After being elected as the governor of Tokyo, he will debut as a band!

“Koben Coolidge, I am Koben Coolidge… It’s great to perform at Folt Showroom.”

Koben started with a broken Japanese sentence, but quickly switched back to English. After all, Aoyama, who was with him, was fluent in English, and Yoshida Ginjiro, the owner of the venue for this performance, could also have daily conversations in somewhat broken English... As for the level of English among the Japanese, those who know, know.

"Mr. Coburn, it is truly an honor to have you perform at Folt Hall."

Yoshida Ginjiro shook hands with Coburn with trembling hands. Perhaps because he was too nervous, he spoke in a very formal manner, which was somewhat out of place with his face, which was pierced with a lip, wore a pair of earrings and colored contact lenses.

However, while he was speaking, he kept hitting the Tengu mask on Coolidge's face, as if he wanted to confirm his true identity with his own eyes.

Aoyama would certainly grant his wish.

At Aoyama's prompting, Coolidge removed his mask, revealing the old face that 1.5 billion people around the world recognized.

Before seeing that face in person, Yoshida Ginjiro was filled with anticipation, but after seeing it, his anticipation was replaced by nervousness and panic.

He, Coolidge, and Aoyama Xiangque

After reviewing the performance details, he hurriedly left, leaving the two of them staring at each other.

“Hack, Mr. Yoshida seems to be very busy with work,” Coolidge said with a smile.

"You scared him away," Aoyama teased him.

"By the way, Hack, aren't you going to introduce me to your band members?"

Coolidge was quite eager to meet the person who could bring a high-ranking official like Aoyama back to the independent band.

"They probably haven't arrived yet?"

Aoyama hadn't contacted Hiroi Kikuri or Iwashita Shima on his way here, and didn't know where they were now.

Just then, a "burp" came from under the table in the lounge.

Igomachi Music Awards: 117 songs that could compete for a Grammy Award.

The first show at the FOLT performance hall that evening was scheduled for Sickhack, since most fans came specifically for them; Coolidge's show was more of a bonus.

The song performed was "Rolling in the Deep," a new song written by Aoyama a few days ago.

Aoyama recorded the song he had sung with a guitar at the Starlight Exhibition Hall and played it for Hiroi Kikuri and the other two. The three of them were completely impressed.

After all, it was a song that won a Grammy Award in its previous life, and its original author polished it for many years before publishing it. In terms of completeness, it is almost flawless, and its technical skill and emotional appeal are outstanding.

The three members of sickhack are all professionals, so they can naturally tell the quality of the song. The only thing that puzzles them is the perspective of the "abandoned" in the story told in the song.

I've never heard of Yi-zhen (Haksan) having that kind of experience... Could it be that he once abandoned someone and now he has suddenly realized his mistake, so he wrote this song from the perspective of the poor woman he abandoned?

"Haksan, how many heinous things have you done in the past ten years?"

At the time, Hiroi Kikuri was looking at the lyrics and sheet music while making "tsk tsk" sounds towards Aoyama Mukata.

In response, Aoyama could only say, "Have you forgotten that my biological mother disappeared when I was born? Is there any more heartbreaking experience of being abandoned than this?"

Upon hearing this, Hiroi Kikuri and the other two were immediately convinced... After all, the experience of being abandoned by one's mother can indeed influence a person's entire life, and may also endow a person with immense creative power.

Eliza Shimizu and Shima Iwashita even felt sympathy for his childhood experiences, and their gazes towards him were filled with maternal warmth.

Of course, this is only the surface reason. The real reason why Aoyama chose this song was mainly because he was inspired by Shoko Toyokawa and Motoyo Nagasaki, two people who were "abandoned" or "believed to be abandoned".

What should someone do after being dumped? Should they try their best to win her back? Should they try to please the person who dumped them to make her change her mind? Or should they try every means to prove how much they need her and how much they value the relationship?

None of those. The most important thing is "independence," which means being able to live well even after losing the relationship.

Aoyama adapted this song partly out of the creative desire of a half-artist soul, and partly out of the hope that the song could give them, as well as people with similar thoughts and experiences, some strength.

In short, all three members of Sickhack loved the song. After getting the sheet music, they put everything else aside and practiced with all their might. Eliza Shimizu even missed a comic convention.

Therefore, although Aoyama Muto has not had this song for very long, Sickhack has practiced it to the point where it is good enough to perform on a formal stage.

……

When sickhack took the stage, he was greeted with cheers from the fans, especially when Aoyama was the last to walk from backstage onto the stage, where the fans showered him with screams and whistles.

After all, Aoyama hadn't participated in a Sickhack performance for a while, so the fans expressed their surprise with screams and teased him with whistles for being "not hardworking enough".

"It seems quite a few people are unhappy with Mr. Hack's low attendance," Hiroi Kikuri said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, I'll teach Mr. Hack a lesson after the show! Hey, you over there, don't talk nonsense! The lesson I'm talking about is teaching this disobedient team member a lesson as the team leader! What do you mean by making him bedridden? Do you think I'd break his legs? Would he be unable to use the effects pedals and pedal hammers in the future?"

Kikuri Hiroi's interactions with the fans were so unrestrained that the high school girls who came to the show with Seika Ijichi felt extremely embarrassed.

"Hiroi-nee's stage presence is still as lively as ever."

"Ichi Nijika covered her face and said."

"Hmph, is that what you call lively? She's just a bit careless because she's drunk, isn't she?" Ijichi Hoshika curled her lip, her gaze towards the audience somewhat cold. "It's only because this is on Mr. Yoshida's turf. If this were on Fanxing, I would have kicked the person who said such a thing out long ago."

"However, Hiroi-san naturally addressed that strange question from earlier, and the atmosphere on stage didn't become awkward at all."

Chihaya Aine also greatly admired this, and thought to herself:

If, during a performance by the Mizuki Band, fans in the audience were joking about her and Suze, would she be able to react as quickly as Hiroi-nee? If she didn't react immediately, would Suze be angry or embarrassed? If it was the former, Tanuki would definitely throw her drumsticks at the person making the joke...

"Was there anything wrong with what you just said? Why did you say it was... a strange question, Anon-chan?"

Takamatsu Akari had no idea what the three of them were talking about. She looked at Shiina Tatsuki, who had come with her, with a bewildered expression.

"This... this is something the lamp doesn't need to know."

Lixi casually gave a vague answer, then glared at Aine with a very noticeable look, startling a passerby who was on the opposite side of the line between her and Aine.

On stage, Kikuri Hiroi continued, "However, don't think that Mr. Hack has been slacking off these days. He has brought us a new piece of music, so let's feel this new storm now."

After speaking, Hiroi Kikuri took a step back, while Aoyama Muto stood in the lead singer's position. He first lowered his body and then leaned back sharply, using the force of this movement to play the first note of the new song.

……

"This piece of music..."

Coben Coolidge, who was waiting in the audience area closest to the backstage, showed surprise just twenty seconds after the performance began.

The quality of this piece is exceptional.

It has a strong rhythm, a wide vocal range, and is full of passionate emotion, creating an effect that is both gentle on the outside and strong on the inside.

Most importantly, this piece is extremely smooth to sing or play, unlike many hardcore rock songs that are noisy and difficult to sing along to—either they pursue vocal tension, resulting in a rather forced integration with the accompaniment; or they pursue a "chanting" effect, resulting in a lack of strong vocal presence and difficulty in fully expressing emotions.

When it came to the pre-chorus and chorus sections, the tight chorus structure and emotional progression impressed Coolidge even more.

This song seems like a contender for this year's Grammy Award.

Fortunately, I still have a recommendation slot available.

　I'll help my friend Aoyama promote this song in the European and North American markets... and then discuss with the management company to see if we can make it to this year's Grammy Awards.

Coolidge decided that as soon as today's performance ended, she would take Aoyama to the recording studio to record this song, and then take the record directly to her new record company.

Isogachi Music Awards: 118 Miss Poison: Don't doubt my professionalism!

Sickhack's performance ended, but the audience was still somewhat reluctant to leave.

The overall rhythm of this song is so smooth and tight that once you get into the first line of lyrics, the continuous stimulation will keep you hooked and unable to snap out of it.

Not only were the audience captivated, but even the musicians playing the song were mesmerized. Kikuri Hiroi, who was drunk, surprisingly didn't act out of character as usual during the performance. Many longtime Sickhack fans didn't realize this until the end of the show, which they found quite bizarre.

Among the audience was a freelance writer who regularly contributed to music magazines. Her pen name was Poisonous Darkness, and her real name was Sato Aiko. She had already decided to write a column for this song, titled "A Whirlpool of Attraction! You're Destined to Be Drunk From the First Note!"

“Sickhack really pulled out all the stops right from the start tonight… I wasn’t prepared at all. I was completely absorbed in it and forgot all about writing the review,” Aiko Sato squeezed through the crowd, leaned against the bar, and started scribbling in her notebook. “I need to quickly write down all my thoughts on this song. What’s it called again? ‘Intertwined Love and Hate’?… Oh right, bartender, could I have a beer? This song is making me a little dizzy.”

"What are you saying, miss? Aren't you still a minor?"

The shop assistant looked at her suspiciously.

Sato Aiko is well over twenty years old, but she still looks like a high school girl, dressed in twin tails, a cartoon-patterned shirt, and a small backpack.

Despite the bartender's rebellious and unruly demeanor, he was actually a law-abiding young man and naturally wouldn't dare offer a beer to Sato Aiko.

"Sigh...this is so troublesome..." Sato Aiko sighed helplessly, took off her backpack and wanted to take out her driver's license to prove that she was an adult, but at this moment, someone spoke up to explain for her.

"This guy is a grown man, don't worry."

Sato Aiko turned her head and saw Iji Tomoka and the entire band Hinata and the scattered MYGO members following behind her. "Manager of the Starry Night Showroom! You guys are here too. The ones behind you are the members of Hinata, right? I'm Poisonous Darkness, I've been hearing your names a lot lately!"

Good evening! xN

After the members of the girl band learned that she was an adult, they all respectfully returned her greetings.

As a contributor to a music magazine, Sato Aiko and Iji Tomoka, the owner of the performance hall, were acquaintances. After all, she would often visit the Starry Night Performance Hall to discover interesting bands and songs, and she would also praise the owner of Starry Night for his discerning eye. Over time, the two became familiar with each other.

Folt's manager, Ginjiro Yoshida, also knows Aiko Sato. If he were present, he would have instructed the mohawk-wearing guy to sell alcohol to Sato without Iji Tomoko appearing as a witness.

"Well... I heard from Hiroi that tonight's performance would be great, so I came to check it out."

Ichi Hoshika scratched her head and explained.

She heard from her sister that Coben Coolidge was performing at FOLT tonight, so she rushed over to see something new... Superstars like him rarely perform in small venues, and if she missed this opportunity, she didn't know when she would see him again.

"The performance just now was indeed excellent, especially the song written by Mr. Hack, which is truly of exceptional quality."

After saying that, Sato Aiko took the beer handed to her by the still-suspicious-looking clerk and took a big gulp. "That feels better. Miss Ijichi, wouldn't you like a drink?"

"I'll pass," Ijichi Hoshika politely declined. She had brought a bunch of high school students with her today, and if she drank, she might lose her composure in front of these juniors. She didn't want to become a senior like Hiroi Kikuri, who lacked any authority.

Sato Aiko continued, "However, if Sickhack starts with such a high-profile performance, the later shows will be difficult to put on... Especially since, according to the program, the next performer is a newcomer named 'KoKo Ootengu.' If his performance isn't good enough, the audience, whose tastes have just been spoiled by Sickhack, will definitely be disappointed... This will probably be a cruel blow to the newcomer..."

"Ah, well, maybe Mr. KoKo's performance will be outstanding..."

"Ichi Hoshika said somewhat awkwardly."

At this moment, she understood why some people had such a hard time keeping secrets—it was really hard to resist the urge to wake others up when they confidently made "idiotic" remarks because of information asymmetry.

The star of the next show is that rock legend who once defeated Guns N' Roses and Mikey. Will his performance be so mediocre that it fails to win over the audience? What does this have to do with saying "Uzi was playing on a smurf account and couldn't get his first win because he was having a bad game"?

"Hmph, Ms. Ijichi, although you are the owner of the performance hall, you may not have met as many independent musicians as I have," Sato Aiko shook the pen in her hand, looking as if to say, "Please do not question the professionals." "I am not looking down on newcomers! Although there are geniuses who can rock the whole audience with their debut performance, the vast majority of newcomers' first performances are not satisfactory... Of course, those band projects that have gone through layers of selection and more than two and a half years of rigorous training do not count."

As they were talking, the second performance began.

Coburn Coolidge, dressed like Inuyasha, took the stage carrying a guitar worth 300 million yen. Aoyama Muto did not leave with the other three members of Sickhack, but handed the guitar to Iwashita Shima and then sat down as the drummer.

His return to the stage was met with another round of cheers.

Drawn to the cheers, Aiko Sato looked up at the two people on the stage and muttered in surprise, "Eh? Is this newcomer Mr. Hack's friend? Mr. Hack is actually going to perform with him?"

Then, when her gaze fell on Coben Coolidge, she was immediately drawn to the black guitar in his arms. "Wait... that guitar... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before..."

Just as she was about to grasp a clue in her mind, Aoyama Mukai raised his mallet and struck the drum for the second performance.

The song performed was the title track from an album released by Coben Coolidge last year. It wasn't a very difficult song, but it was the kind of song that usually required two drummers to play perfectly.

Mr. Hack seemed to be showing off, managing to produce an effect that would otherwise require two pairs of drumsticks with just one.

Meanwhile, Mr. KoKo on the other side was not to be outdone, and he also played both the lead guitar and the accompaniment guitar parts by himself.

Igomachi Music Awards: 119 Superstars, and Hack, who can overshadow superstars.

Mr. KoKo's guitar skills are not at all comparable to those of a "newcomer"; they are completely unrelated!

In the eyes of professional music critic Aiko Sato, Mr. Hack's drumming skills are...

He has reached the pinnacle of his art. Not to mention international superstars and experts in percussion instruments, he is virtually unrivaled even in the rock and pop music circles.

If he goes all out, he could even hold his own against Kikuri Hiroi, Shima Iwashita, and Eliza Shimizu in a Sickhack performance.

But this KoKo Great Tengu can actually play a guitar with a force that rivals Mr. Hack's stormy drumbeats.

"Could he be another rock genius, like Mr. Hack, hiding in another industry?"

Sato Aiko felt somewhat embarrassed by this.

Why can't you guys just stay in your original industries? Why do you have to come and cause trouble in the rock scene? Are you not planning to give us full-time musicians who have been struggling in bands since our student days a way to make a living?

Kita Ikuyo, seeing that Sato Aiko's guess was completely off track, kindly reminded her, "Um, Miss Poison, do you think it's possible that Mr. KoKo is neither a newcomer nor a crossover genius like Mr. Hack, but a senior figure in the rock music industry who doesn't want to reveal his identity?"

“Ah! Yes! That’s possible too, no, rather, that’s the most likely possibility,” Sato Aiko’s eyes lit up, her gaze towards Kita Ikuyo filled with admiration. “Kita, you might have the potential to become a detective!”

"Huh? No, not at all." Kita Ikuyo was a little embarrassed by the comment. Many people had praised her for being pretty and cute, but this was the first time someone had praised her for having detective talent.

"But which rock legend could it be? KoKo Ootengu's outfit completely covers up all his physical features, making it impossible to guess. All we know is that he's a male guitarist... We can only guess based on his voice. I know the vocal characteristics of several famous rock musicians in Tokyo, so it shouldn't be too hard to guess."

Sato Aiko is very confident about this, after all, she makes a living as a music critic, and she not only knows the voices of famous band lead singers or backup singers like the back of her hand, but also has a keen ability to distinguish them.

She glanced at the group of vibrant high school girls led by Ijichi Nijika and Yamada Ryo, and thought to herself, "Just wait and see what I'm capable of! The professional competence of a music critic is no joke!"