Start Somewhere – Wayne 48

[For a quick guide go here: Quick guide.

For back story go here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and more recent Wayne episodes especially this one.]

[Other back story through in-links.]

There was a blank piece of paper in front of Wayne. A blank piece of paper, a ballpoint pen, a coffee and an open packet of ginger biscuits. (“Sorry,” said Dave, “I’ve been busy working out what menu I can open with when we get there.”) The paper had looked blank for some time. The coffee was cold. Wayne was working his way through his fifth biscuit.

“So who would you like to talk about you?” asked Dave, being the encouraging prompt for this activity.

“That’s just it,” said Wayne. “Who would I like?”

“Me?” asked Dave, cheerfully.

Wayne leaned forward to write his name down but then hesitated.

“Don’t take this the wrong way…” he started.

“But?”

“But you haven’t known me for that long, right? And you don’t really know about the music scene at all do you?”

“No, but I think I know you. And isn’t that what he wants?”

“It’s what MacCabe wants but…”

Dave was determined that this wasn’t going to turn into a row or even a heated discussion. Whatever Wayne needed in order to get this list together, in order to get his head together over the whole documentary project, he would support him. Personal considerations to the back, artistic temperament to the front – be calm, supportive and objective. But damn it was hard.

“You don’t want me to tell everyone how great I think you are?” asked Dave, still cheerful. “I mean if anyone can give the perspective of getting through a tough patch and staying true to who you are…”

“But it’s a personal story,” said Wayne. “That’s like precisely about me and I don’t know if that’s what’s required here. I’m kind of thinking make it about the music. Jezzy for example.”

He wrote down Jezzy on the paper. Then he wrote down the other names of the BarnStormerz. And then he crossed them out again.

“Can’t have them all,” he said. “Not after everything that’s happened. And even then they’ve never given me the full credit I deserve for their popularity. I mean without me there wouldn’t have been a scene for them to get into.”

“So Jezzy’s OK..?” checked Dave.

“Yeah I work with him, he’s OK.”

“But, I’m not? Sorry, no – sorry I’m not. This isn’t about me it’s you and I’m just here for you. Come on, then. Who else? Cath? Phillis? Not Cassie, right?”

“Definitely not Cassie, no,” agreed Wayne. “We’re not giving her anything. Well, maybe a mention, but not a nice mention, you know?”

“Don’t mention her,” added in Dave in a low voice.

“Cath probably, but then she’s my manager and that might make me seem too business-like, you know? All sorting out deals rather than inspiring.”

“She’ll tell them you’re inspiring,” reassured Dave. “How can she not? I mean it’s your inspiration that’s got here.”

“S’pose so.”

“Your inspiration is her bread and butter,” went on Dave. “Your inspiration puts food on her table and…”

“Yeah, OK, OK, but it’s still a business thing, isn’t it?”

He wrote down Cath on the paper but put a question mark after it.

“So…. Who else is there?”

“Phillis. Nice down to earth interview about your childhood, what you were like, were you musical, where you hung out - all that,” said Dave.

“Yeah,” said Wayne. “But she’s not actually my mum and she doesn’t know the half of what I got up to.”

“Look-” said Dave getting up suddenly exasperated but trying to keep a lid on it. “MacCabe wants to make a movie about you. He wants you to be happy with the content and he’s letting you work out who he should talk to and who he shouldn’t. You’ve got control here and you’re just… I dunno. Do you want him to make this film or..?”

Wayne looked up at Dave waiting for him to go on.

“…Not.” Dave went on. And stopped.

“I think it could be good,” said Wayne cautiously, “But I think it needs to come from the streets, you know? Like, driven by the fans. What do they want to know, what do they want to see? I don’t see the point in giving them a load of me and my family if they don’t give a damn or if they just think I’m up myself.”

“So why not start there?” Said Dave.

Wayne sat and thought. Then he tore up the piece of paper, logged onto Instagram and sent out a request.