11 Alive?

[Heard on a skip radio station from somewhere in Canada]

[In a deep gravelly voice]

This is Rock Music Radio, the only syndicated radio show heard coast to coast that brings you live interviews with your favourite rock stars.]

RMR: Tonight we are going to talk Max Mayfield, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Mike Wheeler and the El Hop, sorry that's Wheeler now isn't it? El Wheeler, and we hope to coax her into singing acapella for us tonight. That will be an exclusive to RMR. Collectively they are known as 11. They have just finished a spectacular show, and came here right after the encores, how many encores was that again, I lost count.

DH: Five, no joke.

RMR: How many encores does the band typically plan for?

MM: We plan for three, hope to get two.

RMR: I noticed that you don't do Amazing Grace for an encore anymore. That was a great stage effect.

MW: No, that one served its purpose, El has moved on.

RMR: Dustin, I noticed that you now use a double bass drum in your kit, what was the reason for that?

DH: The songs El was writing needed it. I had serious doubts I could pull it off. Heavier bands tend to use them, I'm a lot more tired after a solo then I used to be.

RMR: Speaking of solos, El, when you do that double neck bass solo, my jaw kind of fell on the floor. I thought double neck guitars could only use the upper or lower neck?

MW: They do, El had that modified so both necks could be played at the same time. I don't mind telling you I wish i could play bass like that.

[At this point El Wheeler has not spoken and had not offered any answers to direct questions.]

RMR: For our listeners information, El can you tell us what that last encore song was?

MW: That was our own take on Python Lee Jackson's In A Broken Dream El does a great version of sounding a bit like Rod Stewart on that song. Her voice can be smokier, sexier when she wants it to be.

RMR: Nobody doubts that, I don't want to sound like I'm gushing, well, I am a bit, but your voice… when you hit high notes you do it without screeching, and before I heard of you guys I didn't think any note could be held that long. It must be a record.

MW: It's not a record, but people take notice when you can hold a note for twenty seconds or more.

[For most of the entire hour of the radio show, El is quiet.]

RMR: You've been quiet tonight Mrs. Wheeler, I hope you are ok, I don't think I've ever seen you nervous.

EW: I'm ok, thank you for asking. I will sing for your listeners.

[El sings what everyone was hoping she would sing. She ends Not So Pretty by breaking down and crying again. It isn't faked. It is heartbreaking to hear her cry on the show. Mike can be heard moving, he must be hugging her. You can hear him say 'I love you Pixie'.]

RMR: [In a respectfully subdued voice] And there you have it, listeners, El Wheeler singing her love for Mike Wheeler with the voice of an angel. That was beautiful El… it really was.

XXXXX

Back at the hotel El told Mike she was going up to their room. He he told her he wanted to talk to Lucas for a bit he would be up much later on.

After his conversation with Lucas, Mike decided he'd get some ice from the vending machine on the floor one down from the floor the band had reserved.

He went to the room to get their ice bucket then walked down one floor to get to the ice machine. He filled the bucket and the machine kicked in and started humming. He thought he heard voices and turned around.

About halfway down the hall he saw El, at least it looked like her from behind, same clothes and same pixie cut. She was talking to a guy who had hair a lot like his own. She reached up on her toes like El did to kiss him.

Mike froze for a second. El? This was a deep kiss from two people who were hungry. They turned slightly towards the door, when they parted, Mike saw the scar, and saw her hands go to his belt, she was undoing it. The guy got the door open and El pushed him into the room, scrambling at the top button of his pants and zipper.

Mike was stunned. Was that why she'd been so nervous in the interview? She had been quiet a lot since the Holly incident. He was sure that was still the case, but this… this was different.

Mike didn't know what to do… he went downstairs to the hotel bar.

"What's your poison?"

"Scotch," Mike said, he'd never had a drink before, not even a beer. It tasted like a mouthful of chemicals. He downed it completely. It burnt all the way down.

"Another."

"You want this on the bands tab Mr. Wheeler." The bartender obviously knew who he was.

Mike thought and then said, "yeah, that seems appropriate."

"You celebrating a good show?" Give the man a A for effort, he was working the customer.

"No, not exactly. This stuff is awful. Give me another."

"Maybe you should slow it down a bit? How about I give you a beer, on the house."

Mike drank the beer. It wasn't as strong as scotch, it didn't burn, but it didn't taste very good either. Mike didn't think he'd ever be an alcoholic. He'd rather drink warm Yak piss to get the beer taste out of his mouth.

Four beers later and Mike's vision was little blurred, he was having hard time sitting on the stool at the bar. He didn't feel weepy though, he was a little afraid he'd tell the bartender things he shouldn't while crying in his beer.

He could see the bartender signalling somebody. He heard a voice behind him and to his left. "Can I help you get to your room Mr. Wheeler?"

"Yesh," Mike said without thinking. A large guy Mike thought looked like one of the body guards picked him up and threw him on to his shoulder.

It was not a smooth ride. The bodyguard knocked softly on a door, Mike could see in his upside down position El's slippers and the bottom of her bathrobe.

"Delivery for you Mrs. Wheeler" The bodyguard said with humour.

Mike was put on his feet in an acrobatic move worthy of a circus act.

"Put him over here on the bed."

"Nod thad bed...th'other wun, not Pitsies." Mike's speech was slurred.

The bodyguard put him on the second bed and sat him up. He gave a quick nod to El and left the room.

El came over, the worry on her face was evident to Mike. When she got close to him she crinkled her nose, "ugh, Mike, you're polluted. You don't drink. How many drinks did you have?"

"Cupla scotch, cupla beers"

"A couple too many. I wanted to fool around a little tonight, but you're drunk as skunk, you're in no condition to even spell my name."

Mike's voice was steady when he said his next words, "sorry the El Hopper. I don't do sloppy seconds."

El frowned at the emphasis on her old name. "Don't be crass, would you like to explain to your wife, why you're shitfaced, because she's getting pretty pissed off with your attitude right now."

Mike looked at her for the first time. He found his voice.

"My attitude El, comes from watching you almost devour some guy on the floor below. After you pulled your tongue out of his mouth, you started working on his pants. You were enthusiastically trying to get into them. I assume once you got into the room, it was a mutual thing. I can't even think about it anymore… the only question I have is are you going to file for divorce or am I? I'd rather you not take my parents house in a messy divorce just to stick it to me, but if you do, you do. I'll let Holly know why she's sleeping in a cardboard box. I guess I finally got a taste of a celebrity romance."

Mike was done, he got up to leave.

"Sit down, Mike. It wasn't me." El was smirking.

"Screw you El, or better yet, visit your friend below, he can probably do you again. I'm leaving. I'll get Lucas to get me on a plane. I'll pay the band back for the ticket."

"I said. Sit. down. Mike."

Mike felt himself pushed down on the bed. He tried to get up but couldn't.

El was still smirking. "Ok, tell me what you saw."

Mike tried to be sarcastic, but his thought processes were starting to get muddled. "Ok a girl, about your age… and as pretty as you are…" Mike pressed his lips together, he thought he might lose it right there and then.

"...wearing the same clothes as you, same rip in the jeans, haircut identical, was kissing this guy. When you stopped… I mean when she stopped and stepped back, I saw the scar, looked exactly like yours… and then she started fumbling for his belt… trying to… trying to…" Mike couldn't go on.

El was smiling again.

"I just lost my wife tonight El. Not really a smiley kind of thing." He still couldn't move when he tried to get up.

Mike was angry again, "I'm taking my ring off."

"Mike," El looked panicked. "Don't do or say anything you'll feel bad for later. I did that that and I wouldn't wish that feeling of shame on anyone."

"I know this industry is still new for you, you came from a small town and aren't used to the glitz and glamour. I tried to shelter you from a lot of things. Groupies, drugs, record executives. Have you noticed that we never seem to be accosted by paparazzi anymore? Not since the accident?"

"Get to the point El."

"I hired doubles. Scars are Hollywood class makeup. You saw Elena and Florin, who apparently decided to have a real relationship."

"How... how have I never seen them?" Mike's anger was fading rapidly.

"That's the point silly. Obviously we can't be seen at the same place at the same time as them. They have their own set of look alike bodyguards also. They are all decoys"

Mike was silent.

El gave him the time he needed.

Mike sighed. "Are you even going to talk to me tomorrow morning?"

"It was an honest mistake Mike. I did it over just the sounds of Holly giggling, you had visual proof. I should have probably let you know, that one's on me. Yes I'll be talking to you tomorrow. And kissing you, and whatever else you want to do. You aren't going to feel like doing much of anything..."

Mike was silent again.

"Don't do this to yourself Mike. You reacted with booze. You could have done something much worse that you would have regretted. I mean it Mike. Let's just this behind us."

"Pixie… I'm." El put her finger over his lips.

"No, you will not be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for. You love me, you reacted badly when you thought I was being unfaithful, to use a Victorian term." She winked at him.

"I don't really deserve you." Mike said with a lopsided smile.

"Yes you do… because I deserve you. I had a bad childhood, and now I have two people who have shown me how much they love me. That I can be loved. I am very blessed Mike."

"And you're not mad at me at all?"

"A little. I wanted to mess around tonight, we had a good show and a good interview. But you aren't going to be able to do anything."

"Who says I can't?"

"Prove it." The mischievous glint in her eye, was a challenge.

Mike accepted the challenge.

XXXXX

"Drink this." Mike hadn't even opened his eyes yet.

He held out his hand. Was that a beer bottle?

"Hair of the dog," El said. "That and a greasy breakfast is just what you need."

For some reason the beer tasted a lot better than it did last night. The smell of bacon and eggs was driving him crazy.

He opened one eye, it was dark. El had made sure the curtains were closed and only a single lamp at the writing desk was on. She was sitting cross-legged beside him.

"You remember anything from last night?" El said carefully.

"Everything."

"Are you wondering how rock stars do that every night but still manage another show the next night?"

"A little."

"We don't play tonight… but we have a meeting in the studio this afternoon."

"Who called the meeting?"

"I did."

XXXXX

"Why are the lights so low in here?" Max said.

"Mike has a hangover." El said simply, "he saw Elena and Florin go at it."

Max looked back and forth between them. "...and?"

"Lucas?" Mike said towards the control booth, "If Max is anything like Pixie, you can never let her go. Girls with hearts that big are almost impossible to find. I'd like to think we have two of them sitting in this room right now."

Mike did not expect Max to turn as red as she did. He didn't expect Lucas to come into the sound proofed room to give Max a kiss, hug her and then say. "I'm not letting you go Max."

Mike and El exchanged glances, both of them raised their eyebrows.

"Are we here to talk about a new album?" Dustin asked.

"Yes and no." El said.

"Uh, which is it?"

"It's 1976, seems to be a lot of popular live albums right now, Frampton Comes Alive, KISS Alive!, The Song Remains The Same."

"We have a lot of live tracks recorded. We just need to figure out which tracks from which shows. I could do up a master in no time."

"Um, can I make suggestion?" Mike said.

They all looked at him.

"You don't do separate live tracks, it kills the flow and feel of a live show. Which is the point of a live album right? To capture the magic?"

They were still looking at them.

"Two album set. Each LP has a set list from a show we were really happy with. Lots of liner notes, and maybe inserts. Give the fans something extra."

El smiled at him. "I think we all know what show to do."

Lucas said, "that would be at least 4 LP's. But you'd get a whole three hour concert on it."

"And I don't think it's been done before. We have the momentum, let's use it. No record company can say no, we are turning down offers every day from one or another. If this works, it will make a lot of record company executives sit up and take notice." El said.

XXXXX

Everyone who was there will never forget that 11 concert. And now, for those of you who were not there. The band has released the entire show in a 4 LP set. The original mixing by Lucas Sinclair was so good, they literally only had to drop the master tape off to the record plant. No single has been released yet. I don't envy the band trying to choose a single from this massive set. Every song could be released as a live single. The album captures the raw energy that emanates from the band. The power of the songs, the precision playing by four extremely talented musicians. And let's not forget the sweet voice of El Wheeler. Her songwriting, her wickedness, her sheer presence, all comes across when you hear this album. If anybody asked me to pick a favourite song from them, I'd just pick this album. 11 Alive? Odd name and we're sure there's a story behind the it.

Rock Music Magazine