This Could Get Ugly

by Quixotical

Summary:

Everybody knows famous 80s pop rock band, The Downsides, but no one knows the reason behind their mysterious breakup at the height of their success. Rumors of love triangles, infidelity, drug addiction and more than one onstage fight have swirled around for years following the band’s split in 1988.

Years later, one determined journalist is uncovering it all through a series of interviews that will finally reveal the truth.

Chapter 1: Prologue: A Note From the Writer

November 13th, 1995

Note from the writer:

 

The following work is an attempt to piece together a clear portrait of how the renowned 1980s pop band The Downsides rose to fame-as well as what led to their abrupt and infamous split while on tour in Philadelphia on July 14, 1989.

Over the course of the last two years, the author of this work has conducted individual interviews with former members of the band, as well as family, friends, and industry elite who surrounded them at the time. The following oral history is compiled and edited from those conversations, as well as emails, transcripts, news articles, and other relevant documents. 

In the conduction of this research, getting a complete, comprehensive recount of the events that transpired has been of paramount priority. However, in some cases, that has proven less than possible.  Some potential interviewees were difficult to track down, some were more forthcoming than others, and some, unfortunately, have passed on.

This work serves as the first and only time members of the band have commented on their history together. However, it should also be noted that, on matters both big and small, sometimes accounts of the same event differ.
The truth often lies, unclaimed, in the middle.

Notes:

Hi! It’s me again… It’s been a minute for sure! I am so sorry it’s taken so long to update, but as some of you may have read from my update earlier this year, I wanted to start over because I was unsure of the direction of the work and so here we are…. Better late than never right?

So much has changed in my life since I started this fic and I am so grateful to be able to come back to it and come back to you all (if you’ll still have me anyway!). I have a better understanding of where I want this story to go so hopefully that means we’ll get through it! Thank you to all of you who have ever supported me in this effort, I simply could not have done it without you!