Respawn Entertainment: Days of Glory

Chapter 961 Who is whose who?
Because at this moment, Xia Yuxi no longer resembled the idol singer he once was. From his singing and expressions, one could sense the genuine joy and enjoyment he felt from the music and performance. It wasn't the kind of emotion he feigned to generate buzz or exploit fans for fame.

The reason for this rapid change, in Xia Yuxi's own words, is that she used to not have a good night's sleep in a week. Except when she was in her private space, she had to be on high alert at all times and maintain an absolute work-ready state.

The persona, emotions, smiles, and other formulaic elements are all indispensable. If anything goes wrong, the team feels like the sky is falling, and all sorts of public relations and whitewashing efforts follow. Sometimes, however, the fans' excessive actions can backfire.

It feels like every public relations effort leaves him completely exhausted. But the company and the capital behind him, in order to maximize the value of his popularity, keep him busy with events, fan meetings, variety shows, and concerts, leaving him with almost no time to rest throughout the year.

Now, his attention is entirely focused on rehearsals and music; events, meet-and-greets, and autograph sessions are long gone. Before, he would never have casually sat on the back of a small electric scooter, eating at street stalls in the alleys around the LAB, but now he feels no pressure at all.

At first, some of his die-hard fans would recognize him and scream as they rushed up to ask for autographs and photos. Later, as he frequently updated his Weibo with glimpses of his life in Kunming, the fans, having lost their initial allure, gradually grew distant. During that time, he also felt a sense of loss.

But after he got used to it, he realized that this was what life as a musician should be like.

Now, aside from rehearsals, he occasionally hangs out at the LAB studio. Once he relaxes, his whole demeanor naturally changes. To be honest, he wasn't fully prepared for this last-minute appointment, since in his imagination and Bian Lang's plans, this should have happened after the recording of "The Big Band" was finished.

During one of his live performances, Bian Lang handed the Hedgehog logo to Xia Yuxi after winning the championship, completing the handover between the old and new generations. With this process, Xia Yuxi felt that at least the handover was legitimate, and the fans would be more accepting of him.

But things don't always go as planned. He was forced into this role and took over as the lead singer of the Hedgehog band in the last two episodes of "The Big Band".

Before he even went on stage yesterday, he really felt like he was going to his death. He was thinking that even if he was criticized and attacked, he couldn't let Hedgehog's image in the hearts of his fans be damaged.

Fortunately, the fans didn't show him any ill will before his performance, and after his performance truly lived up to the expectations of the stage, they were generous with their applause and praise. This gave him peace of mind...

Moreover, gaining recognition from music fans on his own merits without Bian Lang's endorsement is a very rewarding achievement. Compared to the previous experience of gaining hundreds of thousands of followers on Weibo through company promotion and hype, the sense of accomplishment he feels from attracting a few hundred rock fans at a live performance is on a completely different level.

So he came on stage today with the mindset of giving a farewell performance, for his final show. Before he went on stage, Dingding laughed at him for saying that, but after hearing his opening remarks, Dingding thought, "This guy, he's really something this time!"

"The sun shines brightly, the moon sets with the tides, a summer love song, every line of the song is about you..."

After singing this line, Xia Yuxi pointed to the fans below the stage. The fans, combining the lyrics, began to imagine that this was a song written for them!
If Xia Yuxi's performance doesn't seem sincere enough, then think about Bian Lang, the songwriter, and the feeling becomes even more real. In the hearts of music fans, Bian Lang is someone who is so good that there's no room for criticism.

Even the most obsessive music fans, when faced with Bian Lang, despite their complaints, are absolutely convinced in their hearts! Don't be fooled by those who keep urging him to release new songs, saying they'll do this or that to Bian Lang; they know perfectly well what's going on. For music fans to encounter Bian Lang releasing new songs at this rate while they're still alive is truly a stroke of luck.

After the interlude, Xia Yuxi continued singing:

"The night was filled with a continuous drizzle, and the moon was like a phantom."
Looking at the profusion of flowers, I contemplate the vision for tomorrow.

Love and concern, hoping for life like a love song.

In the lonely night, songs rise from all directions…

As soon as Xia Yuxi finished singing, Dingding, who had just finished a drum performance, started singing: "Na na..."

In this section, Dingding sang with the same feeling as Shi Lu without any explanation from Bian Lang. How to put it? It was a kind of power completely different from that of typical female rock musicians.

Perhaps, as Shi Lu said, girls tend to have more unconventional and agile ways of playing drums compared to boys. But the biggest challenge for female drummers is physical strength. You have to be able to handle it. For example, during a tour, you have to take a high-speed train and transport your luggage yourself. Boys will help you, but you mainly have to rely on yourself.

For example, after a performance on Friday, you can only get some sleep before heading to the next city early the next morning. In situations like this, can you persevere and still maintain a high level of emotional expression on stage?

Shi Lu persevered, and that's how she became China's number one female drummer...

According to Shi Lu's recollection, when she first met Zhao Zijian, he was wearing a yellow shirt that made him look even darker. Shi Lu herself was wearing a floral print t-shirt that had been with her for many years, which she now found rather unfashionable. She had seen Zijian's photo before and felt he looked familiar, sensing that something was bound to happen between them.

That time, when I mentioned going to rehearse with them, Zijian said he would come pick up Shilu, which really won me over. During the rehearsal, Shilu played the drums a few times. Zijian said, "As soon as I heard you playing the drums, I knew it was the sound I wanted." Then everyone started talking seriously about how to perform and how to rehearse.

Zhao Zijian used to have a band called "Out of Control," and their song titles were things like "Living Under the Outhouse," "Neutral Man," and "Drunk," which were really ruthless. The songs were also the kind of underground, frenetic kind that could be buried alive. The work was pretty good, but very few people would accept it. If he continues to stick to that style, Shi Lu really can't work with him anymore; he's too cynical.

Zijian's brilliance lies in the fact that he seems to have changed without much effort, and he knows how to make everyone more comfortable with each other.

Those were beautiful times; the two were in a hazy, ambiguous relationship. Zijian knew what Shilu might prefer. For example, Zijian liked Nirvana and Joy Division—more rock and more direct music. But Shilu liked Blur and New Order—more melodic.

Then Zijian started the integration process without consulting or informing us beforehand. Only when the results were presented did we realize that he had put his mind to it.

Zijian's songwriting is quite unexpected; he uses rather common formulas but manages to create very catchy melodies. Even now, he still works at home with an acoustic guitar, comes up with a rough idea, and then the two of them bring it to the rehearsal room to realize their vision. To put it bluntly, all of Hedgehog's classic works were played directly by him on his acoustic guitar. Back then, Hedgehog and his friends were juggling school and rehearsals/performances, going to shows for 200 yuan or 30 yuan.

Bian Lang remembered Shi Lu telling her that there was another time when tickets cost ten yuan each, and only three people sat in the audience, one of whom was a bar owner. What impressed her most was a graduation performance at Beihang University, where the lyrics at the end were "No ending, for whom is this hurried life?" After singing, Shi Lu threw the drumsticks into the air and burst into tears, lying on the drum.

Bian Lang deeply empathized with that feeling of being talented but unappreciated. He, too, felt that his music was so good, but when would he ever get his due?
After three years of dating, Shi Lu broke up with her boyfriend, and Zi Jian also broke up with his boyfriend.

One day, Zijian started persuading Shilu to be together. Actually, Shilu liked him quite a bit too. Shilu was rather superficial, and at that time she especially liked the lead singer of Blur. He was very tall, and when he sang, he would hunch his back, but his shoulders were very straight. Shilu really liked that. Then there were many moments when Shilu was rehearsing drums and looked at Zijian across from her, feeling that he was just like the lead singer of Blur, especially handsome.

But Shi Lu really felt that husband-and-wife businesses were quite scary, so Zi Jian told her, "Look at that band, they're also a husband and wife team." In the end, Shi Lu had no choice but to give in.

After graduating from university, the question that arose was whether to join a band or get a job. At that time, everyone was figuring things out as they went along. Shi Lu majored in recording and worked on sound effects for TV dramas for a while, such as gunfight scenes. She would be shooting all day long, and she had to be highly focused all day long without weekends. The intensity was too great.

It wasn't just a simple job of clocking in, browsing Taobao, and being done with it. The tasks forced you to complete an entire episode a day; otherwise, you wouldn't get paid. Back then, Shi Lu would rehearse at night, her face green, her condition terrible, and she couldn't continue. Needless to say, she had started to dislike listening to music altogether, because the recordings and the sound were too similar.

Later, Shi Lu simply quit her job, feeling that it was money earned at the cost of her life. Working 12 hours a day year-round for 8000 yuan a month, what was the point? Her life was completely sacrificed. Playing in a band was firstly something she enjoyed, and secondly, it allowed her to control her time.

Around 07, Hedgehog had already signed with Modern Sky and was starting to make a name for itself, although the pay wasn't particularly high. Besides playing drums for Hedgehog, Shi Lu also guest-starred with other bands, earning some performance fees, which was about the same as what she earned from a regular job. Back then, many of Shi Lu's technical skills were honed under the guidance of Zhao Zijian.

For example, if Shi Lu feels that something is not right, Zi Jian will say, "Just relax and immerse yourself in the music. We need to be on the same wavelength, and it will come naturally."

Of course, Zijian often angered Shilu, like in the rehearsal scene that aired on "The Big Band," where Shilu genuinely snapped at Zijian. Zijian didn't intentionally provoke Shilu; often it was unintentional, very childish. Therefore, Shilu and Zijian could no longer live together. Their seven-year relationship ended because of Zijian's immaturity.

Then, Xia Yuxi and Dingding hummed "woo woo..." together, as if it were a destiny.

After watching this segment from The Big Band, Bian Lang knew it was likely to be his swan song. And indeed…

It wasn't until later, when I heard Shi Lu talk about it during rehearsals, that I realized these two really were...

Around the time Shi Lu was pregnant and gave birth, Hedgehog was in a bad state and was really struggling. At that time, Hedgehog hired another drummer, which Shi Lu fully understood, as it was to make a living and earn performance fees. Zi Jian discussed it with Shi Lu, and Shi Lu said it was no problem. Shi Lu didn't think too much about herself; since she didn't have the ability to fight alongside them, she would let others go with them.

I remember my first performance after giving birth was at a music festival in Nanjing. My child was only six months old at the time, and I was still breastfeeding, so I took my child with me. My mother also went with me. I felt that performing like this wasn't a bad thing; it was quite nice and different.

When I got on stage, my breasts were so swollen and I couldn't lift my arms, but I was still quite excited. It felt like I was back, a sense of belonging.

Shi Lu knew with absolute certainty that she was irreplaceable and perfectly suited for the Hedgehog band, unlike some drummers who, no matter how well they played, were not a good fit.

Zhao Zijian shared the same sentiment: the Hedgehog band absolutely must have both Shi Lu and himself present, at the very least. Without either of them, it wouldn't be Hedgehog. Their collaboration is so familiar and seamless; replacing them might not be as effective or conducive to the partnership.

Looking back at every live performance of "The Big Band" and Hedgehog now, this is absolutely true!

So Shi Lu said something on "The Big Band": "I hope Shi Lu and I can stay like this forever!"

Many girls don't understand this logic, but Shi Lu sees Zhao Zijian as a brother, someone she can rely on at any time.

Shi Lu appears quite assertive and prominent in Hedgehog, but in reality, she's not particularly assertive. Everything she does is forced upon her because life has pushed her to this point. You see, Zhao Zijian is sometimes like that, and Shi Lu has no choice but to stand above him and act arrogantly, to make him a little more mature.

However, in the band scene, men definitely have more say, given their sheer numbers. The key is that men have strong logical thinking skills and can get to the point.

Shi Lu also plays drums in other bands. She doesn't talk much and tries to be restrained. If she talks too much, she will seem arrogant, especially since it's not her home turf.

When Zhao Menglu of the New Pants band was recording for "The Big Band," Shi Lu noticed that she always did her own makeup and asked, "Why do you do your own makeup? Doesn't the show have makeup artists?" Shi Lu genuinely felt that her own makeup didn't look as good as the professional ones, even though she had a pretty face to begin with.

Zhao Meng then said, "Isn't it because Peng Lei and Pang Kuan have to wait for me? Girls take too long to put on makeup."

Actually, Shi Lu wasn't referring to New Pants in general. It was just that at that moment, she had a very personal feeling: "If I were in another band, I probably wouldn't be Shi Lu. It would probably be the lead singer who calls the shots."

Dingding now has this question: "It's obviously a tacit agreement that Hedgehog Bianlang decides, but after the second in line, who will it be, me or Xia Yuxi?"

(End of this chapter)