'KAT-TUN.' A group that the massive agency Johnny's is ambitiously launching, set to make a spectacular debut through [ASAYAN].
Naturally, groups from Amuse and Horipro were already guaranteed to advance to the finals. In a way, it was to be expected. The scale of capital and manpower invested into groups from major agencies is on a completely different level than the random nobodies in the indie scene. There was no better way to capture the public's attention.
These trainees also watched the [ASAYAN] broadcast introducing the various groups. What they saw was a total mess—specifically, the scene where the band members openly cursed at the staff and flipped them off.
"Those guys are never going to make it."
"Well, it's not like we need to care. We're going to be at the top anyway. Who would give a damn about some fossils carrying around instruments?"
Instruments in this day and age? In the world of modern pop, weren't instruments just relics of the 1940s destined for the scrap heap? They looked at the members of 'Enfants Terribles' with pathetic gazes and sneered.
Regarded as delinquent scoundrels by the production crew and ignored by anyone with a positive outlook—that was their reality.
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Thump.
I was shaking. Across both my lives, this was my first real debut stage where I would show myself to the public.
Yokishi, the muscular mixed-race drummer, was tapping on a desk with his drum sticks, veins popping on his forearms.
"I'm going to show those bastards who looked down on the bass what music really is!"
Shuji, our bald bassist, was fuming and hardening his resolve all by himself.
Yes, we are a band. The stage has been prepared for us, and all we have to do is play our music. Wait, our music...?
After the interview ended, we had a discussion. The conclusion was simple: our relationship with the staff was already trashed, so to hell with the cover song they suggested. We would play our own music and then walk off the stage.
It was obvious we'd fail the preliminary round no matter what we did.
If that was the case, we might as well go down playing our music. That was our final decision.
"Enfants Terribles, please come out."
We grabbed our gear and headed toward the audition hall.
Since the station had marked us as troublemakers, we had to set up all our instruments ourselves, but we didn't care. We were pros. The kind of pros who could set up a rig with their eyes closed.
"Hello~"
The bald guy grinned at the camera, his head reflecting the studio lights. The staff glared at us in response, as if the villains had just entered the room. We followed the guide onto the stage.
I felt like the entire world's attention was fixed on me.
This doesn't feel too bad, does it?
My heart was on the verge of exploding from the sheer adrenaline.
Not because of fear or nerves, but because of excitement.
"Enfants Terribles, let us know when you're ready. And wrap it up quickly. We have plenty of other people to film besides you."
Since they were treating us like villains, I figured I should show them what a real 'villain' looks like. The kind of 'villain' that drops a nuclear bomb on an music industry stuck in deep stagnation.
Queen's 'Under Pressure.'
Released in 1981, it is one of Queen's most iconic masterpieces, featuring a simple yet addictive bass riff and Freddie Mercury's powerful vocals.
'Dum-dum-dum-duh-duh-dum-dum'
The ear-worm bass riff, which once topped the UK charts in my previous life, began to resonate across the stage.
At the sound of that bass riff, the eyes of the veteran Judge, who had been exhausted by the long day of evaluations, began to widen. For an old-timer like him, it was a sound he couldn't help but recognize. Though he hadn't lived through that specific era, it was a sound he had always longed for.
It was reminiscent of the sound of 'The Crickets'—the group from the albums his late father had cherished like heirlooms. They were the idols of his youth; a band that burned so brightly and briefly that they left nothing behind but memories.
The harmonious sound of the instruments reached the veteran judge's ears.
The veteran judge felt a lump in his throat and let out a soft exclamation of awe. The performance was a passing grade. If so, what about the vocals..?
'Under Pressure' was one of the songs Freddie Mercury handled best during his lifetime. In live performances, he often sang the falsetto parts in full voice to give it a more powerful feel.
'And that's exactly how I'm going to sing it too.'
'Under Pressure' is a song that loses half its charm if it lacks Mercury's signature power.
The vocals were clear yet gritty, backed by rock-solid vocal technique.
An incredible sound surged through the stage.
The drums and bass held the line firmly from the back, supporting the vocals with a heavy foundation.
While the veteran judge was reminded of his youth during the beginning of the performance, by the end, he was feeling a literal jolt of electricity. It felt as if the passion of his younger days, which he thought had burned out and vanished, was being reignited. They were even better than 'The Crickets.'
Even if he wouldn't get to see their brilliant journey for much longer, the veteran judge felt a profound sense of gratitude toward them for liberating his elderly self from the prison of soul-crushing boredom.
Tears were streaming down the old man's face.
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Ai was anxious about the three men who had gone to their first preliminary audition.
It wasn't that she was worried they would ruin the performance; she was worried they would cause another massive scandal.
Anxiously, she sent a text message.
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●Hoshino Ai●
- I'm genuinely worried, so I'm asking... you didn't cause any trouble today, right..? ( ´△｀)
ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ