Just like the Queen said, the concerts started soon, and we were busy again.
The first show was amazing as always. Everyone had missed working at a concert of the Queen, and the atmosphere backstage was electric.
Jenny asked me that day if the Queen had spoken to me yet. She hadn't. Jenny said she had some new plans about me.
The Queen was trembling like a leaf in the dressing room all day. I was in no position to ask her about her future plans about me. All our conversation that day was when she gave me a box of Alka Seltzer, and told me to keep it with me from now on, that she'd always drink a glass right when she's off the stage.
I was finally working as the tour manager in these concerts. The title was again never formally recognized, but I was in charge of all accommodation and transportation arrangements, supervision of backstage area, and itineraries. Arrangements in those areas was so much fun, and everything was going so smoothly that I didn't pay enough attention to the needs of the artist.
I forgot Alka Seltzer right on the second show.
In the middle of that concert, one of the rodies told me that the Queen asked for Alka Seltzer. I didn't have it with me. It was a sunday evening, all pharmacies were closed. I told the roadie she probably wanted it after the show, not right now. And I sent the driver to find a pharmacy on duty.
Right at that moment, the power on stage went off, the generator had failed. It was an extremely stressful moment, and we didn't know when the power would be back. The venue was blacked-out for at least 5 minutes. During that time, the Queen asked for Alka Seltzer again. Told the roadie that it was on the way. In reality, I was on the phone with the driver and the nearest pharmacy was 20 minutes' drive.
Of course it all got worse, and the Queen asked me on stage. this time it was me, trembling like a leaf, climbing up the stairs to the stage. Bursting flames on her eyes, she just asked me: "Do you have any idea what I've been going through right now?! "
Trying to keep calm and not to cry, I ran to Jenny, asked her what I could do. She was almost smiling, she just shrugged and told she had no idea.
Oh I hated her so much!
A lot of stressing out, trying to hold that teardrop on the corner of my eye, and 5 songs later, the driver came back with Alka Seltzer. I was waiting holding a glass when the concert was finally over. The Queen grabbed it, went into dressing room, slammed the door on my face. and started crying, I could hear it.
She called me in when she calmed down. She said:
"The most important thing to me in life is enjoying being on stage. I built all my life, all my career upon this. And tonight, for the first time in a long, long time, I hated being on stage. Can you comprehend what this means to me?"
I was out of words. I apologized and promised that would never ever going to happen again.
I arranged the transportation back to the hotel, and everyone went into their rooms. Again, I was a mess.
On the way to the airport, during the flight, and until we arrived home the next day, she never took off her huge sunglasses and didn't talk to me one word.
You can imagine how terrible I felt after this.
I was the one asking for more responsibility, and I had fucked-up on the very beginning.
Looking back now, I can see it clearly that this was much-needed. I never made a similar mistake again. Learnt the hard way that my first and foremost responsibility was to make sure the Queen had everything she needed. Tour managing had to be secondary. And I had to be more focused, and careful.
First I wrote another long mail about what happened, why it happened, and how sorry I was.
Then I decided to text her:
"I wrote a long mail but don't want to occupy you with this matter any longer. Please accept my apologies, I am very sorry for days, and I promise it will never happen again."
She replied:
"Oh my sweetie, please don't be upset. I know you very well, please don't think about what happened any longer, otherwise I will be more upset. It was just the second show, shit happens, don't worry. It will all be fine, no need for an e-mail, we will talk face to face later. Kisses xx"
I was, once again, fascinated by her character, decided NEVER to leave her, unless she wanted.
Next: Those were the days
