Page 106 of Let Me Love You (Excess All Areas 5)

Ben placed his hands on Matt’s arms. “You are not going to puke. You’re going to step out there and embrace the fact those screaming people know all the words you’ve written. And that we’re here because you fucking wrote them.”

Matt grinned. “Fair point.”

“…big Glastonbury welcome to Sad Fridays.” The crowd went wild. It had been loud before, but as Ben led them onto the stage, the roar was deafening, and Ben was glad he had his earpieces in. The crowd, tightly packed together, moved like one giant sentient being. Arms, flags, and the occasional sign waved in the air.

Jase walked on next, unusual, given it was normally Alex who followed him on during their American tour. He stood at the front of the stage, his arms wide, his head tipped back looking at the sky, and the crowd continued to scream.

From his spot, slightly to Jase’s right, Ben grinned like a fool.

Words couldn’t describe it, but he could feel it in the way his chest felt like it was going to rip wide open. Like he was going to burst.

Thiswas a rock star moment.

He looked over as Matt walked on stage, pointing to the crowd.

Luke followed behind him, sticks raised.

And then, Alex walked on stage, and Ben understood why as the crowd’s response stopped his brother in his tracks.

Chants of, “Alex, Alex,” began.

Glastonbury had long been an LGBTQ+ safe space. And they had NYC Downlow, a queer club with underground music that he and Alex had gone to the previous night.

Jase stepped back and let Alex take the spotlight, and Ben could see the moment the acceptance and adoration hit his brother. Without a thought, he walked over to him and threw his arm over Alex’s shoulder. “They’ve all got you,” he shouted as his brother swallowed hard.

Alex grabbed his hand and squeezed it as they walked back to their side of the stage.

Jase nodded at Luke, and their set began.

To keep things simple, they were playing the same set as their US tour, but somehow, out in the open air with so many people screaming along, it took on a life of its own. His fingers flew over the strings and frets as easily as breathing. In set-up, Jase had plonked a mic stand in front of him and had simply said, “You’re going to sing, right?”

So, he did. Joining Matt with harmonies and helping their voices soar over the crescendo of everyone else singing along.

Like the crowd, the band had never seemed more in synch with each other. And, also like the crowd, they were fully in the moment, laughing, singing, pausing as the crowd took over shouting their lyrics back to them as the sun finally dipped below the horizon, casting the vast fields into darkness.

When the band played “Until It’s Done”, the song Willow had used in the video that had catapulted them to this, everything hit epic levels. Ben gave up playing for a moment, took out his phone, and took a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree video. Alex on the piano, Luke thrashing his drums, Matt grinning at Luke, and Jase with his microphone pointed out over the crowd, then onto himself, where he held up the peace sign.

He’d send it to Nan and Chaya later.

And the energy never dwindled. From “Truth and Anger” to “Then Kiss Me”, the crowd was with them every step of the way. He drained bottle after bottle of water between songs, sweating so hard his T-shirt and face were drenched.

When the fireworks exploded over the stage, reminding him it was their last song, he felt like he still had enough energy to do the whole thing all over again.

Reverb from his guitar screeched as they brought the song to a close. And neither he nor the crowd were ready to leave, but Glastonbury had noise abatement rules, like everywhere else.

He placed his guitar on his stand and waited for Alex to step from behind his rig. Luke and Matt approached Jase from the left, he and his brother from the right. Once they stood in a straight line at the front of the stage, they bowed.

It wasn’t something they usually did. But tonight, in this sacred musical space, it felt right to thank the crowd.

“Turn around,” Ben said, taking his phone out of his pocket. When the crowd realised what he was doing, they turned on the torches on their phones. He gave them a minute to all join in.

Making sure he had all five of them in the shot, he took a picture with the massive sea of lights behind them, grateful for every single blessing in their lives.

Running late. Can you pick me up at the garage on your way?

Chaya grinned. Ben had said he was only going to pop into the garage for an hour or so, having got back from Glastonbury in the early hours of the morning thanks to a helicopter ride home. That was five hours ago, shortly after she’d assisted her consultant to pass a small balloon through an endoscope to treat an obstruction. Now, he’d been there all afternoon, and it made her happy. He’d seemed a little aimless. Of all the band, Ben had been the least concerned about success.

But now, he seemed content. Happy, with a sense of purpose.

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