Oxygen (Catfish And The Bottlemen/1975)

Van

When we left the girls at Rudys grandmas house we were supposed to head straight home, we were supposed to have a few final days in Wales before we returned to London to the studio. At least the first studio.

We had demos to get down before we flew to LA to record album three.

We wouldn't however get to stop home at all before LA, much to all our disappointment.
Usually I was fired up for a month in LA, recording thr albums was one of those things I loved on principal. The principal being that the sooner we recorded it the sooner we could get it out there, the sooner we could play it live, tour and live it. Letting the music breath, releasing it, always meant so much to me.

Still, i couldn't say i was pleased to leave Wales without a proper goodbye. I wasn't thrilled to know, after the fact had sunk in, that I probably wouldn't get to see Fliss and the girls before we left for the US either.

"We always knew it would be like this," sighed Benji, trying his best despite his own hesitations, to remain positive, band focussed.

"doesn't stop it feelin shite," yawned Bondy who was lying on his back in the center of the kitchen table, cigarette hanging lazily from his mouth. I couldn't see his eyes for his flatcap which was as usual skewif and shading half his face. His legs hung limp over the edge, dangling just as his arms did, and as he let out a long exhale, waved his cig around almost setting fire to his jumper, i wondered once again where the fuck we had found him.

"Aye well yous wouldn't feel half as shite if..." I started but another flail of his fag cut me off.

"Ah!" he sighed melodramatic, "don't say it,"

"don't say what?" frowned Bob cutting in a little confused. He'd been preoccupied making coffee but now as he stood at the foot of the table, his mug steaming up his glasses, he was forced to listen, forced to try and get on Bondys manic wavelength.

"That hes fucked it with ourkid," shrugged Larry as he wandered past, flinching when Bondys cap came hurtling towards his face. He ducked, it hit the wall, it slid to the floor and Bondy hauled himself up, wriggling into a sitting position, still dangling his legs over the edge of the table.

He looked stoned, with one shoe hanging half off and a stupid smirk lingering on his dazed expression. It was difficult not to laugh just looking at him.

"I havent fucked anything because theres nothing to fuck," he said calmly, placidly, almost tranquil until Larry sniggered something else.

"well not saff anyway," i bit back a laugh just like Blakes and Bob but Bondy just frowned and shrugged him off. It probably shouldn't have been a sign but that was how I knew, cause I probably wouldn't have laughed at that joke had he made it about Fliss.

"Fuckin typical too int it," I sighed changing the subject to save him. "that we'd be stuck in London the one week they're literally everywhere else,"

"Always the way i spose,"

"wonder how they're getting on with Healy..." simmed Blakes, he'd been tense since they'd left for the tour and the only time he ever seemed to chill out entirely was when Kitty was on the other end of his phone.

"They'll be sound," i tried to reassure him, "I've been watchin them little videos they put up on Bondys phone, u know on the little pink camera..."

"you mean instagram?" bob raised his brow skeptically, the others chuckling along.

"I don't know, the dead short ones like..."

"its an instagram story Van, he means the fuckin live streams," grinned Bondy, his dimples showing as he laughed at me and I leant back into the sofa cushions shrugging them all off.