Whispers diminished to silence as the lights dimmed in the already dark hall. There was an almost visible tension in the air, giving it a tight, agitated feel that penetrated everything. Ten thousand high-strung people in baggy jeans with silver chains dangling from the belt loops and oversized t-shirts with mottos like “Live 4 2day, u wont b here 2moro” pressed forward, closer and closer to the stage, so that those at the front were packed in like sardines, while still the crowd surged forward. Their faces turned as one to the pitch darkness that was the stage.

Blinding white light suddenly exploded into life, then dimmed to a blood red as the opening drum rhythm of the song echoed through the crowd. Vapour gushed from the smoke machines at the front of the platform, covering the first few rows of pushing, shoving people with evil-smelling steam, and making their green-, purple-, or blue-haired heads momentarily disappear from view. A shadowy figure could be seen rising through the smoke at the front of the stage, holding a guitar.

As the fog cleared, and she struck the first notes of the riff that they all knew so well, the audience began to press forward even more and to jump to the beat of the song. And they sang along with their idol, her signature song filling them with the dream of her life:

“Ain’t gonna give you one more chance,

Well it ain’t like you need it

‘Cause you won’t be round to pain me no more-

Isn’t that your blood all over my bedroom floor?

Now I warned you

So many times but I guess you

Were just too blind and I want to

Go right back and rewind

Last night was simply the last straw

Well babe who could blame me?

And I won’t have to hide it no more

The hatred I tried to ignore

And I warned you

So many times but I guess you

Were really to blind and I want to

Just go right back and rewind

So I warned you

So many times but I guess you

Were just too blind now I want to

Go all the way back

All the way back

All the way back…”

As the last notes faded and the crowd screamed its approval, and the drummer ended with a final flourish, the singer stepped forward to speak into the microphone.

“Well you know, I can already tell this is gonna be a great night, you know how?” She waited for the crowd to shout in response, hearing people near the front yell, “How?”

“I can tell because I can smell smoke, and it don’t smell like cigarette smoke to me!”

The crowd laughed and roared their agreement.

“But I don’t think this place is gonna burn down anytime soon, so let’s get this show on the road! Count me in, Trigger!”

The drummer behind his huge and elaborate drum kit, its enormous bass drum with its logo saying ‘¤bscure Purpo§e,’ nodded his head and started the next song. And the crowd screamed and surged forward even more.