#roady source

[xikersroady]

[luvhughes43]

good morning lila | jd.9

[lila, my love au masterlist💐]

request: when Jamie comes home from a week long roadie Lila is attached to him and extremely protective over him

note: kind of short but i hope you like it ! <3

word count: 0.4k

jamie walked into his house quietly - mindful to not wake up his newborn and daughter. he set his bag in the entry-way, and was happily surprised to see you perched on a barstool drinking coffee.

"you're up early," jamie says softly as he slowly wraps his arms around you. you set your coffee down and he rests his head against your shoulder.

"noah kept waking me up," you answer kindly, offering your husband a sip of your coffee which he gladly accepts.

heavy little footsteps sound from the staircase and both you and jamie turn to the source of the noise. your daughter, clad in her duck pyjamas wanders down the steps.

"how did you get out of bed?" jamie asks, and his daughters sleepy eyes snap up to meet his.

you sigh, "she needs a toddler bed now. she's growing too fast!"

"daddy?" lilas voice is quiet with sleep. she takes another step down the stairs, before holding her arms out for jamie to grab her.

jamie lifts lila into his arms and hugs her tightly. "i missed you! how was your week with mommy?"

lila buries her face in her dads neck, mumbling a quick "daddy, miss you" as she settles in his arms.

"i missed you more," jamie kisses the top of his daughters head. he rubs her back soothingly as he brings her into the kitchen. "what do you want to do today lila-bell?"

lila doesn't reply and instead nuzzles herself further in her dad's hold. "take a nap maybe?" jamie jokes, and his daughter nods lazily.

"miss you," she repeats, wrapping her little arms across her dads neck. jamie holds her close and leans his head against hers.

you watch the adorable scene from your spot on the island. all week your daughter had been eagerly waiting for her dad's return home. "lila, do you want mommy to make you breakfast?"

"no!" lila speaks up, finally removing her face from her dads neck. "daddy!" she points to jamie.

"you want daddy to make you breakfast?" jamie asks, hoisting lila up on his hip. she nods tiredly and lays her head against jamie's shoulder.

for the rest of the day lila only wanted jamie to take care of her and he was happy to oblige.

-

-

-

[stusbunker]

Spotless: En Cédant

Chapter Twenty Two

Featuring: Dean Winchester/Reader, Dean/Bela

Other characters: Lee, Bobby, Sam, Annie, Kevin (mentioned)

Word Count: 2541

Warnings, etc: Mutual pining, Aromantic Bela, more hints at bisexual Dean, unbeta'd

A/N: Dean's magazine interview is released and he asks a question he regrets.

Series Masterlist

Dean walked into the auditorium they’d been leasing for rehearsals with a gas station coffee and what John would have called a ‘piss-poor’ attitude. Sam had stayed over at Madison’s and gotten his own way to their last pre-tour play through. It was one of those rare mornings where their place felt too big, and Dean couldn’t kick the feeling that something was missing in his daily life. But it was too early for a pity party and too late to turn around and play hookey.

Not that he’d even dare that on this tour, not this close to showtime.

The energy in the hall did little to ease Dean’s annoyance, filled with quiet conspiring. Each person he nodded at seemed to be hiding a smirk or trying not to laugh out loud. Once he got to Lee, he’d had enough.

“Okay, what the fuck is with everybody today?”

Lee shook his head. “You don’t know, you poor bastard. Have you seen Trouble yet?”

“No— whyyyy?” Dean scanned the room littered with roadies and band members, lounging over the stage and the first rows of seats. 

“Look, man, it’s easier to show you than tell you.” Lee reached into his back pocket and pulled out a rolled up magazine, which was not what he was expecting. His sources of embarrassment primarily spread online these days.

But then he looked down and saw his own smug face staring back at him.

“Holy shit,” Dean said in a whisper.

“She’s got like a whole box of these, everybody’s read it or is currently reading it. It’s almost like you’re famous or inspirational or some shit.”

“Some shit is more like it,” Dean muttered and flipped to the page number next to the tagline, ‘Phantom Traveler’s frontman Rides the Road to Redemption’.

“Hey! Get your own!” Lee snatched the magazine out of his hand before he could get past the shot of him in Baby’s driver’s seat, eyebrows furrowed in the side view mirror.

“You sonuvabitch,” Dean threatened and went to steal it back when Bobby appeared with his ruffled mustache of disapproval.

“Okay, Fabio, go find Trouble, she’s got a whole case of those you’re supposed to sign before we get started.”

Dean wiped his face with his palm and braced himself for a long ass day. “Okay, any idea where she is?”

“First dressing room,” Bobby replied. “Don’t take too long, we want to run through some old stuff with Kevin so Charlie can plan out some lightwork with it, then we need to talk setlists for this weekend.”

“Yeah, of course, uh, I’ll be right back,” Dean said, turning to head to the pit. He turned and added over his shoulder. “At least I hope so.”

It was worse than Dean thought, but somehow also better than he’d expected from Meg.

Sam sat backwards on an old makeup stool as he read the article out loud, “‘even his timeless good looks couldn’t save him from the storm of controversy he unleashed after punching out photographer, Jared Bender, alienating his keyboardist and lifelong friend, Cas Novak to the point of leaving the band, and forcing his manager and mentor, Bobby Singer, to cancel their last North American tour with two months left.’”

Sam made a visible ‘yikes’ face and continued on as you listened, moving stacks of magazines around into manageable piles along the counter. 

“‘The man sitting across from me was neither the cocky dipshit I interviewed six years ago, nor was he the unstable egomaniac who caused those around him to walk on eggshells during their last tour. He was oddly zen, blunt as ever, and refreshingly humble.’---- Ha! Christ, did you pay her off?!” 

Dean decided he’d heard enough and cleared his throat. You froze and turned, but Sam just grinned wolfishly at him through the old spotted mirror, completely unsorry about being caught.

“There you are! Hot off the presses, man.” Sam flipped the copy he was reading towards Dean, which he caught against his chest with his free hand.

“Yeah, thanks,” Dean grunted, splashing some of his coffee as he stopped the magazine from falling to the floor. “How bad is it?”

You chuckled. “It’s not— well, for starters, it’s the freakin’ cover! I was not— she was being purposely vague about the whole thing, even which issue it was going to be— I am kind of in shock still.”

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Dean stared at the cover, unsure if he dared read it with an audience. After the silence got too heavy, he buried his own sick curiosity and looked at you to keep busy. “So, Bobby said you’ve got work for me?”

Dean smiled too late, catching you entirely deflate from his terrible segue.

“Uh— yeah, it’s only 100 copies. We’re sending them out to bundle with tickets for radio stations in every city.”

Dean walked across the small room, set down his coffee beside Sam’s rumpled magazine, and picked up one of the metallic Sharpies you had left out. “You sure they want just me signing these?”

“Dude— none of us are in any of the pictures. And besides just verifying some details, she didn’t interview any of us.”

Dean spun on his heel. “She asked you if I was lying about stuff?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t like that— it was more of her trying to catch you in consistencies.”

Dean raised his eyebrows at how that was exactly what he had said.

Sam huffed and started rambling. “I mean it was about the tone of the album and the cohesiveness. It wasn’t bad, God, okay?!”

“You’re not really reassuring me here, Sammy.”

“Look, I’m gonna go set up.” Sam stood up. “But, we’ll talk it out once you’ve read it, okay? Just get these signed, so we can figure out everything upstairs. Maybe then Bobby doesn’t have an aneurysm.”

“We can only hope,” you tucked on, which took the words out of Dean’s mouth.

Dean nodded, sighed, and popped off the cap of the marker. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Sitting around haphazardly sprawled across the theater seats, the band and immediate support personnel plotted the first stretch of the tour. Dates were set, venues, everything important, but the minutia had to be finalized so everyone knew where to be and when.

“We’re doing in studio stops with stations here and Vegas. But we are doing phone in interviews with San Diego, Phoenix and Albuquerque. We’ll talk more, but I think we’ve got stuff lined up once we hit Texas,” you rattled off to the group, pen in hand, laptop on your lap and phone in hand.

Bobby had his day planner open on his lap and Annie added things into her phone as you went. Dean kept his calendar app open, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary yet. Once the tour got underway, things got easier with the practiced dance, but until then he was jittery and brooding.

He hated the build up, but knew it’d be over soon.

“Dean— we gotta talk later, figure out when Bela will need passes. That goes for everyone, please let me know who you’re bringing each night so I can submit the names to each venue.”

“How is that your job on top of everything else?” Bobby asked.

“You want to do it?” You countered, coyly.

Everyone laughed. Lee threw a balled up receipt at the back of Dean’s head, but he just flipped him off.

“Need to get you an assistant,” Bobby muttered, but Dean didn’t think it was a bad idea. 

The meeting continued, plans for press stops and casual drop ins for the first leg were cemented with your approval. The band’s image meant everything to you, not just because it was your job, Dean knew it was a deep seated loyalty and faith in them, both as individuals and as a unit, a family. You worked harder for them than any mere publicist would. 

And that genuineness came through to the fans. 

Then that respect and admiration was reciprocated. Sure, there were ones who were closer to obsessed than others, but even Becky, the fanclub president, had cooled down over the years. Things might get awkward amongst the masses, but it wasn’t dangerous. And it had been awhile since anybody had asked for a lock of his hair during an autograph session. 

He didn’t miss that.

Dean switched apps and snapped some quick shots of the group from where he sat, dazed and tired from the meeting, but still together and looking good. He typed a quick caption to the post: ‘Can’t wait to see y’all again soon, we’re back baby.’ He even remembered to tag the band’s account before posting. But he knew you’d go through and add hashtags and pin people’s accounts to their faces in each shot, eventually.

For now, he was just grateful that he was still doing what he loved with his people.

Not much later, Bobby called it and everybody agreed to meet at Elizabeth’s. After securing all the equipment and hugging Charlie goodbye, Dean helped you haul the boxes of magazines to Bobby’s truck to be mailed out later.

“You want to ride with us? Got that scheduling stuff to hammer out anyway,” Dean cleared his throat and nodded towards Baby on the far edge of the parking ramp.

“Uh, Sam left with Kevin, but yeah,” you said, looking over to Bobby and Annie. “See you guys there?”

“Sounds good,” Annie said.

“Drive safe,” Bobby warned and held the door open for his wife.

Dean felt weird with his empty hands and you bent over with your bag and your laptop case, but you seemed to manage. “How are you feeling about things? How long we got before shit explodes with that article?”

You hummed in estimation, “about nine hours? East Coast will get to it first so it’s gonna be another early day.” 

“Brutal.”

“It will keep me busy, but it will be a good busy. I’m sure of it,” you promised.

Dean huffed. “If you say so.”

He unlocked the passenger side door and held it open for you, the familiar creak in the hinge the only sound in the cement tomb of the parking garage. But it didn’t feel creepy, it felt nice to be alone and out at night. With you.

He let you drag your stuff into the footwell and made sure not to get your sweater caught in the door as he closed it. He rounded the front bumper and got into his spot. “Alrighty, let’s go get stuck in traffic for an hour.”

You smiled at him, without looking up from swiping through your phone.

“You posted?!” you shrieked in surprise not five minutes later.

“With my own two thumbs and everything,” Dean teased back.

“They are loving this.--- Dean, it’s already got like over a thousand comments.”

Hey, he could do the internet charm, when he wanted to.

“What are they sayin’? They pumped to see us live?” 

“Definitely! And then the usual: speculation on Lee and Pam, people begging you to father their children—” you laugh fondly, like at a child showing off a well known skill. “Kevin is starting to get a sort of following, and the younger crowd brings more enthusiasm. Plus, people are already speculating how long during each set before Sam loses his shirt.”

Dean cackled. “Sweaty bastard, even with all the box fans.”

He pulled them onto the freeway and wedged in where he could amongst the chaos, careful to leave breathing room for his girl.

“When you’re all done with that, we can talk Bela at the shows. I’m guessing you meant you want her backstage and easily seen from the audience and all that?”

“Pretty much, but also what works around what she’s doing. She can’t exactly tour with you guys, but we gotta make it look like she’s doing her damndest to.”

You spent a few minutes going through your notifications while Dean turned up the radio a bit to keep him occupied through the stop and go traffic. Must be a game somewhere, he thought passingly.

“So, uh—- how much longer do you think we gotta do this act? Seems like I’m looking pretty good these days in the eyes of the public. And if you’re sure Meg’s article will be good press—”

You put down your phone and turned on the bench seat to lean your arm along the back of it, putting Dean entirely in your focus. He swallowed and looked back at you out of the corner of his eye.

“Where’s this coming from? I thought it was working out good with Bela?” You were trying for neutral, he could feel it. But you were upset. Or alarmed at least.

“It is— just not really sustainable for the long run. Eventually she’s gonna find somebody she actually wants to date and I’m gonna be gone for like the next year.”

You tilted your head to the side. “Bela’s aromantic, Dean. She isn’t interested in relationships at all.”

“Wait— what? That’s a thing? Chicks do that?”

You glared at him. Shit.

He licked his lips and wiped his palm on the thigh of his jeans. “Okay, but people probably know that, right?”

“Yeah, but people have a way of thinking that eventually she’s gonna meet the right person and ‘settle down’.”

Dean groaned. “Are we playing up a shitty stereotype? Am I being a bad ally?”

You rolled your eyes. “Dean, shut up. You didn’t know, which I find odd, but I’ll talk to Bela about that.---- And we’re not getting graded on your allyship, because frankly that is an entirely different conversation.”

Dean closed his eyes against the accusation but got back into driver mode quick enough to remain safe. He sighed.

“Anyway, I was just curious if there is a timeline or an escape clause or something when the label won’t cut off my nuts for being officially single again.”

You turned back to face the dashboard and picked your phone back up. “I cannot believe you can’t keep it in your pants for one tour, Dean. Groupies and fucking syphilis boosters cannot be that fun.”

Dean swerved, but righted the car. 

“HEY! Nobody said anything about wanting to get my dick wet! I was just asking a question. You don’t gotta be shitty about it.”

Dean swallowed back his retort about not needing easy hook ups because Bela was more than on board for helping fill that particular outlet, but he had already dug himself into a hole tonight.

He inhaled and worked on calming himself down. He realized he was more hurt than anything, that that’s where your mind went for his reasoning. 

That was how you saw him.

He wasn’t a dog, not anymore at least. And if he had been for the few years after Jo’s death, it was something he had to get himself through. He should not feel ashamed for enjoying life. 

But apparently somewhere along the line you’d grown a superiority complex.

Your opinion shouldn’t matter. He only had to answer to himself at the end of the day. But shouldn’t didn’t equal doesn’t.

Which made him feel even more pathetic.

Tagging:

@deans-spinster-witch

@mrswhozeewhatsis

@cosicas-cuquis

@fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like

@suckitands33

@ladysparkles78

@deans-baby-momma

@stoneyggirl2

@sassy-pelican

@leigh70

@globetrotter28

@winharry

@lastactiontricia

@rockhoochie

@brightlilith

@coldhearted93

@djs8891

Chapter 23: Furia

[rosewatergrapefruit]

The number of sources that are like Noel was the laziest roadie ever. He was there for the vibes

[junkratsjunkertown]

Hello! Can I get a healer S/O with Sigma or junkrat, who is always worrying about his safety and such.

Of course. I did both and Junkrats is under Read More. I used actual Build-a-Bear stuffed animals from their website. I also did the research for Junkrat because I wanted to get the terminology right and checked multiple sources for pain relief. If I got anything wrong or if I should add something to Junkrat’s please let me know and I will correct it because I want the information to be correct.

Worried Personal Healer

Sigma

You’ve known Sigma since the day he arrived at Overwatch

You were always worried about his health

Both his mental health and physical health

You always requested to be a part of every mission that Sigma was assigned to

Jack knew how you felt about the older Astrophysicist and knew that you wouldn’t talk to him if something bad happened to Sigma

You did heal the other team members on the missions, but your main focus was Sigma

Sigma is very thankful to have you in his life and let’s you know that everyday

He knows that he can go to you if he needs someone to talk to about his problems (even though he does go to therapy)

He returns the favor by protecting you during missions

He knows that your office and your room are safe spaces because he’s a little paranoid that his room might have hidden microphones and cameras

You also carry around fidget toys for the older man to use during meetings, therapy, or anytime he’d like to use one

You ended up making him a Build-a-Bear for his birthday

You made him the Online Exclusive Piglet Gift Bundle with Sound

You wanted to use your own voice for the sound but decided against it because you knew if you did he wouldn’t keep it in his room

He loved the gift so much because Piglet reminded him of you because you are shorter than him and you always worry about him

Junkrat

Junkrat is a different case because he is so used to only having Roadhog caring about him and his health

You ask him how his prosthetic arm and leg feel each time you see him

You give him medication in case the Phantom Pain gets unbearable

You also let him and Roadhog know that there are other options to relieve the Phantom Pain in case neither of them have painkillers and if you’re not around or on vacation

On missions you constantly make sure that Junkrat is alright

You have always been concerned with his usage of bombs to fly through the air

You let him know that you do know someone who can fix his prosthetics whenever they become too damaged for him to fix

You also let him know that he does need to clean his Residual Limbs often just in case there are any sort of cuts or other injuries

He only showers for you because he knows that you worry about his physical health

It takes him a while to fully open up to you about his past and why he only talks to Roadie about his feelings

But he does go to you when he needs to talk to someone and Roadie isn’t available

You keep bomb plushies (they don’t explode but some of them do make explosion sounds.)

You and Roadhog end up making Junkrat two stuffed animals from Build-a-Bear for when he misses you two when you both or one of you are busy, on vacation, or on a mission without him

Roadhog made him the Online Exclusive Pinky Pig and you made him the Strawberry Cow Scented Gift Set

For the sounds of the plushies you both recorded your own voices. Of Roadhog was the voice for the pig

He loves both of them

[aquagirl1978]

Bad Romance - Gilbert von Obsidian x Reader (Ikemen Prince)

A/N: This is a surprise fic is for @vioisgoinginsane and based upon the drawing she made of Gilbert for my request HERE. It is also part of the Different Universe Same Love ccc hosted by @xxsycamore and @queengiuliettafirstlady - thanks for hosting this wonderful event!

Pairing: Gilbert von Obsidian x Reader

Prompt: Celebrity AU / Gilbert wearing your pink shirt

Tags: Fluff, slightly suggestive (but no smut)

Word Count: 1293

“It’s too early…” you grumbled, your forearm shielding your eyes from the sun’s bright early rays. Your head was pounding as if you were hungover, the result of a late night love’s passion.

Bolting up in the bed, you looked around the room – one that was not yours. Yes, that’s right, you quickly remembered. 

The concert. 

*****

Last night, your favorite band was performing at a local concert, and you and your best friend, Rio, were lucky enough to snag some hard to get tickets. The concert was amazing; the band sang all of your favorite songs, leaving your voice hoarse from singing along. The air was electric as you danced the night away with Rio; you were one with the music as its beat thrummed through your body. It was your first concert, and you knew no other could ever come close to this one. 

And then your life changed.

As you and Rio were leaving the concert, a man approached you. From the badge he wore on a lanyard around his neck, “Roderich” was part of the band’s crew, maybe a roadie. He handed you a ticket - a VIP pass - and told you how to get backstage. 

Like a fish swimming upstream, you pushed past the people leaving the concert hall, your knuckles turning white as you clutched the pass in your hands as you headed towards that secret place others only dream of. 

A gruff man guarding the door gave you a curt nod when he saw your pass; with an outstretched arm, he held open the door for you. No longer in Kansas, you crossed the threshold into the tiger’s den, and in a strange twist of fate, met Gilbert von Obsidian, the lead singer, whom you spent the entire evening with. 

*****

Thankful to find your body covered in a white button-down shirt, you glanced around the bedroom, looking for any sign of Gilbert. When it became clear that he was not in the room with you, you rolled out of the warm, plush bed and began looking for your belongings.

Strewn across the floor were clothes – yours mixed with his – discarded carelessly as you stripped one another bare late last night. You picked up Gilbert’s black jacket from the floor; holding it in your hands, your fingers traced over the lapels as you recalled your first kiss.

******

It was your first time riding in a limousine; with Gilbert seated next to you, everything felt like it was your first time. His hand was firm on your knee, his ruby-red eye locked on yours. He was so close, his scent was overpowering – a mixture of incense masking a faint medicinal smell. His lips so close you could feel his wintery breath on yours, doing everything in their power to send you wild with desire.

Your lips parted, and your eyelids drifted closed, anticipating his kiss. His lips were cool against yours as his long fingers wrapped in your hair, your fingers clutching his lapels as he deepened the kiss. 

It was the perfect kiss, the kind that you never wanted to end. Gilbert himself was addicting, intoxicating; all it took was one kiss, and you were his.

So naturally, when he suggested going back to his hotel room, there was no way you could refuse.

*****

The soft sounds of music drifted into the room, a gentle reminder that you were not alone. Realizing you couldn't hide in the bedroom all morning, you headed towards the source of the music – faint at first, but growing louder as you approached the kitchen. 

"I want your love, and I want your revenge

I want your love, I don't wanna be friends

J'veux ton amour, et je veux ta revanche

J'veux ton amour, I don't wanna be friends."

You slowed your steps as you stood hidden in the hallway, listening to Gilbert sing along with the song on the radio. The dance-pop tune was so different from what you were used to hearing him sing, and if you didn't know any better, you might have thought it was someone else singing.

But that voice. No one – absolutely nobody else – had a voice quite like Gilbert’s. Laced with a seductive edge, there was a light and airy quality about his voice that made it feel otherworldly, as if he was an elf. 

Looking in the large mirror in the hallway, you ran a hand through your hair, the bright bite mark on your neck catching your eyes as you fixed your bed hair. Taking a deep breath in, you entered the kitchen, your heart still pounding with nervous excitement.

Just a few steps in, and you stopped dead in your tracks – Gilbert, still singing along to the radio, looked quite domestic as he made breakfast. 

He was also wearing the pink shirt you were wearing last night. You know, the one you were looking for on the floor covered with all the other articles of clothing discarded during your night of passion. 

“Good morning,” he said with a wide smile. “Do you like blueberries? I’m making waffles.”

Your jaw moved; the ghost of the word babygirl wanted to escape but faded into thin air. Nodding, you pointed to his chest.

“That’s my shirt you’re wearing. Why….”

Gilbert put down the container of blueberries he was holding. “Oh, this?” he replied, looking down at the shirt he was wearing, and then laughed. “I stepped out into the hallway to get the newspaper. I didn’t want to go out without a shirt, and this shirt was the closest. Sorry if I stretched it out.” 

Heat rose to your cheeks as Gilbert lifted his arms and quickly pulled your shirt off and over his head. He tossed it to you casually like it was a ball and not precious fabric that had hugged his body; thankfully, your reflexes were sharp, and you caught the shirt in one hand. You looked down at the soft pink fabric cascading through your fingers as you held it gingerly as if it was a treasured memento. But then something inside you nudged you to look up. Your gaze lifted slowly, following Gilbert’s figure, your eyes lingering on where his waist narrowed, the vision before your eyes at this early hour doing many things to you. 

“Can I get you something to drink?” he asked, interrupting your reverie.

“Just water, thank you.”

Gilbert walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water; his fingers grazed yours as he placed the bottle in your hands, his light touch sending shivers down your spine. 

“Thank you,” you whispered, his claret-colored eye locking on yours before returning to the waffle iron. Opening the iron, he removed the warm waffles, placing them on two dishes and handing one to you. 

“It smells good,” you commented as you watched him pick up a strawberry. With a small knife, he made a few cuts before placing a berry rose on your dish, a boyish smile gracing his beautiful face. 

As you took a seat next to Gilbert, you weren’t sure where this day would lead you. The chances were high that after today, you might never see Gilbert again – he was a famous rock star on a concert tour, and you were, well, a student at the local university. But as you sat and chatted over breakfast, you realized that he wasn’t this unreachable celebrity; he was just a guy named Gilbert. 

And this guy named Gilbert, the way he looked into your eyes gave you chills. The good kind of chills that you wanted to feel every day for the rest of your life. The kind of chills that gave you a small glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, you could be more than just friends.

Tagging: @redheadkittys @alixennial @rhodolitesroseforclavis @kissmetwicekissmedeadly @chaosangel767 @queengiuliettafirstlady @queen-dahlia @ikehoe @ikemen-writer @talfollowingstuff @kpop-and-otome @kisara-16 @altairring @lucyw260 @lordsisterxotome @violettduchess @umi-adxhira @bellerose-arcana @yarnnerdally @crypticbibliophile @scorchieart @tele86 @nightfoxqueen @melodiousramblings @wendolrea @aceuuuu @randonauticrap @aria-chikage

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

Road Trip with Rhys and Finn Darby

At 49, New Zealand comedian Rhys Darby says he's finally found the confidence to be a leading man.

He joins Summer Times for a road trip with his son Finn.

The Route? Auckland to Nelson. The passengers? Marcel Marceau and Marcel Duchamp. The vehicle? A 1984 Land Rover.

Music comes courtesy of Finn’s indie-folk-rock band Great Big Cow.

Rhys Darby filming the TV show Our Flag Means Death at Bethells Beach (Te Henga) Photo: Samba Schutte

(click below to listen the audio)

Now based in Los Angeles, Rhys has fond memories of childhood roadies with his mum.

“We went from Pakuranga to Orewa which was lovely. We stayed in a camping ground, and I fondly remember that one because I saw a ghost and saw some big footprints on the beach.

“Bigfoot…turns out was just a big man's foot I think, but you know, when you're young.”

Last year, Darby returned home to Aotearoa to film the second season of the HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death*.

“We were in New Zealand during the rainy season, which could be any time really, last year making that.

“And it was really special because we got to be home. The first year, the first season, we were here in Los Angeles. I was 15 minutes from my house. And that was cool and then the whole show got moved to New Zealand, which was … it's a plus and minus on my account because obviously, I'll leave these guys, but I get to go to the old home.

“And it was really fantastic. Working with the New Zealand crew and just having more New Zealanders in the cast, as well. It's very Aotearoa-heavy season two. So yeah, I'm really proud of it.”

New Zealand comedian Rhys Darby hosting the 2023 International Emmy Awards Photo: chaoticmulaney

In something of a career pivot, Darby also hosted the International Emmy Awards last November.

“It was amazing because I thought 'It's not my bag. I'm not a host, I'm not a jokes guy. And I also don't kind of like rib people, my humour is very optimistic and fun. It's not like the kind of thing Ricky Gervais does where you bring people down to make light of things.

“So when they asked me I was like 'I don't know, what I'm gonna do?' I was picked because it's international and because I can do physical comedy as well. So, I wrote this monologue and also involved a lot of funny walks and some physical stuff. They worked out really well and I had so much praise from the audience and from the producers saying that was one of the best hosts have ever had.

“Because with a strict English-speaking person who's just doing quick gags, half the audience, it just goes over the head. So, what I offered was something that I guess they had more universal appeal.”

Darby currently has a number of films in the pipeline in which he takes a leading role.

“Thanks to Our Flag Means Death I've kind of proven to myself, and hopefully the world, that I can front something.

“So I want to do more like that. I want to do movies, I want to star in a film. I'm writing a screenplay this year. And I'm also involved in about three movie projects that are likely to come together this year, and which have me leading them.

“I've been a character actor for so long, and I've popped up in many, many things in small parts here and there, where I've made everyone laugh, and then I run away.

“But it's taking that next step of going, OK, imagine watching me for an hour and a half, letting me lead you down this track and have the confidence that now finally, at the ripe old age of 49, I think I can do that.”

*Max has announced that it will not be making a third season of Our Flag Means Death

Songs played:

'Iguana Love' by Great Big Cow

'Captain Boyfriend' by Great Big Cow

'The Last Song' by Great Big Cow

Source: RNZ

[justlike-awoman]

Queen's chief road manager & FOH sound mixer John Harris's interview in the Roadies Page -segment of Beat Instrumental, December 1974 issue (article scanned & edited by me)

This interview with John Harris in 1974 gives very fascinating insights into the technical side of touring with Queen, including managing & transportation of the equipment, and balancing the books!

Beat Instrumental was a UK monthly pop and rock magazine aimed at musicians emphasising instruments, production and equipment.

Full transcript under the cut:

Roadies Page-

QUEEN'S John Harris (and team)

QUEEN ARE going the same way as Yes. That's not to suggest there are any musical similarities, rather the band believe in working for the future.

As soon as Yes started to earn decent money, they ploughed it all back into improving their act and giving better value for money in the hope that the public would respond. Respond they did and the investment paid huge dividends, as everybody knows.

Queen are doing the same thing. And that gives John Harris and his team quite a few problems. John is Queen's chief road manager. He's been with the band from the very beginning when they were called Smile and when the band went pro, he cast aside his college training and left his future in their hands. He's not regretting that.

John's team is a continually expanding and contracting one. His assistant is Robert Johnstone who joined the band in Scotland about nine months ago. Then there's a lighting crew (including someone to mix the lights) and truckers to do what roadies used to do a few years ago.

'The main problem is the worry,' admits John. 'It's such a great responsibility getting this lot of stuff around.’

We were talking at a full rehearsal of the band, held in a disused cinema in Ealing, West London, shortly before the band undertook their UK tour. In addition to the vast piles of source amplification, there was a massive RSE PA system, three mixers (one for fold-back mix), on-stage lighting towers, a massive mobile overhead gantry for lighting (very new), a number of high-power spotlights and a mixing desk for lighting. These are the basic units.

On stage the band's equipment is as follows. For bass there is a mixture of Hiwatt and Acoustic amplification delivering about 300 watts into a mixture of Sound City and Acoustic cabinets. Brian May insists on using Vox AC30s. He uses six of them for lead guitar. His initial guitar signal is amplified by two AC30s, the output is miked up and fed to the PA. The signal is also fed into an Echoplex and that output is, in turn, fed into two more AC30s. That output is miked up and fed to the mixer and it is also taken to a second Echoplex which is fed to the last pair of AC30s. That output is also miked and sent to the mixer.

ORIGINAL

'Brian's a real AC30 freak.' explains John. 'Most of his amps are original but we're trying out some of the new AC30s on the market and he says he likes them.' The piano is miked by a contact mike and amplified via a Hiwatt system which delivers through two Peavey cabinets. The drums are amplified via ten mikes.

Most of the microphones are AKGs with D190, D1200 and 202 models predominating.

One of John's most important tasks is the sound mixing. Because he's been with the band so long he understands exactly the mix required for their music.

'I think the most important requirement for a sound engineer on live gigs, is an understanding of the band's music. If you understand exactly what the band is trying to do in each section you're in a far better position to get the sound just right.’

John has to deal with two mixers. Both are supplied by RSE from whom the entire PA system is hired. One is a 20-channel mixer which mixes vocal and instrument mikes together and the other is a fifteen-channel unit used just for drums. The effects units are Binson and Echoplex echo chambers and the system has an output around 23KW.

The fold-back is also mixed separately, but the band adjust that from the stage. The massive lighting system that the band carry is hired from ESP.

Going on tour for Queen is a mighty expensive operation with this kind of set up. To get it all around the band hire a 32-ton artic, that costs over £500 per week (including driver). The hire bill for the PA and lighting equipment (including crews) is over £2,000 a week and during the time the band are rehearsing the cinema costs £150 a week. In addition there's the back line and that costs about £5,000.

All this is John's responsibility.

'I suppose I spend two hours each day working out the figures.

It really takes some organising making sure that the budget is properly spent. It must be said that Queen don't make anything out of touring, there's just no money in it. It's all to promote the records.

'I don't think tour rigs can really get any bigger or any more expensive. I think we've reached the end.’

[the-replacemints]

“Where Were You?” – The Replacements at Berkeley Square, in Berkeley, California [December 11th, 1985]

The Replacements and roadies performing at Berkley Square in '85, photographed by Michael Conen

source: Michael Conen "Where Were You?" concert photography and recollections

[yunolwlu]

the fun fact that wile has this roadie source! I still think it's something he would have the.

Surely Bugs every time he sees it, he thinks, "holy crap, that's creepy"

I think his obsession is adorable~

maybe I should draw something about it~

[xikersroady]

x: he loves you

me: is he choi sumin?

x: no but-

me: IS HE CHOI SUMIN??????

[freddieraimbow74]

𝐀 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.....

26 March 1986 - John Deacon recorded a track with ‘The Immortals’ called ‘No Turning Back’ for the movie ‘The Biggles Adventures In Time’

Here’s a wonderful interview:

Who's this geezer all topped up like one of those World War One aviator choppies? Why, it's that bass-playing wonder from Queen, John Deacon!

So why has he gone and posed in this blinking silly outfit then? Has the man gone stark, staring bonkers? No -- it's because he performs the main theme tune to the new movie Biggles, based on the gung-ho exploits of the fictional World War One fighter ace who shot down more Jerries than you or I have had hot dinners -- and still managed to keep a stiff upper lip of all times!

John's theme is called 'No Turning Back', and he performs it with a new group (specially formed for the occasion, fact fans!) called The Immortals, remarkable chiefly for the fact that the singer's name is Lenny Zakatek.

"This is strictly a one-off project," explains John, munching on a bag of peanuts. "It doesn't mean Queen are going to split up or anything."

So what does he think of the film, then?

There's a long pause.

"Ummmm...err...well...I don't think it's a terrific picture. Thing is, they've tried to update it by making Biggles fall through a hole in time and end up in the 20th Century, which is a bit silly. I mean, the poor bloke who's playing him spends the entire film looking bewildered."

John, along with the rest of Queen, has also been involved with the music for another upcoming film -- the multi-million dollar Highlander, directed by Russell Mulcahy (of Duran Duran's Arena fame), in which mystic immortal warlords cut each other's heads off. What did he think of that film?

"Ummmm...(another long pause)...that one wasn't too brilliant, either. See, it looks fabulous but...erm...the script's not too hot. Shame, really..."

Dearie me! Well, never mind these dodgy films, how are Queen getting on? Tell us about your plans for your gi-normous Wembley Stadium concert this summer.

"Oh...well, I can't really give too much away...mainly because I don't really know what's going to happen! It'll be jolly spectacular, though. You can bet on that! "

OK then...describe the other three in one sentence.

"Oh God...it's so hard...one sentence?

Freddie's got a nasty temper...I remember one time he lost it, he smashed a very large, ornate mirror over someone's head. Brian's very quiet and a really good gardener...Roger likes a laugh and a joke."

What about yourself, then?

"Oh...I'm terribly shy and nervous. When we did Live Aid I was too nervous of meeting Princess Di, so Spider, our roadie, met her in my place -- shook hands with her and everything! He's now the most famous roadie in the world. He's on a solo world tour at the moment!"

Well, Queen'll have a new LP out in the summer, and then they're going to take a nice long rest. What'll you do then, John?

"Oh God -- I'm so lazy. I'll probably make loads of plans, and then just sit around on my bottom all day long and do nothing."

Finally, are you a millionaire?

"Technically, yes -- we all are, I suppose. But I've always been accused of being a bit tight with money, so it hasn't particularly changed my lifestyle. I've got a nice house, a loving wife and a couple of kids -- that'll do me!"

Source: BIGGLES AND THE CASE OF THE SHY BASSIST; Interview by Stuart Husband (Jun 7 '86 )

**John Deacon did meet Princess Diana during the premier of the movie “Biggles” 22 May 1986 - See pictures below..

Here’s a clip of “No Turning Back”

https://youtu.be/ZwfgKKH6wQc

[oliversrarebooks]

I love all your silly little wights <3 even that Lady whumper to Emily. They're just so diverse. What a beautiful hellacious bunch. What's your secret to getting a character's personality down?

Thank you! I'm glad they're coming off as different characters because I worry that my character voices have been too weak. I've written fanfic for years, but here I can't rely on with imitating speech patterns from the source material...

Getting different character "voices" in narrative is really important to me.

I really like the Want, Need, Lie version of creating a character. What do they believe they want, what do they actually need, and what's the lie (or flaw) preventing them from getting there?

But with Oliver, it was a little different because he's such a passive character. This goes against a lot of modern writing advice that emphasize a character's agency - your character must have strong wants and they must pursue those wants and they must be deeply relatable.

You can write a great character that way, of course, and it's good advice if you're making a classic Hero's Journey kind of narrative. But the interesting thing about whump is how much it emphasizes a character's lack of agency. You can still give a character strong wants and needs, but the fact that for a large amount of the narrative they'll have no means to pursue them makes things interesting.

I don't know if my advice is any good, but one thing I always like to follow when writing a character is to Be Specific. People are very specific when it comes to their interests and memories and the things they know and believe.

Like, for example, a character is into music. That's so vague and doesn't make the character seem real. How are they into music?

They constantly have earphones in, listening to the cheeriest Kpop and bouncing along, squealing over their favorite band members

They are passionate about every minor genre distinction in electronic music and are constantly making fantasy DJ playlists

They did grueling piano lessons as a child, and they're not even sure they even "like" piano but it's all they know and all they're good at

They're a marching band geek who dreams someday of going to a national competition

They're a roadie for their favorite death metal band and travel the country living in a van and setting up sound equipment

They collect antique instruments and will happily demonstrate to you how to play the hurdy-gurdy

Each of these characters is "into music" but in a vastly different way. Whenever something like this pops up for characters I like to get super specific with it.

[endlich-allein]

how does one go from 'I don't want to have eyes fixed on me or be the center of attention' to this whatever this is in our lord's year of 2023 that is Till?!?!

I think there are several things to take into account. Till is shy in everyday life and uncomfortable when he's the centre of attention. And going on stage is always a source of stress and stage fright. But there are various factors that help him to hide and overcome this anxiety.

To put your comment in context, during the Reise Reise Tour (2004/2005) a Rock Hard journalist asked him how he felt before going on stage, and this is what Till replied : "Painful is not an exaggeration. But now things are much better, I'm used to the stage. But I still get stage fright before a concert. What I don't like at all, but it's happening less and less, is playing in very small clubs: the audience is so close, they scrutinise you from head to toe. I feel like a victim of voyeurs who can see the fear oozing out of my pores."

For me, there are two important factors in Till's success on stage today :

- The fact of having created characters for himself on stage: making his entrance in front of 80,000 overexcited people in a huge stadium is bound to impress. In fact, I'd love to know what the guys feel when they go out on stage - it must be a very special experience every time... To get back to Till, over the years he's built up a series of characters on stage, with different costumes and different roles, which allow him to play someone else, like an opera singer. He has worked enormously on these characters, their expressions and gestures. And when you can become anyone, you might as well choose someone who gives the impression of being strong and self-assured. Rammstein's shows are well honed, so Till (and the others too) know exactly what to do and when to do it. The fact that he's so finely tuned, that he has this scenario in mind, helps him not to overthink things and avoid the unexpected, which could cause additional stress. But sometimes he gets out of character, and you can see him trying to relax at the back of the stage, or when he's having fun with his roadies, or this year when he had tears in his eyes and a broken voice...

- Rehearsals and the other members of the band: strangely enough, and if we follow Till's logic, playing in a stadium is less frightening than playing in a tiny club. It's possible, stadiums are so big that, from the stage, you can't really see the people but just a mass of them moving around. But if there's one thing that should reassure Till, it's the people they work with. For years now (or even since the beginning for some) he has surrounded himself with a team he knows well. Some of them even live close to him, in Mecklenburg. There are also the other members of the group, who know him very well and can spot the moments when Till starts to step out of character. I think it was last year, when there was a moment when Till wasn't feeling so well during a show, and Richard and Paul stood in front of him (as if to caher the audience) and even Ollie came to see what was going on... working with people you can trust helps a lot. And as I said earlier, Rammstein concerts are ultra-prepared, there's virtually no room for improvisation, safety is paramount, especially when you're playing with fire and pyrotechnics. The fact that everything is so organised takes a lot of the stress out of it.

So to sum up, in my opinion, Till's ability to manage his stage fright is down to experience, hard work and team spirit.

[twopoppies]

I dont believe anything from anonymous sources, especially on deuxmoi but i watched the tiktok and didn't believe it at all because she didn't show any proof of him/his security trying to get a girls number but then someone in the replies claimed they saw two girls backstage (with no proof again lol) the only thing that made me question it even a little is the girl posted another tiktok saying the same girls were at the show and even showed a picture of harrys bodyguard (paddy i think is his name) talking to two girls before the show started. I still don't believe harry was trying to get anybodys number while on stage but im just confused on why paddy was in the audience talking to the fans? unless it's just people he knows and not this made-up story fans are spreading.

Hi sugar. I’m just going to address this message because I have a ton in my inbox about this topic, but I think this is just one of those things that is a giant game of telephone with each new person adding some layer of “oh, and I know this thing” and “yes I saw this other thing” but there’s no proof of any of it.

So, first of all, the girl making the videos seemed pretty normal to me. She didn’t seem to be making any of it up. She clearly said in her videos that Harry’s name was never used, it was a security guard who said “I’ll let you know where they’ll be” (or something to that effect). It sounds to me like some sort of after party and Harry’s name was never used (although, easy enough to assume they thought H would be there). In the second video, the two girls were at the second show and told the friend of the person making the video that they didn’t go to meet up with them, and there was a photo of two women talking to Paddy.

So, we all know that the entourage and crew of literally every musician uses their proximity to the star to get laid. It’s been documented countless times from every shitty bar band through tons of big name artists (including One Direction). There are rumors of the artists’ friends hooking up with girls, rumors of bodyguards and bouncers and roadies and producers hooking up with girls… it’s endless. So… given that it was Paddy they were talking to on the second night, I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if he was the one who saw them and got their numbers in the hopes of getting them to come to some after party. They were right at the barricade, so I don’t think it’s that odd that Paddy would talk to them.

I just think of all the confirmed things we’ve ever heard about Harry doing or saying (from endless amounts of people), and the consistent way we’ve seen him behave over the last dozen or so years — towards people in general, but also very much his attitude towards women — I just don’t think any of that sort of this fuck boy image is true. This doesn’t even have to do with Louis or whether they’re together or whether H has slept with lots of different people or even with me thinking he’s gay. To me, he just has always given off a very specific kind of energy that just isn’t consistent with the kind of person who points out girls in the audience to be brought to him. 🤷🏻‍♀️

So the bottom line is, I don’t believe anything DeuxMoi or The Daily Mail says. And all these anonymous unsubstantiated stories sound pretty ridiculous to me.

[drewsbuzzcut]

https://www.tumblr.com/drewsbuzzcut/744077034924523520/httpswwwtumblrcomdrewsbuzzcut744076212002029?source=share

another reason jeremy loves when lyla picks out his outfits for him whether it's game day suits or just his everyday clothes

Yes!! It’s become quite the habit for Lyla to pick out his outfits!

Before he leaves for roadies, she’s helping him pack

Once they’re married and living together, she picks out his outfit for the day while he’s in the shower

If they’re shopping, she’s putting together potential outfits for him

He loves that she has that little habit