He was just him.

Twenty years old and he was just him. He wasn’t gonna change for anybody.

Like the Beatles, when everyone else from over there was singing in an American accent, they were all, “Fuck that.” They were English. They sang with an English accent. And that was that.

That’s rock ’n’ roll, you know.

You take me as I am or kiss my ass.

Preach was all about that.

Tim was all about that too, in Tim’s way.

I think he felt relief when Preacher came along, and he didn’t have to carry the band.

He could just play.

And when he could just play, he got better. So much better.

On “Best of” lists, you know. That much better.

Though, down from Preacher on those lists, just sayin’.

[Off tape]

You’re on “Best of” lists too.

[Long pause]

Yeah, I know.

The shit hit the fan when Ricky stopped coming to band practice and Nicky was being weird when he did.

Preacher had been with us for a few weeks by then. But I figure he’d sussed shit right out, doin’ this maybe the first time he jammed with us.

He worked during the day, no clue at what. He had his own apartment, but he hadn’t asked us around. Had his own car. Beat-up POS, but he had his own car and we all thought that was cool seeing as we were in our parents’ rides if we were in anything.

Tim still rode his fuckin’ bike everywhere. [Laughs] Guitar strapped to his back. [Laughs more]

People at home, they still talk about seein’ ol’ Timmy Townes peddling around on his bike with his guitar on his back.

When Rick bailed, Tim’d play rhythm while Nicky hit the drums. Or Tim’d hit the drums while Nick played rhythm. Tim’d play a lot of rhythm in the end, so this was good practice.

Didn’t feel that way then. Never feels good when someone bails, and Nick would not say dick about why Ricky was gone, which felt worse.

And man, this is where the story gets famous. Nick blabbing his fuckin’ mouth after, you know, the band became the band and people would listen to what he had to say.

Kicked out of the band and made money off us anyway.

But whatever, man. He told no lies, mostly, so I guess, [pause] whatever.

[Off tape]

So it happened that day like he said?

[Nods]

Yup, he left some shit out, but yeah.

Those dudes rolled up, walked up my fuckin’ parents’ driveway into my fuckin’ parents’ garage, and…

[Pause]

Shit.

You know, there are times in your life that are etched into your brain.

My life, there are a lot of those times.

But I had help remembering things.