(James Blaze POV)
My concert's about to kick off in a few days. I'm fucking excited. It'll be my first time having a real concert.
I've been losing sleep thinking about it - practicing the songs with the band non-stop.
The guys are just as pumped as I am about this gig.
Vio, this imp demon who's our drummer, is particularly stoked about the concert.
During practice, Vio got a little too enthusiastic with the drums, making some slight mistakes.
"Hey, the tempo isn't right. Let's try that again," Jason, our bassist, called out to Vio.
"Sorry, sorry. I got a little excited," Vio said, scratching the back of his head apologetically.
Lucio, our rhythm guitarist, chimed in, "We get how you feel, Vio. We're all psyched to be in James' concert, but we can't keep messing up!"
Vio kept apologizing with that shy smile of his.
"It's not just my concert, guys," I cut in, hearing Lucio say 'James' concert'. I flashed a devilish grin, "It's our concert!"
Vio and the others looked surprised, then smiled genuinely. "You're right," they agreed, nodding.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with Vio's performance - I think we should be more like him," I suddenly said, confusing everyone.
I clarified, "It's not that Vio's out of tempo - I think we're just not matching his tempo."
They still looked confused, including Vio.
So I laid it out, "I think we should match his energy. We should perform like him! Excited and full of energy! After all, as boss Arthur said, we're introducing 'Grunge'. It's supposed to be a style that's just about being true to ourselves."
I could see understanding dawning on their faces.
"When we perform and face the crowd - we'll just be ourselves. Lose ourselves. No need to be so careful - I think it'll limit what we can potentially do," I said, grabbing my guitar again. "Let's do it again. Just don't worry about that bullshit tempo! We just let ourselves out!"
Vio, Jason, and Lucio exchanged glances, then with a smile, began playing their hearts out.
As the raw, unpolished sound filled the room, I felt a rush of excitement. This was it. This was the sound of grunge, the sound of rebellion, the sound of us. Boss Arthur was right - this was going to change everything.
***
A few days later - it was finally time for my concert.
The public park looked nothing like its usual self. A massive stage dominated the area, with a huge space in front for the crowd. Big speakers flanked the setup. It was surreal.
Excitement crawled from my feet to my head. I could see curious onlookers already bustling just outside the 'concert venue'.
Even people without tickets would be able to catch my performance. I didn't mind, but I wondered where boss Arthur got this kind of concert setup.
An hour later, I peeked out from backstage. The ticketed area was filling up fast. The place erupted in noise as the big speakers kicked in. For some reason, this setup felt right.
"James! James!"
"Blaze! Blaze!"
I stood up, looking at my band as the crowd started chanting my name.
Vio, Jason, and Lucio grinned at me, pushing me towards the stage.
What greeted us was a fucking sea of people.
My blood ran hot at the sight of the crowd below, their hands waving at us.
Gripping the mic stand, instead of spewing any bullshit, I shouted back, "Yeah!!!"
The crowd roared in response.
"Woo!"
I grinned wider. "I can't hear you!"
"WOO!!!"
Without waiting for the band's cue, I strummed my guitar and started playing.
The crowd went wild.
Vio, Jason, and Lucio didn't need any signal. They just matched my energy, falling into sync with my playing.
I didn't even tell the band which song we'd play, but I knew they'd pick up on it from the opening melody alone.
As the music filled the air and the crowd's energy surged, I felt alive in a way I never had before. This was it. This was what we'd been working towards.
"Load up on guns, bring your friends
It's fun to lose and to pretend," I began, the band perfectly matching my energy.
"She's over-bored and self-assured
Oh no, I know a dirty word."
As we played, I launched into, "Hello, hello, hello, how low."
To my surprise, the crowd sang the follow-up, matching my performance, "Hello, hello, hello, how low."
A chill ran down my spine. I exchanged glances with my bandmates, all of us equally thrilled by what we were seeing and hearing.
The crowd kept going as I sang, "Hello, hello, hello, how low."
***
(3rd Person POV)
Just outside the "concert venue," onlookers watched James' concert from a distance with curiosity. From the moment James stepped onto the stage, they were skeptical about how an outdoor concert would turn out, but what followed was completely unexpected.
James didn't spew any clichéd lines about "thanking the fans for showing up" like other artists might. He just exclaimed with a "yeah!" and even demanded the crowd cheer more.
Then, without warning, he launched into his performance.
It was refreshing to see something so spontaneous.
At first, some onlookers doubted if the band behind James could keep up, but they seemed to handle themselves well, matching James' energy perfectly.
When James began to sing and perform with unbridled energy, even the onlookers found themselves affected by his raw presence. His performance was unpolished, energetic, without any of the pretense they'd seen from other artists before.
A collective chill ran through the crowd when they witnessed the audience singing along with James. It was clear that something incredible was happening – a connection between artist and audience that transcended the usual performer-spectator dynamic.
Even those who had been skeptical at first found themselves drawn in by the raw authenticity of James' performance.
For those in the eye of the storm, right in front of the stage, the experience was fucking incredible.
As James Blaze fans, they got chills singing along with him. It felt surreal.
They were shocked that so many had memorized James' lyrics, especially since he was just an up-and-coming artist who'd emerged a few weeks ago. Yet here he was, already bringing so much to the table.
Many had been skeptical about this outdoor concert, even feeling disappointed, thinking James couldn't afford to rent a theatre. But now? They were living their lives to the fullest.
Despite being outdoors with onlookers in the distance, they let loose. James and his bandmates' performance affected them deeply.
It was as if they were feeling the thrill of life for the first time.
As if they were finally rebelling against the cruel world. They were rebelling!
Expressing it all through the music!
When James ended the song with, "A mulatto, an albino. A mosquito, my libido. A denial," the fans went wild.
James smiled devilishly. "Yes! Just let it out!"
"Woo!"
"Fuck!"
"This concert is fucking amazing!"
The crowd didn't give a shit anymore. For once in their lives, they were being honest.
James grinned, making a hand gesture with his fingers spread and his thumb tucked in, copying his boss Arthur. He shouted, "Yes! Fuck this hypocrite world! We are not puppets! We are living, breathing people!"
"WOOO!!!"
"James! James!"
The air crackled with energy. This wasn't just a concert anymore - it was a fucking revolution. The music, the crowd, James' raw energy - it all came together in a perfect storm of rebellion and authenticity.
For many in the crowd, this moment would be etched in their memories forever. The day they stopped pretending, the day they embraced their true selves, the day James Blaze showed them it was okay to be real, to be angry, to be alive.
As the next song started, the crowd knew: nothing would ever be the same again.
***
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(Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana)