MiLoh BSGSSB Adventures

Part of an Audience

MiLoh's POV

I honestly can't remember the last time i went out late with MSB and everyone else. And no,we were not going to one of those bar thingies because firstly,Tetra and Rocky were still underage,and secondly,the Band Gang completely refused alcohol. Can you believe the only 'alcoholic' thing they've ever drunk is apple cider?! Anyway, we kind of wanted to celebrate the last day of school (although there was technically still school the next day AND they had band) so we went out to the more central part of the city to catch some good stuff.

We had dinner at Swensen's,and everyone ignored Xuan as she complained about how 'oily and creamy' all the food was. She claimed that she had gotten a stomach flu once after gorging out at Swensen's but i can't really blame the food when she's the greedy pig. The dinner was absolutely scrumptious (and expensive may I add) and we were all stuffed by the time we finished dessert. I had to admit, Swensen's has the BEST ICE CREAM. EVER. "Guys we're gonna be late for our show we better move,"said Rathi,glancing at her watch,and we made our way to the theatre.

Now i'm pretty sure you're wondering,why the theatre? No,we were not going to perform. This was one of the few times WE were the ones WATCHING the band concert. It had been promoted by some of the band teachers in school,and the Band Gang wanted to support their seniors who were supposedly playing. I myself had never really watched a full band concert before,i was usually behind the stage during their concerts. Thus,i didn't actually know what to do when we got there because all i usually did for concerts was haul tuba cases into dressing rooms and eat by myself like the lonely soul i am.

The security people had to make sure we had no food on us before we could be admitted in. The theatre was even more ginormous than it looked on the outside,and it was super classy. We took our seats and i breathed in the cold air. It had a sort of smell,that was somewhat comforting and familiar, like the smell of backstage. I guess everyone else wasn't really that used to watching concerts when they were the ones who were usually performing, whether it was Open House or CCA Promo or Speech Day or Teachers' Day or anything else.

The lights suddenly dimmed and everything became really really dark. I could clearly picture the performing Band waiting apprehensively backstage, looking at the sea of people who had come. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the annual Anide JC Limelight!!" Everyone cheered, and it became super awkward because MSB and I both didn't know we were supposed to do that. "I am Pam, your emcee for tonight. We have an interesting and wide range of music for you tonight, and I am absolutely positive you will enjoy your evening! So please sit back and get comfortable, and let Anide JC band bring you all over the world with their music!!"

She then went on to introduce the conductor and the songs, and when the band emerged everyone screamed their lungs and cheered for their siblings, seniors or family members. The conductor came out and took a bow. He was dressed in a smart black suit that reminded me of how our old conductor, Ms Shia, used to dress for concerts. The band played a B flat for a quick tune, and when we heard it we all shivered in satisfaction at its warmth. That was one finely tuned band.

The band went on to play Semper Fidelis, The Incredibles, Frozen Medley and some other songs I didn't really catch the names of. But on the whole, they were very well played, and I could tell their conductor was a good one too. The songs expressed colourful and powerful emotions, and the dynamics were well controlled as well.

The Band Gang somehow managed to pick up little slips here and there, like "Oh god that trumpet cracked its high high B flat," or "That eupho was kind of out of tune," or "That's what Ms Shia would call 'sawing a tree'," or even "That chord was slightly sharp." Now how on earth can they hear whether a chord is sharp or not? They must have elf ears or something.

During our intermission the toilets were a bloody nightmare as nearly a thousand people queued up for a toilet break, and we were near the end of the queue, trying to endure the pressing uncomfortable feeling of a full bladder. MSB tried not to look as I squirmed like a little kid. "Stop moving around you big baby,"he hissed, kicking me as he tried to endure as well, "You're not making it any easier for me!" Glancing over to the girls' side, I realised that the queue was even longer because there were some people who had to freshen up their makeup or fuss over themselves in the mirror, and immediately felt sympathy for everyone else who was stuck waiting behind to use the bathroom for an actual reason.

Somehow we all managed to use the toilet before intermission ended, which was really lucky because imagine how awkward it would have been if we had to creep back to our seats in the dark and we stepped on everyone's toes. The later part of the concert was more of movie soundtracks and popular arrangements, which proved to be an appealing thing to the audience because everyone was tapping their feet and smiling approvingly at the music. Two of the songs I enjoyed especially were "Can't Take my Eyes of You" and "Kiminonawa Medley" (a/n:listen to those on youtube cos its RLLY RLLY GOOD), because whenever I closed my eyes I could imagine the expressions on the Band Gang's faces when they were playing these songs.

The Band Gang leaned back in their chairs, enjoying the music and sighing with satisfaction as though they had put together this concert. I couldn't really blame them. They were usually so busy they never got to watch concerts like this, much less together. I was glad that Tetra and Rocky were able to actually WATCH a band concert and know what it was like to be part of the audience because hell, we can't always be performers.

Signed
MiLoh