already. Downtown to a studio it goes. The group gets styled to perfection, twenty minutes later they make a reaction video to the newly released MV teaser. Ethan talks about enjoying the sculptures in the garden.
Three hours down the line, you shoot some promotional pictures of them at a pool. Thomas has the time of his life perfecting his diving board skills, and Damiano creates the musical background, singing and prancing. The aerials would make literal perfect editorial-in-VOGUE material. In the meantime, Victoria dozes in the sun. Ethan dives. Sometimes just sitting at the bottom of the pool, othertimes swimming back and forth. The art director suggests you to go into the water, too. He’s right, the perspective works out well this way.
You’re basically standing in there with your flowy pantalon pants and camisole, using a waterproof camera. Your bikini is back at the hotel. It doesn’t matter, everything will dry quickly, the others went in the pool with clothes as well. And you’re all too wrapped up in your passion in the first place. You marvel at how fun the whole scenery looks through your lens. Their outfits are cropped and luminous, today’s color is bright red. You order the lighting assistant back and forth, get some more great Thomas frames where he tosses around a volleyball that the manager brought along. Less rock than usual, but it works. Måneskin at a pool in Sicily.
Damiano splashes water around like crazy. Victoria joins the fun as well, splashing right back. It’s infernal. Well, those are going to be dynamic pictures, you think, and the cameraman never dies, so. Ethan resurfaces every other minute, wiping the chlorine from his eyes. He slicks his hair back with both hands, looking down his body learning how his shirt has become completely transparent. He covers his chest with his hair, quickly, then submerges again. It’s strange. Being topless is usually no big deal in Måneskin.
Almost 12 o’clock. Thomas and Damiano wander off to work on some lyrics, probably the title that the drum solo is part of. All top secret. Victoria returns to her sun lounger, checking her phone. The crew heads for lunch, but you stay in the water, gladly you put sunscreen on earlier. You ask Ethan to try some seated or floating poses at the bottom of the pool that you saw him practice earlier. „No worries, keep your eyes closed.“
What unfolds before you is the most beautiful thing. Ethan’s shirt fans out like a red jellyfish underwater, playing around his body. His figure is just enviable. He gets the hang of it and knows quite how to move. Or rather, to remain stable when the pose is perfect. Hands above his head, horizontal, or seated, only one foot lightly sweeping over the pool floor, or on one knee, as if he proposed.
Raising his arms helps him sink down and settle, as if he immersed himself in deep meditation. Although the purpose of meditating is to be present, isn’t it. And that’s what he feels like. Ethan would normally switch on autopilot for most of his public interactions, now he’s alive and fully in the concentrated movements of the photoshoot. So much about improvising all over again. The hair creates the most incredible shapes like a black, wide brushstroke, clearly outlined. Thank god you have the waterproof camera. These are moments you’ll never forget.
Your blog notifications keep on bleeping throughout the afternoon. The promotional pictures are a hit. Måneskin’s manager is basically waving five new contracts in front of your face at dinner, but you’re kind of spaced out again. The cozy, rose-ranked atmosphere of the street café you went to is inspiring, and the members dressed up in the most fancy suitwear. Men in Black? Måneskin in Black. It’s almost as if fate read your mind. Ethan is looking at you very intently from across the table when the minestrone is served.
Pasta shells, parsley, vegetables and basil leaves. The scent surrounds the entire table. Damiano, in serious mode tonight, is too busy finding new rhymes and an alternative chorus with Thomas who wildly brainstorms. Victoria drinks, loudly chats with the gaffer lady that you share a room with, and they use a leaf of a palm tree pot plant to tickle Damiano. Thomas plays the acoustic guitar. Ethan and you end up smiling briefly at another. „Bon apetit,“ you say. It’s almost 34° celsius. That’s going to be an entire pile of cheesecake gelato tonight.
Five signed contracts later and halfway through a hefty caprese cake, the title song is finished. An ode to Marlena, fierce like the Mediterranean sea. The piece certainly sounds exactly like this place. Strangers listen to Damiano performing bits and pieces, but you decide to disperse when too many cellphones come out. Damiano wants to go to a bar, Thomas and Victoria carry home their guitars, or to the hotel to be exact, and bags of newly shopped vintage clothes. You ask Ethan if there are any cinemas around the area. „We missed out last time, remember.“
The Palazzo Theater is a small and hidden insider tip far from the main street with its busy beach tourists. Under bulbous metal balconies and peach-colored facades, a small entrance with lanterns on each side guides you inward. Ethan almost hits his head, it’s so low. He’s wearing glossy red bottoms under his suit pants, you’re out and about with a 6’2 giant after all — a statue by himself. A small man with a pipe sells you cheap tickets for a Mads Mikkelsen movie and lemonade, Ethan picks up an XXXL caramel popcorn bucket. You think he’s flexing, but you get a sudden heureka by looking at it twice.
Unlike the S, M, and L bags, it’s thick cardboard and drum-shaped. Oh my god, obviously. Which fine percussionist could ever resist such temptation striped in red and white, the sound deep and dull? It makes you smile how Ethan pursues his instrument even when he seemingly doesn’t, it really has to be a hobby at heart. That’s how a job becomes a profession, and a profession a vocation, your uni professor’s other favorite words all over again. The latter’s words have gotten you far so you again trust the insight that came to you through that quote.
Seeing Ethan standing there, you can almost see the childlike joy at imagining it being empty and ready to get turned around. A tuxedo Italian with Louboutin heels and a ginormous popcorn drum, half past eleven somewhere in Palermo: Ingenious combination, you snap a picture. Ethan makes a cute face, posing like a pinup of the 50s. Who knows how many vintage store posters he’s seen during tours, he must have picked it up there. And— Is he blushing? Must be the dim lights in here.
Off you go to the auditorium. Ethan, who balance the popcorn with all care in the world like it’s his baby, walks the aisle slower than you. The slim steps don’t have any floor lighting. Not very heel-friendly, but since it’s not a huge budget theater and few people dare spike heels on those cobblestones outside anyway, the stairs shall be forgiven. You take out your phone and offer your arm. For every gentleman it takes a gentlewoman, duh. Like rock’n’roll and the camera staff, chivalry (or shevalry as Damiano calls it when Vic holds the door open) never dies. He mumbles a thanks, you climb upward to the fourth-last row, Ethan holds on tight.
No ankles twisted and not one popcorn spilled, you get seated on red velvet. The chairs are dated, but nevertheless ultra comfortable. Nobody else is here. The adverts roll, Ethan cracks open the lemonade bottle caps with his chunky golden lighter because he can. You toast to Mads Mikkelsen’s bone structure and good minestrone, Måneskin’s finished title track, the promo pics, and the discovery of Ethan’s favorite new drum. A whopping five things to toast about? The night’s going to be great.
Damiano catwalking across the screen, wearing a Versace skirt in the middle of otherwise-boring commercials does shake you up. He was picked as a testimonial recently. Though, your pulse is high enough. Ethan’s hair is brushing against your shoulders, not to mention his goddamn massive arms. He can’t get out a single word either for the entirety of the ads, avoiding eye contact all over again. Just how much suspense can starting to eat the first popcorn have. Well, you pick two from the very top and start munching.
Mads does a great job opening the movie as one would expect, but you just can’t concentrate. Instead, you stress-eat popcorn. Which makes Ethan do the same thing, at least he’s somewhat fixated on the screen. After the first ten minutes, he shakes his head. „That makes no sense at all,“ he clears his throat. „Yeah, yeah it clearly doesn’t,“ you agree, basically on Torchio-autopilot yourself for the lack of a better reply. You were too busy figuring out the components of his aftershave rather than the thin plot. Shifting in your seat, chugging lemonade…
The air conditioning is scarce, but at least the screen is quite large and proper. You try to focus on the cinematography and do small talk about it. If there’s something you can comment on without having followed the string of action, it’s at least this. You might be nervous, but you’re still a photographer. „Um, isn’t this chainmail nice in the closeup?“ — „Hm, I guess it works. We should ask Damiano to request something like this from Versace.“ — „Medieval Måneskin Rockers?“ — „Something like that.“ — „Hilarious.“
By the twenty-minute mark, the popcorn drum is almost empty. Gladly, that stuff just shrinks to bits in the stomach. The lemonade just has to galvanize it. You might be able to distract yourself with the camera shots and the last caramel chunks, but that doesn’t change Ethan’s long legs and Acqua di Parma perfume next to you. Yep, you finally figured out what it was, it wasn’t the aftershave. And well. Ethan smells like hotel soap from Milano to Napoli and back.
That scent basically dominates all the others besides a hint of cigar and basil and citrus-y deodorant mixed with runny sweat. God fuck, you can barely stand it. And the almond scent. You take a chance to at least jokingly point it out to him. The random movie flashback sequence is boring — and just as nonsensical as before, no offense to Mads though, he’s just walking around in chain mail — enough to deviate from whatever choppy convo you had going on before.
„I actually washed it twice,“ Ethan pulls off the silky scarf that functions as his current tie, and you recognize it. „The strawberry sauce was hard, but the cranberries… God no, I’ll never go near pana cotta again. Nothing against cream desserts.“ You take the scarf, smell it. Did he literally just hand it to you? Figures, he’s sweating bullets, too. And oh shit, he hasn’t talked that much all evening.
You slowly shift from bodies turned to the screen to facing each other. So up close, so up front, only God can help you know. His eyes are dark and reflective of the film’s flickering lights and changing scenes. You wish you could photograph them on sight. It would be as glimmering as your view from the hotel room, overwatching the unobstructed stars of the Mediterranean bay down the boulevard.
But it’s like you’re stuck in your position this way, feverishly thinking about a reply. What to pick up on, what to pick up on. You think about today, the evening where you edited things in his room. „Uh well, drop your laundry in the pool next time,“ you laugh, more than tentative, with your fingers randomly curling around the scarf. „The chlorine stuff will do the job for you. It’s so aggressive, it bleached by pants one shade lighter.“
Saved. Smooth transaction. Phew. „Oh, the pool was horrible. Not the photos, I mean… I don’t know how you can poison water that way.“ — „I know right? It’s still in my nose. But yeah, was a good idea with the underwater thing. The photos turned out really well.“ — „I really haven’t done something like that before but I guess it turned out hm, nice?“ — „Come on! Nice is understated. Are you fishing for compliments?“ — „No no, by all means!“ — „The one kneeling. It’s my favorite. I don’t even know what to do with all these pictures.“
„I don’t know. Maybe keep them?“ — „Keep… for what?“ — „It’s a separate series, right. The art director didn’t request it. Maybe they can be used for something later on during promotions.“ — „Yeah. We’re always a little extracurricular,“ you laugh again, tense in your voice, and empty your lemonade completely. „This, too,“ Ethan points at the theatre in general. „You’re good to talk to. The better version of alone time.“ — „Thank you. You’re great to go out with. I… really like it.“ Beautiful nature scenes show on screen, but they’re nothing but a blur. You take Ethan’s hands in the dark and smile. „Maybe we should do it more often.“
masterlist | bookmark/read it on ao3
© submissive-bangtan 2017-2021. all rights reserved. do not repost or translate. all depictions fictional.
#maneskin#ethan torchio#ethan torchio x reader#maneskin fanfic#maneskin scenario#måneskin#maneskin fluff#maneskin x reader#maneskin fanfiction#ethan x reader#ethan torchio fluff#ethan torchio fanfic
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that makes it all feel complicated ~ machine gun kelly
word count: 1423
request?: yes!
“Colson baker x female reader. The reader and colson have been dating for awhile and one day colson takes her to meet Pete but when colson introduces her to Pete her and Pete are acting like they’ve known each other for years when colson asks how they know each other they and they both reveal that they dated, later on while hanging out with Pete the reader notices how colson is looking at Pete and he reveals that he’s jealous but she reassures him that she only has eyes for him. She’s a comedian.”
description: in which he finds out his best friend is his girl’s ex, and he starts to feel a little jealous of their connection
pairing: machine gun kelly x female!reader
warnings: swearing
masterlist (one, two)
The excitement building up to Colson’s SNL performance was coursing through everyone’s veins, including yours. Colson was practically skipping to his dressing room before his soundcheck. You giggled as you followed him. You had never seen him so excited for a performance before.
Before he reached his dressing room, he exclaimed and bounded into the arms of one of the cast members. As you got closer, you recognized the face of Colson’s best friend, Pete Davidson.
“Man, it’s about time you’re on the show,” Pete said once his embrace with Colson ended. “I’ve been trying to get you on here since the album dropped.”
“Dude, this has been my dream for years. I can’t believe it’s finally happening.” Suddenly remembering your presence, Colson turned to you. “Oh, Pete, this is my girlfriend, (Y/N). Babe, this is Pete.”
You tried to hide your knowing smile as Colson introduced the two of you, but it was nearly impossible when Pete was already chucking at the irony of the situation.
“Hey Pete,” you said.
“Hey (Y/N). Good to see you.”
Colson looked between the two of you. “You two know each other?”
You gave him a confused look before realization crossed your face. Pete mirrored your confused look as he looked between the two of you. “You...you don’t know.”
Before either of them could say anything else, you quickly said, “Pete and I used to date. Like forever ago, way before you and I got together.”
Colson’s eyes got so wide you were sure they’d pop out of his head. Pete’s face got red with embarrassment, realizing he had dropped the ball on the situation. You took Colson’s hand and dragged him into the dressing room, politely excusing yourself from Pete. Colson seemed to be in a daze as you closed the door behind you. Every ounce of excitement seemed to melt away and you immediately felt bad.
“You never told me you dated Pete,” was the first thing he said when the door closed.
“I never thought of it,” you said with a shrug. That wasn’t a lie. You really hadn’t thought to tell Colson. It wasn’t like the two of you spent much time with Pete, considering the fact that Colson had only just introduced you for the first time.
“He’s my best friend, how could you not think of it?”
His anger made you back away a moment. Realizing this, his face softened and he sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business, I shouldn’t be so mad.”
“You have every right to be annoyed with me,” you said. “But I really didn’t think to tell you. We dated years ago, before Pete was even famous. It honestly slipped my mind that we even dated because it was so long ago, even though you are friends with him.”
You knew it was a lot for Colson to take in. Before he could say anything else, the producers of the show knocked on the door to tell Colson it was time for his soundcheck. You took hold of Colson’s arm to stop him before he left. “I’m sorry I never told you.”
“It’s okay babe,” Colson said. “I get it, but you’re mine now and I know nothing will change that.”
You smiled as Colson gave you a quick kiss and started making his way to the stage. You followed behind, trying to get the excitement back that you were both feeling before your encounter with Pete.
The run through of Colson’s first song went perfect and they didn’t feel the need to go through it again. The second song on his setlist was my ex’s best friend, and of course, this was the time Pete had arrived to watch him.
“Aye, you know my ex
So that makes it all feel complicated yeah”
“I’m sorry if I caused anything between you and Colson,” Pete said to you. “I genuinely didn’t know you hadn’t told him.”
You shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. He was shocked, but he seemed alright after getting the news.”
“You walked in my life at 2am
Cause my boy’s new girl is your best friend”
“You two are perfect for one another,” Pete commented. “I’m sure you don't need to be told that, though.”
You chuckled at his comment. “I hear it almost every time we post online together. Plus, I know it’s a cliché, but I knew from the moment I met him that Colson was the one for me.”
Pete smiled. “I’m glad my boy found himself an amazing girl, and you found someone you deserve, too.”
You smiled back at Pete. You were glad the two of you hadn’t had a bad break up. It had been years ago, as you told Colson before, but you had both decided you just weren’t right for one another. You friendship had grown apart after Pete’s career started, but you still held no ill will towards Pete.
“Now we’re in the backseat of a black car
Going home
And you ask me
Is it wrong if I come up with you?”
Colson found himself glaring at his best friend as his girlfriend laughed at something that was said. He was trying to focus on the song, but it was hard when the information (Y/N) had told him earlier was running through his head.
Of course he trusted her when she said the relationship was long over and there was nothing between them, and he believed that she genuinely forgot to tell them. Even though he trusted her and Pete, he still felt jealousy building up inside of him. He couldn’t help but see the two of them in a different light with this new knowledge.
“Hey Kells?” came a voice through his earpiece. “You’re uh...kinda off there?”
Colson realized he had stopped singing all together. He shook his head, trying to snap himself out of his own head. “Yeah sorry. Start over?”
You were watching with slight confusion as Colson started the song over. You could see he was trying not to look at you and Pete, but his eyes kept glancing over towards the two of you every so often. It didn’t take you long to realize what was going on.
“That was better, right?” Colson asked when he finished the first part of the song and Blackbear’s voice started singing on the track.
“That was good,” the producer confirmed. “Do you feel like you have to run over it again?”
His eyes glanced towards you again. You started to approach the stage and held a hand out to your boyfriend. “Quick break, I’m stealing the rockstar.”
Neither of you waited for an answer as Colson almost immediately stepped off the stage and followed you to a more private area. Once you were away from everyone, you crossed your arms. “Are you upset over Pete and I?”
Colson looked down, but you took his chin in your hand and tilted his head up to look at you again. “Colson, look at me. Are you upset?”
He sighed and shook his head. “I’m not upset...but I am jealous.”
“Why? I told you we���ve been long over and there’s so far from being anything there between us.”
“I know, and I believe you, but I just have this feeling of jealous in me seeing you two together. It’s like I’m looking at the two of you in a different light, and I can’t help but think...well, Pete’s known you longer and knew you before I did. What if he’s better for you than I am because of that?”
You cupped Colson’s face and looked up into the blue eyes you loved so much. “Colson, baby, it doesn’t matter how long I’ve known Pete or if we were together before I was with you or anything like that. I love you, you know that. You said it yourself earlier - I’m yours and nothing will change that.”
Colson nodded and rested his head against yours. “I know, I was being stupid.”
“You were being very stupid,” you teased. “But I am here to remind you of that I’m yours whenever you need the reminder.”
Colson smiled and gave you a quick kiss. You smiled back and grabbed his shoulders, spinning him to face the stage again. “Now, stop being stupid and go sing.”
You heard him chuckle as he raced back to the stage. You watched him go with a smile on your face, feeling so lucky to be able to call that adorable dork yours.
#machine gun kelly#machine gun kelly imagine#machine gun kelly x reader#colson baker#colson baker imagine#colson baker x reader#imagine#one shot#request#pete davidson#fanfiction#fanfic#fandom
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『Wakana Anime Classic 2021』 Tokyo ~ Live Commentary
9/4(Sat)@Kioi Hall
<Day> Open14:00/Start15:00 ¥3,500
<Night> Open17:30/Start18:30 ¥3,500
Archive: ~September 11
e+「Streaming＋」：https://eplus.jp/wakana/st/
If you have the means, please be sure to buy tickets (available for purchase until September 11)! It is important that we support Wakana.
I have tickets for both the day as well as the evening performance and am planning to watch them live so as always, I will be posting my initial thoughts and impressions. I wonder if she will have any cool announcements for us today? Maybe a new release? It’s been a while T_T I wish she would land an anime tie-in gig! It would do wonders for her popularity
[This post will be updated throughout the day]
•————— ♬ —————•
1. Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara: Edit: Oh no, I actually missed this. THANK GOD I have a ticket for the evening performance as well (and there is an archive). Ughhh, why did I mess up the time?! I am stupid.
2. Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa (Day )/Kimi wo Nosete (Night): Phew, I almost missed the start. Anyways, Wakana looks GORGEOUS. So far I am really liking the piano-violin-cello arrangement, thought it would feel a bit lacking compared to last year’s live but it really doesn’t. Great start!!! I don’t think she sang this in Osaka.
MC: Introduction of musicians.
3. Inochi no Namae: *sobs* Was dying to hear this live, it’s so much better than expected. I am blown away. This hits me right in the feels. How is her voice always going straight to my heart??! Goosebumps every single time!
4. Kaze no Toorimichi: Her voice is a bit breathy here, I think she is choosing this style on purpose but I am not a particularly big fan of it. Ahhhh, Loving her “ooooh”s! For the evening portion she changed her singing style a bit so she sounds less breathy. I like it much more this way.
5. Kimi wo Nosete (Day) / Mononoke Hime (Night): I think her performance of Kimi wo Nosete is much better than back in December. Maybe it’s the arrangement which is a tad slower so Wakana isn’t as rushed, not sure. Either way, her vocals are so much stronger here, at least imo. Ah, I see, her night performance setlist seems to be pretty much identical to her Osaka setlist. Makes sense to have Kaze no Toorimichi and Mononoke Hime back to back. perfect combo. Also, so happy I get to hear it again. This is one of the very few old-school anisongs I actually know. And Wakana’s version is to die for!! The arrangement was also breathtaking.
MC The first half of her concert is dedicated to Ghibli pieces. The next piece concludes this section.
6. Toki ni wa Mukashi no Hanashi wo: The high parts are flawless here, love them so much. Her “dokoka de” at the end was a bit sudden tho XD
INTERMISSION (20 min): She wore the lacey white dress we have already seen in pictures for the first half with her hair down and wavy. For the second half her hair is in an elaborate ponytail and she has changed into a gorgeous blue gown with a sparkling waist belt. So pretty!
7. Rain: Not my favourite cover song of hers but a lovely performance nonetheless
8. When She Loved Me (Day) / Utautai no Ballad (Night): Ahhh, so happy to have this back again. Unfortunately though, this was a bit shaky at times. Liked her version in December better. Will have to rewatch later. Rewatching it right now, my initial reaction was a bit off, Wakana’s performance was actually really good, not sure why I didn’t like it in the beginning. During the evening performance she sang Utautai no Ballad which was beautiful. The arrangement isn’t as epic as the one with 1966 QUARTET but Wakana’s vocals are TOP NOTCH, much better than last year (she ran a bit out of breath back then).
9. Bokura no Natsu no Yume: I suspected she would sing this because it was also part of her Osaka setlist. I listened to the original which didn’t impress me much. Wakana’s version on the other hand is absolutely beautiful, perfect for her voice. Her” whoooo”s towards the end KILLED me! SP FREAKING GOOD!!
MC: Talk about the rainy weather. After all, she is the bringer of rain XD
10. Get Wild: Will never get tired of this. Such a perfect song for Wakana, who would’ve thought? Poor baby, I think she stumbled over her lyrics a bit in the beginning. But she recovered quickly.
11. Kimi Wa Taiyo: Another cover I was expecting since it was also part of the Osaka setlist. Everyone is clapping along and having fun. Not a huge fan of the original song or Wakanas version...Wakana is obviously having a blast but meh, she doesn’t sound too good singing this. Already liking this a bit more now that I am listening to it a second time during the evening performance. It will not become my favourite Wakana-cover but it’s actually a lot of fun (similar to Country Road actually).
MC: She wants to hold many more lives like this in the future. It’s already time for the final song before the encore.
12. Ai ni Dekiru Koto wa Mada Aru kai: Nailed it. Perfection.
EN. 13. Yatsura no Ashioto no Ballad: Wakana is back on stage with Sin. Initially I didn’t really like this song but by now I am honestly in love with it.
MC: She wants to think of us all while singing this and brings back all musicians for this final song.
EN. 14. Country Road (Day) / Yume no Yukue (Night): Ohhhh, I didn’t expect Country Road. Thought she would be singing “Yume no Yukue” from her album. Was so sad when last year the live stream didn’t include the encore so we weren’t able to hear Country Road and Magic Moment. So cute!!! I have never actually heard the Japanese version, so far I have only known the original English version but Wakana’s cover was so freaking adorable! Admittedly not her best vocal performance but she more than made up for it with cuteness. Such a feel-good song! During the night performance she did sing Yume no Yukue though (as expected). Always a pleasure to listen to this.
MC: Wakana says she didn’t expect so many people to come to her live. Awww, I am so glad lots of fans showed up to support her even during these tough times. She briefly talked about her upcoming Billboard Lives but no new announcements :-(.
Summary: So for the day portion she sang ALL songs of her cover album with the exception of Yume no Yukue. In addition, she performed Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa, Bokura no Natsu no Yume (Summer Wars), Kimi wa Taiyo (Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror), When She Loved Me (Toy Story 2) and Country Road (Whisper of the Heart). For the evening performance she dropped Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa and sang Mononoke Hime instead. When She Loved Me got replaced with Utautai no Ballad. Just like in Osaka, she finished he concert with Yume no Yukue.
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Promise (M)
One Shot | GrungeGuitarist!Jimin x Reader
(established relationship)
Genres: fluff, romance, smut
Rating: 18+ (M) for explicit sexual content
Word Count: 9,062 words
Warnings: tooth rotting sweet fluff, profanities, mild dirty talk, smut, light nipple play, dry humping, fingering:fem receiving, unprotected sex (stay safe), slight creampie, softdom!Jimin
A/N: This is a re-upload after I have taken down the original for editing purposes and strongly inspired by the 200414 MiniMoni VLive, because Jimin looked great and I’m weak for that man. You may need to see a dentist after reading this because this is pure teeth rotting fluff, my friends. Jimin is a true softie for (Y/N) here lol.
You still remember the first kiss you shared with him. That one night, when you met on the playground in your neighborhood, sitting beside eachother on the swings as Jimin told you about his big dream for the first time. He wants to succeed with his band. He dreams of a future as a well-known guitarist. And back then you had told him that you did not think of it as a silly wish. You believed in him back then when your teenage self agreed to stay by his side, and you still do to this day. This was also the moment in which he knew – he was madly in love with you.
Looking back on your last years of dating Jimin, you could not deny what a cliche rebel couple you were. Instead of asking you to prom, your boyfriend skipped the whole event with you and his bandmates to break into the football field of your school that night. But you did not regret it one bit. The memory of your friends chasing eachother on the field and lying in the grass to look up at the starry night sky was as vivid and precious to you as no other. That same night you saw the first shooting star of your life while holding Jimin’s hand and begging him to tell you what he had wished for. Yet, he never told you, to this day. Instead, he said “Let’s stay like this forever” and gave your hand a meaningful squeeze with the reflection of the stars above shining in his eyes.
His words from this night turned into a promise you both made and kept.
You were there for each one of his band’s gigs in small bars and scene clubs. You were there for many of their band practices, too. And now you are there to witness their first big breakthrough as the opening act to an increasingly popular indie band.
Holding Taehyung’s bass guitar, you watch his attempt to fix his hair. He must have applied half a can of hairspray by now and you doubt that even a single strand would budge during the show. However, Taehyung wants to be safe. “This is our big deal! The most important performance we have ever had yet!” He wants to give it his all, just like the other members.
You turn and look at Yoongi, who is sitting on the couch in the corner of the small dressing room while tapping his drumsticks onto his thighs in concentration. Having known him for as long as the other boys, you quickly realized that he is wearing his “lucky charm” – his signature worn out leather jacket. He wore it to their very first gig, wore it daily during finals week and he also wore it that fateful night you all skipped prom together. The memories place a nostalgic smile on your lips.
Meanwhile, Jeongguk keeps pacing around the room while mumbling the lyrics to their latest song. He may be the youngest of them all, but he is a real multi-talent. It's almost like magic, the way he is so damn good at everything if he just wants to succeed at it. Eyeing his guitar on its stand next to Jimin’s, you can't help but wonder where your boyfriend, the main guitarist of this band, has gone to. He had left the room about 20 minutes ago, saying he was going to the toilet real quick, but he has not returned since. “Thank you,” Taehyung smiles as he takes his bass from you. “Is Jimin still gone?” He then asks. Nodding, you already make your way to the door. “Yes, but I’ll go check up on him.
Striding through the cramped halls backstage, you make your way to the men’s toilets. And just when you raise your hand to knock on the door, it opens to reveal the man you have been looking for.
“(Y/N)?” He was clearly startled. You sigh in relief. “It’s been over twenty minutes, just what in the world were you doing in there?” you ask, sensing that something was wrong. Seeing the deep red tint on his bottom lip, you can already guess what he was doing. Biting his lip when he got nervous was one of his habits. And judging by how red it was, he must have been gnawing on it like crazy. Since he does not respond, very aware of how easily you could read him and his body language, you decide to ask straight away. “How bad is it?”
You almost see the heavy weight on his shoulders as he says “Very bad… Baby, I can’t mess this up. Not this time. It would ruin everything we’ve worked so hard for.” A compassionate smile finds its way to your lips. “You’re always worrying so much. Jimin, you’ll do great. I am one-hundred percent sure of that, alright?” Noticing the doubtful glimmer in his eyes, you continue “You’ve worked so hard for this very moment. Don’t dread it, enjoy it. When you guys go up on that stage, I want you to relish that moment. Because this is going to be the first time of many more to come.”
His lips slowly curve upwards as he nods slowly, “Alright.” You smile and pull him into a hug, feeling the fast rhythm of his heartbeat as he too holds you close. “No matter what’s going to happen, I am and will always be your biggest fan” you say. Chuckling, he moves a hand to gently cup your cheek and look at your face. “I know. Thank you for being here, (Y/N).” A second passes in which you smile at eachother, before he leans in to kiss you.
“Ugh, are you serious? We’ve only got ten minutes to go through the setlist before we go on stage, so move your ass back into the dressing room before it’s too late!”
The two of you immediately part at the sound of Yoongi’s aggravated voice behind you. You know that he did not mean to be rude, yet the sharp sound to his words really shocked you for a second. Seems like Jimin was not the only one who was nervous to the bone. You see Jimin sending you an apologetic smile before rushing after his hyung. Shaking your head, you make your way to the stage already, not planning to interfere in this special moment your boyfriend and friends would share right before the show now. You could still wish each one of them good luck when they go up there, after all.
From your spot next to the stage you had a perfect view not just on the boys, but on the audience as well. And you could not feel any prouder of your friends. They had introduced themselves a little awkwardly, but as soon as the chorus to their first song started the audience was going completely crazy. They loved it. And you could tell how much joy the boys felt in that moment.
As the songs got heavier, the movements of the crowd did the same. They even formed a small moshpit at some point and tried to shout along to repetitive phrases of the last song’s chorus.
It was clear that Jeongguk did not lie when he told the audience how much he loved them for being so welcoming and wild. And so did the rest of the boys, bright smiles painted on their sweat covered faces.
You almost could not believe your eyes as you watched them on stage. They looked like absolute rockstars already, the sweet boys you have known for such a long time suddenly looking so grown up. Finally, your eyes lock on your boyfriend, cooly jumping onto a platform at the front of the stage to play his solo. As he throws his head back while playing the longest note of his solo, you can see the sweat running down his neck and strands of his once well-styled hair sticking to his skin. In this moment, he looks like the very definition of ‘sinful’, reviving memories of the last time you had seen him like this － in a wholly different context. But these thoughts have to wait.
When they finally play the last tunes of their performance, the crowd cheers loudly – the sound of hundreds of people cheering for your friends and filling your heart with immense joy and pride. You too are cheering as they come down the stairs, sweat dripping from their brightly smiling faces. “That was incredible!” Taehyung exclaims with a voice of true ecstasy. Jeongguk nods, patting his friend’s shoulder as the two of them give you a high-five while passing you to get back to the dressing room. You greet Yoongi with a big grin and loud “You did amazing!”, happy to see him beaming one of his rarest gummy smiles back at you as he slings one arm around you in a rushed hug while thanking you before he follows the others.
The main act is already approaching to go on stage as you almost tackle Jimin the second he gets off of the stairs. “You were unbelievable! I told you you’d do well!” you cheer as he laughs wholeheartedly at your enthusiasm. “I feel like I’m in heaven, did I die on stage?” he asks as he hugs you tight, his entire body still trembling due to the rush of adrenaline.
You laugh and kiss his cheek, then his nose, honestly just aiming at random spots on his face as you do so. “I’m so proud of you, Jimin” you say as he’s grinning widely.
After a few minutes of basically shouting praises and cheers at one another and then making fun of Jeongguk for suddenly crying tears of happiness, the boys watched the concert from beside the stage with you. They even were asked back onto the stage for a few songs during the encore, which the audience clearly enjoyed just as much as the performance prior to that. On your way to the hotel you guys would stay at for the night, you checked the boys’ band profiles online and could not have been any prouder when you saw the follower counts continuously rising on each one of them.
The other band had invited your friends to an after party at the hotel’s bar and after an hour or so you decided to let them have this moment to themselves. Especially since you were already getting tired anyway. So you went to Jimin’s and your room instead. Honestly, you could not believe it yourself either. The four men you have been supporting for more than five years, basically since the day they decided to practice and start a band together, finally are so close to their goal.
You take a quick shower and wrap yourself in the hotel’s bathrobe before drying your hair and starting your basic skincare ritual in front of the mirror above the sink. As usual, you get lost in your thoughts while massaging the cleanser into your skin and rinsing it off, thinking about how much has changed within the past couple of years. You first met Jimin in high school, both of you being friends with your classmate Jeongguk and naturally meeting eachother at his parties or during lunch breaks. That was how you made friends with Taehyung and Yoongi, too. Even though you did not share any classes with even one of them, you became friendly with them very quickly.
This friendship held for many years. You graduated, went to college, shared many memories together – and here you are today.
While you were so lost in your thoughts and washing your face, you did not hear the door to your hotel room as someone entered. So when you come out of the bathroom, you nearly have a heart attack as you see someone rummaging through your boyfriend’s suitcase. Until you realize that it is Jimin himself. “Hey” you greet him casually, a little confused by why he is here and not with the others. Turning around, he beams a smile at you, greeting you back. “Did your after party end already?” you ask and take a seat on the edge of the bed as you watch him collect his sleepwear. “Not really” he says, “I just didn’t feel like staying much longer.”
You are about to ask if something had happened. But then Jimin already stands in front of you with a grin and kisses the top of your head, one of his hands dropping to your exposed thigh. His thumb is slowly rubbing circles into your skin as he looks you in the eyes. “And I thought we could celebrate in a different way tonight…”
There it is. That signature smirk on his lips as he awaits your reaction, just like the smirk he would send your way every now and then when he was on stage earlier. He knows that you like the attitude he holds on stage, that you watched him and his every move closely.
And quite frankly, this is not the first time you are feeling this way. After the boys’ very first gig you nearly jumped Jimin the second he came off stage. You would be embarrassed, but who could blame you? Whenever your sweet boyfriend steps on stage, it is as if he takes on a different persona. His cute eye smiles and giggles get replaced by a sinful smirk and bedroom eyes. Even the way he walks or pushes his hair back looks so different on stage in comparison to the man you know off stage.
You mirror his smirk as you nod and cup his face to pull him in. “Sounds great” you say before kissing Jimin and feeling the upcurve of his lips against your own. His hand on your thigh glides down to the back of your knee as his other hand softly pushes you down by your shoulder. He leans down to capture you against the mattress with your leg on his hip as the kiss grows heated.
Wearing only the flimsy bathrobe, you moan into the kiss when you feel his crotch moving into your own, the rough material of his ripped jeans eliciting a raw sensation against your exposed skin. Detaching his lips from yours, he moves on to your jaw and neck, following an imaginary trail as he leaves wet kisses on his way down. Your hands wind through his messy hair as the back of your raised thigh is being kneaded by his hand.
“Seems like you planned for this to happen tonight” he accuses you with a smirk before untying your robe, wanting to see your body that’s hidden underneath. “Tell me, did you enjoy today’s show?” You nod and help him with the knot in your belt. “Use your words, baby” he then says, stopping your hands by engulfing them with his as he looks at your face expectantly. “Yes. I enjoyed it a lot” you say, not trusting your voice with the way his dark eyes lock with yours.
He nods once, satisfied with your answer and places a kiss on your collarbone as he lets go of your hands and opens the robe. “Did you like my solo performance, too?” he asks, kissing down to the valley of your breasts and sinking his hips to yours again, pressing the prominent bulge in his jeans against your pulsing core. You sigh in pleasure as you whimper. “Yes. Very much.” Now kissing around your left nipple, he moves a hand to your other breast, stimulating your right bud by softly rubbing and twisting it between his fingers. Holding onto his shoulders and arching your back with a mewl, you press your chest to his lips and he sucks on your bud before licking around it. “What part of my performance did you like best, baby?” he asks, his voice nearly a whisper before he continues to work his magic on your sensitive chest. Moaning at the stimulation, you grind your hips against his and say “I liked it all… But your h-hip thrust during “Lie” nearly had me drooling.”
He chuckles and glances up at your face. “You mean this one?” He asks and pushes his clothed crotch into yours by re-enacting the skillful bodyroll he had shown on stage. You moan and nod, wishing for him to finally take off some of his clothes too. “Yes!”
Caressing your sides, he kisses down your stomach before sitting up and looking at your exposed body while licking his lips. "Just how much did you enjoy the show? Did you get wet?” His face does not look as playful as it did mere seconds ago. Instead, his gaze looked almost serious, yet filled with lust. Feeling your cheeks burn, you guess you must be bright red in the face as you avert your eyes and nod bashfully. “I couldn’t help it…” you admit quietly.
When you hear a rustling noise above you, you see Jimin pulling his shirt over his head, the delicate silver necklace with the letters of your name dangling from it getting caught in the fabric for a second, dropping the shirt somewhere near the bed before he leans down once again. His face now just a hair’s width away from yours, he doesn’t give you the chance to fully admire his toned body when he smirks. “If that turned you on already… Then how wet are you right now?” he asks, sounding as if he expects you to answer when his hand slides down your stomach, over your pelvis to where you wanted it most. You whimper at the soft touch of his fingers, your core feeling so sensitive after the rough thrusts of his jeans clad crotch.
“So wet. Just for you” you moan, remembering how much he likes to be reminded that he is the only one who ever makes you feel this way. Jimin likes to be in control during sex. He loves it when you're obedient, like you are his and his alone. Humming at your response, he slowly moves his fingers up and down your slit before drawing small but firm circles around your clit. Gasping for air at the sudden pleasure, you hold onto his arm. Nearly fearing that he might move it somewhere else if you don’t hold it in place. He knows your body like the back of his hand, as you do his. Both of you know every sensitive spot, every little mole and every trick on the other's body, understanding how to make the other feel good. “You’re such a good girl for me, huh? Only having eyes for me, getting this wet only for me…” His voice is deep and his fingers relentless as he stimulates your clit until your thighs begin to tremble. “Do you want me to make you cum like this, baby?” He asks you and inserts a finger into your dripping hole, his lips now next to your ear as he places a kiss on your temple. You moan louder, shaking your head. “No… I want more. Jimin, please!”
He smirks and adds another finger, scissoring and curling them inside of you. “More? How much more do you want?” He asks “More, like this?” and pumps them knuckles deep into your pulsing core before he adds a third finger, stretching you nicely and rubbing your walls to find the spot that has you seeing stars.
The moan of his name that leaves your lips sounds like a beautiful melody to Jimin’s ears as he kisses your cheek. “Please, Jimin! I need you. Need you so bad” you beg, desperately wishing for him to just fill you up with his cock instead.
His fingers push into your most sensitive spot, rubbing it with every following thrust of his fingers as it has you arching your back off the mattress and mewling in delight and frustration all at once. “Please, Jimin!” you repeat, clumsily trying to unbuckle his belt. Chuckling, he pecks your lips and whispers an “Ok” before pulling his fingers from you and locking eyes with you as he moves them to his mouth, sucking them clean one after the other with a low hum. Your breathing picks up as you watch him and you pull him closer by his shoulders. The feeling of his lips on yours is what occupies your mind completely as you share a messy but passionate kiss. Opening his belt and jeans before pushing all of it down his thighs, along with his boxer briefs, Jimin doesn't let off of your lips until the very last second.
You smile at your lovely boyfriend before following the trail of fading marks and bruises you had left on his neck two days ago down, only to swallow at the sight of his fully erect dick, the tip an angry red as it’s leaking pre-cum and the shaft a width that stretches you so deliciously every time. “Fuck” you groan as you drop your head back, craving the feeling of him inside you so bad, it’s ridiculous.
“Spread your legs for me, baby. I want to see you” you then hear Jimin say, as his hands already hold onto the back of your thighs to push them apart. You bite your lip in anticipation and open your legs wide, watching the way he takes in the sight. “Look at the mess you’ve made… And we’ve barely even gotten started …” he groans, watching you gush and clench around nothing in anticipation of what’s to come. He holds onto his shaft and moves it up and down your folds. A movement that has both of you sighing in pleasure. When he aligns his dick with your wet hole, he moves to hover above your face again and your arms wrap around his neck as he pushes into you slowly. Inch by inch, he stretches you further, the drawn-out moan leaving your throat and your clawing hands in his black hair a clear evidence of the blissful feeling it elicits.
“Fuck, you’re always so tight for me, baby. Feels so good” Jimin growls through his teeth, eyes closed as his forehead rests on yours. He is holding back the urge to fuck into you right from the start, you can tell. He bottoms out, dropping his head into the crook of your neck and waiting a second or two for you to get used to his size. When you move your legs to wrap around his hips, he gets the sign and slides out until only the tip is left inside before thrusting all the way back in. You moan in unison as he keeps up a steady rhythm, repeating this motion over and over again.
When his pace reaches a high, his hands move to your thighs, pushing them further up towards your chest to reach deeper into you. You release a broken moan of his name at that, feeling his dick deep inside you as he fills you with each of his thrusts. Sinfully wet sounds of skin hitting skin and your shared moans fill the room. “Shit, I’m getting close” he pants out inbetween lustful grunts and groans.
You nod, implying that you too are nearing the end, unable to use your words as the only sounds leaving your throat right now are euphoric moans and whimpers. Keeping up his fast rhythm, he moves a hand down inbetween you both to rub his thumb around your swollen clit in quick movements. “That’s it, cum for me (Y/N).” You almost shout out when you feel the coil in your lower belly snap as you come undone, your body shaking and your eyes rolling back to the point where all you see is white.
Riding out your orgasm, you feel Jimin holding on your waist tightly and increasing the pace of his now erratic thrusts until he cums with a broken moan, buried deep inside of you as he fills you with several spurts of white. Resting his head on your chest, he pants in synch with you as you both try to recover from your climax. Your hand glides through his hair on the back of his head mindlessly, caressing and massaging his skull until he moves to pull out and fall down beside you on the bed.
“Was this the kind of celebration you’ve been thinking of?” you ask, turning onto your side to cuddle into his bare chest. His arms instinctively wrap around you, holding you close and caressing your back. “No, this was better” he says with a cocky smile and kisses your forehead. “And so much better than any after party, too.”
You close your eyes as you listen to his heartbeat slowly going back to it’s normal pace. “I’m really proud of you, Jimin” you then mumble into his skin. He chuckles. “Did I fuck you that good?” Frowning and pinching his arm, you say “No!”, resulting in a genuine laugh from him. “I mean because you’re so close to fulfilling your biggest dream. You’ve come so far, baby.”
His amused smile becomes gentle as he nods and moves his hand to stroke your head, his hand smoothing down the nest that has formed on your head. “Do you remember the night on the football field?” he suddenly asks, his voice almost a whisper. Opening your eyes before you nod, you smile softly. “Of course…” Playing with a strand of your hair, he goes on. “That night, we saw a shooting star. And I wouldn’t tell you what I wished for.”
You grumble. “Yeah, I’m still curious.” Chuckling once again, Jimin says “Back then… I didn’t wish for our band to succeed. I didn’t wish for a chance as a musician. I didn’t wish for anything that I’d usually wish for.” Listening, you move your head to face Jimin. “All I asked for was for you to stay with me. All the way.”
Feeling the beating of your heart increasing in pace and your eyes starting to water, you were left speechless. “But then… We made that promise. I kept my wish from you, thinking it wouldn’t become true if I told you. That’s so ridiculous, isn’t it?” he says, smiling in shame when he realizes how superstitious this was. You shake your head, giggling quietly. “It is ridiculous, because you definitely wasted a chance for a wish there.” you say, looking him dead in the eye as he mocks offense. “I promised to stay with you forever. And I’m not one to break promises, ever.” Extending your pinky finger, you hold it up to your heads.
“Alright, same for me” Jimin smiles, now an amused curve to his lips rather than the bashful smile from before, and links his pinky with yours before refreshing the seal of your old promise with a kiss to your lips.
"You know... This is the cheesiest thing you have ever said after sex." you suddenly deadpan, grinning at your embarrassed boyfriend's blushing cheeks as you both break out into quiet giggles a second later.
Thank you for reading this One Shot. Let me know how you liked it!
Find more fics like this in my Masterlist and follow @pluto-fics to be updated about future uploads. Read you soon!
– Pluto 🌑
#bts#jimin#park jimin#smut#fanfiction#fanfic#reader insert#reader input#reader#fluff#established relationship#au#grunge au#band au#guitarist jimin#pluto#oneshot#one shot#drabble
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