8. Otaru's Debut
Eric and the gang was in the backstage. Otaru was there.
"Hey Eric, I saw what you did. It's great! Totally changed my outlook."
"Thank you. Otaru, I heard the next one performing will be you."
"Yes... Eric, remember last time I asked you that I need you to back me up since I have no band to play with?"
"Sure, my friend... we are ready." said Eric, Ginger and Jack nodded their head.
"So what song do you want to play?" asked Eric.
"Hmm... as we never played before, we will do an old blues number, "Killing Floor". But I want to play in your uptempo style." said Otaru.
"No problem."
--
"Last but not least, It's Otaru, a new comer to our school, and he has a great band to play with him, let's welcome back on stage, the Cream of Chicken!" the announcer said.
The crowd applaused.
"It's Otaru's turn!" said Bloodberry.
"Yes it is!" said Akashi.
"I want to see how good he is!" said Bloodberry.
The band was on the stage. Otaru took out his guitar, it's a Fender Stratocaster. Otaru tested the guitar, and Eric could hear that his guitar had lots of distortion.
They were ready.
"Let's give a big hand to the cool cat from New Texas, Otaru." said Eric to the microphone.
The crowd gave a louder applause.
"This song is "Killing Floor"." said Otaru.
Then Otaru began to play some chords, he was playing those chords very quickly, and it created a feel that was similar to the earlier performance of the Cream of Chicken, but there was more "fire" in it.
Eric was playing rhythm on behind and watching. He notice that Otaru was better than he expected. He certainly could play! And he archieved that style very well.
Very soon, he pushed it higher and higher, and he was making some body movements. When he did the vibrato, which is wide and well controlled, his pick hand was holding up high.
"This is really good." said Bloodberry. "Look at him! The feel of his playing is great!"
Eric saw every movement of him. And his expression. Eric knew that Otaru was very into his music when he played.
Compare to Otaru, Eric realized he was just standing there, almost not moving except his hands and arms, with emotionless expression looking at the guitar.
Then Otaru began to sing.
"I should have quit you
A long time ago.
I should have quit you baby
A long time ago
But you got me messin' round with you baby
You got me cryin' on a killin' floor, yeah..."
It was a standard blues song, with bluesy lyrics and rhythm, but the playing was more like rock and roll, with very high intensity.
After a while, Otaru began to play the solo. He shaked his head with an expression showed that he was very intense and he was moving his body.
"He... he plays the guitar as if it's part of his body!" thought Eric.
Then Otaru played a blistering solo, as blistering as Eric. And there was a very unique feel in his solo.
"Look at the way he used the tremolo bar, the feel he generates..." Eric thought.
Otaru moved his body even harder, with that intense expression. He was not just playing guitar, he was moving his body to make the feel went higher and higher. But while he was doing it, he still could produce the solo that sounded so good.
And then he did some hammer on, and then slowly the song came to an end.
Eric was totally stunned. He was very impressed.
He was thinking, "Otaru is no ordinary guitarist... he is good... or if he is... better than me."
The crowd replied with a thunderous applause. They were surprised that this new guy was so good.
"I love it!" said Bloodbery. "I love his playing!"
"Yes it's good!" said Cherry,
"It's quite good." said Lime, "But I like Eric's performance more. I like his melodies. Why didn't he play something when he was there?"
--
Eric, Otaru walked down the stage. Eric pretended to be calm. They were in the backstage.
"Otaru, you are very good." said Eric, looking down.
"Thanks, you are very good too." said Otaru. "Sorry guys, I have to go now. I have something to do this evening. I will see you all tomorrow."
"See ya." Ginger and Jack said. Eric only raised his hand to make a good bye sign, still looking down.
Otaru was gone. "Jeez... Otaru is really something isn't it?" said Ginger.
Eric got to a seat at backstage, sat down, then he covered his face with his hands.
"Awwww...." He was moaning in misery. Like his career was over.
Eric realized that this was no longer a game between only him and Faust. Here came Otaru.
"Hey Eric, what's the matter?" asked Ginger.
"Otaru... he... he is so good."
"Oh come on... yes he is good, but don't worry he is not as good as you. All he did was just some fancy tricks! We have the best guitarist."
"No... you don't understand." Eric thought they didn't see the finer details of Otaru's playing that he could see.
Eric was feeling really bad.
"Eric."
He heard a familiar female voice. He looked up, it was Lime.
"Hi Lime..." Eric looked at her and pretended he had nothing wrong.
"Eric you were wonderful on stage! Your playing was so melodic! It sounded really good! You are the best!"
"Really... Thank you so much Lime." Eric was pleased that Lime liked his playing.
"Eric," said Lime, "You are my hero."
Then Lime kissed Eric on his cheek.
Eric was thrilled!
"Eric I have something to do this evening and I have to go home now... see you." Lime turned around and went away quickly.
Eric was just sitting there, looking Lime getting away, not moving even one finger.
Ginger and Jack saw all that. "Jeez... look at Eric, see! Hahahaha..." Ginger and Jack was laughing.
But Eric didn't hear them. He was like turned into a stone.
A couple of minutes later, he woke up. It was like a dream, everything went in slow motion.
He felt so good. He forgot completely that just 3 minutes ago he was moaning in misery.
A smile appeared on Eric's face. He got up, took his guitar and quickly walked away.
"Hey Eric see you tomorrow." said Ginger. But Eric didn't hear him.
He walked through the park on his way to the gate. The sun was shining and the breeze was comfortable, birds were flying over. It's a great day! He felt great!
--
Go to Chapter 9, "Otaru's Engagement".
Eric and the gang was in the backstage. Otaru was there.
"Hey Eric, I saw what you did. It's great! Totally changed my outlook."
"Thank you. Otaru, I heard the next one performing will be you."
"Yes... Eric, remember last time I asked you that I need you to back me up since I have no band to play with?"
"Sure, my friend... we are ready." said Eric, Ginger and Jack nodded their head.
"So what song do you want to play?" asked Eric.
"Hmm... as we never played before, we will do an old blues number, "Killing Floor". But I want to play in your uptempo style." said Otaru.
"No problem."
--
"Last but not least, It's Otaru, a new comer to our school, and he has a great band to play with him, let's welcome back on stage, the Cream of Chicken!" the announcer said.
The crowd applaused.
"It's Otaru's turn!" said Bloodberry.
"Yes it is!" said Akashi.
"I want to see how good he is!" said Bloodberry.
The band was on the stage. Otaru took out his guitar, it's a Fender Stratocaster. Otaru tested the guitar, and Eric could hear that his guitar had lots of distortion.
They were ready.
"Let's give a big hand to the cool cat from New Texas, Otaru." said Eric to the microphone.
The crowd gave a louder applause.
"This song is "Killing Floor"." said Otaru.
Then Otaru began to play some chords, he was playing those chords very quickly, and it created a feel that was similar to the earlier performance of the Cream of Chicken, but there was more "fire" in it.
Eric was playing rhythm on behind and watching. He notice that Otaru was better than he expected. He certainly could play! And he archieved that style very well.
Very soon, he pushed it higher and higher, and he was making some body movements. When he did the vibrato, which is wide and well controlled, his pick hand was holding up high.
"This is really good." said Bloodberry. "Look at him! The feel of his playing is great!"
Eric saw every movement of him. And his expression. Eric knew that Otaru was very into his music when he played.
Compare to Otaru, Eric realized he was just standing there, almost not moving except his hands and arms, with emotionless expression looking at the guitar.
Then Otaru began to sing.
"I should have quit you
A long time ago.
I should have quit you baby
A long time ago
But you got me messin' round with you baby
You got me cryin' on a killin' floor, yeah..."
It was a standard blues song, with bluesy lyrics and rhythm, but the playing was more like rock and roll, with very high intensity.
After a while, Otaru began to play the solo. He shaked his head with an expression showed that he was very intense and he was moving his body.
"He... he plays the guitar as if it's part of his body!" thought Eric.
Then Otaru played a blistering solo, as blistering as Eric. And there was a very unique feel in his solo.
"Look at the way he used the tremolo bar, the feel he generates..." Eric thought.
Otaru moved his body even harder, with that intense expression. He was not just playing guitar, he was moving his body to make the feel went higher and higher. But while he was doing it, he still could produce the solo that sounded so good.
And then he did some hammer on, and then slowly the song came to an end.
Eric was totally stunned. He was very impressed.
He was thinking, "Otaru is no ordinary guitarist... he is good... or if he is... better than me."
The crowd replied with a thunderous applause. They were surprised that this new guy was so good.
"I love it!" said Bloodbery. "I love his playing!"
"Yes it's good!" said Cherry,
"It's quite good." said Lime, "But I like Eric's performance more. I like his melodies. Why didn't he play something when he was there?"
--
Eric, Otaru walked down the stage. Eric pretended to be calm. They were in the backstage.
"Otaru, you are very good." said Eric, looking down.
"Thanks, you are very good too." said Otaru. "Sorry guys, I have to go now. I have something to do this evening. I will see you all tomorrow."
"See ya." Ginger and Jack said. Eric only raised his hand to make a good bye sign, still looking down.
Otaru was gone. "Jeez... Otaru is really something isn't it?" said Ginger.
Eric got to a seat at backstage, sat down, then he covered his face with his hands.
"Awwww...." He was moaning in misery. Like his career was over.
Eric realized that this was no longer a game between only him and Faust. Here came Otaru.
"Hey Eric, what's the matter?" asked Ginger.
"Otaru... he... he is so good."
"Oh come on... yes he is good, but don't worry he is not as good as you. All he did was just some fancy tricks! We have the best guitarist."
"No... you don't understand." Eric thought they didn't see the finer details of Otaru's playing that he could see.
Eric was feeling really bad.
"Eric."
He heard a familiar female voice. He looked up, it was Lime.
"Hi Lime..." Eric looked at her and pretended he had nothing wrong.
"Eric you were wonderful on stage! Your playing was so melodic! It sounded really good! You are the best!"
"Really... Thank you so much Lime." Eric was pleased that Lime liked his playing.
"Eric," said Lime, "You are my hero."
Then Lime kissed Eric on his cheek.
Eric was thrilled!
"Eric I have something to do this evening and I have to go home now... see you." Lime turned around and went away quickly.
Eric was just sitting there, looking Lime getting away, not moving even one finger.
Ginger and Jack saw all that. "Jeez... look at Eric, see! Hahahaha..." Ginger and Jack was laughing.
But Eric didn't hear them. He was like turned into a stone.
A couple of minutes later, he woke up. It was like a dream, everything went in slow motion.
He felt so good. He forgot completely that just 3 minutes ago he was moaning in misery.
A smile appeared on Eric's face. He got up, took his guitar and quickly walked away.
"Hey Eric see you tomorrow." said Ginger. But Eric didn't hear him.
He walked through the park on his way to the gate. The sun was shining and the breeze was comfortable, birds were flying over. It's a great day! He felt great!
--
Go to Chapter 9, "Otaru's Engagement".