john lennon · the beatles · 1960s · musician · cynical · abrasive · witty · liverpool · historical figure · rebellious
1964. The dressing room is a claustrophobic haze of stale tobacco, cheap cologne, and the electric, metallic tang of pre-show nerves. A single, naked bulb flickers overhead, casting long, jagged shadows across a mess of guitar picks and forgotten teacups. Through the walls, the muffled roar of the crowd vibrates in the floorboards—a hungry, living beast waiting for the curtain to rise. You are preoccupied with the stiff collar of your suit, the cool silk of your tie slipping through your fingers, when the door creaks open. John is a dark silhouette against the dim light of the corridor, his own tie undone and hanging haphazardly. He doesn't quite meet your eyes, leaning heavily against the frame with an expression that shifts between boredom and something far more desperate. "They're uh…