Respawn Entertainment: Days of Glory

Chapter 959 Return to Hong Kong
The sonata of strings and piano, coupled with Rolin's bright voice, prompted Steiger, far away in Berlin, to add another comment in his mind: "It has a bit of a classical feel to it." At the same time, he had already made up his mind to ask Bian Lang about this band after the performance.

"May your cold heart feel warmth... Your tears blur my vision... Oh baby..."

Although there is no trace of "rock" yet, music fans are already captivated by the atmosphere and want it to continue like this forever.

However, what's meant to happen will happen, and the rock and roll that's meant to happen will definitely happen.

Luo Lin's singing and accompaniment stopped abruptly, and after a pause, the three main rock instruments suddenly went off together without warning. Luo Lin slightly pressed down her vocal cords, creating a metallic sound with sparks, instantly igniting the music fans who were quietly enjoying the music.

"Beautiful home, once a paradise, tomorrow it will still be filled with flowers... Let's go together, this is our shared home... Holding your hand tightly, you are my eternal concern..."

If the first verse followed an "academic" approach, then this verse truly embodies the wild, unorthodox style of rock.

"I will be your safe haven with my heart..."

Waiting for the sunshine after the storm...

Your sorrow is my longing...

Oh baby, oh baby...Will be fine..."

The contrast between the two completely different feelings, especially the last line "Will be fine," directly opens the curtain on heavy metal.

The large screen, which had previously been without a main display, suddenly started playing a video of thunderstorms and storms at sea. The distorted electric guitar sound, accompanied by orchestral music, used a symphonic passage to vividly portray the tension and pressure of the storm at sea.

The stage ceiling, flashing in sync with the rhythm, resembled ship lights swaying and flickering with the waves in a storm, giving the impression that the ship might capsize at any moment. The brass concerto was like giant waves, the strings like a raging storm, the piano like a downpour, the drums like thunder, the guitar like lightning… and the bass, the bass, remained inaudible…

The stage, with its incredibly unified sound, light, and electrical effects, gave many music fans who were used to the raw, unpolished atmosphere of underground music festivals a sense of unreality.

"What are we going to do now that 'The Big Band' has gone to such lengths with its stage design, sound, light, and electricity, and has spoiled music fans' palates?" This was the thought in the minds of countless program planners present, especially those who wanted to follow suit and create band variety shows.

Moreover, this idea is by no means the first time it has come up.

Starting with the CG visuals of Exodus, although they had this feeling at the time, it was more driven by experience that they felt the production team of "The Big Band" was somewhat wasting resources by doing so.

For rock bands, there's no need for so many eye-catching embellishments on stage.

But they were all wrong. Perhaps their vision was too narrow. They were always focused on the tiny entertainment industry in South Korea and just fawned over them.

Back on Earth, anyone who has seen a Waterman and Pink Floyd super concert would agree that rock bands don't need such elaborate sound, light, electricity, and stage design.

Both are stage arts with music as their main element; it's really hard to say which is superior or inferior. After all, "Good Morning, Longhui" was able to be on the Spring Festival Gala, so how can you blame the audience for having low appreciation levels?
No! That's not the right way to look at it. It's because some disseminators have started to lower the aesthetic standards and thresholds.

Many passersby blindly followed the trend. A song that could become popular simply by being paired with a video of Mei Lanfang dancing, and then even made it to the Spring Festival Gala, makes this difficult to judge. Whether the creators were pandering to the audience, or whether the audience was being intentionally guided by the creators and disseminators, is a question that is hard to answer.

But no matter what, Bian Lang would never agree with it.

On the original Earth stage of "The Big Band," Hui Ge was completely covered up in a suit to hide his tattoos, and his movements seemed a bit stiff when the music got high during the interlude. But on the Water Blue Star stage, where there are fewer rules and regulations, when Luo Lin jumped up, the heavy metal momentum was like an overwhelming tidal wave, allowing music fans to feel the shock more directly.

Looking at Luo Lin, who had entered a rock-and-roll "madness" state, Liu Yao recalled the time when he had just started singing rock.

Back then, leather jackets and pants were fashionable, hair flips were a statement, and song lyrics had an uplifting power.

As the second-generation female rock singer of Huaxia on the planet Aquamarine, Liu Yao has moved from one glorious era to the beginning of the next. It's normal for her to think a little too much: "Harbor, harbor, only rock music can truly be the harbor for people like us!"

Although it felt a little awkward, she still took advantage of the interlude to say to Guo Sichu, "The Rolling Stones' tour in the US isn't finalized yet, is it? If we want to sing the opening act, is there a chance?"

If this were in China, she would definitely fight for a guest spot at No. 1 Anxiang Road, but she's actually quite unsure about going abroad.

The Rolling Stones' European tour, while not necessarily solidifying their international fanbase, has achieved unprecedented success. Whether it's attendance or the proportion of international fans, even top domestic artists couldn't match these numbers, let alone other rock bands.

This is why Rolling Stones has the confidence!
Guo Sichu initially thought she hadn't heard clearly, but after thinking about her long-standing friendship with Liu Yao, she figured Liu Yao wouldn't joke about something like this.

"Okay, let's talk about it downstairs, let's listen to the music first..." If she agreed to this, Bian Lang probably wouldn't say anything. But she also knew how coveted the opening act position at Rolling Stones was right now!
From a purely profit-driven perspective, even without Rolling Stones' own band, bringing DGM would be more advantageous than bringing No. 1 Anxiang Road. Therefore, she could only let Bian Lang make the decision.

Of course, if Bian Lang was giving her face because of their relationship, she would naturally be happy. If not, she wouldn't be unhappy.

Upon seeing this stage presentation, Zhu Wen felt a sense of powerlessness once again: "What can we, Magic Disc, possibly use to compete?"

Previously, he had only watched videos, and the experience was nowhere near as direct as being there in person. Plus, considering himself an expert and anticipating various post-production effects, he was skeptical of the reality of the event. But now, having witnessed the live performance, he felt the difference was practically negligible.

As the former flagship company of Chinese rock, he understood better than anyone else how difficult it would be to imitate and surpass "The Big Band." Just to name one, Bian Lang's ability to write songs for any band perfectly was something he probably couldn't find another like him.

Thinking of this, he cursed Li Yiliang in his mind again: "We're in the same band, how come you're so much worse than others? You're even thinking about going solo... You jerk..."

As for the decision that Pan Xiulong and Wei Lan made at the time, how could he vent his anger after everyone had passed away?
Just then, by sheer bad luck, he spotted Wenlong in the general music fan area… Just as the orchestral and rock symphony reached its climax, Luo Lin, leaning back and under the powerful accompaniment, began to sing: “On this planet, we… will no longer be alone…”

The final syllable of the word "lonely" was sung so high and long that those with perfect pitch in the audience kept shaking their heads and exclaiming, "G5's pronunciation is really killing me. How come he wasn't popular before?"

Whether it was a rock lead singer or a pop singer, almost everyone had the same thought after hearing this line.

Some with wilder imaginations even wondered: "Is Bian Lang some kind of person with great fortune from a cultivation novel? Not only did he emerge into this world, but he can also give back his rock and roll fortune to these rock musicians in China?"

In their minds, these things seemed to spring up like mushrooms after rain, appearing suddenly. But in reality, apart from Bian Lang, the transmigrator, the other bands and musicians who participated in "The Big Band" had all been in the industry for quite some time.

People like Luo Lin have never left rock and roll for over twenty years, but because his era passed too hastily, some of his ideas failed to spread widely.

Furthermore, with the rise of pop music, there has been a deliberate suppression of niche music, causing some of these artists to give up their passion.

Luo Lin is undoubtedly lucky to have been able to keep playing and to have encountered Bian Lang and The Big Band at this point in time.

Just like the original Earth-based show "The Big Band" rebooted rock music, without "The Big Band," some bands, even if they hadn't disbanded, wouldn't be where they are today. Like Hedgehog...

Zijian may still be struggling to switch between his roles as a programmer and a rock singer, and one day a bug might occur during that switch, and Hedgehog will be gone. Just like the Nezha band, they picked up their guitars, slit their throats, left behind an album for fans to reminisce about, and then truly disappeared.

Without "The Big Band," Bian Lang believes Joyside wouldn't have reunited, Wild Children probably wouldn't have taken on variety shows, and Qiang Qiang probably wouldn't have brought Muma back.

There wouldn't be any of those later things like Curry 3000, Mars Radio, Eight Immortals Restaurant, or Berlin Nurse...

Of course, even after Vaina disbanded, Banong continued to busk on the streets, which is also a very real situation. Just like their song "Big Dream," when the dream ends, reality must be faced.

Following the rhythm of the single drum, Luo Lin bent over and forced out the final chorus: "My chest is your harbor... so that your cold heart can feel warmth..."

Whether judging from the power of his voice or his expressiveness, this scene, which far surpasses those so-called top idols, will remain in the hearts of those present for a very long time: "Your sorrow, my longing, Oh baby, oh baby, Will be fine..."

Although he wasn't carrying a guitar, Rowling's performance was still absolutely explosive; every gesture exuded the aura of a rock star. He finished singing "Will be fine..." with veins bulging on his forehead.

The three harmonies, which had been barely noticeable throughout the performance, finally shone: "Na na... na na na, na na... na na... na na na, na na..."

Accompanied by rock and orchestral music, and bathed in a glow that had shifted from a deep blue to orange-red, everyone felt a heartwarming power beneath the magnificent harmonies. It was as if, as previously imagined, the lone sailboat at sea had finally returned to its own harbor.

At this moment, Captain Rowling and all the crew members were waving to their relatives and friends who were waiting for their return on the shore.

This warm feeling spread from the stage to the audience. After Liu Yao stood up and gave a metallic salute, swinging his arms in rhythm, the others followed suit one after another.

Most of them had already gotten the rhythm right and even started singing along: "Na na... na na na, na na..."

Luo Lin, who was on stage, was also greatly shocked. Even though he had rehearsed the song countless times before, he never expected that it would be performed in such a shocking way on a real stage.

Nearly a thousand people waved and sang together at the scene.

This is the first band besides Rolling Stones' opening act and Hedgehog from The Edge of Waves to receive this honor!

Overjoyed, Luo Lin seamlessly transitioned into the last line of lyrics, "Oh baby don't cry...", relying solely on her musicality.

Then he continued to lead everyone in singing together: "Na na... na na na, na na..."

In the final few bars, all the musicians on stage stopped playing, and led by the three harmonies and Rolin, they played the last section using only their voices as instruments...

In their excitement, Dili and Dayong stood up, one holding up a guitar and the other holding drumsticks with his hands crossed!

Bathed in the floodlights, the musicians on stage resembled sailors returning home with a full catch, as if announcing to their loved ones that they had come back safely, and also proclaiming to the world: "We are ordinary, but not mediocre!"

Whether your hands are used for manual labor like a sailor or for playing musical instruments on stage like today, you are adding a unique touch to the world.

Da Yong, Di Li, and Hua Yan had another thought in their minds at that moment: to say to Bian Lang, who was far away overseas, "We can do it! We're waiting for you to come back to Hong Kong!"

When Bian Lang saw this unexpected ending, his overwhelming emotions were beyond words.

How to put it? It's a sense of relief that I can finally let go with peace of mind. And there's also the joy that these works are still recognized across two worlds.

About half a minute after Steiger finished, he came to his senses, took out his phone, found a translation app, and said, "Wave, how many bands like this do you have left?"

Bian Lang took the phone, glanced at the translated message, thought about it carefully, and replied, "There should be more and more!"

(End of this chapter)