Greetings gentle viewers. This is it, this is the starting point. In this chapter Soul Society begins their tour with a first show. Annnnddd there may be some filler before that, but nevertheless this is still a big one. It's taken a long time to get this chapter ready due to a lot of decisions I had to make in this chapter but I'm proud of it and glad to finally get it out. Let's do it.
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Chapter 12: Starting the Tour
Tomorrow, Soul Society was going to begin their first major world tour. It had taken Gin, Naruto, and Espada a lot of planning before the tour and they finally made their decision on where the band would be heading now.
At this point, From Humble Beginnings, had sold so many copies and had been streamed on YouTube. Not to mention that critically, it received positive reviews from both the critics and listeners.
The band had done a lot of stuff as a way to promote their album through music videos and their Facebook account, but they didn't give full interviews, at least not yet.
For the tour itself, they were going to start at Tokyo International Forum. They would then play around Japan in Shibuya, Osaka, and Kanazawa. Next they would travel to Europe playing in London, Venice, and Berlin. Then to North America playing in Canada, and select states in the US. There would be a concert held in Sydney, Australia and the tour would finish off right back where they started in Tokyo. In between there was some time for breaks so they wouldn't be touring all the time.
It was going to be a lot of travel, something they weren't very confident on yet. They would end up missing a lot of school They're parents unfortunately would not be able to make it on the tour. Gin and Naruto had allowed them to travel, but they felt they couldn't keep up with the whole thing, so they refused, however they would be at the shows in Japan before they departed.
Equipment was also being prepared. Urahara supplied them with more musical instruments and equipment to play on the tour including several guitars, basses, keyboards, a drum set, and a grand piano. It did seem a little excess but Urahara wanted to make sure they were well stocked and not running on fumes with the equipment.
That whole thing was making them nervous. They felt that parental support was something that could hold them up and relieve all of the stress during those shows. Hopefully they'd be stil be able to keep in contact with them on Skype or the phone... hopefully.
Right now, there was one primary focus in mind for all of them.
Practice, get out, be confident, play and make the audience cheer.
So far they've done good, but this was going to be more than a Tiburon crowd, but maybe a little less than the Zanpakuto Festival.
Issei got a phone call from Rias earlier today. She wanted him to come over to her house and show him some things. It came as a huge shocker when Issei discovered that Rias was a guitarist considering he had seen her as a theater person in all the years he had known her.
It was idiosyncratic but in a sense it was a juxstaposition in many ways. Still he had only seen her play once, in the courtyard at school, maybe he'd get the chance to see her do it even more.
He walked outside to her house and saw her sitting on the front steps. She was dressed in jeans, a blue jacket, and converse sneakers.
It had started to get pretty chilly outside since it was the middle of November. Just imagine, they were going to possibly be touring for most of December. But luckily they would be able to take a break and go home for Christmas.
"Issei," she called out waving.
"Hi Rias," he called back walking up.
Rias lived in a very nice house in a suburban neighborhood. Her entire family was wealthy to say the least. A lot of her aunts, uncles, and cousins lived in really big mansions in the most expensive neighborhoods, but not her family. While they did have a good amount of money, Rias's parents did work and decided to live in a simple suburban house in a simple neighborhood.
Honestly Rias didn't like being seen as the rich girl because then she'd be labeled as a snobby, arrogant, spoiled brat and apparently her parents didn't want her to be either.
"So what is it you wanted to show me," Issei asked. He felt this would be her big surprise she had planned for him.
"Come inside," she motioned.
She took him inside her house and motioned him to a door in the kitchen. Possibly leading to the basement.
"Isn't that the door you always forbade me from going into when we were kids," Issei asked nonchalantly.
"Yes it is, and today you have special privilege to go down there," she playfully added before opening the door, "Mr. Hyoudou, would you have the honor?"
"Okay," Issei shrugged as he walked down the stairs. The lights in the room were off and he couldn't see anything, "Rias can you turn on the lights?"
"Sure," she called back.
The lights flickered on. Inside the room were three guitars on a stand: the Spanish acoustic, Rias' Gibson SG, and a steel string acoustic guitar. As well there was a laptop and a speaker.
"Is this like you're studio," Issei asked.
"Mm-hmm, I set it all up myself," she said as she picked up her SG and plugged it in, "the laptop pretty much holds all my effects as well as synthesizer sounds and the speaker amplifies them. Not to mention I can play synths without having to play keyboards, because I'm hopeless at piano."
Issei twitched slightly at that. He was fine with the fact that she gave up on piano, but it still felt very uncomfortable considering his fondness for the instrument. But maybe some people aren't meant to play certain things.
"Can you play me some stuff," Issei asked.
"Sure, I'll use a backing track I was working on," Rias said as she turned on the laptop and adjusted the volume, "ready?"
Issei nodded and with that she played. The backing track was made up of synth strings, bass and drums. At first the song started off with Rias playing a simple clean guitar with a chorus and reverb effect. The notes and chords sounded very serene and soothing.
Issei looked with interest. Basic melodic playing was something she could do very well as he had seen her do on that Spanish acoustic.
She stopped for a second and adjusted the laptop. In a split second, Rias added distortion and began to play. She started to shred really fast using some sweeping and tremolo picking in the solo.
Issei lost all knowledge of how to speak. Her playing was beyond anything the likes of anything that either he or Ichigo could do. She quite possibly was better than both of them combined.
She got each note with precision and it didn't sound off key, flat, or inaudible at all. Rias finished the solo by pushing the SG's Bigsby bar down as the feedback rolled out. She hit one last loud power chord before rolling the volume down.
"So what'd you think," she asked.
Issei only babbled incoherently like a toddler. He had no words.
"Issei, you alright," she asked. He didn't answer but just kept babbling. Rias sat there looking very weirded out by him.
"Ok I'm very sorry about, but I feel this may be the only way to help you out." Out of nowhere, she slapped him across the face as a way to snap him out of his delirious state.
"Thank you," he said rubbing the spot she hit.
"You're welcome, so what'd you think?"
"AMAZING," he shouted causing her to jump back, "seriously Rias, you're better than me and Ichigo combined, how did you do it?"
"It was hard," she explained, "I had to balance out work in the theater, school work, and this all at the same time but luckily two magical things existed to help me out with that, coffee and weekends."
"Oh that makes sense," he shrugged, "but being self taught from the age of four must've been hard to pull off."
"Well my dad paid for this online guitar course which I used for so long, and I kind of progressed through everything easily. Actually the one thing I can give credit to piano lessons for was music theory. That was the only essential thing I gained in those four weeks."
"I do remember you saying that," Issei said, "but where did you start from?"
"I started out classical, then moved on to jazz and blues, and when I was around eight I started listening to rock music and I started moving into that path, and it was a breeze. I'd practice for almost four hours a day."
"Four hours, that's amazing," Issei commented.
"I guess hard work pays off cause it's been twelve years since I started and I haven't felt a need to practice at all. I can just pick it up and go."
"You have any influence at all," Issei asked.
"I do, but I don't have a number one, because if I did then I'd alienate a lot of other great ones," Rias explained. Issei nodded at this, despite all the influence he had, he didn't have a major one at all, because there were so many he couldn't decide on a number one.
"So this was what you were planning for me," Issei then said.
"Huh?"
"That surprise, all along you wanted me to see how good you had gotten because of it," Issei said.
"No, that's not the surprise. I told you I'm not saying anything until it's finally ready and it still isn't," Rias said annoyingly.
"Awww, but it's so tempting," Issei whined.
"Come on, you've got your own priorities to worry about especially because tomorrow you're doing your first show," Rias pointed out.
"Are you coming to see?"
"I sure am, a couple friends of mine are coming to," she nodded, "I may not have been able to come to those venues, but I think I'll make it to this one, hopefully."
"That'll be great, if I can I'll give a shout out to you while I'm on stage," Issei perked. He then heard his phone going off like crazy in his pocket.
"Seems like you got a call," Rias pointed out.
Issei nodded as he pulled out his phone and saw Naruto's name on the caller ID.
"Aw crap," Issei mumbled. Why did their manager to call at a time like this. The tour wasn't even until tomorrow.
"What's up Naruto,"
"Issei, wherever you are you need to leave now," Naruto said on the phone, "we have an important meeting for something."
"Alright I'll be leaving," Issei hung up his phone, "sorry, I don't know what Naruto's got up his sleeve this time but I have to leave."
"It's fine, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the show then, good luck," Rias said
"Shouldn't you say break a leg," Issei smirked.
"In the theater yes, but not necessarily for a rock concert, anyway I'll see you tomorrow," she said before she gave Issei a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Uh thanks Rias, bye" Issei muttered as he walked out of the house. He suddenly felt really hot. Rias had never done something like that before and he never expected her to. Then again it was probably just an example of sibling like affection. Whatever, it wasn't such a big deal.
When he walked outside, he saw Naruto's Lamborgini was parked outside. The other guys were in there already and they waved when they saw him outside. Issei groaned and got in the car.
"Hey guys, okay Naruto where are we going," Issei asked.
"To the local TV station boys," Naruto quipped, "you're giving your first interview."
"Really," they all cried.
"Yeah, I figure you guys need to present yourself before the shows so we figure an interview is the best way to do it, and don't worry just answer everything he asks and be happy," Naruto explained, "besides if you guys can make hilarious stuff on Facebook then maybe this would work too."
"Oh great," Lelouch added sarcastically.
The TV station was located downtown in Karakura City. Upon arriving, several assistants took them backstage, making sure they were presentable and giving them the run-through of what to do and what to say.
"So all you have to do is just answer the questions, you can be humorous if you want but no inappropriate jokes, no rude comments, and especially no swearing," the assistant said to them very seriously, "am I clear?"
"Come on we're fifteen," Natsu added, "how bad can we possibly get."
"I'd say pretty bad Natsu, we swear a lot at this age," Simon added before the one assistant pulled him over to add some touch-ups
"Soul Society, you're on now," one assistant came into the room saying.
Getting up from their seats in the dressing room, they went behind the curtain leading to the stage where the TV show would take place. In front of the stage was the host, a man in his late 30's wearing a formal black suit.
"So today on the show, we got a group of five teenage boys who have made news recently as an up and coming rock n' roll group," the announcer said to the audience with a large smile spread across his face, "we've followed them for the past couple of months as they built up their fanbase and established themselves in the musical world with help from management under Espada Records.
He then held up a copy of the album before speaking again, "Currently they have released their first studio album, From Humble Beginnings, and are planning to go on tour starting tomorrow at the Tokyo International Forum, we have a great honor to interview them tonight. So without further ado, let us welcome, Soul Society!"
The TV audience applauded as Issei, Ichigo, Simon, Lelouch and Natsu took the stage waving to the audience before going up and each shaking the hand of the host before they each took a seat over by the host's desk. They waited until the audience quieted down.
"Okay, so I must say it's an honor to meet all you guys tonight," the host said.
"Oh it's great to be here," Lelouch quipped, "thanks for having us."
"So let me remember you're names Issei, Ichigo, Lelouch, Simon, and Natsu, is that correct?"
"Yes you are correct sir," Natsu said playfully causing the audience to laugh.
"So you guys have really gotten far and before this you were just a bunch of kids who played music for fun and were attending high school. How does it feel getting to this point? Is it very fun, is it kind of crazy, what's it like?"
"It's kind of a mix of both you know," Ichigo added, "I mean it's great going out there and playing for so many people, but it's hectic with having to balance out school work and being a teenager. But overall it's a very good time so none of us can complain."
"What do you think makes you guys so good at what you do, what's your secret to success?"
After the question was asked, they all whispered to each other. They suddenly got up from their seats and all started dancing in a goofy fashion.
"Cause we can dance," Simon added.
The audience and even the host laughed at their joke before they all sat back down to continue the interview.
"So let's get some background on all of you, like how you all got started in music and all," the host said, "and now I'm gonna start with Issei, where did you start?"
"Umm, I started with piano when I was six," Issei answered, "we have this grand piano in the house that was originally my grandmother's, on my mom's side, and nobody in the house played it so my parents persuaded me to take it up."
"That's very interesting, did you take lessons?"
"Yes I took lessons with my local church organist for about five years and it was very fun," Issei answered, "It wasn't like a major classical training though, he basically just taught me how to use both hands to play. And I can't read music all that well either."
"Well I suppose you never got bored with it because in the footage we saw previously of you guys when you did your gigs at Tiburon, you did play the piano frequently," the announcer added.
"Well a lot of people say that piano is boring, but as a piece of advice to anyone out there who wants to get started," Issei said looking at the audience, "you have to find a way to make it less tedious and that's what my teacher did."
"But you also are one of the two guitarists, so where did that come in?"
"When I was ten, I started taking up guitar because I wanted to play something new, but partially because Ichigo was doing it and I thought he was really good at it, which he is."
Ichigo laughed after Issei spoke and bent his back down as he was cracking up.
"It's been said you and Ichigo are sort of childhood friends right?"
"Uh not sort of," Ichigo corrected, "we are childhood friends." The two of them put their arms around each others shoulders and both smiled to the camera.
"Okay so I guess you're next Ichigo, what's your story," the host asked.
"A little different from Issei's because I started playing guitar when I was five. My dad played in a rock band back in the day. He's a doctor and physician now, but he also teaches guitar on the side and so I asked him to teach me. I was very much engrossed with it, and I still am. Dad if you're watching this I love you and thanks for teaching me," Ichigo waved to the camera.
"Okay now Lelouch, what happened with you?"
"I played piano as well when I was seven," Lelouch said, "but unlike Issei I didn't receive lessons. I would take this little radio and just make up my own version of songs on the piano, and my interest in keyboards and synthesizers came along because my dad had these old prog rock records which had a lot of synthesizers and keyboards in it. I figured I could do it since I had the finger strength to pull it off and I spent a lot of time studying how to use them."
"I must admit your use of synthesizers is really frequent and it's shocking that you never received formal instruction," the host added.
"A lot of people get very surprised when they hear me say that, but it's more of a technical knowledge you need to have," Lelouch said, "I honestly feel that Issei is a much better pianist than I am in terms of melody."
"But he's more skilled on keyboards than I am with the whole technical aspect," Issei said, "but quite possibly he may be a lot faster on piano than me. We'll have to see."
"Really," Lelouch asked.
"Yeah you could play some piano if you want to, go right ahead," Issei said as he pat Lelouch on the back.
"Okay next up, Simon."
"I was an acoustic guitarist as a kid," Simon explained, "I initially wanted to play electric guitar but through 'certain circumstances' I got into playing bass which I'm very glad about. But I was always bothered when people said that bass players were useless and just there because they weren't good enough on guitar."
"Which is a big lie, I'd seen this guy play acoustic guitar a bunch of times," Natsu jumped in.
"Yeah so after that I wanted to be one of those guys who could make the bass into more of a lead instrument. Make it so it wasn't just an instrument nobody gave a crap about anymore."
"I'd say he pretty much did that, didn't you," Ichigo joked going face to face with Simon with a smile.
"And now Natsu, you're the drummer, what got you into it," the announcer asked.
"Well surprisingly I didn't come from an entirely musical family," Natsu said causing the audience to wonder, "I know it's kind of shocking but my parents aren't musicians. We all like music they just don't play anything, but when I was around four or five I saw this guy playing drums on TV. He wasn't doing anything major but it still looked cool. Later I said to my dad that I wanted to play drums and he got me a kit."
"And you just drummed since then?"
"Well when I first got it, I tried to play it but I didn't know how," he chuckled remembering what happened, "I was like 'dad how do you play drums', and then I decided to start learning."
"And you became great right," the announcer asked. Natsu just shrugged. He wasn't going to be snobby about his playing style.
"So with your background, do you all have a big influence that sparked you all to play," the announcer asked, "let's go down the line and hear who all of yours were."
"I have a lot and I can't really decide on a number one because I'd alienate so many," Issei said.
"Okay that's good, Ichigo what about you?"
"Hendrix," Ichigo said very quickly with a smirk, "no question about it."
"Okay, Simon?"
"I really like John Entwistle from the Who," Simon said, "but that's everyone's favorite I guess."
"Lelouch?"
"Keith Emerson, I remember seeing that guy so many times in videos jumping on his Hammond organ and stabbing it with knives. Not to mention his playing was incredible and to also add, he never had formal training either, the only teachers he had were local old ladies. He's the best and I love him," Lelouch rambled on.
"And Natsu?"
"I personally like jazz and hard rock drummers, but in terms of a favorite it would probably be a cross between John Bonham, Keith Moon and Carl Palmer," Natsu explained, "they just had so much energy and charisma. However, as much as I love Keith's playing, I don't really enjoy him destroying his drum set. It just isn't cool to see."
"Oh so you're not the type for instrument destruction?"
"None of us are," Issei said, "why would you like to destroy a perfectly good instrument? It doesn't make any sense. I won't deny it, it's cool to look at but it's not something that I think any of us would do."
"That's very nice you're very dedicated to that," the announcer said with a smile, "so the next question I'd like to ask is when you guys started doing the gigs at Tiburon, did you really expect to get well known this fast?"
"No," they all said.
"I heard that getting to this point takes years, I'd figured we'd be in college by the time we got our deal," Lelouch said.
"Hey I was the one who said that," Natsu pointed out.
"Oh I'm sorry."
"It's kind of funny because earlier this year I was working on the fall musical in my school. We were doing How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and when we started getting big, I kept thinking to myself we pretty much did succeed without really trying," Issei joked.
"So how do you guys feel about, From Humble Beginnings, are you overly satisfied with the record?"
"I'd say we're overjoyed with it," Lelouch said, "it was great to work on, especially having help from Rukia Kuchiki. She's a friggin amazing producer."
"So the music was different than what you did at the Tiburon in that it's not as fun of a record as most people think and is very more serious. Also it crosses a line between progressive rock, alternative rock, and hard rock styles especially with the one track that runs longer than 20 minutes. Was that very much part of your plan?"
"We like a lot of different music," Simon said, "and it's boring to do only one genre so we decided to kind of mix it. Also we wanted to do things more outside of this happy fun music we did when performing at Tiburon and present ourselves more seriously."
"Also a lot of people are constantly calling us an alternative band, which is kind of true because we alternate, but I figure the real term should be something like umm... edge rock," Ichigo explained.
"Edge rock," the host asked confused. The others looked at him, also confused.
"Yeah because we're always on the edge of being a different genre, it's kind of cool when you think about it."
"Okay so tomorrow you guys are doing your first show, are you all excited?"
"Definitely, we've been looking forward to this for so long. To go across the world and play for hundreds of people," Issei said.
"The only thing we're not very confident on is jet-lag," Ichigo joked making the audience laugh.
"Ok so we're out of time now but it was great talking to you guys and do you all have anything else to say to the audience out there?"
They whispered in each other's ears on what to say before turning to the audience and saying...
"Rock on!"
They said this doing the signature devil horn hand gesture and sticking their tongues out. The audience all laughed in response to this.
Ok well thanks for being here and we hope you all have a great tour," the host said
"Thank you," they all said.
"Let's give it up for Soul Society," the host said as the audience applauded ending the broadcast.
Tokyo International Forum was packed the next night with so many fans coming to see them. It was not a crowd of thirty thousand as it was with the Zanpakuto Festival, but close to around seven hundred. The forum itself wasn't a huge concert hall but it was still considerably big.
As fans gathered into the hall, the band was backstage getting set up. Urahara was there making sure all the equipment was set and ready. He spent time restringing the guitars, programming the keyboards, getting the amplifiers set up, everything.
Issei glanced beyond the stage and saw the large amount of people. He was without a doubt very nervous. This was Soul Society's major show. This wasn't Tiburon and it wasn't Zanpakuto. He just couldn't stop shaking with fear as he stood behind that curtain getting ready to take the stage.
"Issei, you okay," Ichigo asked.
"I don't think I can do this," he muttered.
"What, what are you talking about," Simon asked in disbelief.
"I'm really nervous, this isn't like anything we've done before and I'm afraid I'll mess up,
"Dude, it's a live show, you can mess up a little and nobody will care," Natsu tried to encourage.
"Besides, they just want a good show, just run around and raise hell like we always do" Lelouch tried to cheer him up.
"I don't know," Issei said still nervous.
"Hey Issei let me tell you," Urahara said standing there with Issei's PRS guitar in his hands, "the first time I did a show back when I was seventeen as Tensai, I was nervous as all hell."
"You Kisuke Urahara aka Tensai were nervous," Issei asked in disbelief, "you were the most theatrical guy I've ever seen in all of music. How could you have been nervous?"
"It's a learning experience, it's one of the steps in your music Jedi training," Urahara explained as he put his hand on Issei's shoulder, "and if you accomplish this show tonight with confidence, you accomplish the first step of being a Jedi knight."
"Please stop with the Star Wars references, I know The Force Awakens was great but you don't need to go on and on about it," Lelouch said in annoyance.
"Basically what I'm saying is, get out there and be happy, you'll make it," he said as he handed Issei his PRS.
"Okay, I'm ready," Issei said standing firm and upright.
Audiences sat in their chairs waiting for the show to start. Eventually all the lights in the place went dark and the place was pitch black.
"Ladies and gentleman, Soul Society"
They were all on stage, having gotten on when the lights darkened. Issei stood there with his pick clenched in his hands. He inhaled deeply and after he exhaled he began to play.
He played simple clean notes with a chorus effect on. He kept repeating the same notes over and over. As he did, the lights began to slowly lighten on him at first. Lelouch's keyboards began to play making simple background noise getting progressively louder.
When the sounds eventually reached a peak, everyone else began to play. Ichigo played distorted power chords next to Issei's clean notes. Issei eventually stopped playing the clean notes and then hit the distortion effect in his pedal board playing alongside Ichigo walking around the stage.
Lelouch: Lost in the sky, clouds roll by and I roll with them. Arrows fly, seas increase and then fall again.
This world is spinning around me, this whole world is spinning without me. Every day sends, future to past. Every breath leaves me one less to my last.
(keyboard riff)
Watch the sparrow fall, gives new meaning to it all. If not today nor yet tomorrow, then some other day. I'll take seven lives for one and then my only father's son As sure as I did ever love him. I am not afraid
This world is spinning around me. The whole world keeps, spinning around me. All life is future to past. Every breath leaves me one less to my last
(fast guitar riff)
Lelouch, Issei, Ichigo: Pull me under, pull me under, pull me under, I'm not afraid.
Lelouch: All that I feel is honor and spite. All I can do is set it right.
(music)
Lelouch: Dust fills my eyes. Clouds roll by and I roll with them. Centuries cry. Orders fly and then fall again.
This world is spinning inside me. The whole world is spinning inside me. Every day sends future to past. Every steps brings me closer to my last.
(fast guitar riff)
Lelouch, Issei, Ichigo: Pull me under, pull me under, pull me under, I'm not afraid.
Lelouch: Living my life, too much in the sun. Only until your will is done.
The lights grew darker as Issei's clean guitar played again with Lelouch's quiet keyboards. Lelouch kept the volume low and played slowly, progressively turning the volume up louder and louder, with the lights growing brighter simultaneously. When the keyboards finally got loud enough, the guitars did their solo. It was shared between Issei and Ichigo both making use of their wah pedals.
Lelouch, Issei, Ichigo: Pull me under, pull me under, pull me under, I'm not afraid.
Lelouch: Living my life, too much in the sun. Only until your will is done.
The song kept up with the instrumentals after the singing was finished. Eventually they slowed down until they were silence. As expected there was applause from the audience. They really loved it. Once they grew quiet, Issei took center stage, changing his guitar tuning to E flat.
The new song started with Lelouch playing a sampler that triggered electronic drum beats and synthesizer sounds. Next came the drums, bass, and the guitars played at the same time, both in E flat. As well another recorded sound was played repeatedly. It was Issei's voice singing "ooohhh" over and over again.
Issei: Shake down, 1979. Cool kids, never have the time. On a live wire right above the street, you and I, should meet.
June bug, skipping like a stone. With the headlights, pointed at the dawn. We were sure, we'd never see an end...to it all.
And I don't even care, to shake these zipper blues. And we don't know just where our bones will rest. To dust I guess. Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below.
Issei stood very still as he sang the vocal, his mouth very close to his microphone it was a wonder his breath wasn't being heard, while the other guys moved around more (except for Lelouch who was triggering the sampler). He really wanted to make sure that he was playing and singing it perfectly, feeling that running around would cause him to mess up.
Issei: Double cross the vacant and the bored. They're not sure, just what we have in store. Morphine city, slipping dues, down to see...
That don't even care, as restless as we are. We feel the pull, in the land of a thousand guilts. And poured cement, lamented and assured. To the lights and the towns below. Faster than the speed of sound. Faster than we thought we'd go, beneath the sound of hope.
Justine never knew the rules. Hung down with the freaks and ghouls. No apologies ever need be made. I know you better than you fake it. To see.
That we don't even care, to shake these zipper blues. And we don't know just where our bones will rest. To dust I guess. Forgotten and absorbed to the earth below.
The street heats the urgency of now. And you see there's no one around.
Lelouch kept up the sampler as Issei finished singing and backed away from the microphone. The audience gave another applause as Issei waved with a smile and went over to Urahara to switch out guitars for the next song.
It opened with the sound of the distorted synth lead keyboards followed by the loud guitars. Ichigo took center stage on lead vocals while Issei and Simon provided backup.
Ichigo, Issei, Simon: Your love is like bad medicine. Bad medicine is what I need, woah ho ho, shake it up, just like...bad medicine. There ain't no doctor that can cure my disease.
The keyboards played intertwined with drums. Right before the first verse started, Simon and Lelouch uttered one line into the same microphone.
Lelouch, Simon: Bad medicine
Ichigo: I ain't got a fever, got a permanent disease and it'll take more than a doctor to prescribe a remedy. I got lot's of money but it isn't what I need. Gonna take more than a shot to get this poison out of me. And I got all the symptoms, count them 1 2 3. First you need
Issei, Simon: That's what you get for falling in love
Ichigo: Then you bleed
Issei, Simon: You get a little but it's never enough.
Ichigo: And when you're on your knees.
Issei, Simon: That's what you get for falling in love.
Ichigo: Now this boy's addicted cause your kiss is the drug. Woah ho ho.
Ichigo, Issei, Simon: Your love is like bad medicine, bad medicine is what I need. Woah ho ho, shake it up just like bad medicine.
Ichigo: There ain't no doctor that can cure my disease
Baaaad Baaaddd
Issei Simon: Medicine
Ichigo: I don't need no needle to be giving me a thrill and I don't need no anesthesia or a nurse to bring a pill. I got a dirty down addiction that doesn't leave a track, I got jones for your affection like a monkey on my back. There ain't no paramedic gonna save this heart attack. What you need.
Issei, Simon: That's what you get for falling in love
Ichigo: Then you bleed.
Issei, Simon: You get a little but it's never enough.
Ichigo: And when you're on your knees.
Issei, Simon: That's what you get for falling in love.
Ichigo: Now this boy's addicted cause your kiss is the drug. Woah ho ho
Ichigo, Issei, Simon: Your love is like bad medicine. Bad medicine is what I need. Woah ho ho, shake it up, just like bad medicine.
Ichigo: So let's play doctor, baby cure my disease.
Baaadd Baaadd
Issei, Simon: Medicine.
Ichigo: Is what I want.
Baaaddd Baaadd
Issei, Simon: Medicine.
Ichigo: Oh is what I need.
Next came Ichigo's guitar solo. He made heavy use of the whammy bar as usual, all the while looking at the audience with a smirk as he pulled it off.
Ichigo: I need a respirator cause I'm running out of breath. For your all night generator wrapped in stockings and a dress. When you find your medicine you take what you can get.
CAUSE IF THERE'S SOMETHING BETTER BABY, WELL THEY HAVEN'T FOUND IT YET
Ichigo, Issei, Simon: Your love is like bad medicine. Bad medicine is what I need. Woah ho ho, shake it up just like, bad medicine.
Ichigo: There ain't no doctor that can cure my disease.
Ichigo, Issei, Simon: Your love. Bad medicine. Bad medicine is what I need. Woah ho ho, shake it up just like bad medicine.
Ichigo: Your love's the potion that can cure my disease.
Baaaddd Baaaddd
Issei, Simon: Medicine
Ichigo: Is what I want.
Baaaddd Baaaddd
Issei, Simon: Medicine.
Natsu pounded on his drums as fast as he could creating a buildup.
"We're gonna do it one more time and I want you all to sing it with us when I lift my hand," Ichigo announced to the audience, "you all ready. Now."
Audience: Your love is like bad medicine. Bad medicine is what I need. Woah ho ho, shake it up just like bad medicine. There ain't no doctor that can cure my disease.
The band finished off with playing that built up until the final chord was hit. More applause was heard as Ichigo took his guitar off and lifted it above his head giving the audience a large smile in response before walking back to Urahara to switch out.
"Hey Issei, I think I may have ran out of breath during that last song," Simon said into his microphone. He was going to add some humor to the audience to lead into something.
"Oh so you can't do the next song," Issei asked playing along with his joke.
"No I can, I just need a minute to catch my breath. Still I think the audience needs a little excitement here. What should we do?"
"How about Natsu gives them something," Lelouch said.
"Nice idea Lelouch," Issei said giving him a fist pound, "here's a little improvised track we all did together led by our good friend, Natsu Dragneel on the drums."
The song began with Issei and Simon playing back to back with Natsu right behind them. Before long they stopped and Natsu took up most of the time with his drum solo. He was incredibly fast this time as he kept up his practicing long after the album was made. All the while he kept this calm look on his face as he pulled it off. He did everything right down to the taps on the cowbell he hooked up to his set. He finished it off with help from Issei and Simon backing him up.
"So Simon is your voice feeling better," Ichigo said as he got back from his quick break.
"I don't know, guess we'll find out right now," Simon replied as he gave a signal to both Ichigo and Issei.
Issei and Ichigo played a simple set of notes together. It sounded very jazzy in comparison. When the other instruments starting to come in, beginning with Lelouch's organ preset they kept rolling up the volume knobs until they were at full gain. They still kept up the same series of notes as before, but with high gain this time. It went back to clean when the vocals came in.
Simon: The mist is slowly lifting. The sound of life misplaced your mind. You're sitting spellbound thru out time. I hope that you remember what you find. Singing more of a lifetime.
(intro repeat)
Simon: You put it down all, that I'm thinking. But take a long and distant search. When all is right, you take for granted. You can't look down, but you're no worse. Singing more of a lifetime.
The song entered in this new chorus where time time signature changed. It was then dominated by Ichigo and Issei as they switched off guitar playing. Issei couldn't help but notice but he was starting to play a lot faster than he originally intended. Ichigo took notice of it too, but he felt very glad to see his friend's playing had gotten better. The time signature went back to the portion where Simon was singing.
Simon: The countless visions that are drifting. The silver dreams you hate to lose. There's no harm. We've all been waiting. Well keep your faith. Do what you choose.
Singin' more of a lifetime
The time signature switched again and Issei and Ichigo began soloing again, even faster than before. They stood next to each other as they swapped back and forth between solos. Eventually they got back to the original opening riff and played it a couple more times before finishing the song.
The audience applauded for Soul Society once the song finished. They kept applauding again and again as they kept playing longer into the night until they were all done. Even after they finished and stayed to sign autographs for the fans, they still were incredibly overjoyed they had finished their first real concert without a hitch. It was time to take on the world now.
Wow I'm surprised, over 7,000 words. New record set, but will possibly be beaten very soon. I'm really sorry for the long update guys but I got serious writers block while doing this in deciding what songs to use and what to write in this. On top of that I'm getting ready to move away to college soon and I'm under a lot of pressure with preparation and dealing with moving away, but I'm feeling a lot better now and I don't intend to stop writing. As well I went back to older chapters and made some edits to fit in with newer ideas I decided to add in with the future chapters I decided on. I thank everyone for the support and the other members of the community who had given favorites to this story as it's keeping me going. I'm not gonna stop here and I'll keep going. Thank you all.
All rights to the songs above belong to Dream Theater, Smashing Pumpkins, Journey, Bon Jovi, and Led Zeppelin.
