DON'T EVEN THINK OF TOUCHING THESE BIKES. The crowd was well aware of The Henchmen's reputation and kept a respectful distance from their motorcycles by standing behind the barriers.
Hiring The Henchmen to guard the stage was something Bobby Jones did whenever he played a city near a Henchmen chapter. Using bikers as bodyguards used to be fashionable among the rock bands of the seventies. For a dozen cases of beer and free admission to the concert, any band could hire The Henchmen or any other outlaw club. After the incident at Saratoga in 1979, however, only a few old-time friends of the outlaw clubs would hire the bikers. In Saratoga The Henchmen's New York City chapter had been hired by The Losers, a hard-rock band, to keep people off the stage. One of The Henchmen got into an argument over a girl. The boyfriend pulled a gun and shot one of the bikers in the leg. What they finally scraped off the floor when the ambulance arrived was a boyfriend beaten badly enough to have killed ten people. Every bone in his body had been broken. They beat his head so severely with a ballpeen hammer that his brain was exposed. No one was arrested. There were no official witnesses.
"Hurry, Barb! Thiz could be the laz song," said Alice, as she tugged on Barbara's arm. Alice, seventeen, was a bleached blonde who wore too much makeup. At five-foot-two and one hundred-fifteen pounds she was shapely and provocative. She was accustomed to using her looks to her advantage. At school, at home with her stepfather, and with her many boyfriends, Alice could always get what she wanted. Barbara, slightly taller at five-foot-five, had brown hair and brown eyes. She was more cautious than Alice, but was easily seduced by the excitement of a new challenge or experience.
The girls started their descent toward the stage. Gerald "Beef" Macruder, the sergeant-at-arms of the San Pagano chapter, was standing between the bikes and the stage. He swayed to the music, while keeping a threatening eye on the crowd. A baseball bat was slung over his shoulder like a foot soldier's rifle. Two of the Henchmen were sitting on their bikes. Mario "Slip" Zatela, the chapter's vice-president, talked with some of the crowd. He shared some booze and some smoke with the people closest to the barriers.
Sanford "Sandy" Collins, the chapter president, spoke to one of the stagehands. Sandy's brother, Lucky Joe, was the newest member. Lucky Joe had gotten his nickname because he'd been shot three times and survived. The remaining two members of the chapter were not at the concert. The San Pagano chapter had only the eight members required by charter. If one of the six members who were still on the street was killed or jailed, the club would have two weeks to find a worthy prospect or they would lose their charter.
Alice pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She stood next to one of The Henchmen sitting on his bike. "Nice bike," she said.
"I know it is," answered Frederick "Fred" Adams. "How ya doin', pretty girl?"
"Great, man. Bobby Jones is dynamite. Juz look at him up there. Heezza best." Alice started jumping and shouting as Bobby Jones began what would be the final song of the night: "Highway Woman." It was a trademark of the Bobby Jones Band to end each concert with this double-platinum hit. Barbara made her way over to Alice. "Shit, Alice. I almost got fucking stomped trying to get up here," she said.
"Hey, how would you ladies like to meet Bobby Jones after the concert?" asked Fred.
"Get out, man! No shit?" said Alice.
"No shit. Let me just talk to my prez." Fred dismounted his bike and walked to the end of the stage to confer with Sandy. Sandy looked over at the girls, who were watching them carefully for the prez's approval. Sandy smiled, gave Fred a kiss on the lips, and nodded his head yes. The two girls were ecstatic. They were going to meet Bobby Jones. The legendary Henchmen were going to introduce them.
"It's all set," said Fred eagerly. "There's a party
Hiring The Henchmen to guard the stage was something Bobby Jones did whenever he played a city near a Henchmen chapter. Using bikers as bodyguards used to be fashionable among the rock bands of the seventies. For a dozen cases of beer and free admission to the concert, any band could hire The Henchmen or any other outlaw club. After the incident at Saratoga in 1979, however, only a few old-time friends of the outlaw clubs would hire the bikers. In Saratoga The Henchmen's New York City chapter had been hired by The Losers, a hard-rock band, to keep people off the stage. One of The Henchmen got into an argument over a girl. The boyfriend pulled a gun and shot one of the bikers in the leg. What they finally scraped off the floor when the ambulance arrived was a boyfriend beaten badly enough to have killed ten people. Every bone in his body had been broken. They beat his head so severely with a ballpeen hammer that his brain was exposed. No one was arrested. There were no official witnesses.
"Hurry, Barb! Thiz could be the laz song," said Alice, as she tugged on Barbara's arm. Alice, seventeen, was a bleached blonde who wore too much makeup. At five-foot-two and one hundred-fifteen pounds she was shapely and provocative. She was accustomed to using her looks to her advantage. At school, at home with her stepfather, and with her many boyfriends, Alice could always get what she wanted. Barbara, slightly taller at five-foot-five, had brown hair and brown eyes. She was more cautious than Alice, but was easily seduced by the excitement of a new challenge or experience.
The girls started their descent toward the stage. Gerald "Beef" Macruder, the sergeant-at-arms of the San Pagano chapter, was standing between the bikes and the stage. He swayed to the music, while keeping a threatening eye on the crowd. A baseball bat was slung over his shoulder like a foot soldier's rifle. Two of the Henchmen were sitting on their bikes. Mario "Slip" Zatela, the chapter's vice-president, talked with some of the crowd. He shared some booze and some smoke with the people closest to the barriers.
Sanford "Sandy" Collins, the chapter president, spoke to one of the stagehands. Sandy's brother, Lucky Joe, was the newest member. Lucky Joe had gotten his nickname because he'd been shot three times and survived. The remaining two members of the chapter were not at the concert. The San Pagano chapter had only the eight members required by charter. If one of the six members who were still on the street was killed or jailed, the club would have two weeks to find a worthy prospect or they would lose their charter.
Alice pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She stood next to one of The Henchmen sitting on his bike. "Nice bike," she said.
"I know it is," answered Frederick "Fred" Adams. "How ya doin', pretty girl?"
"Great, man. Bobby Jones is dynamite. Juz look at him up there. Heezza best." Alice started jumping and shouting as Bobby Jones began what would be the final song of the night: "Highway Woman." It was a trademark of the Bobby Jones Band to end each concert with this double-platinum hit. Barbara made her way over to Alice. "Shit, Alice. I almost got fucking stomped trying to get up here," she said.
"Hey, how would you ladies like to meet Bobby Jones after the concert?" asked Fred.
"Get out, man! No shit?" said Alice.
"No shit. Let me just talk to my prez." Fred dismounted his bike and walked to the end of the stage to confer with Sandy. Sandy looked over at the girls, who were watching them carefully for the prez's approval. Sandy smiled, gave Fred a kiss on the lips, and nodded his head yes. The two girls were ecstatic. They were going to meet Bobby Jones. The legendary Henchmen were going to introduce them.
"It's all set," said Fred eagerly. "There's a party
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