materialized and we took the stage with all this on our minds but we tried to give the very best performance we could. Even though it was night, people were still fanning themselves, pouring bottled water over their heads. Most of the guys were shirtless and a lot of women were in bikini tops and bras. It
looked
hot from the stage and the industrial fans the crew had set up couldnât beat back the dayâs heat or the heat coming from the lights overhead. So yeah, you guessed it, we were just about to hit the refrain of our first song, âHurry! Hurry! Hurry!â when Daisy flat passed out. Midway through spinning around, something she liked to do, she hit the stage floor. I thought she tripped and would get back up but when the crowd started craning their necks I looked over and saw she was out cold, her voice coming loud and strong through the speakers overhead. There was a moment of confusion where the festival paramedics rushed the stage while I frantically yelled for Jamminâ Jay to cut the tape. The audience looked confused too but they quickly figured it out and started booing and hissing. The paramedics hauled Daisy offstage and Stella said sheâd ride with her to the hospital. Jamminâ Jay said, We best get out of here. The crowd seemed to be getting louder and the stage wassuddenly heaped with empty water bottles, plastic cups, frisbees and anything else people could find to throw. The only thing I could equal to the feeling of sneaking away from the SaltBed Festival is when you lose your wallet and you think, itâs not that big of a deal. Then you realize you have to cancel your credit cards. Then you realize you have to get a new driverâs license. Then you realize you didnât cash your paycheck and will have to have another one issued. Then you realize you had over a hundred dollars in your wallet. Thatâs how it hit me, in stages. At the hospital Stella hugged me and I said, Weâre ruined. It was on the radio, she said. Daisy looked pale and she drank and refilled two full glasses of water. In our minds we were both thinking what would Bananarama have done if something like this had happened to them. Surely all the times Sara and Keren went on stages in London there was at least one mechanical problem. How would they have coped?
Why doesnât Ian call, Daisy asked. We dialed the number for the studio on the phone in Daisyâs room, but the answering machine came on. We hung up and the phone rang; it was Ian on his mobile phone. He told us he was in an accident and thatâs why he couldnât make it. His voice was changed. He was really somber and we hoped he would tell us it was going to be all right. But he didnât seem to know anything about what had happened. We asked him if heâd talked to Jamminâ Jay and he said, Iâve got something to tell you. We thought he was going to tell us it was all overâwhich of course it wasâbut what he said really floored us. The songs Jamminâ Jay quote unquote wrote are old unrecorded Phantasm songs, Ian said, andPhantasm is suing me personally and the group professionally for copyright infringement. Ian said what he was going to do when he got his hands on Jamminâ Jay, but his cell phone cut out and he didnât call back.
A woman from the front desk came with some papers and asked Daisy for her autograph. Daisy dotted her
i
with a flower but the woman didnât notice. Stella sat next to Daisy and held her hand. Sheâs going to be all right, someone out in the hall said. Stella said, This isnât anything, donât worry about it. Daisy opened her eyes and breathed in deep and then closed her eyes again. I felt faint and fell into the chair in the corner. What time is your flight back tomorrow, I asked and Stella said, Iâll stay until we get out. But in the morning she was gone with a note that said, Please come visit me in California. Typical Stella.
In the morning
looked
hot from the stage and the industrial fans the crew had set up couldnât beat back the dayâs heat or the heat coming from the lights overhead. So yeah, you guessed it, we were just about to hit the refrain of our first song, âHurry! Hurry! Hurry!â when Daisy flat passed out. Midway through spinning around, something she liked to do, she hit the stage floor. I thought she tripped and would get back up but when the crowd started craning their necks I looked over and saw she was out cold, her voice coming loud and strong through the speakers overhead. There was a moment of confusion where the festival paramedics rushed the stage while I frantically yelled for Jamminâ Jay to cut the tape. The audience looked confused too but they quickly figured it out and started booing and hissing. The paramedics hauled Daisy offstage and Stella said sheâd ride with her to the hospital. Jamminâ Jay said, We best get out of here. The crowd seemed to be getting louder and the stage wassuddenly heaped with empty water bottles, plastic cups, frisbees and anything else people could find to throw. The only thing I could equal to the feeling of sneaking away from the SaltBed Festival is when you lose your wallet and you think, itâs not that big of a deal. Then you realize you have to cancel your credit cards. Then you realize you have to get a new driverâs license. Then you realize you didnât cash your paycheck and will have to have another one issued. Then you realize you had over a hundred dollars in your wallet. Thatâs how it hit me, in stages. At the hospital Stella hugged me and I said, Weâre ruined. It was on the radio, she said. Daisy looked pale and she drank and refilled two full glasses of water. In our minds we were both thinking what would Bananarama have done if something like this had happened to them. Surely all the times Sara and Keren went on stages in London there was at least one mechanical problem. How would they have coped?
Why doesnât Ian call, Daisy asked. We dialed the number for the studio on the phone in Daisyâs room, but the answering machine came on. We hung up and the phone rang; it was Ian on his mobile phone. He told us he was in an accident and thatâs why he couldnât make it. His voice was changed. He was really somber and we hoped he would tell us it was going to be all right. But he didnât seem to know anything about what had happened. We asked him if heâd talked to Jamminâ Jay and he said, Iâve got something to tell you. We thought he was going to tell us it was all overâwhich of course it wasâbut what he said really floored us. The songs Jamminâ Jay quote unquote wrote are old unrecorded Phantasm songs, Ian said, andPhantasm is suing me personally and the group professionally for copyright infringement. Ian said what he was going to do when he got his hands on Jamminâ Jay, but his cell phone cut out and he didnât call back.
A woman from the front desk came with some papers and asked Daisy for her autograph. Daisy dotted her
i
with a flower but the woman didnât notice. Stella sat next to Daisy and held her hand. Sheâs going to be all right, someone out in the hall said. Stella said, This isnât anything, donât worry about it. Daisy opened her eyes and breathed in deep and then closed her eyes again. I felt faint and fell into the chair in the corner. What time is your flight back tomorrow, I asked and Stella said, Iâll stay until we get out. But in the morning she was gone with a note that said, Please come visit me in California. Typical Stella.
In the morning
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