14714/The Wild Ones vs. the Mild-Mannered

The Wild Ones vs. the Mild-Mannered
Date of Scene:	19 February 2023
Location:	Backstage at the punk club
Synopsis:	Clark interviews the band backstage, learns things, gets teased. And a standing invite to entertain a keyboardist.
Cast of Characters:	Black Canary, Superman

---

Black Canary has posed:
The last number was played, and then the two encores. The club may be "intimate" but it was packed to the gills and likely in breach of fire code; watching the set was probably uncomfortable for Clark as he waited for the band before the interview.

The lead singer of Ashes on Sunday had a habit of jumping into the mosh pit, holding her own against the manic crowd of dancers until the pit turned into a circle pit, with merry-makers slamming into each other while Dinah stood in the centre, singing, her impressive voice filling the venue without even a hint of distortion from the mic she bawled into. (The occasional mosher who made the mistake of straying into her space winds up, with little effort and no break in the piece, flying back into the circle like a bullet made of flesh and bone.)

It was, in short, a great gig. Or so Dinah seemed to think as she chattered with her bandmates on the way back to the change room.

"Ditto, you were on FIRE!" she enthuses, the silent girl nodding with a grin on her face. "And Paloma, your licks were spot-on."

Her eyes fall on Byron. "And girl," she adds, "you're the core that keeps us together. And now we've got some pencil-neck from the Planet wanting to talk to us. Heathcliff set it up. You want to talk most or is it me?"

Everything from "pencil-neck" onward would be easily audible to Clark even were he a normal human, not to mention with his enhanced hearing, given that she'd opened the door to the dressing room mid-sentence.

The short blonde stops on seeing the 'pencil-neck' already in the dressing room, her signature outfit with the too-much eye makeup, the torn fishnets, the low, block-heeled boots, and the leather jacket over the too-tight black bodysuit, making her stand out as she blinks a moment at Clark.

"Oh, hi there! Aren't you the eagre one!?"

And ... not a pencil in sight in that neck. Dinah tilts her head as she looks Clark over appreciativly.

Superman has posed:
The show -is- uncomfortable, but not for reasons one would expect. Concerts and super hearing don't really mix well. So, he has a big set of earplugs to help kill the sound. It takes the edge off just enough. However, he already stands out because of the suit. He stays for most of the set. Even sees the impressive display in the pit, which is a little barbaric. It takes a lot to do that -while- singing. Before the set is up, he is showing his press pass to make his way into her room. He expected an encore. What Clark doesn't expect is -two- encores. Seeing the appreciative look, Clark will blush and clear his throat. "Ah-hem. Yes. Miss Ashes," he says unsure how to address a lead singer to a band. People didn't say, "Hey Vincent" to Alice Cooper.

Seeing the tight body suit, "You were impressive. And doing it all in -that-. It's borderline intimidating," Clark admits, trying to give her some praise. "I think you for meeting me. I'm sure fans with the backstage passes want to meet you. I will try to be quick," Clark says, continuing to show respect.

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah lets out a snort. "Miss Ashes?" That's a chuckle, that verges on a giggle. It seems her stage persona is quite different from her real life one. "I think that's a first. Just call me Dinah. That's Ditto, that's Paloma and that's Lord Byron."

All women. Yes, including LORD Byron.

"You're not the usual kind people send to cover us," she continues as the band files in and takes up various seats on the dressing room (that quite 'coincidentally' surround him like a transparent attempt to make him uncomfortable). "Sorry 'bout the pencil-neck thing. Most of the time they send ineffectual nebbishes who look like a strong breeze could blow them over."

There's that appreciative gaze again.

"I think you could have stood out on the mosh pit, honestly. Dominated it. Physically, I mean. I don't know about the personality."

Then the penny drops.

"Hold on, the Planet sent CLARK KENT to interview us?" Dinah's eyes open wide. "What did we do to deserve that honour!?"

She doesn't seem to be using sarcasm here.

Superman has posed:
Clark pushes up his glasses as the bandmates are introduced. "Ladies. You were all good. I'd give it two years befoer there's talk of platinum records, if you're not there already," Clark speaks honestly. The intimate setting -is- smaller. However, -every- set of eyes are glued to them. Each woman a hard-edged Pied Piper to the masses.

"Well. . .I umm. . .volunteered. I like to work pieces, remind myself of where I came from. Get to know people I may not normally run into," he doesn't sound intimdated by the people. Talking about himself? That's where it all frays. "Probably sounds stupid," he admits. "I hope no one minds," he adds. And then his penny drops before hers. "I. . .I've never been in a smash pit before," and he blunders on the word "mosh." It may be intentional, but they didn't need to know that.

A moment later Dinah's penny drops. He looks between everyone one, "Is that going to be a problem?" concern creeps into his voice. And he bares his press pass. Sure enough, "Clark Kent" is written across ths.

"I mean, I -could- get you a pencil neck if you would prefer. . ."

Black Canary has posed:
"Aw, HELL no!" Dinah laughs. "Getting Clark Kent means we've hit the big leagues. When the album drops, it means it drops when a lot of people have already heard about us. And whether you give us a good review or a bad one, it doesn't matter. Our NAME is known!"

Dinah grins then and signals, causing the three other girls to move from the envelopment over to the couch, with Dinah perching on the arm of it, crossing her legs and gesturing to the armchair on the opposite side.

It's all pretty ratty, but look comfortable enough.

"So, ask away, Mr. Kent," she says. "It's nice to get a seasoned reporter instead of the usual kind they shove into the social pages." She talks as if she has a lot of experience with reporters somehow...

Superman has posed:
Clark lets out a genuine small laugh, a smile on his face. "My review isn't bad, but that's not the -only- reason I'm here," Clark admits. Seeing Dinah's happiness about their coverage is a pleasant happenstance.

Moving toward the ratty seating area, he makes a note of how Dinah perches on it. The little mannerisms noticed.

"What I want to is not the usual information. How, and why, you met is known. There's other reporters have covered that ground. I want to know how do youw ant to stand out? What else will you do to make yoruself stand out from the rest? Going out into the crowd and intereacting with them -that- much turns heads. Whether the music is good, or bad, people take notice. How else do you want them to notice you?" he asks and gives the group a good long look. "All of you. How do you want to stand out? Make the world notice you," he says, wanting to know that. These moments will bring up something true.

An amused smile pulls at his lips, "How many pencil necks have they sent you, Miss Dinah? Did you leave anything left of them?" he could see the band chewing them up and spitting them out.

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah rubs the back of her head, fingerless gloves pushing through her bottle-blonde hair, as she considers the answer. While she does that, the drummer, 'Lord Byron', speaks up.

"Speaking for myself, I'm here because I like the music. Ditto and Paloma really click for me driving my drumming to better, improved heights. D.D.'s singing is just wild, too. Never heard anything like it, and ... well ... never seen anybody quite like her either. Pugnacious. Combative. Really wild. But has a heart of gold. Gets involved in things 'cause it's the right thing to do. So, for me it's not about standing out. It's about standing with ... standing with my sisters here."

The keyboardist pipes up then, adding, "Well, for me it's about standing out. I want people to see us and realize that girl rockers are rockers. Too much we got guys up there strutting and prancing and acting like rock's their gig, and it ain't. Rock's for anybody who can pick up a guitar and play three chords."

Unconscious or conscious reference to Sniffin' Glue's "here's three chords, now form a band"?

"Also, Ditto can't speak for herself, so I gotta do it for her. Ditto's the best guitarist in the world, full stop. I don't know how she does half the shit she do, and she ain't talkin'."

Literally, given what Clark's research tells him about the mysterious mute guitarist.

And this all gives Dinah time to compose her answer.

"Me," she says, pulling her hand out of her hair and letting it cascade messily about her shoulders. "I'm here for the ride. This gig's about blowing off steam for me. I've got quite a few stresses in my life: I run a business, for example: Sherwood Florist in Starling." She can't help but advertise her place it seems. "I started singing in bars in Starling to blow off steam and I ran into Ashes. They'd just lost their lead singer and, well, on a lark, I tried out and we clicked. So I'm with Byron here. I don't really want to stand out." Says the woman who jumped into a mosh pit while performing, an action guaranteed to stand out. "I just want to blow off steam, have fun, and leave a good looking corpse behind. So if that's going to make people take notice, I guess that's what I want?"

Beat.

"Most of them survive," she adds, in answer to Clark's final question. "The cuter ones maybe come out a bit worse for the wear though."

Superman has posed:
"Well, that's the purpose music. They're supposed to move you, drive you, and work with you like a synnergy," he responds to Byron. The pencil going to Clark's notepad.

"Standing out like Nita Strauss, Liv Kristine, Siouxie Sioux and others, but proving that women can do it, too. And that rock is for anyone. It's not so much a female rock bad, but a rock band that happens to be all women?" he asks making sure they're on the same page. Yes, Clark does his homework.

"I do like the name 'Ditto.' Never change it," he says trying to give some encouragement. It did make him smile for some reason.

"And so this is how you let loose? How you toss aside all the troubles of life and let it go?" Clark pauses to think on it. "Like the men when they fought in Fight Club before it all got Project Mayhem-ish. Or so many artist before you. Whether it's creating literal art, music, all of it. It's a means to let loose whatever is built up?" and then he looks between the four.

"Do I need to be worried?" Clark pushes up his glasses again. The man in a dark blue suit, tan colored dress shoes, a white button up shirt and a black tie. Something meant to catch attention when he's in small crowds. However, it helps him blend entirely in big crowds.

Black Canary has posed:
"Well, like I said, I kinda have a high-stress life." Running a flower shop is apparently high stress. Only ... Clark likely knows something (because he's not stupid, and Dinah's so bad at the secret identity thing: like not even a mask!?) about the real stressors in Dinah's life. The steam she's really blowing off. The band could very well be therapy for low-level, but persistent, PTSD...

Dinah shrugs. "And as you can see we all have different reasons to be here. And you forgot the most important woman rocker: Gay Black a.k.a. Gay Advert. First, and in oh so many ways best, of the female punk stars."

Paloma leaps in with, "Yeah, we're just a rock band. We're not a girl band. We're a rock band that has girls in it. If we find a guy that clicks musically and socially, we'll be a rock band that has girls and a guy."

Byron mutters something that sounds suspiciously like 'lucky sod that he'd be' at this point which earns a glare from Paloma and a hastily-squelched giggle from "D.D.".

"So you got it, Mr. Kent. We're just a rock band. Not a girl band. I fuckin' hate that term!" Beat. "Sorry. Didn't mean to swear."

A nuPunk band that apologizes for swearing?

Ditto, who'd been quietly strumming her guitar while this had all been going on looks up at Clark and tilts her head, regarding him with some ... suspicion? Is that it? This is overshadowed quickly (as things so often are!) by Dinah.

"So there you have it. We're all here for different reasons, want different things from the band, and united in just loving the music and the team. That was a really good question, Clark."

First-name basis now, it seems.

Superman has posed:
"Do you work in the competitive rose field? I hear that's high stress," Clark is perfectly straight faced when asking this. There's no malice or sarcasm, " he's trying to cover because Clark is putting puzzle pieces together.

"Apologies. Please forgive my transgression," he says to Dinah and even bows his head slightly. "My research missed a vital spot."

Clark writes things down, "It's good to see you're open to it Paloma," and he doesn't comment on Byron. He will give a small smirkto the comments.

"I won't bring up the apology in the piece," and he's noting Ditto's looks toward him. "I try," he says turning the page.

"Who were your influences? And what would be your dream gigs? Is there a certain stadium, tour or artist you would love to work with on stage somehow?" Clark asks the group knowing this is a layered question. However, he is trying to throw Ditto off of whatever trail she may be on. It's why he's making -everyone- think. Get a personal answer from each.

Black Canary has posed:
Byron again takes point. "Normally here's where people go for Peart or Bonham or Moon ... the fru-fru crowd. And don't get me wrong, they're all great, great drummers. But me, give me Topper Headon as my main influence. Straightforward, no-nonsense drumming that drives the band like a drummer is supposed to do, but has the chops to do the fru-fru ornate stuff when needed to fill in. He had two talents that I admire: he could beat the skins, and he knew when to shine and when to let the rest shine. I'm here to drive the band, not take the spotlight from D.D., Paloma, or Ditto. So my mantra is 'what would Topper do?'."

Paloma takes over from here. "Dennis DeYoung. Great keyboardist, though I'm better!" No ego problems in this one... "But holy shit was he a showman! When he was on stage you couldn't take your eyes off of him. I can only dream of being that good at grabbing the audience and focusing on me." She mock-glares at 'D.D.'. "Doesn't help that we've got a showboat over here who's worse than frickin' Gene Simmons for being in your face!" she grumps, then giggles and slaps Dinah on the back.

Which triggers Dinah's response. "You hit one of them with Siouxie Sioux, but ... uh ... well ... I don't like to admit this to people, but I figure Clark Kent, of all people, deserves a scoop. Kate Bush." A singer who's almost, but not quite, entirely unlike the music this band makes... "She does things with her voice that no regular human should be able to do." And yet in the performance 'D.D.' was doing more amazing things. Sloppy.

Then the band turn to Ditto with an amused look. The guitarist looks at Clark and starts moving her fingers.... In short order Santana, Downing, Gilmour, Lifeson, Slash, King, and finally, as the crown, Buddy Holly flow from her guitar, sounding EXACTLY like they did in their most famous licks.

With an electric guitar. That's not plugged in.

She smiles, then, at Clark and winks.

The rest of the band turn as one to watch his reaction.

Superman has posed:
Clark is feverishly writing things down. Everyone is starting to open up. They're all focusing on people that influenced them. Even a few shocking picks. The one, personally speaking, that stands out is actually Buddy Holly. He just didn't picture that one. Kate Bush he could maybe, kind of, sort of see. Buddy Holly is a true curveball.

He notices the wink and smiles politely, "I bet you treated all the pencile necks this good before eating them," he says as if to brush it off. Because he's not sure if it's genuine, Clark misses cues from people. Also, he tends to think of himself as average to "meh." So, he just writes off any more favorable view. Plus, this could be some kind of ploy. It is his first interview with a band in ages.

"And your dream venues? What places would you love to perform at?" He says bringing up another personal question of the bunch. The second of three.

Black Canary has posed:
Paloma takes lead on this. "We're kinda following the footsteps of ZZTop on that. In interviews they said they were at their happiest when they were the world's richest bar band; that the quality of enjoyment dropped when they started hitting big venues and stadiums. D.D. there likes to make personal contact with the audience." Sometimes bodily, given her leaping into the mosh... "And honestly, if I'm scoping out some hot dude, it's easier to hook up in a bar after the show than it would be at a stadium event."

The remaining band members facepalm in unison.

Byron takes over gently. "Those of us who don't think with our nethers..." Dinah quips, "Leaves me out." "...like the small venues for the intimacy. So me, the best place I can think of to play is something like God's Music Bar or such." Name-dropping a famous club in Queens built in a former church.

Dinah then adds, "Can't really do much more than emphasize how much I agree. Stadium tours are a nightmare of logistics and lawyers. I hate both."

Ditto just goes back to lightly providing background music to the interview.

Superman has posed:
"At least she's honest," Clark says and will decide to say "connect with the fans" making it less literal than intended. He underlines it with Dinah's quip. "I've heard of a few of those. Thougt most were overseas," he comments while still writing.

"I thought working -a- place like Red Rocks may be on someone's radar. Not that specific location, but some place you'd want to leave a mark.

"Acts you'd want to share the stage with? Current ones. We'd all wish for dismantled bands to come back for one last show," Clark adds that last part in just to make sure. Going back to his trifecta of questions.

Black Canary has posed:
The vocal parts of the band respond in unison to Clark's question about sharing the stage. Unfortunately they say different names. Paloma: "Halestorm". Byron: "The Hu". Dinah: "Tacocat".

They pause and glance at each other before laughing and trying again. Paloma: "Metallica". Byron: "Unleash the Archers." Dinah: "Bloodywood." Again the glancing around and laughing.

Then Ditto hits the guitar again and the opening notes of Ad Infinitum's 'Unstoppable' fill the room. Somehow. The rest of the band turns in unison and each snap-points at Ditto. "What she said." In unison.

This is obviously a rehearsed gag.

Superman has posed:
Clark still writes things down, but he can see this is rehearsed from a mile away. In some ways it's cute. In some ways it feels like a bit. Just in case, he did stow his own gag question for some interviews. A tic-for-tac. And so he asks, "Who would you pick: Lemmy or God?"

Black Canary has posed:
The band look at Clark, then look at each other with wide eyes. Finally Dinah speaks up. "There's a difference?"

Wide-eyed, but face filled with mirth.

Superman has posed:
"Good. You know the joke," Clark didn't expect that. It pleases him. The reporter smiles at all the ladies, "What legacy do you want to leave and then I do have to ask. Is there anything you want to add after that answer?" Clark will always end an interview with that last question. Sometimes the most candid answer comes from that question. "Can be anything at all," he adds. Again, Clark is going for candid.

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah rubs the back of her head again, combing her glove-clad fingers through her hair. "Always with the tough questions," she 'complains' with a snort. "It's like you're a real reporter or something!" She falls silent then and, in a difference from previous, nobody else takes up the question while she thinks.

"For me, we're not far enough ahead to be thinking legacy. I mean I joined the band for a lark. I would sing at open mics. They needed a singer and seemed like a fun crowd, so I sang for them on a gig. We clicked. We hit bars and played. Legacy wasn't even a thought. It was for fun."

There's a bit of nodding from Paloma as she talks.

"And now things have exploded bigger than I think any of us ever expected and ugly words like 'legacy' pop up making it seem more like this is Something Important." She somehow does something with her voice that makes those words SOUND capitalized. "And ... I don't know. I haven't changed that much since then. For me it's still blowing off steam. I guess it's time to start thinking about that?"

Byron smoothly takes over, again, seeming to be the most grounded and level-headed of the bunch.

"Ditto and I have always had aspirations beyond having fun," she says. "We wanted to find the best people we could to make a band that could be both fun and meaningful. Paloma joined because she's the best we could find on the keys and introduces a lot of fun to the mix. And D.D. there joined because she's got potential for next level in vocals..." This is one of those moments where Dear Reader can appreciate what 'dramatic irony' is. "...and is really good at fronting, dragging all the attention to her while we build the sonic wall, then handing it back to us when we smash people into it. So our legacy? I want us to be remembered as that band that used sugar to sweeten medicine. Used fun to deliver serious messages."

And from Ditto's guitar comes the eerily accurate strains of Mary Poppins' song 'A Spoonful of Sugar'.

There's a moment of silence that Paloma doesn't break with her answer. She just grins at the answers already spoken.

"And for your final question, the only thing I want to add is," Canary finally says, "keep alive the true spirit of rock & roll: rebellion."

The rest of the band emphatically nods at that.

Superman has posed:
Looks at Dinah, "I know, it's kind of annoying isn't it?" Clark jokes and then pushes his glasses back up. He's writing, still slouched. He gives the woman a friendly wink. "Maybe if the article is good I can get free back stage passes to the next show I'm at," he says it in a way that's not asking for a bribe. That's far from his attention. It's his hope to impress them somehow. And maybe if they're impressed -enough- they'll deem him worthy of such an honor.

"I just bring up legacy because I -personally- think you're on your way. If you haven't already," he looks between the group. "Keep doing it for the reasons you have. I'm pretty sure your idols and inspirations had the same motivations as you," he points it out to show that in some situations music, art and artists, can be a circle. Artists motivating future artists.

Hearing the erie strings to the Mary Poppins theme. It illicts a smile from him. "In the most delightful way," he will add in a sing-song voice. Clark is being a little more personal in this interview. He knows they may see Clark as an outsider. So, he's trying to thaw any barriers between them. Even toward the end he's still trying.

"Trust me, you are Dinah," he gives a nod to her and the rest of the ladies, one by one. "Did I manage to do better than the other pencil necks?" he's curious about this one. And it's a question he'll ask before considering leaving. Clark is still standing with a small slouch, pocketing his writer's pad. Dull blue eyes regard the band slowly.

Black Canary has posed:
"Oh, definitely," Dinah reassures Clark, laughing and kicking back, recrossing her legs as she leans on the sofa back from its arm. "You're not crying and curled up on the floor, so you did fine. We're mean to people who aren't good reporters."

It's kind of hard to believe, watching the women in their non-stage personae, that any of this is true. Except possibly Dinah. And even she, with what Clark knows of who she really is, isn't prone to just being mean for the sake of it.

"And sure, next time we're in Metropolis we'll shoot the Planet a free press backstager." Paloma seems about to speak, but gets cut off. "Down girl. He's civvie, not scene."

Paloma looks crushed.

"You gave good interview. You hit the notes people expect, but threw in some improv to make it interesting. You should pick up an instrument. We don't have a bass player; wanna do that?"

That gets the whole band laughing. Except Ditto. Who is watching Clark carefully still.

Superman has posed:
"I could give my best intern impression," he says and gives a fot smile. Their words are compliments. And Clark is all smiles about the pass. The smile is short lived as a comment turns him quizzical.

"Civvie not scene?" Clark asks as he is genuinely confused by this comment. "What's a scene?" he asks, unsure if he wants that answer. however, the question is out there in the room.

"I don't know how to play. I mean, I could learn and try one day, but I don't think I would do you much good tonight." He gives a grin and then everyone is laughin. However, Ditto has his eye again. Well, rather something about him has her eye. Clark looks at her and pushes up her glasses. Just to cut through tension he will bluntly ask, "See something you like? Trust me, it's not that impression," he is standing with that louch and looks at guitarist with a soft smile.

Black Canary has posed:
"Ditto can't speak," Paloma pipes up. "But can see things the rest of the world can't."

That doesn't sound even slightly ominous, does it, for someone who lives a double life?

"Don't worry about it," Dinah laughs, waving off the slight tension. "Ditto reacts to things. Like one time someone came in with a metal plate in his skull and she was staring the entire time. Nobody knew he had it, but something about it caught her attention somehow."

Of course Dinah knows how. She could do the same if she used her Cry right now, using the ultrasonic scream to find out how things vibrate; noticing things like how Clark's body is denser than a human's by far. But she's not doing it.

"Don't worry about it. Ditto's harmless. She just ... doesn't talk."

She continues, then, to explain, "Civvie: not part of the musical world. Scene: someone involved in the world of music. Scene is performers, managers, venue owners, groupies, and so on. Civvie is anybody else, including the casual fans, though the line blurs there. I was just reminding Paloma that we don't mess with civvie life."

Paloma glares at Dinah, but then laughs.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. My bad."

Superman has posed:
Clark isn't sure why Ditto is looking at him. Keeping his slouched posture, moving toward th door. "I was told long ago, it's the quiet ones you should fear." An image of a trusted, yet possibly feared, ally flashes through his mind.

"I'm just not used to cute ladies looking at me," he says waving it off liek there are -no- other reasons she could be looking. Every once in a blue moon Clark gets some stairs. Sadly, there's nothing for him to trip over, or be a big clutz over at the moment. Something to instaneously dispel any thoughts.

"My life's," there's a pause. "It's not a Civvie. It's an odd one," he says and just lets the comment lie. "Thanks for the lexicon lesson," which he knows makes him sound very out of place.

"Alright ladies, if you need me," just in case, he'll hand out the business card (again). People can misplace those things, himself included. "I'll see myself out," he says and heads for the door.

Black Canary has posed:
"You're welcome backstage any time!" Dinah says with a farewell wave, the irrepressible Paloma adding, "Elsewhere too!" only to take a seat cushion to the face from Byron. The laughter of three friends and a mute guitarist winding down after a set is Clark's send-off song. Not the worst song possible, is it?