Band Groupie

As I said earlier, during the time I was hanging out with Tom I got to be a bit of a band groupie. It wasn't so much due to the fact I loved the band as --I had nothing better to do. Remember --no TV, movies, places to go, etc. When I got back to the barracks each night I would write letters or post cards then --well, that's about it. If I could get my hands on a book, I would read. Occasionally I'd watch a movie with my roommates --some boot-leg copy of a VHS. So when Tom would ask me to walk downtown with him, I was only too happy to get out of the barracks.

The band wasn't really that good nor were they that bad. I'd go to their practice sessions in some YMCA type recreational place in Ansbach. It was a much older building --the room we'd go into was empty but for a few chairs and miscellaneous items that were there for storage as much as anything. The room was Pepto-Pink --and ironically, was a bit nauseating. Equally nauseating was the number of times I sat through "Summer Time Blues", which was one of their favorite songs to play and oddly, not even their style music. Some of the German guys didn't speak English and others spoke very basic English. Tom would listen to them speak in German and speak back to them in English and they all understood one another. It was funny. All of the songs they did were American and I'd be amazed how well they could sing the lyrics and enunciate. I'd sometimes ask them, "Do you know what that songs is saying?" They'd just shrug their shoulders.

I went to a few local gigs which were not highly successful nor a failure either. These were mostly German clubs well --duh, obviously but what I mean is, clubs frequented by Germans and not American soldiers --and they weren't always very welcoming of me. I wasn't there to drink or party --just watch/listen to the band play, which by the way --they were much better in practice than any live performance I had been to.

Despite their only mediocre abilities, they finally got a big gig and they were very excited about it. A bigger more well known band asked them to open for them at a club. The guys were excited. Tom asked me to go. I really didn't want to given --this would be out of walking distance and I really didn't trust Tom to get to to/from any place safely. In hind sight, I have no idea why I agreed to go along but I did.

We had to leave early afternoon one Saturday. First we drove to someones house and picked up a lot of equipment. I think it might have been the home of one of the other band's members. There were several guys there with their girlfriends and they were very upset I was tagging along. I should have taken the hint and ran for the hills. Even some of the guys from Tom's band thought it best I not go as they were siding with their girlfriends. Tom and two other guys stood up for me. I was in the middle of absolute no where! I starting thinking what an absolute bad idea this was. I hadn't a clue where I was, where I was going, how or when I'd get back --and hardly anyone in the group spoke English well enough to tell me.

After a very long drive and making several stops, we finally arrive at the club. It seemed to be in the middle of a field --I expected it to be in a big city or at least in town. We drove down long hilly and curvy roads and arrived at this building. The setting almost reminded me of a scene from Hansel & Gretel. It was actually quite beautiful. The club was much nicer and larger than I had expected especially in comparison to the dives they band had been playing in. It was very rustic looking --lots of wood and dark colors. It had more of a family atmosphere to it than some party or dance club. After the band got set up we all just kind of sat around. Tom and one of the other band members stayed with me and close by, for which I was glad. The three of us sat at a table just talking and laughing --while the others ignored us and stewed that I had come along. Soon patrons began to arrive at first rather slowly but then the place was soon packed. I had no idea the crowd was going to be this big. The German band guy (can't remember his name) said something rather odd to me like bugs were crawling in his stomach or something like that. I kept telling him something was getting lost in translation because he wasn't making any sense to me. I finally figured out he was trying to say he was nervous and had butterflies in his stomach.

By the time the guys got up to play the place was packed. I couldn't even make my way to the front. I tried but I just kept getting pushed back. I finally gave up and decided to stand any place that was available --which was right next to the bathrooms. I wasn't even enjoying myself. I couldn't see or hear the band. It was crowded beyond belief and I've never been a big fan of crowds. I couldn't talk to any one. I had no idea where I was. I had no idea when we'd be leaving. I just stood in the back completely clueless about everything.

Bored and mad at myself for coming, I just stood in the back. A little while later I heard what I thought were sirens but it was difficult to hear over the noise. Then the crowd seemed to get louder, if that was even possible, and I heard screaming. I still thought this was just part of the scene here until --the music stopped. When the music abruptly stopped I knew something was wrong. Short as I was, I couldn't see over the crowd, couldn't understand what everyone was saying in German ---but I could tell there was trouble and that was confirmed when I saw the German police storming the place. I didn't know what to do --they were blocking the door and not letting any one leave. I was so scared. I grabbed a German guy and asked what was going on he just said to me, "Its a raid."

A RAID? Okay, I had no idea what that meant but I KNEW it wasn't good and I KNEW the Army wasn't going to like this. The police were hauling people out of there left and right. I was in a panic. I mean --I really had no reason to be afraid other than- --I was ALWAYS afraid of something. I was not doing nor in possession of drugs, which I assume what this was all about. I ran into the bathroom and decided to hide in a stall --cuz --they'll never find me there! (okay, I was stupid). Once I got into the stall I did realize how stupid the idea was. I was looking around for a ways to escape and noticed the wall behind the toilet didn't quite meet up with the ceiling --there was a big gap. I stood up on the toilet and could see there was a room back there, though it was very dark. I climbed the wall dropped over into the dark room. I fell onto a big pile of boxes and from what I could tell, I was in some type of storage room. Now I really had no idea what to do next. So I did what I most always do --I sat down and cried. I kept thinking I was going to jail and now, how was I going to explain why I was hiding in a storage room? Certainly I was making myself LOOK guilty, like I had something to hide. Even if I didn't get arrested the German police would probably turn me over to the nearest military installation --and that wouldn't be good.

Outside the door I could hear some commotion and voices --and they were getting nearer and louder. I thought it was the police coming to look for people hiding LIKE ME --I finally decided there was only one thing left to do --face the music. I my attempt to free/hide myself I realized I was only making myself look like I had something to hide.

The voices outside the door were getting louder and my heart was pounding. It was so dark I really didn't know where the door was. I was feeling my way around the dark when I suddenly heard a big pound on the door and in the clearest English, albeit with a thick Italian New York accent, I heard, "Melissa? Melissa? Are you in there?" I trampled over boxes making my way to the door. It was locked so could only be opened from inside. I opened it and there stood Tom and his band members. He grabbed my arm and said, "We've been looking all over for you! Come on! We have to get out of here!" The guys each grabbed me by the arms and we headed out a back door. I'm not even sure my feet were touching the ground. We went out the back. Once outside, around the corner I could see a whole slew of German police cars . Easy as it was, we got into our car and just drove away. Just like that. There were other cars leaving too --I think the crowd was much more than the police could handle.

That's the last thing I remember. I might have fallen asleep on the drive back but I don't remember the drive back or getting back on post. We would have had to have been dropped off at the gate and walk back to our barracks --I don't even remember that. The next thing I remember was waking up in my bed safe and sound on Sunday morning. For a split second, soon after waking, I almost thought the night had been a dream or rather, nightmare.

Needless to say, that was the last night I was a German band groupie. I never went back to their practices or any performances. I ran into one of the band members once at a local carnival and we spoke briefly but other than that, I never saw those guys again.