The Gods of Thunder - LST2022, writer.

Somewhere in time, probably in the 1970's in a suburb that's grown near you, or perhaps in a town that's over the hills and far away, a crowd had gathered before a crumbled clock-tower. The obelisk-like structure had still loomed before the town-hall and the Major's office the previous night, but then a storm blew in, and the structure was hit by lightning, crumbling its old masonry into ruins, and beseeching the "upstanding citizens" of the town to seek omens, and find scapegoats.

The Mayor stepped on his soap-box, and silenced the enraged crowd with welcomes and and raised palms. But then, he thrust his index-finder in the air and bellowed:

"Our sacred clock-tower was hit by lightning last night, because of the sinful rock festival they're planning for our lovely little town!"

The crowd applauded into the dark and starless night. A bonfire was lit into which was thrust piles of posters, vinyl records and other rock paraphernalia.

The Major, his cheeks rosy with fervor, moonshine and righteous-anger began to astutely chant, soon followed by the crowd:

"No Kiss in our town ... No Black Sabbath in our town ... No Alice Cooper in our town! NO KISS NO ROCK AND ROLL! NO KISS NO ROCK AND ROLL!"

Up on the hill overlooking the spectacle gathered a group along a watchtower of their own.
Some with long flowing hair that still smelt like last night's party.
Now mourning in their hearts, as they watched the proceedings below, their dreams of finally seeing their favorite bands slowly running down faces shimmering with lost hope and greasepaint.

The entire valley heard the Mayor shout:

"The Almighty struck down the clock-tower in a fiery bolt of lightning because He doesn't want this rock concert in our town! And if I'm wrong, may He strike me down with lightning now!"

And then, they say, the heavens opened up with rain.
The bonfire was extinguished.

And KA-BOOM!
Thunder and a flash of lightning!
Where the Mayor had stood now remained only a pile of sooty ash.

Suddenly unsure of what the Almighty actually wanted, the drenched and stunned mob of record-burners chattered for a moment and then slunk away into their departing vehicles.
Some recall, a bit humbled and paranoid, but the rock festival went ahead.

The End.

Musical inspiration:

Kiss - God of Thunder.



Kiss - God Gave Rock And Roll To You.

I guess behind the counter-culture references it's a short-story about being so assured that what you believe is true for everybody becomes vanity, rather than "spiritual" devotion.

Thanks for your story.


Good Luck in the Contest!
Johnny

I think it was in Guitar World in the late 1990's and it actually said, the church in this town was struck by lightning.

And they blamed it on Black Sabbath and their upcoming tour.

That did actually happen.

(The printed interview, I think was with Dimebag Darrell, recalling his youth as a Kiss - specifically, Ace Frehley fan.)

Something like, the steeple was hit by lightning, and from that point you had to hide away all your Black Sabbath albums.

That was in context of the wider "Satanic-Panic" at the time.

Perhaps these hysterias didn't last very long.

But, oh yes, people certainly believed that if the church-tower was struck by lightning, it was connected to this band Black Sabbath.

Look, says my trainer, there's three swings, but only the middle one is swinging.
OK stop with the supernatural stuff bro.
That's freaking me out.

Mötley Crüe - Smoking In The Boys' Room.