Chapter 99

“This can NEVER, I repeat….NEVER…. happen again! What the hell was wrong last night?” Jon asked angrily.

Kim and Fran looked at each other worried. It was now four days after the wedding. Last night the band played their first show at New Meadowlands Stadium and the unthinkable happened…the sound vanished during Runaway.

Kim never saw so many worried face. The whole technic crew ran around like crazy. Obie was yelling instructions, but it didn’t help. For nearly two minutes no sound was leaving the huge speakers.

The girls weren’t sure Jon and the others realized it until he came backstage for a short clothes change. He was fuming. Kim and Fran made sure to stay out of his way. No need to get into the line of fire.

And now, 12 hours after the show he ordered everyone to the Stadium and was still mighty pissed.

“Did you find the mistake, Obie?” he asked rather harsh. Obie took a deep breath and rubbed his tired eyes. Kim wasn’t even sure the technic crew went home after last night’s show. They all looked like walking zombies.

“Jon….you know it’s not that easy….” Obie tried to tell him as calm as possible. Luckily he had worked with Jon so many years he could handle his temper. But he also knew that this time his boss had every right to be mad.

“Then make it easy!” Jon bellowed frustrated.

Kim and Fran flinched at his loud voice, but Obie and the other people in the room stayed calm. Kim watched worried how Jon clenched his hands to fists and pressed his jaw together. He wanted to scream out his whole frustration, but was working hard on controlling himself. She knew he would hate himself later for getting into the role of the boss and push everyone around.

“We’ve been checking everything since last night, but it’s a whole lot of equipment, it’s too many wires, too many places were the problem can be. We have 500 miles of cable, 1,200 speaker cases and more than 250 light fixtures. I’m not even sure there was a problem in our system and not in the electric system of the Stadium. It’s all new as well.”

“O, I don’t need a rundown of our stage…I need you to fix it. Fast! I want everything to be ready for sound check this afternoon!”

“You wanna do another sound check?” Rich asked confused. It was the first time one of the band members dared to interrupt Jon’s anger. As expected he earned the stink-eye.

“Do you really think, I’m going out there tonight, not knowing if this fucking system will fail again? Are you insane?” Jon pressed through clenched teeth. Richie raised his hands defensively.

“Ok, ok…bro, calm down…”

“Calm down, calm down…how the fuck should I calm down….there were 60.000 people out there last night….60.000 that didn’t get a perfect show, but had to sing alone.”

“You gotta admit they were pretty good.” David said grinning. He had the nerves to show Jon the youtube-videos this morning. Jon’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he took a step towards David. He was close to losing his control.

“Ok, that’s it. Jon come on, we take a little walk….you wanted to show me your favorite Jersey beach…on come.” Kim stepped forward and grabbed his right arm hard. He look at her angrily, but she only stared back.

“I gotta stay…”

“No, you don’t.  You gotta rest for tonight’s show to give your 110% and I’m pretty sure Obie and his team will do everything to make things work. You would only be in the way.” She pulled him to the door.

“We make it work, Jon.” Obie promised. Jon looked at him and nodded sternly.

“Come on, Jon.” Kim pushed him through the door and gave Obie an encouraging smile. She nearly laughed out loud when he mouthed the words ‘thank you’. Jon would have driven everybody insane when he would have stayed.

“Well, that was…intense.” Fran said and leaned her head against Richie’s shoulder. “Not exactly what I expect for our honeymoon.”

“I know, darling. I’m sorry. But you know he’s a perfectionist. Last night just got to him.” Fran nodded.

“Yeah, how about we try to get away from here for a couple hours as well and let everyone do their work.” Fran’s voice had a very conspiratorial tone. Rich grinned. He knew what his new wife wanted and he sure wouldn’t say no to it.

“Good idea, darling.” He placed a long kiss on her lips before pulling her out of the room.

“When you need me earlier, give me call, Obie.”

“Yeah, sure…” Obie mumbled and looked at David, Tico, Bobby and Hugh, who were still in the room.

“How about you guys get out of here as well.” Tico looked at him surprised. His tone was clear, they didn’t really have an option. It was more of an order something that didn’t happen very often during the last two decades and that showed under how stress Obie really was. Tico looked and David unsure.

“Any idea?”

“How about pool at my place?” David suggested.

“Sounds good. Hugh, Bobby?” Tico turned to the other two men. They nodded and left as well. Obie sighed deeply before turning to his crew.

“Any idea where to start?” he asked the other technicians.