"We're back on in three, two, one..."
The stage lights went up illuminating a blond maned stallion in a black suit and matching fedora.
"Hello fillies and gentlecolts, and welcome back to the Golden Tone Veriety Show. I'm your host Golden Tone and we have a treat for all you ponies out there tonight. We have in the studio with us an up and coming band in the Canterlot music scene, making their first televised appearance, everypony please welcome The Whooves"!
The stage behind Golden Tone lit up and revealed four ponies, three stallions talked near the corner of the stage who seemingly didn't notice the change in lighting, and the fourth pony, a mare sitting behind a drum kit, who gave a quick glance to the audience and then looked back down to adjust the drums.
"I'd like to start by introducing the individual members of the band." Golden Tone raised his voice slightly, the ponies who were talking apparently got the hint and went to their places on stage.
"Let's start over on this side" Golden Tone said, moving in the direction of a grey coated, black maned, earth pony.
"I understand your name is Rocker?"
"Yes" Rocker said, looking uninterested.
"And you are the guitarist for the band?"
"That's right."
"And I suppose you're not one for conversation either?"
"Not really."
"Alright we'll make this short then" Golden Tone said, looking slightly annoyed at the lack of cooperation.
"I just have one more question for you, I want to know where you learned to do that thing when you're playing" Golden Tone moved his arm in a rapid circle trying to demonstrate what he meant.
"Oh, the windmill"?
Golden Tone nodded
"Well, that was bowling" Rocker answered
"Bowling?" Golden Tone looked at Rocker, a little more than doubtful.
"Yeah pretty much."
Golden Tone gave an inaudible sigh and moved across the stage. He looked at the unicorn mare behind the drum kit gave her a look that said "I'm going to skip you for now" and kept walking, which she seemed to take a slight offence to. He then approached a very large earth pony stallion holding an equally large electric bass who was standing on the opposite side of the stage from Rocker.
"And you are"?
"Treble" The stallion with the bass replied
"Treble? But I thought you played bass" Golden Tone said, seeming quite confused.
"I do".
"But your name is Treble?" If anything Golden Tone was more confused.
"My mom wanted me to be a fiddle player like her" Treble replied.
"Well I suppose that makes sense..." Golden Tone was still confused but decided it was better to just move on. He walked over to a pegasus standing in the middle of the stage next to a microphone. To say that he seemed nervous would have been a huge understatement. Golden Tone walked up next to him and spoke up.
"I believe you are the lead singer is that right?" he asked.
The pegasus jumped at the sound of Golden Tone's voice.
"Uhmm... Yes, I'm the singer..." the pegasus said in a near whisper.
"And your name is?"
"Stage Fright... sir..." he said even lower.
Golden Tone didn't think anypony could possibly look more nervous than Stage Fright did right now. But he decided to press on with the interview.
"That's an interesting name considering your line of work" Golden Tone said.
"I.. I guess it is..." Stage Fright answered in an even more quiet voice, almost shaking in fear.
"Are you always like this?" Golden Tone said, not sure if he'd even get an audible answer.
"Oh he's always like that until the show starts" Rocker answered from halfway across the stage. "Once the music starts he'll be fine though".
"Alright then" Golden Tone said with a hint of doubtfulness.
Golden Tone finally moved towards the unicorn mare behind the drum kit.
"And I suppose you're the drummer?"
"I must be." The mare said in a slightly annoyed, slightly sarcastic tone.
"And you're name would be"? Golden Tone asked, a little annoyed himself.
"Crash".
"Crash..." Golden Tone thought the name over for a minute. "You're the one they say is a sloppy drummer right?"
"Oh dear..." said Rocker.
"He's gone and made fun of her drumming..." Treble finished the thought.
Stage Fright gave a barely audible squeak and tried to make himself as small as possible. Golden Tone was confused until he looked back at Crash. She was giving him a glare that rivaled that of a cockatrice.
"Yeah I'm the one with the sloppy drumming. Ya got a problem with it?" Crash pointed a drumstick at him for emphasis while continuing to stare down the show's host.
"Uhmm... I.... Uhmm.... Well..." Golden Tone was a loss for words. Crash continued to stare at him, Golden Tone could swear that Crash could see straight into his soul.
"N-n-n-not at all... Miss Crash..."
"Good" Crash said, and finally relaxed her gaze.
"Well... I... Uhmm..." Golden Tone was still at a loss for words.
"I believe you ponies were going to run through a few songs tonight" Golden Tone finally regained his composure.
"Yeah that's right" said Crash.
Golden Tone looked toward Rocker.
"And the first song you're going to preform is"?
"M-m-my Generation" Stage Fright answered for him.
Everpony including the other members of the band were shocked that Stage Fright had spoken up.
"Well then... I'll let you ponies do your thing" Golden Tone said as he left the stage. More than a little relieved to be away from the band on stage.
Rocker stepped up to his microphone.
"Ready guys?"
Crash and Treble gave a yes, Stage Fright looked terrified.
Rocker shouted into his mic "One!... Two!... One! Two! Three! Four!"
The band, with the exception of Stage Fright, began to play and the music hit the audience like a ton of bricks. After a few seconds Stage Fright stepped up to his mic, suddenly looking much more confident.
"People try to put us d-d-down!" Stage Fright screamed into the mic.
"Talking 'bout my generation" Treble and Rocker echoed.
"Just because we g-g-g-get around!"
Golden Tone couldn't believe his eyes and ears. The pony who had been shaking in fear mere moments before now looked like the most confident stallion in the world. Not to mention when the band had started playing the force of the music literally knocked him down on his flank. He took a minute to gather himself then looked back toward the stage, Treble and Rocker were now trading a solo back and forth while Crash hit her drums with what looked like enough force to break concrete. After a few more minutes of staring in shock at the spectacle on stage the song neared what Golden Tone assumed was the end. Rocker's guitar was blasting feedback into the audience, Stage Fright had started flying above the stage preforming tricks that would have put the Wonderbolts to shame, and Crash was destroying her drum set piece by piece, kicking various bits of it off the platform she was set up on. The only one that looked normal was Treble, an island of sanity in middle of the other three psychotic ponies on stage. In fact he actually looked bored, come to think of it, he had looked that way the entire performance.
Then it got worse, the stage went from chaos to complete destruction. Rocker smashed his guitar into his guitar amp, which fell backward off the stage. Then he turned his guitar on the stage itself and kept smashing it until the guitar was broken into a dozen pieces. As if not wanting to be outdone by Rocker's brutal murdering of his guitar, Crash's drum set (or rather, what was left of it) exploded. Pieces and parts of drums and cymbals flew into the stage and audience and Crash disappeared off stage in the confusion. And that was the end the song. Golden Tone walked onto the stage with a look of pure horror on his face. Stage Fright, having completed his routine landed next to him.
"Enjoy it?" he asked innocently.
"I.... Wha.... What just happened?" Golden Tone's state of shock seem to grow worse.
"I think we broke him" said Crash, who after fleeing the stage had reappeared and walked up next to Stage Fright.
"Well in that case..." Stage Fright turned to the audience. "Did you all enjoy it?"
The audience cheered with a volume that almost rivaled that of the band.
Rocker waved a hoof in front of Golden Tone's eyes, there was no reaction.
"Well..." he said turning toward the cameras.
"We appear to have broken Golden Tone so we'll be taking a short break now."
The confused crew, not having a better idea decided to go to commercial.
Talkin' 'bout My Generation
Four ponies made their way out of the back of the studio. It was already dark and the only light came from a lamp over the door and an almost full moon. They turned and made their way towards the street. They only made it a few feet before bursting into laughter.
"I still can't believe you filled your bass drum with explosives" Rocker said looking at Crash.
"Well I wasn't going to be outdone by my little brother"
"Crash we're twins, you're only older by a few minutes"
"All I heard was I'm older"
"Your a filly trapped inside a mare's body, you know that right?" Rocker said, then he looked at his sister just in time to see her stick her tongue out at him.
"You realize all you're doing right now is proving me right?"
"So do you think that we'll ever be allowed in that studio again?" Treble cut in before Crash could answer.
"Not after the mess I made out of those drums" Crash said. She wasn't the type of pony that would admit to having overdone something, so if she admitted to being excessive with their playing there was a good chance they'd never step within three hundred feet of Golden Tone or his studio ever again.
"I just hope Golden Tone is alright" Stage Fright spoke in a near whisper. "We really seemed to scare him".
"He snapped out of it after five minutes" Rocker spoke up. "I wouldn't be too worried about him".
"Well... If you say so then I guess..."
Stage Fright was cut off by a crowd of screaming ponies. They had seen the four ponies coming out of the alley and into the street and began to swarm towards them.
"Looks like we have some fans..." Treble said.
"They don't appear to be slowing down" Rocker raised his voice to be heard over the screams.
"Should we start running now?" Crash said with a hint of worry in her voice.
The screaming ponies got closer, within ten feet.
"Yeah" Rocker managed to hold his cool "Start running now".
..........................................................................................................
After sprinting for six blocks the band had put some distance between themselves and their fans, although not nearly enough for their liking. Rocker took a sharp left into the door of a building.
"In here!" he shouted, already halfway through the door.
The rest of the band followed through the door, more or less. Stage Fright had been flying above them and plowed through an open window on the second floor. As soon as the rest of the band (with the exception of Stage Fright) made it through the door Rocker slammed it shut. Everypony paused on the other side of the door.
"Well... that was interesting..." Crash finally ended the silence.
"Yeah" Rocker added "and as long as they don't plan on breaking and entering we should be safe from them in here."
They stood in the doorway for a few minutes catching their breath until Crash spoke up.
"Uhmm... Rocker?" Crash asked looking at her brother.
"What's up?" a confused Rocker asked.
"Where's Stage Fright?"
Rocker opened his mouth to answer but got cut off by Treble.
"He crashed through the second floor window"
"And you're just telling us now?" Crash looked at him in disbelief.
"You didn't even notice until just now".
An awkward silence came over the group. Crash looked down at the floor, Rocker pretended to examine a picture on the wall and Treble keep glaring at Crash.
"Well maybe we should make sure he's alright" Crash said, looking up and finally breaking the silence.
"I'm fine guys" a soft voice cut answered from down the hall.
Stage Fright walked out of a doorway at the end of the hall and walked over to the rest of the band. A grey coated mare walked behind him. She had a black flowing mane that was beginning to show strands of silver in it. She looked at the group of ponies and spoke up.
"When I told you four to drop by anytime I meant using the door" she said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry Miss Philharmonic I didn't mean to come through the..." she cut him off.
"It's fine dear, just try to use the door next time".
"Y-y-yes Miss Philharmonic".
"I still can't believe anypony could be as shy as you Stage Fright, and I told you to call me Octavia."
"Sorry" Stage Fright seemed to melt into the floor.
Octavia sighed and looked at the other three ponies in her house.
"So what brings all of you here?"
"Well" Crash answered "we had just finished the show..."
"And nearly gave Golden Tone a heart attack" Rocker cut in.
"I saw, I was watching the show with your father. Continue with your story dear".
"Right, so after the show we ran into a group our fans".
"And they chased us when we tried to get away from them". Rocker cut in again.
"And your house was closest to us so we ran here to try and get away from them" Crash finally finished.
"So the only reason you're visiting your mother is because you got chased here by rabid fans?" Octavia said.
"You make us sound like terrible kids" Rocker said, slightly offended.
"Yeah, we visit you every other week mom" Crash finished the thought for him.
"I know, I know, and you're all very busy. Actually I'm amazed you visit as much as you do".
"It's because we're just that awesome" Rocker and Crash said in unison. Then looked at each other in disbelief that they had just done that.
"So are your fans still out there?" Octavia asked them.
"I have no idea" Rocker answered "and I have no desire to go out there and check".
"So you're all going to stay here for the night?" Octavia asked.
"J-j-just until it's dark enough to get out with out being seen... I mean if that's alright..." Stage Fright answered for the band.
"It's fine dears, you're always welcome here".
"One more thing mom" Crash said.
"Yes" Octavia answered.
"Can we use your studio for a little?" Rocker asked hopefully. "We have a new song we want to work on".
Octavia thought for a minute.
"I don't have a problem with it, but you might want to check with your father first, I think he's using it".
The band started to move down the hall.
"And I swear to Celestia if any of you touch my cello..."
"We won't even look at it mom" Rocker cut her off and then disappeared around the corner.
The band turned the corner and came to a door with the sign "Octavia and Frederic's Studio" printed on it. A small red light next to the door blinked off letting them know that someone had just finished recording. Making sure the light was, in fact, off Rocker pushed the door open and went it. An older tan coated stallion with white hair was walking between a reel to reel recorder and a piano. Hearing the door open he turned to look at who was coming in.
"Please tell me you're not coming to destroy this place next" he had a look of concern.
"Very funny dad" Crash answered walking into the room. "We didn't destroy the set only... mangled it".
Frederic let out a sigh. "Alright then why are you here? You never just come by to visit your mother and me".
"We visit ever other week and you know it!" Crash sounded a little offended.
"Crash I think he's kidding" Stage Fright let out a barely audible whisper.
Crash turned towards Stage Fright.
"I know that" she sounded sarcastic now, but still offended that Stage Fright had thought she couldn't realize that on her own.
"Well what really brings you here? It's a little late for a visit" Frederic persisted.
"We got chased by a heard of rabid fans" Crash and Rocker answered in unison and then seemed stunned they had done that a second time today.
"Ah, the benefits of playing classical music instead of rock and roll".
Rocker rolled his eyes at the comment.
"Anyway, we were kind of hoping we could use the studio if that's alright with you".
"Fine with me" he answered quickly. "But don't touch your mother's cello. Celestia help you if you do" he quickly added.
"We know" Rocker and Crash spoke in unison for the third time.
"That's getting really weird stop it" Rocker said.
"It's your fault".
"Can we do what we came her to do now please?" Treble cut in.
"Oh, yeah, we should probably get to working".
Crash moved toward a stack of cases in the corner.
"Good thing we left these here" she said as she used her magic to open the cases and then float out several instruments and amps.
With Crash's magic it only took a few minutes to get set up and soon the band was set to play.
"Alright guys remember, it's late and it is my parents house so keep it down a little". Rocker gave Crash a look. "Especially you".
"I do know how to drum quietly" Crash looked more than a little offended by that comment.
"Sure you do" Rocker said sarcastically. He then started to count off before she could say anything else.
"One... Two... One, two, three, four!"
His guitar burst into life followed by Treble's bass and Crash's drums, which were actually playing softer than usual. Stage Fright flew up to the mic and started to sing.
"Got a feeling inside"
"Can't explain" Rocker and Treble echoed.
"It's a certain kind"
"Can't explain"
.....................................................................................................
The band hit the final beat and set their stuff down.
"Great take guys" a voice came from the other side of the room.
"Vinyl!" Crash turned to look at the pony the voice had come from.
Vinyl dodged to get out of the way of the grey blur headed her way, which caused Crash to... well... crash.
"Miss me?" Vinyl looked Crash who was now buried under the cases that normally held their equipment.
"Just a little" Crash said innocently.
"What are you doing here?" Rocker asked walking over to talk with Vinyl.
"I came by to make sure I had the right dates for when Octy- er, your mother is going on vacation. I need to find another co-host for my show while she's gone. Now, enough about me, why are all of you here".
"Rabid fans" the whole band answered simultaneously.
"Ah, I've had that problem a couple of times, being the awesome DJ I am, not to mention my own radio show".
"I'm sure you've had all sorts of problems with them" Crash answered from under the cases. It looked like she was stuck.
"Uhmm, a little help guys?" which confirmed she was stuck.
Stage Fright flew over to help her.
"I got you Crash" the pegasus answered.
"So..." Rocker turned away from the scene "Who did you plan on getting to co-host with you?"
"Actually Rocker I was hoping you would help" Vinyl said.
"S-s-sure" Rocker sputtered out an answer. "But why me?"
"Well I was hoping to interview you guys at some point so I wanted one of you to do it, not to mention you're my regular co-hosts son. Some listeners probably won't even notice the difference".
"How come I can't help?" Crash asked, halfway out from under the cases.
"Because I've seen what you do to your drums you're not allowed anywhere near my stuff" Vinyl answered with the most serious face she could make.
"But Vinyl..."
Vinyl cut her off.
"I told you I was going to interview the band, you'll be on soon enough".
"Fine" Crash looked disappointed.
"Well, I better get going". Vinyl turned toward the door. "Be there at 8:00 tomorrow, alright Rocker?"
"Sure Vinyl, I'll be there".
"Good see you then". Vinyl walked out of the room.
"I never get to do anything" Crash pouted from her corner, almost free of the cases.
Then the stacked cases fell on top of Crash again. A muffled "ow" came from under the pile.
"Sorry" Stage Fright said as he hurried to get the cases back off of Crash.