The taste of the Sambuca brings back memories of times past as he slams the glass back down on the bar as another shot miraculously appears in front of him. WHAM, BANG, NEXT as this second shot is necked back and Slammed onto the bar.

Band meetings are great. At least on the night of the meeting, they never feel quite as good the next day for some reason??

I don’t know why that is, I blame the few hours sleep in between the night and the morning.

Oh well at least its not getting hit quite as hard as it used too.

That being said for an Englishman during a band meeting mixed with Premier League Football on the TV is always a recipe for disaster.

The Globe Pub on West Irving Park Road, Chicago is jumping tonight as all the English Chicago residents and Tourists mix with the locals all enjoying some drinks and Manchester United v Wigan Athletic on the TV.

Wait a minute this doesn’t add up!!!

With the time difference between Chicago, USA and England this match is being played at 3pm GMT. Which means… its 8AM Chicago time!!

Ok, I guess it is being hit as hard as it used too, it wasn’t intentional though, easy to get carried away.

As Chris Macbeth leaves his band mate at the bar lining up shots he walks out onto the sidewalk, the morning sun stinging his eyes after what appears to have been a slight error in judgment.

The fresh air his him almost immediately,

“This is not good”

Last time he saw the sky it was dark, it was… 01:00 am

---

7 Hours Earlier.


Chris Macbeth and his buddy and fellow band mate Adam climbed out of a cab on Irving Park Road with the very good intention of going back to there homes, the street were relatively quiet apart from the late night buses pulling up at the numerous bus stops. They had decided to have a band meeting to discus their plans for the reunion. The Underground night club had seemed to be a good venue for this meeting to be held so that’s what they did.

Macbeth was dressed in a Ramones T-shirt and Dark Jeans and boots has his hands stuffed in his pockets as he walked down the sidewalk aiming towards home. Talking with Adam excitedly about the prospects with the band, also Macbeth’s future in Wrestling.

That’s the thing with Adam he was always the most supportive of Macbeth’s return to the ring out of all his band mates, it helps with Adam’s all be it small history in wrestling.

Adam Barnes or Adam “The Bad Boy” Barnes as he was known back then used to wrestle in the same fed that Macbeth competed in many years ago before their music careers kicked off. This is how Macbeth and Adam met.

Macbeth had been trying to persuade Adam to come try out for XWF but Adam had always refused. The reason he decided to agree with Macbeth to have a break from the band was due to him becoming a dad, A Family Man. The life of a rock star or professional Wrestler really isn’t the best for a new dad, and Adam new this and made the right decision.

One day maybe Adam will decide to return to the ring, and his crazy x-treme antics should stand him in good stead in the XWF. Macbeth had to save Adam for doing something stupid so many times before, but hell they had a blast doing it.

Obviously somewhere along the line something has gone a bit wrong because like Macbeth who is now back up to full fighting fitness and progressing well in the XWF he has decided to let his hair down for one night so to speak. It’s easy to get carried away though; the 5 friends back together again for sometime no wonder things would slightly revert back to old times.

There really was no excuse for the 2 slightly drunk guys to get distracted from there walk home by the noises coming from The Globe which was mere 5 minutes from Macbeth’s apartment and 15 from Adam’s family home.

“But they are normally closed by now”

This must mean only one thing.

“A good old British lock in”


Luckily for these two old apparently easily led astray friends knew the owner of The Globe and a quick phone call later and a short walk round to the back saw the side door swing open and they nip inside through the kitchen and into the bar.

They were surprised how much noise really was being made from in here as it was after hour’s there surprised faded when they noticed a big guy dressed in a wedding dress and a pair of Doc Martins with a Mic in his hand singing along to Billie Idol – White Wedding.

“Oh Sh#t”

“Stag Night”

Macbeth and Adam pushed through the crowd of 8 or 9 men all dressed in matching shirts cheering on there friend’s venture into Karaoke. Eventually reaching the bar Macbeth order’s a couple of beers and turns to watch the Stag finishing up his song.

Adam turns to Macbeth as the music dies down and the drunk stag returns to his friends before they all filter out the back door with cigarettes in there mouth obviously going for a smoke.

Adam: What’s up man?


Chris: Just a bit pissed off really.


Adam: Because things haven’t been going your way so far in the XWF.


Chris: A little bit that but I’m not going to bitch and moan about that anymore I’m going to prove my worth on Wednesday Night. It’s more about the rest of the guys.


Adam: The band?


Chris: Yeah, just feel like there is a bit of tension between them and me. Ever since I told them I wanted to have a hiatus so I could pursue my dream of Wrestling at the top level they have been, I don’t know. Different.


Adam: There just a bit annoyed that the band had to finish, and it was a quick decision and end mate. One minute we were playing gigs and touring the world next minute you wanted out.


Chris: You wanted out as well.


Adam: I know I did man, but I guess, I guess they accept it from me as I am doing you know the family thing.


Chris: What’s that got to do with it?


Adam: Well you know they haven’t really got anything to fall back on, and they all loved the touring the world and the whole life we lived then.


Chris: Yeah so, what’s your point?


Adam: Well you still do travel the world and have a relatively good life. They don’t.


Chris: So that still doesn’t really explain why they seem better with you.


Adam: Chris, you know them guys, they probably think this family life that I am now leading is a punishment. Glad there not in it.


Macbeth smiles.


Chris: Yeah I guess your right; just don’t want it to affect what we have planned for the band now.


Adam: It won’t and forget about it now, lets enjoy the rest of our night and you need to get yourself ready for Gilmour on Wednesday Night.


Macbeth agrees and takes a swig of his beer while talking to Adam about this coming warfare and his match up with Gilmour.

---

7 Hours Later.



Back on the curb in the morning sun Macbeth turns to walk back into The Globe as a few of the stag party stumble out of the door, all of them shaking hands with Macbeth and giving him a pat on the back.

“You we’re a legend last night”

“What a Night my friend”

“I don’t even know how you did that.”

“You are one crazy mother”

Macbeth listened to all these comments being aimed at him from the stag party as it filtered out.

“Gulp”

Chris: This is not good.

Poking his head back in the door Macbeth shouts his goodbyes to Adam who quickly runs over with 2 full shot glasses.

Adam: One for the road.

Macbeth smiles and takes a glass out of Adams hand and necks it back.

Chris: Right now I am off man, I need sleep, and you have a family to get back too. You are going to be in trouble.

They both smile shake hands and Macbeth turns and walks back out into the street putting his shades on as he begins the short walk of shame back to his apartment for a few hours sleep before he hits the gym and gets ready for his flight to Detroit.

But what a stupid thing to do!!

Oh well he is still confident he could beat that Muppet Gilmour even if the match was right now.

Finally reaching his apartment he heads up the elevator to the 2nd floor and enters his room collapsing on his bed for some much needed rest.

Suddenly a loud blast of the Sex Pistols blares out of his stereo system shocking him awake, he rolls out of bed and pushes the system off of the side and onto the floor smashing it in 2, before falling back into bed.

F#UCKING ALARM!!

---

5 Hours Later


The Chicago sun had faded behind a cloud and the first sprinkles of rain begin to fall on to the Chris Macbeth as he jogs the last 2K of the 10 k there total cycle route on Lake Shore Path North. The rain mixing with the beads of sweat running down his face, he wasn't sure if his mind was playing tricks on him but he could swear that each drip had the stench of the previous night’s alcohol consumption.


More vivid pictures of the previous nights activities come flooding back into his mind with every step he takes.

A small smile begins to form in the corner of his mouth when he thinks back to doing shots after shots after shots all because Adam had decided to challenge the stag party to a drinking contest. Even roping Macbeth into necking back a bottle of Jager… He failed by the way. Though this didn't deter the Stag party from honouring him with hero status and buying him more and more drink as a prize…

He knows it was a stupid move mere days before his match up with Gilmour and yes he does slightly regret it now but he has no doubt in his mind that he will have no trouble taking Gilmour down a peg or 2. There is no way he would have come out and said all the things he has over the past week if he didn't have more that the up most confidence in himself to get the job done.

AND GET THE JOB DONE HE WILL.

I mean Christ this match up is a bit like a drag race between a Supped up Nissan 350z and a Delorian, Macbeth being the 350z and Gilmour being the Delorian may be getting his speed up to about 88 miles an hour before disappearing into nowhere as Macbeth pins him to the mat for the 3 count.

The only good thing for Gilmour on Wednesday Night is once he has faced me once, he won’t have to go through the pain and torture of facing me again because Macbeth is not looking into the past any more, only looking forward and once done with Gilmour there will be much bigger and better things in the horizon.

Macbeth slows to a walk as he exits the path onto the side walk and waits to cross the road, a car slows and pulls to a stop at the light and as Macbeth crosses he notices a familiar face in the driver’s seat. He has a more thorough look but can’t place the face so he speeds back up to a jog and continues on to home.

Eventually as he hits the button in the Elevator up to his apartment he remembers the face in the car was one of the Stag Party from the Bar last night. They obviously didn't remember him like he didn't remember them...

A good night must of be had by all!!