I recommend reading this while listening to 'Karma Police' by Radiohead.
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As I mentioned before, for an artist, a solo concert is virtually the only space where a 'star' can truly showcase their essence and charm to their fans.
There are other avenues, such as press interviews or television appearances, but those are merely secondary.
Ultimately, an artist proves their worth through music, and it is through that music that fans fall for them. As proof, the sight of a performer radiating a natural aura while the audience is swept away by it has become a common spectacle by now, hasn't it?
However, when the physical distance is too great, it becomes difficult for an artist to truly connect with the crowd. To solve this, a new type of protruding thrust stage was designed and introduced.
In this format, a performer can venture right into the heart of the crowd.
'But why... why does the Leader look like he's at the end of something, rather than the beginning?'
A sea of sparkling penlights surrounds me as I play the bass. The sight of everyone encircling us, fueled by a burning passion for our music, is breathtaking.
The dopamine rush from this view can only be understood by those who have experienced it. Yet, in this very moment, our Leader wears an expression that suggests everything is rushing toward a final conclusion.
'Leader... what on earth are you thinking?'
The expression on Hide's face is not that of a man writing history with his own hands. We are scheduled to mobilize 750,000 people over the course of three days.
We are set to deliver the greatest performance the world will ever remember, playing before a crowd of a scale that will likely never be seen again.
Even at this pinnacle—where eccentrics who were once met with nothing but contempt in Japan have risen in just a few years from rookies to giants leaving an eternal mark—the Leader is not enjoying the stage.
In that moment, Shuji recalls a conversation he once had with Hide.
"Leader, do you think another massive band like Enfants Terribles can ever emerge again?"
"Of course. We were the ones who broke the dam, but greater bands will come after us."
"No, there won't be another band like us. We were a nameless group of brats who had never even written a proper song, starting with nothing but a hunger to devour the whole world."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying that as long as there isn't another person like you, Hide, a band as great as Enfants Terribles cannot exist. For the sake of Rock's future, we need you."
But the Leader merely shook his head at those words, wearing a faint smile that looked as if he had let go of everything.
"Shuji, when it comes to the 'Way'... even if the times change, even if the path taken to reach that point is different, one eventually arrives at the same destination. Even without me."
"And I'm not as great as you think. Contrary to public rumor, my talent is nothing more than a mere handful. Even if I were to vanish, it wouldn't cause a massive ripple in music history. Not that I'm saying I'm going to disappear, of course."
Ever since the relationship between Ai and the Leader turned cold, he had frequently acted like someone preparing to leave. While he occasionally returned to his old self when performing as a star or handling music, outside of that, he was mostly steeped in medication and lethargy.
Shuji had left him be out of respect and admiration, but the underlying anxiety was something he couldn't shake.
"Damn it...! I don't know why you vanished, but please come back soon, Ai!!"
The golden spotlights shine down on me like sunlight.
Oasis's [Rock 'n' Roll Star] is a song deep with meaning that we've used as our opening number since our debut. Much like it was for Oasis in the past, it has become the ultimate self-fulfilling prophecy for us.
The lyrics of [Rock 'n' Roll Star] are filled with ambition and confidence, shouting, 'Tonight I'm a rock 'n' roll star.'
At that time, I was confident. How could I fail to make a hit song when I was stealing inspiration from the greats of my past life? However, I never expected the scale of things to grow this massive.
I lean into the microphone, shouting the very lyrics I just thought of.
Three idiots whose futures looked pitch-black gathered to form an unknown band called Enfants Terribles. We charged into [ASAYAN] with that raw ambition, won, and rose to become Japan's first and greatest global band.
Back then, I feared nothing and could enjoy life without any shackles. Honestly, there are many times when I think I lived a life more like a 'rock star' back then than I do now.
I gained everything, but I lost everything. That has been my life since becoming a star.
"I'm a bit disappointed! Is this the loudest you can scream?!"
At [Knebworth House], where 250,000 people have gathered, I put on the mask of the ideal 'rock star' I've always imagined and head over to Shuji, banging my head.
'Regardless of the artist's personal life, the fans in the crowd should be excited and having fun. That is the duty of a rock star.'
The thrust stage Shuji created was shaped like a ship's helm. Even in my past life, I hadn't seen a band create something like this.
In the first place, a standard band probably wouldn't have felt the need for such a thing. But Shuji, unlike before when he focused solely on the music, now actively utilizes every element of the concert.
It seemed like Shuji wanted to transcend the limitations of the 'band' concept I had introduced to this world.
'This guy will do just fine, even without me.'
After looking at Shuji for a moment, I reach out toward the audience, high-fiving the fans before heading toward Yokishi.
Originally, the drums are the position that works the hardest yet stands out the least. That's why we intentionally placed Yokishi's setup at the deepest part of the standing area.
Though he was often overshadowed by me—who doubled as guitarist and vocalist—and the naturally flashy Shuji, no one played a more vital role in the band than Yokishi.
The reason Enfants Terribles could maintain such a close-knit bond was largely thanks to him.
Unlike the somewhat self-centered Shuji, Yokishi was sensitive to the emotions of others. He was the kind of person who considered me family in just a few short years.
Even when I was out of it on drugs, Yokishi was the one who consistently visited to feed me protein shakes and supplements.
'A guy with a tender heart, despite those visible muscles.'
While I am lost in those thoughts, Yokishi is pounding the drums, his muscles fully on display. While singing, I look at the drums Yokishi is playing and we lock eyes.
Yokishi smiles.
Seeing that smile, I smile back.
In response, Yokishi's hands lift higher than usual as he begins to produce a more powerful sound. As he drums, his massive trapezius muscles roll and his shoulders shrug with the rhythm, and the crowd begins to roar in response.
Now that Ai has left my side, Yokishi is the only family I have made since coming to this world.
"Now that you've heard the ambition of our rookie days, shouldn't you hear a story from when we've become a bit more mature?"
Our setlists are created after deciding on a central concept. And the concept for [Knebworth House] was 'The Grand Summation.'
Sakamoto signals by playing a synthesizer piano tone. It is the signal that I need to pick up my guitar—though it is an acoustic one this time. As I take up the instrument, the audience signals their readiness for us to start.
"Karma Police."
'Karma Police' is a song containing political messages and social criticism. Specifically, it is a critique of a corporate society that functions like a giant gear, where the individual is not permitted to exist.
It's a contradictory song for someone like me to sing—someone trapped in a giant gear and unable to escape—but regardless, it was considered the masterpiece of our second album.
The upright piano and acoustic guitar begin to spread the lyrical melody of 'Karma Police.'
Even if we are trapped in a giant gear, letting out groans of pain, the gear does not break. In a way, 'Karma Police' is a song that mirrors my own situation.
The narrator of 'Karma Police' takes on the role of a 'thought policeman' who prevents party members from thinking contrary to the party. Though they initially rebel against the massive gear, after struggling to survive, they eventually assimilate into the organization themselves. The narrator is a tragic figure.
In the end, I have become that 'half-baked star, a bundle of contradictions' that I hated so much.
This is your karma.
The karma for getting entangled with us.
There was a feeling Oasis, the band I loved in my past life, felt when they performed at [Knebworth House].
'But it felt more like an end than a beginning.'
Only now can I understand the sentiment of Oasis in my past life when they reached their peak and let everything explode at Knebworth.
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.
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"Holy shit! This is what Rock is!"
Thom Yorke, who had rushed to [Knebworth House] with a friend, is waving his penlight and joining the sing-along for 'Karma Police.'
Enfants Terribles, often called the symbol of the people, were paradoxically always mysterious figures to their fans. It was because on stage, they shone more brilliantly and perfectly than anyone else.
And the stage, utilizing the thrust platform, did more than just physically close the distance with the audience; it showed a different side of Enfants Terribles.
At Knebworth, the fans could vividly feel the presence of the other members, who had previously been somewhat obscured by the overwhelming presence of the vocalist, Hide.
"Look at Shuji's snake dance! He's the best in the world at being ridiculous! I love it!"
"Yokishi... his muscles are insane... wow... why isn't he a bodybuilder?"
"Mr. Sakamoto waved at me!! Gasp!! He looks even better in person!!"
Through the thrust stage, the audience could choose exactly what they wanted to see. Being able to pick and choose whose movements and actions to focus on during each song was nothing short of innovative for the fans.
In a band, the guitarist and vocalist usually hog the spotlight. As proof, isn't the vocalist usually the one who takes the title of 'frontman,' the face of the band?
However, the new form of the thrust stage gave the fans a fresh shock by showing them the members in a way they hadn't seen before.
They even made eye contact and joked around with fans when it wasn't their specific part. Right now, Yokishi is even throwing flirtatious looks at female fans.
'Wait? Isn't this spreading Hide's presence too thin?'
While he should have been happy as a fan of Enfants Terribles, Thom Yorke couldn't purely enjoy the situation. It was rare for a band's frontman to distribute the focus directed at himself to the other members.
'Why... why does this feel like a succession ceremony?'
Such a strange thought crossed his mind, but since this was [Knebworth House] and he had paid a lot of money to be here, Thom Yorke soon cleared the stray thoughts from his head to focus on the stage.
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