⭐Winner - Punk Rock Awards Grand Prize 2023 ⭐It's the 1990s and love-phobic Aussie rock chick Ellie Devine must resist the charms of sexy pop star Daniel Armstrong to save her band's songs from their vengeful ex-lead singer.
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~ON STAGE, BRISBANE FORUM~
As Ellie ripped into the ferocious guitar solo of Slider's second last song, under the spotlight, rows of blank, confused faces stared at her. Someone should've warned all these lusty teenage girls who wanted to see perky, pop-driven Glue that Slider would not be an easy ride. It was tough for Ellie, Meg, and Kim too - an all-girl rock band, full of attitude, supporting one of the biggest pin-up bands around. Ellie knew supporting Glue would be tough. She'd told everyone this a hundred times. It was like playing an axe that belonged to someone else – odd and uncomfortable.
Slider audiences were a mixed bag. Art students. The local indie crowd who'd followed them from their early days. Punks and straightedge dudes who wanted to talk to Ellie about chord progressions and politics at the same time. Young girls with piercings, tattoos and green hair who liked their take-no shit demeanour. Uber-cool, polite Japanese girls and guys who adored Kim and gave her all kinds of creative gifts. Everyone who came to Slider's gigs were some kind of awesome Ellie would never have expected.
Glue's fans seemed to be pubescent females, dripping with desperation and lust. At least at this gig. The whole venue overflowed with screaming girls under the age of fourteen and Ellie was sure the cleaner would mop up pure estrogen afterward. She was sure it hadn't always been that way. The geek-cool, reserved but intense, intellectual, indie crowd must have made way for lusty young lasses with one thing on their mind.
The same thing that was on Ellie's mind.
Daniel Armstrong.
For Slider's set, along with the tour promoter, record company reps and journos, Brenin stood in the wings, his bulky silhouette looming tall as he observed their performance with crossed-arms. Daniel stood next to him hidden in the dark, nodding and grinning along.
Ellie had been sneaky with the set list. She'd pushed through 'Green' faster and heavier than they'd ever played it. Ellie didn't want to channel the way Daniel had played it last night and luckily Meg and Kim agreed to do an over-the-top, one minute punk version they'd always wanted to play but never dared to.
Stepping to the front of the stage with her trusty Gibson SG, Ellie checked Kim and Meg were ready for the closing song.
She grabbed the microphone with both hands. "You're so close to seeing Glue right now!"
The crowd roared at the name of their favourite band and Ellie sensed the shift in the mood as hundreds of teenage girls peed a little at the mention of Glue.
"Daniel Armstrong is back there!" Ellie pointed over to Daniel in the wings.
As frenzied screams filled the room, Daniel shook his head at her, warning smirk on his face. Ellie returned his smile, her senses lifting as if someone had turned her amp to eleven.
But the show must go on.
Ellie gazed out across the top of the congregation of Glue worshippers, blanking their faces out with the glare of the spotlight. If all these girls knew what Daniel had said to her earlier, they wouldn't be so happy. In fact, Ellie would have to add 'crazy fans' to her list of reasons why she couldn't be with Daniel. These girls would have no hesitation in ripping Ellie's eyeballs out of their sockets and dropping them on top of their ice-cream sundaes like cherries if she stood between them and Daniel Armstrong.
