Rock Legend Part 1

By Sean Walsh

Introducing Rock Legend, a true cockney rebel on his sixteenth birthday and his last day of school. On this day Rock becomes a man. On this day Rock yearns to play the guitar. For the next three years Rock tries to conquer his guitar like his friend Jack Fender, but never nails it. When Rock's band the Lion Kings rocket towards superstardom Rock has a choice. Lay down his guitar and give up his dream of being “a part of it”, or take on the role of road manager. It is an easy decision to make.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781291938685

Sean Walsh

I've worked and lived in communications all my life: journalist, subeditor, editor, actor, director, producer - here in Ireland and abroad.I fell in love with Hiberno-English a long time ago - English as it is spoken and written in my country - and have been in love with it ever since.I love the challenge of pen and blank paper: creating characters, storylines, drama.If I may share with you some of the gems that have influenced me down the years; I've tried to abide by them but didn't always succeed!"You make your way by taking it..."It does not just happen, you have to make it happen..."Sometimes in stooping down to pick up two pennies one can lose a fortune..."InterestsFriendship - when it is not possessive, controlling...Quiet. Silence - a positive value completely overlooked by many today...Reading - carefully judged. If I'm not hooked by the first sequence - the first paragraph - I won't read any further...Trying, day in day out, not to spill any more milk... and to stop crying over milk already spilt.Not suffering fools gladly...Analysing Casablanca, frame for frame, line by line...(TBC...)PublicationsMy scripts have been broadcast on RTE, Radio One, BBC 4 and, in translation, on European networks; televised on RTE One, BBC One and Channel 4; staged at the Peacock by the Abbey National Theatre, at the Project, the Eblana, the Liverpool Playhouse and on the London Fringe...Credits include The Night of the Rouser. Earwig. The Dreamers. Fugitive. Veil. Penny for Your Travels. Far Side of the Moon. Three for Calvary. Jenny One, Two, Three... The Circus. Centre Circle. Where Do We Go from Here, My Lovely? At The Praetorium. Conclave. Assault on a Citadel.Has conducted many workshops on Creative/Script Writing in Dublin and at various centres around Ireland.Favourite authorsA D Sertillanges. John Henry Newman. Waugh. Greene. Hemingway. Hans Kung.LikesGood conversation. The company of my fellow searchers... Con pane... meaning, with bread... hence company...DislikesArrogant, self-opinionated prigs... Controlling, bullying clerics...Favourite Quote"I passionately hate the idea of being with it. I think an artist has always to be out of step with his time." (Orson Welles (1915 - 1985))

Book preview

Rock Legend Part 1

Rock Legend Part I

A Rock & Roll Life

by

Sean Walsh

Other Works by Sean Walsh

Canyon Stars – Film Script 2010

Ice Cool – Film Script 2011

Rock Legend Part II – Film Script 2013

MOB v MAFIA – Film Script 2014

Rock Legend Part III – Film Script 2012

Copyright

Copyright Sean Walsh © 2014

eBook Design by Rossendale Books:

www.rossendalebooks.co.uk

eBook ISBN: 978-1-291-93868-5

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Synopsis

Introducing Rock Legend, a true cockney rebel on his sixteenth birthday and his last day of school. On this day Rock becomes a man. On this day Rock yearns to play the guitar. For the next three years Rock tries to conquer his guitar like his friend Jack Fender, but never nails it. When Rock's band the Lion Kings rocket towards superstardom Rock has a choice. Lay down his guitar and give up his dream of being a part of it, or take on the role of Road manager. It is an easy decision to make.

From the late sixties, through the Seventies Rock Legend's love for music and an admirable decision to take a back seat in the band he founded takes him on a wild adventure, which leads him into the heart, the ecstasy and the agony of the Sixties and Seventies rock and roll game.

The first part of Rock Legend Part 1 is a tale of sex, drugs and rock and roll at a time when the sex was wilder, the drugs were as free flowing as candy and the rock and roll was as near to magic as it was ever going to get.

The start of the film is shot in black and white - sepia. [ As in the opening scenes of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' 1969 ]

1 4th November 1963: Rock Legend's sixteenth birthday

Jan Legend: (Rock's Mum) opens door to Rock's room. Mr. Rock Legend. Happy Birthday (opens curtains)

Rock: Cheers Mum, (Suzie, Rock's sister comes into Rock's bedroom with a present. She is wearing a head scarf as she suffers from Cancer).

Suzie: Birthday boy.

Rock: (smiles, Opens present) What is it?

Suzie: It's a scarf

Rock: Aren't scarfs for girls?

Suzie: Not anymore. Try it on

Rock tries scarf on

Suzie: Cool

Rock: smiles, wipes eyes How you feeling?

Suzie: Rough. I'm going to the hospital later

Rock: I'll come with you?

Suzie: And miss your last day at school and all those kisses off the pretty girls. Mum's coming. Don't forget it's the Variety show at the Palladium tonight

Rock: I'm not rushing home for that

Suzie: Stupid. The Beatles are playing

2 Rock breaks up from school.

A group of Rock's friends stand in a circle shaking hands. The girls from Rock's year crowd round the group of lads, flicking their hair and gazing. Rock notices a family friend (Angela. Aged thirty) who beckons Rock over. Rock swaggers over.

Angie: Happy Birthday young man

Rock: cheers

Angie: I've got your present at my place

Rock: I said I’d go down the pool hall with the lads

Angie: gives sexy smile It's up to you. Do you want your present or not?

Rock: Looks over at friends. I'll see you down there

Rock and Angie walk off

3 Back at Angie's place

Rock: Where’s your kids at?

Angie: Their Nan's looking after them

Rock: And your Del?

Angie: He's away on business. Wait here. I'll go and get your present. Rock goes over to look at Angie's record collection as she goes upstairs.

4 Rock gets his present

Angie: dressed in tied underwear So you want to unwrap your present?

Rock Laughs and throws Angie on couch. The two kiss

5 Thirty Minutes later. Angie is smoking cigarette

Rock: Giz one of them

Angie: No

Rock: come on. I'm Sixteen now

Angie hands Rock a cigarette.

Rock: takes drag on cigarette So it is as good as the deal they make out

Angie: So you enjoyed it then?

Rock: cocky, Laughs. Best fun I ever had on a birthday.

Angie: It depends on who your with. With Del, it's like fucking a slab of marble. blows cigarette smoke out cold

Rock grabs Angie

Angie: pulls away You better get dressed. The kids will be here soon

Rock: come on

Angie: There'll be other times

Rock: putting trousers on when?

Angie: When the kids are out

Rock: starts to get dressed How longs your old man on the rigs for?

Angie: He's back at christmas

Rock grins

6 Rock swaggers home on top of the world

Rock swaggers home like a prince. The song for the scene is The Beach Boys 'I Get Around'.

7 Rock's Dad Henry Gives his son an envelope

Henry: Happy birthday son

Rock: Opens envelope which has money inside. Ar Dad. Can you afford it?

Henry: Spend it wisely. Don't blow it at the pool hall

Suzy: Looks over at Rock. What have you been up to then? You look, kindar different. What's with the grin on your face?

Rock: I scored at the pool hall

Suzy: Come on Mum. They'll be on in a minute

8 Twist and shout at the London Palladium

Rock and Suzy stare transfixed at the screen as the Beatles sing 'Twist and Shout'

Suzy: He's gorgeous

Jan: Which one Suz?

Suzy: John

Rock: I know what I’m getting with me money

Suzy: What?

9 At the Music shop

Rock and his Grandad are in a music shop looking at guitars

Rock: I like that white one

Grandad: What about the drums over their?

Rock: I want a guitar

Grandad: If you get the drums I can teach you

Rock: I'll teach myself

Grandad: Have you got enough? to assistant How much is the white Fender?

Assistant: It's thirty pounds

Rock: I'm a bit short

Assistant: I'll throw in this acoustic if you go for the Fender

Grandad: Hands Rock a ten pound note Here’s some money I've been saving for you

Rock smiles

Grandad: You'll have to be dedicated you know. If you want to crack it. And it won't happen over night

10 My Generation

Rock is in his bedroom playing his guitar. The scene involves a camera going around the bedrooms of teenagers through England practising with their guitars. The Who song 'My Generation' is played through the scene. At the end of the scene the camera focuses on a teenage girls house. Her Mum calls up the stairs and says Jane Robinson, turn that blasted guitar off and get to bed. You've got school in the morning.

Janey Robinson ignores her Mother and carries on playing

11 Rock meets Jack Fender at the pool hall

Rock is in the pool hall with his friends and asks a lad named Jack if he wants a game

Jack: I play for money

Rock: How much?

Jack: a pound a game

Rock pulls out one pound note and places it on the table

12 Guitar up for grabs

Rock has lost all his money to Jack and is desperate to win it back

Rock: I want to play on

Jack: I only play for cash. I'll be in again tomorrow

Rock: I'll bet you me guitar against the fiver you've took of me

Jack: Okay

13 Rock Loses guitar

Jack: Where’s the guitar at then? pulls out hip flask, which is filled with whisky and offers it to Rock, who takes a swig

Rock: It's at mine.

Jack: let's go and get it then

14 Jack gets his guitar

Jack: Is it that one? The white Fender Stratocaster

Rock pulls out wooden acoustic from under bed

Jack: You fucker

Rock: I said a guitar. I didn't say which kind

Jack: picks up guitar I'll be off then

Rock: See you around

15 Looking to jam

Jack sees if Rock wants to jam

Jack: holding his guitar Is Rock in?

Suzie: He's at my Grandad's practising

Jack: Where’s that at?

Suzie: Grabs coat from porch I'll take you round their

16 Walking to Grandad Legend's

Suzie: So are you a rocker?

Jack: Kind of

Suzie: Who do you prefer. The Stones or the Beatles?

Jack: Both

Suzie: Me too. Where did you get your guitar from?

Jack: I won it at the pool hall

Suzie: Wow. Are you a hustler then?

Jack: Kind of

Suzie: Who did you win it off?

Jack: Your kid

Suzie: Ar. My Dad wont be happy about that

Jack: Don't tell him then

Suzie: I'm only kidding. I wouldn't tell on Rocky. You know he was captain of his school's cricket and football team. He's gonnar be a star. We're here

you can here music coming from Rock's grandad's house. Jack and Suzie open the door, which is open and walk into the living room. Both smile when they see Rock's Grandad on the drums and Rock playing his Fender.

Rock: to Jack I haven't seen you at the hall

Jack: I've been practising

Rock: How's that going?

Jack: I'll show you

Grandad: Go on. Let's here you