Through Chrissie’s eyes
At Hyde Park
The following days for Queen were filled by preparations for the show in Hyde Park. As much as John Reid was taking care of everything, Roger, John, Freddie and Brian made a point of being present to find out how everything was being organized. Once again, Brian brought me to see the stage assembly and all the sound equipment. There were at least fifty people working, running back and forth, resolving any setbacks here and there. Brian took me by the hand to a certain distance from the almost ready structure of the stage, and we stood right in front of it.
The size of that thing made my stomach go tumbling. Something as big as that, to be used by only four people, four people of my family, whom I loved very much. Queen was growing and the crowd still frightened me. But I decided not to let this frighten me, they would be the center of attention, not me. More and more people recognized their talent and this in itself was what made me happy.
"It's going to be a big event, isn't it?" I said to my husband aloud.
"Yeah, Branson didn't measure up," Brian sighed, "they're going to fill the park on Saturday, that's what I expect, so it's all worth it."
"Bri, I ..." I hesitated, still impressed with all the work to organize the show "I never asked you this, but ... seeing a stage of this size, doesn't intimidate you a bit?"
"Oh yeah, for sure" he laughed, a little embarrassed "but after the tours I got used to it. Do you know what helps a little? It's just that no one is looking directly at me, and even if they look, there's no way I'm going to notice it because of the distance the audience is from the stage, besides, we're four. And ... Freddie always draws attention to himself."
"That's true" I said, remembering how the singer was a little more excited than usual in recent days over the show "he's trilling, but you?"
"A little nervous, really" Brian confessed "but until that happens upstairs, when I start playing with the guys, we kind of have fun and help forget the fear of the stage, we connect with the audience and we end up changing the same energy. They end up paying more attention to the music itself than to each of us. It's incredible! What is it?"
I loved watching Brian as he spoke excitedly about something he loved, and I was there in that kind of situation again, staring at him with shining eyes.
"Nothing, it's that ..." I lowered my eyes, but I got the courage to say it "When you talk like that, it always makes me fall in love with you even more."
"I don't know what I did, but thank you" Brian smiled and gave me a quick kiss, which was allowed in his current work environment.
"I hate to interrupt the two lovebirds, but we need to rehearse Bri" John came to call the band's guitarist "did you see Roger? He missed a while ago."
"Oh, I have no idea where he got in" Brian said, a little worried "I'll see if I find him, John, and we'll meet later."
"Okay, I'll wait for you" John nodded and went to the stage.
"Look Bri, I think I have an idea where he is" I remembered the motive of embarassment that our friend had last week "go to meet Freddie and John, I'll find Rog."
"Okay, thank you" He kissed my cheek as he said goodbye.
I went to the Mr. Branson's trailer, a kind of mobile office to take care of the details of the show very close to where it would happen, and of course his faithful squire Dominique was accompanying him and helping him in everything. I looked around the trailer, but there were no signs of Roger around. I knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer.
"Chrissie!" Dominique smiled at me after opening the door, looking slightly relieved "what can I do for you?"
"Actually, I don't think I'm going to need any help." I looked away at a roguish way looking Roger inside the trailer and stared at him, angry "I found exactly what I was looking for."
"Come on, Chrissie, you didn't come here to scold, did you?" he shrugged, pretending to be innocent.
"I came to do you a favor, the boys are looking for you to rehearse, now!" I put my hands on my waist, placing authority in my voice.
"Okay, you don't have to say again" he muttered, and before he followed me, he gave Dominique a puppy look.
"Duty calls, Mr. Taylor" she replied, sounding irritated "You have to work, and so do I, ah, and one more thing, if you feel thirsty again you don't have to come to me just to drink some water, there's water wit the stage assistants, okay?"
He nodded to her, unable to say anything new, and finally left Dominique alone.
"But what is this water story?" I asked as we walked side by side.
"Oh, I was thirsty and I came to ask her where the water was" He shrugged.
"Seriously?" I looked at him like he was the biggest idiot in the world "and what else did you invent just to see her? Because I know that's exactly what you've been doing all day, I've seen you after her earlier."
"Oh Chrissie, I was just having some doubts about how everything will work, that's all ..." he thought I was misleading him with that naughty smile of his.
"Look, listen to me, if you really like her, you have to let the poor girl breathe, you're obsessed with her, if you didn't notice" I said, annoyed by his behavior.
"You know my bet? I'm running late to get it done, one time she'll agree to go out on a date with me " Roger explained, but it only made me angrier.
"And you already asked her out?" I crossed my arms.
"No ..." I ended up finding his fault "but I'm working on it."
I just put a hand on my forehead and shook my head, trying to cope with his stupid insistence. I stood in a corner of the stage to see the rehearsal.
Roger joined the boys, who received him with grunts and grimaces. So they ignored the delay and began rehearsing. They touched the entire Sheer Heart Attack, and Roger scowled here and there in the process. Before moving on to the next song, the drummer asked for a pause.
"What is it now, Rog?" Freddie asked him impatiently.
"No, it's just that ..." Roger grimaced and tried to move his foot "it looks like someone glued chewing gum on my pedal!"
"You're kidding ..." Brian sounded incredulous.
"No, man, that's serious." Roger lifted his foot hard and really had a gum glued to his sneakers"I'm going to complain to Branson, how absurd, it's clear someone put this here on purpose ..."
Without much thought he tried to take the chewing gum with his hand, and suddenly, a firecracker exploded near the battery. Roger jumped and screamed as sharply as when he sang, we all got scared, we looked around to see who had been the author of the prank, perhaps the same person who had glued the chewing gum.
An instant later, Dominique appeared and I soon realized that she was holding on to keep from laughing.
"I was standing nearby and I heard something popping up," she explained to the band. "Has anything serious happened?"
Roger rose angrily and went to her full of demanding.
"First, someone stuck chewing gum on my pedal, and then they popped a firecracker near me, I'd love to find out who it was and have a nice chat with him, Ms. Beyrand" He was speaking with his hands on his waist, ignoring the charming way he had used to speak to her so far.
"Well, you're talking to her Mr. Taylor" she allowed herself to laugh "it was my way of making it clear that your pursuit with me was already over the edge."
I saw the confused face that the drummer did while processing what Dominique had told her, she had just confessed that she had made those pranks with him. Instead of yelling at her, or playing the charming, he started to laugh. Even Dominique was confused by his reaction.
"You had the courage to do this to me? I have to congratulate you!" Roger laughed a little more. "Darling, you rock! And look, I called you darling with all respect, just to make it clear. And I apologize for being a sticky tick today. Can we start over?"
He ended up offering her a hand, which she ended up shaking.
"Apologies accepted Mr. Taylor" Dom replied, and I realized that she was a bit impressed that he had laugh of her pranks.
"You can call me Roger" the drummer offered.
"And you can call me Dominique, out of work" she smiled.
"You mean I'll see you out of work?" Roger risked.
"Who knows ..." Dominique let it out. "Now come back to the rehearsal, I've already messed you up too much."
And so, she left us leaving with the only thought of "But what just happened?". Roger stood for a moment with that silly smile for nothing before the boys went back to rehearsal.










