When the band broke up,
Roger and Basil and Phlegm all opted to start a new project
under Roger’s direction.
No longer just the bassist,
now he was the songwriter.
Now he was the star.

He asked a singer, Jenn,
that looked nothing like Carlotta to join him on stage
and do co-lead vocals with him.
Jenn also sang lead on lots of songs that he wrote for her.
Perhaps she was really the star.
They did all right.

Meanwhile, Carlotta was fuming.
She felt this had been the plan all along:
to disband so they could restart without her.
She had her own gigs
with her own fans
but she felt like there had been a plot against her
to take her star
away from her.

Maybe it wasn’t about stars.
Maybe it was about people being able to work together comfortably.
It didn’t matter.
Roger, Basil, Phlegm and Jenn
didn’t last much longer
than Phlegm, Basil, Carlotta and Rog.

Nothing lasts long in this town.
All fires die
eventually.