Stage Fright

By Ryan Harrington
I'm standing there alone in the dark. In front of me, the sad excuse for a tree is doing nothing to shield me from the view of speeding vehicles. I try to relax, but there's too much pressure. The cars flying by on the expressway exit ramp know exactly what I'm doing. The other passengers on the bus know what I'm doing, and they just want me to finish so we can get the show on the road. Last of all, the bus driver knows what it is I'm doing, because he's the one who told me to hurry the hell up.

But I just can't do it. There's too much pressure. I try to allow my mind to overcome the physical inability, breathing in and out deeply, trying to let nature do its thing. Seconds have turned into minutes. The others have come and gone already. I can hear them back on the bus, discussing the situation. They're wondering what could possibly be taking me so long. For a split second, I contemplate leaving unfinished, pretending I'm done. Upon reconsideration, I know that is simply not a viable option. There's no way I'm getting back on that bus. I was the one who requested this stop out of dire need, and getting on now would be a disaster. I would piss my pants for sure. So why in God's name can't I pee now!?!?

I recall a conversation with my father back in the day about this issue, commonly known as "stage fright". He said that built into our genetic coding is a mammal instinct that prevents us from urinating whenever we should find ourselves in a situation where we may become threatened. This syndrome is an evolved reflex to ensure we are on our guard while in the vulnerable state of having a nice satisfying slash down by the river when beasties are lurking in the jungle. Fortunately, it's not often that I need to be worried about being attacked from behind by a more dominant male as I take a whiz. Unfortunately however, this little genetic protection device made it extremely difficult for me to discharge the beer from my bladder while under pressure on the side of the freeway. Go figure.

So although I may have experienced my own kind of "stage fright" Saturday night on the side of the freeway, one thing is for sure: The Rising Hedons never experience such a thing. From the moment the The Hedons calmly walked out on the main stage Saturday at Blues Bash, they owned it. They commanded the attention of all in attendance, playing their hearts out and captivating the crowd with their mix of new tunes and old favorites.

The die-hard work ethic of The Rising Hedons is really beginning to pay off this year. Their sound is incredibly tight, and they are gelling together as a band more than ever. The guitars sound great, especially due to Pete's insistence that Bradley lugs a minimum of 3 guitars to every show based on the fact that "Well, they all have different sounds now don't they?" Add that to the boosted bass punch from Phil's new drum microphones, Daren's always rocking bass lines, and Michael's rhythmic tablas, and this all translates into great news for listeners in Taiwan. With a charity CD nearning completion and the follow-up release to Head Full of Rain, they're only going up from here.

Check out the Rising Hedons Live Saturday, November 29th at Light Lounge. After starting their tour on the road this year, The Hedons finally play their first show in Taiching in almost 5 months!

Thankfully, the gig happens to be two blocks from my house, so no more pissing on the side of the freeway for me! At least until the next out of town show anyway....

Ryan Harrington

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Official photographer of the Rising Hedons