247. Me and My Friends

I jerked off in the shower because I figured it would help more than hurt. All it meant was then my hair was wet and some more of the eyeliner was gone when I lay down, trying to figure out what to do with myself.

I decided I might as well write a song. The phrase “do no wrong” was still rattling around in my head. I pulled out the Ovation and a notebook and that kept me busy for a while.

And then I was back to trying to stay distracted. When I couldn’t stand it any more, I called Bart.

“Hey,” was all I said.

“I’ll be right over,” he said.

Not even a minute later he knocked on the door.

He sat on one bed, I sat on the other. I didn’t ask if Michelle was asleep. I didn’t tell him what I’d been thinking. I didn’t have to. Just having him there, I felt better. So all I said was: “Six-word post-mortem. Go.”

“‘Not bad for two months off.’ Why, what’s your take? Six words or less.”

“I’ll do it in five: ‘That’s a lot of screaming.’ Four words, good or bad.”

” Good. ‘Holy shit, it’s working!'” He paused to think about what to throw back into my court. “Hm. Three words about Ziggy.”

Easy one. “‘I shit sunbeams!'”

That set him (and me) to laughing. “You win. Do you want to see the video Louis took?”

That made my ears perk up. “What video?”

“He runs a static camera from the back, panoramic view, to see what the light cues came out like from a spectator’s perspective. Says he’ll tape it over every night after looking at it. You want to see before he does?”

“Hell yes. What room is he in?”

“I think the VCR’s in the suite. If Carynne didn’t go to sleep yet, that is.”

“It’s only one,” I said, after glancing at the clock.

“That’s four a.m. to us, though,” Bart said.

“Oh. Maybe that’s why I feel so tired.” But I wasn’t sleepy. “Come on.”

We went down the hall and found the door to the suite open. Louis was, in fact, in there, watching over the tape and fast forwarding to certain parts. Ziggy was already there, sitting crosslegged on the floor close to the television like a little kid.

I fell asleep on the couch, not sure when. Because I guess at some point I just plain ran out of steam. It beat insomnia even if it meant on the very first night of the tour I slept in my clothes, and not in my own bed.
—

(This is one of the funnier concert videos I’ve seen. Dave Grohl pranking the Chili Peppers.)