John hung back for a moment, still slightly dazed by what had just happened. For some reason the two men seemed quite familiar, although he was certain they had never met before. They also appeared to not have quite placed Beatle John, which made a change. He decided the longer he could keep it that way the better, and stepped after the brothers as they lined up three glasses of whisky.  

“Ta,” John said as he picked up his glass. He swallowed it in one, pulling his face slightly at the burning sensation as it slipped down his throat. “That’s what I needed,” he said, setting the glass down again, trying to shake off the bitter aftertaste.  

The shorter man nodded. “You looked like it. How long have you been out there?”  

“About half an hour.”  

“Shite,” he replied sympathetically. “What a night to break down on, eh? Noel, by the way. This is…”  

“I am the Walrus,” the taller one said seriously.  

“…Liam. Our kid, unfortunately.”  

“John,” John replied carefully, but they didn’t react. “You were born at Christmas then? Noel?”  

“May actually,” Noel said quickly. “You’re a bit out of the way for Liverpool, aren’t you?”  

“Yeah, well, before we broke down we also got lost,” John smiled, the whole event seemed quite amusing now he was standing in the warm. “I’m not really even sure where I am.”  

“Burnage,” Noel said, and John nodded although he was none the wiser. “I’m uh, sorry about, all that, before,” Noel continued sheepishly.  

John nodded again, “S’alright.”  

“It’s this prick,” Noel said. “He’s always being a twat, tryna wind me up.”  

“Don’t really have to try,” Liam said, sipping his whisky and sticking his tongue out at the sourness.  

“You’re not havin’ any more of that. Y’know what it does to yer,” Noel said to him, nodding towards the glass.  

“Oh right, sorry Mam,” Liam replied sarcastically.  

Noel glowered. John smiled, “Yeah, I know how it is,” he said. “My, uh, mates are the same. A right pain in the arse sometimes. I left them at the car.” He grinned and Liam laughed although inside John started to feel guilty at abandoning them to the weather.  

“Maybe I could help you with that?” Noel offered. “I know a bit about cars.”  

“Or just knock it on the head and come The Hac with us?” Liam said.  

“The Hac?” John asked.  

“The Hacienda, y’know.”

John looked blank.

“Y’musta heard of it? The Mondays?”  

“Uh, no,” John said unsure.  

“Not into your music, eh?”  

“I er…” John stopped himself from telling him it was exactly the opposite. “This and that, y’know,” he said instead, then quickly added, “I can’t anyway. I’ve gotta get home to my wife.”  

“Ah, that’s a tragedy,” Liam said with a hint of an Irish accent. “Young fella like you.”  

“Shut up, Liam,” Noel said. “Where are you parked, mate?” he asked John.  

“Just down the road a bit, not that far, but it feels it in the snow.”  

“Hmm,” Noel looked at the snow still falling outside the window, building up on the ledge, “Perhaps we could have another drink til it lets up a bit?” he suggested.  

As Liam appeared to also be ‘a bit light’, Noel bought a round of beers for the three of them and they retired to a table. John took his wet coat off and hung it on the back of a chair, trying to dry it out a bit. He sat down opposite the two Mancunians, looking up at them and only then acknowledging their odd expressions.  

“What?” John asked warily.  

Noel indicated to his clothes. “That’s a pretty funky suit, man,” he said.  

John looked down at himself. They had been recording at the TV studios right up to the last minute and there hadn’t been any time to change before the plane - the cancelled plane, it turned out - but it had still meant they had all been sent home in their full Beatle collarless suits. “Oh, er, I came straight from… work,” John attempted to explain.  

“S’cool,” Liam said. “Proper. Makes you look like John Lennon, in his early days, y’know.”  

That was a new one on John. “Um, yeah,” he agreed, wondering when he had left his ‘early days.’  

“What fuckin’ job do you do dressed like that?” Liam laughed.  

John thought quickly, knowing they would see right through him if he strayed too far from the truth, “Well, bits n bobs, y’know,” he tried, but seeing this wasn’t an adequate answer he added, “I, er, play guitar and… er, stuff.”  

“Like sessions?” Noel asked, and John nodded.  

“Cool,” Liam repeated.  

“What do you do?” John asked, eager to take the focus off of himself.  

“Noel’s a gas man moonlighting as a brickie,” Liam answered for him.  

“And Liam’s a dosser,” Noel replied with a cruel smile.  

“I am not a fuckin’ dosser,” Liam said.  

“What would you call two years on the dole then?”  

“I’m…” he leaned closer to John, “I am a rock and roll star.”  

John laughed but then abruptly stopped when he saw Liam was deadly serious.  

Noel rolled his eyes. “One gig and you think you’re Mick Jagger.”  

Liam leaned back in his chair, “Oh, I don’t think I’m Jagger,” he said, in a warning tone, looking at Noel. Noel shook his head. Liam looked back to John. “Me band played in here tonight. You would have seen us if you’d come in half an hour earlier.”  

“A reprieve,” Noel said and Liam shot him another warning look.  

“What are you called?” John asked, smiling, remembering the early days of the Beatles.  

“Rain,” Liam replied.  

“After the song,” Noel added spitefully.  

“The song?” John said brightly.  

“Not just the song,” Liam said, “cos of Manchester, y’know, too. Fuckin’ rainy city isn’t it?”  

“Still a shite name,” Noel said.  

“Yeah, well, til the man on the fuckin’ flaming pie tells us different, it's that.”  

“Shit name, shit band,” Noel sat back and folded his arms as if it was the last word on the subject.  

“Oasis,” John said suddenly. They both looked at him. “We, uh, I played a gig here last year, it was at the Swindon Oasis club, I’ve been trying to remember the name all night.”  

“The Oasis club?” Noel said thoughtfully, “The Beatles played there in ’64.”  

What did I just say? John thought but smiled. “Really?”  

“Yeah?” Liam said. “Then Rain will too one day. And The Cavern and that.”  

“I don’t think its there anymore,” Noel said. “Actually, I thought it was long gone.”  

“Oasis,” Liam repeated as if he was trying the word out in his mouth. “That’s not a bad name for a band.”  

Noel nodded. “You’ll still have no talent though. A rose by any other name still can’t sing.”  

“You’re so jealous,” Liam said dismissively.  

Noel drew himself up, ready to give Liam what for. John started laughing, “Oh sorry,” he said, trying to stop as the two brothers stared at him. “I don’t know why I’m laughing, you remind me of something…” They looked at each other and then back at John. “What’s this band then?” John asked, getting his giggles under control.  

“Well,” Liam said, “Without givin’ too much away, y’know, we’re destined for big fuckin’ things.”  

“You’re dreaming,” Noel said, shaking his head, “If you think you’ll ever get out of this godforsaken city, by ponsing about in yer leather jacket and yer Lennon shades, then you’ll get a fuckin’ rude awakenin’, mate.”  

“Mark my words,” Liam replied arrogantly.  

Noel looked at John. “You’ll have to excuse my brother, he’s fuckin’ delusional.”  

John laughed again. “You gotta dream, man,” he said.  

“See? Thank you. Your problem, Noel, is you’ve got small town syndrome. John, here, thinks we’ll make it, doncha, John?”  

“Definitely,” John said with conviction, then looking at Noel added diplomatically, “Uh, maybe.”  

Noel snorted. “Can we change the subject?”  

“Yeah,” Liam nodded. “Join the band and we’ll say no more about it.”  

“If I replace… whosit?”  

“Guigsy.”  

“Yeah, him, you’d still need another guitar.”  

“Nah, you’d be the lead. Maybe we could keep Guigsy as rhythm.”  

“Lead?”  

Liam nodded again.  

“I’m not good enough to…” Noel said reluctantly.  

“Yeah, yer are, I’ve heard yer,” Liam said.  

Noel opened his mouth to argue, then realised what Liam had said.  

John smiled to himself. “You’ll get better,” he said, feeling prophetic, “I started out on a banjo!”  

Noel twisted his mouth. “Well… who writes yer songs?”  

“Me and Bonehead at the moment, but,” Liam paused dramatically to drink his beer, “I’ve heard yours and they’re better.”  

“I dunno…” Noel rubbed his forehead with one finger.  

John shrugged. “What have you got to loose? Its mighty cold to be working on a building site.”  

Noel nodded. “True.”  

“Besides, it’s a done deal. We’ll sign to Factory or somat and this time next year, my son!” Liam clapped his hands and rubbed them together gleefully. “Y’know what Lennon said…”  

“Yeah, I do,” Noel said, cutting him off.  

“Lenin?” John asked, enjoying himself.  

“Lennon,” Liam corrected, “John Lennon said…”  

“Liam,” Noel warned. “Don’t start…”  

“Lennon said,” Liam continued.  

“John Paul William Gallagher…”  

Liam shut his mouth. “John Paul George Ringo,” he said to Noel then leaning and whispering to John, “I was only gonna say….”  

Noel kicked him, a little too roughly for it to be jokingly.  

“What?” John said, overcome with curiosity, “Lennon said..?”  

Liam moved out of the way of Noel’s boot. “Lennon said, ‘Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans,” he said, making eyes at Noel.  

Noel shook his head at him and finished his drink.  

John frowned, “I never… He never said that…”  

“You really need to brush up on your music trivia, mate. Believe me, I know my Lennon!” Liam swallowed the remainder of his glass too. “Right,” he said, “Lets have a look at that motor of yours then, John.”