In this book within a book, plunge into the escapades of Satine Fontaine, who's on the run from her tumultuous past. The vibrant streets of New York beckon her, and fate conspires as she stumbles into Brooklyn's dingiest bar, encountering the enigma...
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STAR: DYNACO
November 1st 1996
In a forgotten alleyway, off a forgotten street in Brooklyn, sat a bar. Dynacowas its name to be specific, though no one ever was. Most people knew it as the shithole where shitty bands would play shitty music whilst getting absolutely shitfaced.
For Mingyu, however, it was home.
Moving to New York at the age of eighteen would be a tough decision for your average person, but not for Mingyu. For Mingyu, it was the best decision he'd ever made. Endless nights of practising bass in his alcoholic father's garage, and then getting violently beaten afterwards, led him there and he wouldn't have changed a thing.
Living in a Brooklyn loft, which was most likely a drug house previously, judging by the number of syringes scattered along the floor when he moved in, just set the tone for his future. Nothing excited him more than the authenticity of the nineties: grunge, sex and rock and roll were all he craved, and life was offering him nothing less.
With no serious commitments and taking whatever life threw at him, Mingyu sat at the bar with his three bandmates, sending looks of disgust at the rival band playing in the corner.
"I don't think I can handle any more of this..." DK's face contorted as he knocked back his fifth pint of beer.
"I think my ears are bleeding," Wonwoo agreed, lifting his forehead from the sticky bar top.
At the far end, slowly turning his head to face his bandmates with his mouth hanging open and eyes somewhat crazed, Hoshi couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You think your ears are bleeding? I have to witness that guy crap on one of the best drum solos in history. John Bonham is turning in his grave."
Mingyu wasn't planning on making friends when he moved, it was actually the last thing on his agenda; way behind trying out the best bars and visiting Rudy's music shop. He had always been alone and loved it - until he didn't.
Seven months in and he met DK busking on the subway. Usually, he wouldn't have stopped to make conversation but there was something about his voice that left Mingyu mesmerised. He didn't even know how it happened, but they ended up back at Dynaco's, miles from sober, and in a heated debate on who was the greatest guitarist of all time. DK was partial to Eddie Van Halen's riffs and Mingyu was constantly astounded by Brian May's ability to make a guitar sound lyrical. There was no right answer of course, but if there was one thing the two of them loved, it was somebody that was just as passionate about music as they were.
Hoshi and Wonwoo didn't come around till later, they were both regular raging alcoholics at Dynaco and it took months for Mingyu and DK to convince them to join the band. Most of the time because Wonwoo wasn't even awake to reply.
It all worked out for the best though, because fast forward four years and they were all somewhat sober enough to perform three days a week at various bars across the borough.
