So, wanna know how I came to be bleeding over a garbage can (I mean -
for real, not some Shawn Harris fantasy of clobbering me with a rock)?
That photo is from the Matches' rehearsal room, a couple of years ago.
I was there doing pre-production with them, which means I listen to
them play a new song and criticize them until they cry (similar to the aforementioned slutty clothes tantrum).
We were done with the rehearsal, they were done playing a song for the
last time that day, and they roared into an impromptu ending of the
rehearsal with a really cheesy, psychedelic-sixties-blues-band-like
everyone play a chord really hard and loud and fast with Matt
whal(en)ing on his cymbals. A drumstick broke and the tip bounced off
the cymbal about three feet away to where I'm standing, nailing me
right above the eye.
As I begin spurting red from my forehead, the band makes these moves:
-Matt flies out of the room to find paper towels and bandages.
-Justin up-ends guitar cases to get to a bin with only slightly
disgusting rags (or rejected t-shirt samples? or shirts from opening
bands given the Matches and never worn?) and begins to administer first
aid.
-Jon grabs a garbage can upon my request so I'm not bleeding on carpet,
clothes, or instruments.
-and Shawn, upon quickly realizing I'm neither blinded nor seriously
injured, shouts: "Keep bleeding. I'll get my camera."
As Shawn and I both appreciate the photos we've taken over the years of
various band member injuries (usually it's been Shawn fountain-ing
blood and me taking the photo), I knew just what he was going for. (And
I knew there would be some bizarre use of the photo somewhere down the
line -- where we've now arrived.) So I moved Justin back, refused
Matt's towels, and started tapping my forehead leaning over the garbage
can to keep blood flowing until Shawn came back from the van with his
camera.
...Or maybe we should stick with the rochambeau story.
-Miles