I have never been comfortable at large parties. When you are in a band, you have to get over that. Every big gathering is an opportunity to play your music. No wonder Rock has become synonymous with Drinking, drugs and debauchery, you have to get those demons out and the lifestyle has great appeal. Unfortunately I hadn't gotten a handle on portion control. I used to start drinking as soon as people showed up and was completely hammered before things really got going. That's what happened one night, and it ended up saving my life.
I mentioned that SAP was playing shows to anyone that was in the house and word soon spread, so more would come. Soon after the band had whipped everyone into a frenzy, most people dispersed into the backyard and the porch to smoke and hangout. I headed to the backyard to throw up, lol Sean found me and was trying to get me to feel better. It wasn't much help as I was already too far gone.
I started to feel better, well, enough to stumble to the car so Sean could take me home. I made my way through the house, stopping halfway to steady myself in the living room. I heard some commotion on the porch. Then some people started coming in, pushing someone through the house and into the backyard. Here comes the saving my life part.
Sean drove me home and then returned to the party. During that time, all hell broke loose in the house. The person they were pushing into the backyard, turned out, had been stealing from the owner of the house and others that lived there. When confronted, he denied it however a look in his things produced some of the items.
So a few people at the party, including some band members (not Sean), were involved in confronting and beating this person, leaving them for dead in a local county access road. This event single handedly led to the dissolving of SAP, the house, the dream, and what was the culmination of a year and a half of some really good/bad choices. Everyone involved was forever changed and it's something that stays with me today.
I am so thankful I was a lightweight at the time and that I had a friend like Sean, who would leave their own party to take care of a friend.
Next time:
Now what? Rebuilding, again? And a singer named Buckingham.