Dion: His Life and Mine (9 page)

Apart from that, Dion, Cal and Likertes wrote songs and practised for gigs. They had independently recorded their first album;
The Collective
. The sound quality wasn’t perfect and they could only afford to produce two-hundred copies, which they sold at gigs and to friends. When the band was more established, they re-recorded and re-released
The Collective
. Although it did well in the charts, critics weren’t so impressed. It was what it was, a collection of songs Dion, Cal and Likertes had written, separately, when they dreamt of being in a band. Only those who had heard the original versions would know how much they had influenced each other’s songs. Even its detractors admit it shows the individual talent of each of the Libertia members and, in effect that was what it was, a showcase. The initial, unpolished, batch has since become prized collectors’ items. This would have heartened Dion as it was their owners, the band’s original supporters, who have benefitted. Although they made no real profit from their home-produced albums, Dion felt it had been worthwhile. Not only did it give the band more of an idea of how to think of a concept for an album, which they would take with them into their later work, but it also meant fans had music to take away from gigs; particularly important for visitors to Olympia who would enthusiastically play this ‘new-found band’ to their friends when they returned home. It was part of Dion’s efforts to promote the band beyond Olympia. He wanted Libertia to go on the road as soon as they had enough gigs lined up. He saved money to buy a van with room enough for all of them and their equipment.

Initially, Libertia went for one-nighters not far from Olympia, crashing on friends’ floors to save on cost of accommodation. Dion’s next plan was to save money to produce their second album more professionally. His cause was boosted by Capricious and The Constellations. Both bands had been booked to play at a small music festival on Naxos. Capricious asked Libertia to open for them. After Dion persuaded Eurydike to keep Pallene company, on Naxos, The Constellations managed to persuade Orpheus to open for them. The trip couldn’t have been better for Dion. He was with his most favourite people from Olympia, hanging out on the beach with them rather than confined to the city.
He loved Naxos and Naxos took to Libertia, as I would later hear from Nyx. If it was the test Dion felt Libertia needed, they passed. But then, Dion made sure Libertia were noticed. He and Likertes carried their guitars with them and would play an impromptu song to generate publicity and good relations. The Constellations were bigger than Libertia or even Capricious then and had booked time in The Old Coach Inn to record songs for their album. Much to Libertia’s appreciation, when they finished ahead of schedule they offered their remaining time to the lesser band. Libertia wasted no time and recorded “Brother Breathe Again”, ”Persephone” and “Reborn in Hades” which they would later release as singles, heralding the album to follow.  Their time on Naxos climaxed with the ‘Olympiad Night’ at the Styx and Stones, the poster, for which, Nyx would point out to me. It was the only night all four acts ever played together. Dion was in his element.

“We certainly left a taste for Olympia in Naxos that night.” Cal would later tell me. I questioned whether it was a taste for Olympia or a taste for liquid, which, by all accounts, flowed that night, along with the music. Significantly, that night was when Libertia first met Thiasus.

“We’d seen them around, of course.” Likertes told me. “We watched them perform the first night we arrived on Naxos and well, you’ve heard them. They’re pretty memorable. Cal and I noticed them watching The Constellations and Orpheus on the beach. Mae, in particular, seemed transfixed. I guessed they must have seen us play too because they tracked us all down at The Styx, that night, and Mae approached Dion. She’d obviously done her homework and knew who we all were - that Dion was married to Pallene, for convenience, and Orpheus and Eurydike were together. She even knew about
The Collective
, which impressed Dion, as very few people outside Olympia knew about it. At that time, Thiasus were in the middle of a tour with a group called Sphinx, but Sphinx had pulled out due to illness. Mae wanted to know if any of us wanted to join them. The opportunity seemed too good to pass up, especially as some of their venues coincided with those of Capricious. The Constellations already had plans to promote their album. Mae tried really hard to persuade Orpheus to come too, but he declined. He and Euridyke had enjoyed Naxos, but they were keen to get back to Olympia.”

Dion and Pallene celebrated their second anniversary, on the same beach where we would later marry. Afterwards, they went their separate ways; Pallene returned to Olympia with Orpheus and Eurydike. Libertia went on tour with Thiasus, Capricious joining them for the first leg.  By the time Pallene and Dion saw each other again, their marriage would be annulled. The next time Libertia played on Naxos, they would be the headlining act.

The first gig, after leaving Naxos, was in Lydia and was one of their most infamous. Cal remembers that Dion had been in a strange mood when they approached Lydia. It might have been fear of failure, worry for what lay ahead and, also, that he already missed Pallene.

“Okay, so it wasn’t a love-match marriage, but that didn’t make the separation easier, even though they both knew it was coming, had even planned for it. In fact, it made it worse. It wasn’t a love that had turned to hate; the love was still there. They had lived together for two years as the best of friends.” Cal told me all this later. At the club in Lydia, the band was introduced, to a mixed response. Their reputation hadn’t preceded them yet, but Lydia was always keen to see new musicians. Dion approached the microphone and dedicated the first song to his ‘beautiful, clever and talented wife, with whom he had shared two happy years’. If the crowd were expecting a soppy love song, they were in for a surprise. He sang “Persephone”
,
but with such intensity that the crowd was mesmerized. Cal and Likertes too, after practising with Dion for hours, they had never heard him perform like it.  He ended the set with “Brother Breathe Again
”
, a song he wrote in memory of Amphelos. Before the crowd could emerge from their trance and go wild, Dion did something he had never done before and would never do again. He smashed up his guitar and left the stage. Then the crowd went wild. If Cal hadn’t been there to witness it, I might never have believed him. Guitars were more important to Dion than his own body, which he ended up abusing. What made the action even more poignant was that, the guitar he had destroyed, had been Amphelos’s favourite.

“It was as if he was letting go of some of the past; saying goodbye to his life with Pallene and also to Amphelos. The gesture wasn’t lost on Likertes, although neither of us mentioned it.”

The next day, Libertia, along with Thiasus, left for Persia, but Dion’s performance had sparked a bushfire which was always one step ahead of them. Everywhere they went, they were greeted with awe and anticipation. Although Dion would never smash up another guitar, he would recreate that intense performance. I witnessed it myself on Naxos. Possibly because of his looks and the subject matter of such songs as “Persephone”, Libertia built up a strong female following.  But then it wasn’t surprising that a young man who had been brought up by women would, in turn, influence women. Besides, women felt safe around Dion. And to feel safe is all any woman wants.

At Media, the band took some time out to record the remaining tracks for their second album, the seminal
Semele
.

When we left the Mas on the mountain, instead of going to Olympia, Dion and I headed for Limini
to meet up with Libertia. Then came six months of touring; fifty-five cities and as many gigs. Dion’s stamina amazed me, but the number of bottles, Silenus supplied, soon provided the answer.  I’d finally met Silenus in
Limini,
where he had spent some time preparing and promoting the next part of Libertia’s tour. Libertia’s growing success seemed to have rekindled Silenus’s interest in his former protégé.  Although Dion wrote and told him about our wedding, Silenus had made no references to it. Nevertheless, when he replied to tell Dion about the arrangements, I was included in them. There were never any congratulations, which made me a little uneasy about our first meeting. When I had asked the Mas to describe him, they had winked at each other and said giggling,

             
“As old as Mount Olympus, but not as wise!”

I could see what they met by ‘as old as Mount Olympus’. He was also short, with a pot belly and bald head. I could only assume he must have changed considerably since his handsome, youthful days. His hedonistic lifestyle didn’t seem to have abated as he sustained himself on the liquid he poured down his throat. I couldn’t honestly see what those seven sensible women had seen in him. He was fun (when he wasn’t sleeping off the effects of the night before) and charming and he looked after Dion and Libertia, but then, they looked after him. More often than not, it was Silenus who would enjoy himself so much, he would be asked to leave some establishment or other. Dion, Cal or Likertes would have to carry him home. Despite this, he was always the first one up the next morning, making phone calls, preparing press releases. He had business sense and guarded Dion’s reputation as best he could, even if his own PR record wasn’t very clean. But then, maybe that’s how he learned to work the system.

Whilst he flirted and fooled around with Mae and the other members of Thiasus, Silenus’s attitude towards me was always very business-like and, for the most part, brisk. He was only concerned with me as much as my presence affected the arrangements he needed to make for Dion and Libertia. After Dion introduced me, Silenus simply nodded and said, “Welcome on board,” handing me a schedule, as a tour guide might give out at the beginning of a holiday. “Make sure you’re on the tour bus on the day of departure at 10am, otherwise we leave without you.” Dion, taking it as a joke, laughed and winked at me. I wasn’t so sure. Dion’s wife or not, I could readily believe that Silenus would have left without me and gladly. It was always Dion he called for in the mornings. I was already dressed, packed and eating my breakfast.

One of Libertia’s most memorable gigs, of that particular tour, was their first, in a club called ‘Oinos’ in Limini. I remember it really well. Oinos was rammed, sold out to over its capacity. The gig had an excellent write-up by Menelanus, a critic from
Musique
, who had never heard Libertia play live before.

As I said, Silenus had good business sense. A good write-up, at the beginning of a new tour, ensured that Libertia were expected, longed for, awaited, anticipated and welcomed from here on in.

However, the main reason I remember it is because, apart from the last gig in Zagora, it was the only gig I went to, for the whole six months of the tour. After that first night on Naxos, I wasn’t interested in drinking, preferring instead the exhilaration the contents of my pouch provided. Without Nyx there to giggle with, there was nobody to keep me company. Thiasus were always respectful, even differential towards me, but I was never one of the girls. So while Dion went to work, I did my own thing. I had been accepted on the Horticultural Correspondence course and wanted to put my efforts into that, especially as some of the modules I had opted for were Ma Four’s.
In addition, having found a way to earn my own living I wanted to keep it up and not rely on Dion. My experience with Theo had taught me the value of self-reliance and resourcefulness.

When we were on the road, our lives settled into some kind of routine. On arriving at a new destination, the band would find the digs and unpack. They would then head for the bar that had hired them, to meet the proprietor, check on ticket sales and inspect the space they would be playing in, before making sure their instruments had survived the journey. After any promotional commitments had been fulfilled they’d have an evening meal then they’d leave for the club or bar at around 6pm, returning to the hotel at around 4am to get some sleep, usually until about 4pm. That evening they’d try and catch a gig one of their friends or acquaintances were doing. The next morning they’d get up at around 9am to have breakfast, sign out, travel to the next destination and do it all over again.

My routine differed in that while the band was out I had the quiet space of whichever hotel room we were in, to complete assignments. Sometimes, I’d venture out to study in the local library and horticultural centre. I made sure I had an early night, so that I was up and ready to mix enough herb infusion for any passing trade.
My infusions worked in conjunction with the liquid that accompanied Libertia gigs. The liquid allowed people to forget the troubles of the day, whilst my herbs revived them so they could face them again. In this way, I was able to cover the cost of my course fees and any further supplies I needed.
Silenus’s manner towards me warmed slightly when he realised I was prepared to stay away. He certainly appreciated the resuscitating nature of my infusions, when Cal and Likertes arrived for breakfast on the days of departure, bright eyed and bushy tailed. I have since given up the pretence they worked on Dion and found a good kick did the job or, failing that, a glass of water. My critics were also overlooking the fact that it was my absence that made our relationship stronger. Dion didn’t need me at his gigs. He needed the release I gave him when he crawled in at around 4am each morning. Those few hours we had together, before he fell asleep and I rose, gave him the distraction he needed from the band and himself.

In Dio, I went to see a doctor who confirmed what I had suspected and hoped.

The timing couldn’t have been better, as Libertia only had one week left, on tour. On route, they had finished recording all the tracks they wanted to include on
Tria
and were due a break before they released it.
I was pleased that Dion wouldn’t be under Silenus’s influence for much longer. Dion was overjoyed at the prospect of becoming a father and decided it was about time we bought a family home, so we would have a stable base. I expected him to suggest Olympia. It had been home to him, and most of his friends were there, including his ex-wife. Instead, Dion surprised me by suggesting Naxos. It was, he said, the obvious choice. He didn’t want his children brought up in the hectic environment of Olympia and while The Mountain was peaceful, it was a bit too peaceful.

“Besides, The Mountain is the Mas’ home and Olympia is Libertia’s home. Naxos is ours, it’s where we met.”

I was pleased. Nyx still lived on Naxos, and despite the fact that I had spent most of my life trying to get off an island, I found that I missed island life and I had a soft spot for Naxos.  

“And, of course, Naxos has the added advantage of being near Crete, which is handy if we need the grandparents to babysit!” Dion said, deadpan. I punched him in the arm and he feigned a whimper.

Although choosing the location was easy, choosing an actual house proved more difficult. Dion was incredibly fussy and found fault with every house the estate agents showed us. After seeing the twentieth, I was bored of the whole affair. I was beginning to feel the full effects of pregnancy and would have lived in a tent if it meant I could put my feet up and be near a convenient toilet.

“You’ve got this picture of the perfect house in your head and no house will ever live up to your imagination,” I said grumpily. Dion’s eyes lit up the way they did when he was inspired to write a new song.

“That’s it, you’re a genius!” he said, kissing me and running off before I could reply. I didn’t care. A few minutes of peace were worth the anticipation. In fact, I had an hour before Dion returned with some sheets of paper.

“I’ve found it,” he said. “I’ve found our perfect house.”

“Good,” I said drowsily. “Have you made an appointment with the estate agent?”

“Pah, who needs an estate agent? All we need is an architect, a builder and a plot of land,” Dion said putting his arms around me and showing me the designs he had been working on, to make his fantasy a reality. Dion’s imagination was a vast improvement on the tent I had been dreaming about.

What surprised me, and would later disappoint the scores of fans who would visit the building as if it were a sacred shrine, was how utterly normal Dion’s fantasy house was, right down to the white picket fence. One shocked young fan wrote on Dion’s fansite that it was so dull and normal, it looked like something their Gran would live in. It would be years before I realised that ‘normality’ was utterly abnormal to Dion and, therefore, his ultimate fantasy.

“Do you like it?” Dion asked eagerly. I nodded. It was no Knossos, but then it was no tent either. It was an ordinary home for my extraordinary family.

“But how long is it going to take to build? The baby is due in five months.”

“That’s plenty of time!” Dion said, convincingly. “And we can always stay on Naxos or in Olympia and I’m sure the Mas will put us up. But I doubt it will come to that; hopefully our baby we’ll be born in our own home.”

It would take over a year to build, but, in total, we would spend less than two months there, as a family.

We stayed on Naxos for another month so that Dion could oversee the beginning of the building work. I spent the time with Nyx, taking walks along the beach, discussing baby names and knitting clothes. Nyx took great delight in imagining how our old friends, who had been in need of my infusions, would react on seeing us discussing patterns and picking out the right colour yarn.

I had felt so settled on Naxos, and maybe the knowledge that it would be our home meant that I was reluctant to leave, but Dion had made plans for us to go to Olympia. Dion was eager to show me off to Olympia and Olympia off to me. Libertia was keen to play a gig in their home town.  Cal and Likertes were already there.

Most importantly, we had received a wedding invitation from Orpheus and Eurydike and Dion was desperate to celebrate with his old friends. I invited Nyx to come too. She had always wanted to go to Olympia and I needed some support. For some reason, I felt more nervous at the prospect of meeting Dion’s friends at Olympia than the Mas on the Mountain. I needn’t have worried; the welcome was just as warm. My bump probably played a large part, as it broke the ice.

Eurydike possessed the nurturing instinct of all the Mas put together and although it was her wedding, she made sure that I, or rather my condition, was thought of at every opportunity. Dion took me on a tour of Olympia, showing me the bars he’d played in, the cafés where he’d written some song or other, the flat Pan had lived in and the one he’d shared with Pallene. By now, Pallene had moved into Persephone House, the shelter she shared with other women, who were trying to put the past behind them and forge a future. Pallene asked us not to meet her there. Although she knew that Dion was harmless and had basically paid for the shelter, the sight of him might alarm the other residents. Instead, we met her at Utopia. They were less like two divorcees and more like two devoted siblings, vying for attention. Neither could wait to tell me tales about the other one. It was how I imagined I would have been with Andro and Aster if we had all managed to escape together. Mostly, Pallene seemed to be interested in my stories of the places I had seen, on the tour.

“Have you ever thought about travelling? Seeing the world?” I asked her. She shook her head.

“I’ve thought about it, I enjoyed it when we went to Naxos, but my life is here, in Olympia. Believe me. I see enough of the world right here.”

Cal and Likertes arrived, unexpectedly, during our lunch with Pallene.

“Dion!” Likertes panted. “You’ll never guess what!”

“It’s big. It’s big!” Cal added. Dion told them to chill, but when they revealed their news, he found it hard to contain his excitement. Somehow, copies of
Semele
had found their way into Thebes. The young people were going wild for it. The rumour, that Dion had a connection to Thebes, fuelled their excitement. The fact that their elders insisted it was a dubious connection incited their curiosity and only added to the band’s allure. It was the first time music from a band outside Thebes had created so much interest, since before Semele’s demise.

“Surely they’ll let us play there now?” Dion said.

“Looks more promising,” Likertes said as he and Cal took Dion to do an interview about it. Given during a time of jubilation; It would be the
interview
which most haunted Dion.

             
The following day, Orpheus and Eurydike were married. It was the perfect wedding for the perfect couple. Orpheus sang a song he had written especially for Eurydike, which left everyone tearful. Not least Mae, which surprised me as Orpheus’s music was different to her style. When I noticed how many looks she sneaked at him, I realised it wasn’t his music that was to her taste. When Cal stepped up to dance with the bride, Mae pushed her fellow Thiasians out of the way to dance with Orpheus. I felt for her. Unrequited love is cruel and frustrating and there were many young men watching them who felt exactly the same as her. While she only had eyes for Orpheus, he only ever had eyes for Eurydike. He kept them on her the whole time she danced with Cal and the other men, until she was back in his arms.