Page 1 of Final Serenade

Prologue

Hall Affinity

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hall Affinityis an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2001.

The current lineup consists of vocalist Frankie Blade, guitarist Dante Martinez, bassist Johnny Z, and drummer Carter Valentine. The band has released four studio albums, accumulating sales of more than 50 million records worldwide, including 23 million records in the United States, making them one of the world's best-selling rock bands of all time.

Hall Affinity is known for its diverse rock sound and dramatic imagery on its album covers and for its experimental musical style that pushes the boundaries of modern rock music.

The band secured their first recording deal with Red Eye Records in 2003 and subsequently released their debut album,Adrenaline Lane,in 2004, which brokeBillboard's Top 200in under six months. The band's second album,Hollow Heart Dream,(2006) marked a dramatic change in style, incorporating influences from classic ’90s grunge sounds. It peaked at number one onBillboard 200in December 2006.

Hollow Heart Dreamwas the last album Hall Affinity released via Red Eye Records. It was also the last album to feature the original band’s drummer Quin Kelly, who was replaced by Carter Valentine. In May 2007, the band secured a five-album record deal with KBC Universal and started recording their highly anticipated third studio album. The album release, however, was postponed to mid-2008 due to creative tensions within the band. Blade and Martinez had a temporary falling out, which, after a four-month hiatus, caused the record label to step in and legally pressure both band members to work out their differences and finish the album by March 2008.

Breathe Crimsonclimbed the charts to number one in under a week after the day of its release. Its lead single, “Ambivalent,” the band's most commercially successful single to date, won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. After two years of extensive touring, Hall Affinity returned into the studio to start working on their fourth albumChasing Memories, which was released in fall of 2011, earning the band another Grammy.

Hall Affinity was inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, the first year of its eligibility.

On July 10, 2012, lead singer Frankie Blade was involved in a serious motorcycle accident, resulting in a temporary disbanding of Hall Affinity. In November 2012, the band's PR representative issued an official statement about Blade's physical condition preventing the singer from continuing as a lead vocalist of Hall Affinity. The record label and Blade's bandmates, under pressure from displeased fans, rejected the possibility of finding a replacement. The band has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2012.

Chapter One

Heart pounding, I stared at the email preview illuminating the screen of my phone as if the devil himself had set it on fire.

My chair felt like it’d been liquefied. With me in it.

Jay Brodie PR PRESS RELEASE. Reunion of the…

The rest of the headline didn’t fit in, but my gut told me this was big. And my gut had never wronged me yet. It was one of the main reasons why, out of all the music journalist wannabes who’d interned for Jay Brodie PR seven years ago, I was the only one still going strong in this brain, heart, and morals-corroding sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll industry.

Jay Brodie just had one band on their roster that was long overdue for a reunion. Hall Affinity.

Gulping past the sudden tightness in my throat, I swiped my index finger over the preview and continued to read.

…Decade: Legendary Rock Band Hall Affinity Returning to the Studio to Work on New Material after a 7-Year Hiatus.

I skimmed over the announcement text, my gaze dropping to the bottom of the email. Jay Brodie was a high-end PR boutique and handled only the cream of the crop, the best and the biggest acts in today’s rock music, and they were pretty picky about the outlets they worked with. GettingRewiredon their radar had taken us a couple of years.

Linda would make it happen, I assured myself. She’d been good to us when it came to hot exclusives and we’d been good to her when some of her clients needed an extra push. Although most of her clients’ names were famous enough to push themselves.

I shook off the doubt and returned to the text.

Lead singer Frankie Blade and guitarist Dante Martinez will make an appearance at the Annual Douglas & Krueger Cancer Benefit that will be held at The Regency on September 28th. Mr. Blade will be available for interviews. Spots are very limited. All applications will be individually reviewed and approved by management. Please fill out the form below to submit the request.

That was six weeks away!

I sucked in a labored breath through my teeth and carefully evaluated every word. They felt rushed and unnatural, almost as if they were doing Frankie a disservice. This benefit show would be the man’s first public appearance in years.

Yes, there had been some rumors about new Hall Affinity music, but those rumors had been going around for ages. Dante Martinez had politely ignored all questions regarding a reunion during his last interview.

Shit! I switched to my laptop, my face hot from the sudden surge of adrenaline. My fingers were clammy and stiff as my brain willed them to open the application instead of typing Frankie’s name next topost-accident photoin the Google search bar. I was frazzled, but I managed to steer my concentration in the right direction, although I had to go up and fix the typo in my own last name twice.

What is wrong with you, Cassy? It’s just a job. You’ve been doing this for seven years. You should know how to spell your own last name by now.

Unfortunately, Frankie Blade had that effect on people. Even I wasn’t immune. Back when the band was owning all the charts and radio stations, he’d been titled the sexiest man alive by pretty much every site, magazine, and outlet that practiced grouping men into lists based on their looks and other assets more times than Hollywood had tried to reboot the Spider-Man franchise. Having a crush on someone like Frankie was inevitable. It was childish and silly, but I cherished my love for him and his music as much as I cherished my love for the real people in my life, my mother and my younger brother, Ashton, even though he’d sadly grown up to be a lazy video game-addicted douche.

My phone rang when I was finishing up the application.

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