Those who don't understand the inner workings of a world tour might wonder: if a tour for 2 million people took four months, wouldn't a tour for 6 million take over a year?
That is an observation made by someone who doesn't know the nature of the entertainment industry. In this world, where time is literally gold, such inefficiency doesn't happen. The size of the venues simply scales along with the demand.
For instance, back in Japan, Enfants Terribles used to use the Budokan, with a capacity of 14,000, as their concert venue. As their weight class grew, they frequented the Saitama Super Arena—where the ASAYAN semifinals were held—which holds about 36,000 people.
However, as the popularity of Enfants Terribles soared toward the heavens, the crowds only grew. Naturally, the stage had to change.
Enfants Terribles was now a megaton-class band with enough weight to hold a mere 'fan meeting' at the Tokyo Dome.
The Tokyo Dome—a place where only the 'stars' who have reached the pinnacle of Japan are allowed to set foot. A venue reserved for giants like Michael Jackson, Coldplay, Bruno Mars, and Mariah Carey. As mentioned, Enfants Terribles was a band that used the Tokyo Dome, with its 60,000-person capacity, as a simple venue for a fan meeting.
Essentially, even with the same number of performances, you can gather far more people depending on the venue. Where they once drew 28,000 people over two shows, they now draw 120,000 in the same span.
In an instant, they can accommodate twice the audience of their previous records. Thus, the duration remains similar even as the scale explodes. If Japan gets 120,000 people in two shows, what about the United States? Enfants Terribles was set to mobilize over 2 million spectators in the U.S. alone.
"Hell yeah!!! Expensive food really does taste different! Food is definitely the greatest entertainment in life!"
Shuji, the bald bassist of Enfants Terribles, dipped his foie gras in olive oil and shoved it into his mouth with reckless abandon.
The rich, concentrated flavor of the foie gras and its meltingly tender texture were teasing his taste buds when it happened.
"Baldie, this protein shake tastes way better than that flashy food."
Yokishi, another member of the band, was pouring a protein shake from a high-end wine glass into his mouth, fueling his muscles with 'amino acids.'
"Can we please eat in peace...?"
Hide, who had been quietly savoring his food, threw a dry comment at his bandmates. But who were the members of Enfants Terribles? As the biggest lunatics on the planet, they naturally ignored their leader's annoyance and went back to their antics.
"OH!! Chef!! Can I film this and post it?!"
Shuji was so touched by the chef's detailed explanations of each dish that he was recording a video for social media.
They might look like jobless rascals just wasting food, but there was a method to their madness. They were stuffing themselves to build up caloric reserves before the tour began.
There's a reason even skin-and-bone singers put on weight before a world tour. No matter how many calories you consume, the sheer intensity of consecutive concerts drains your vitality. They supplement their energy levels beforehand to endure the forced march ahead.
Even after eating this much, many find themselves lighter by the end of the tour. Wasn't that exactly what happened to Enfants Terribles during their first album tour?
The members had to diligently build up their stamina. Five months is more than enough time to break a human body.
"Immediately after this is the Grammy Awards... and then another concert the day after? Isn't the rest period too short?"
"We might be fine, but what about the leader's throat? It was completely trashed during the last tour."
Shuji, finished with his meal, and Miyazaki Makoto—who served as the band's manager and producer—spoke up.
"Who cares if my throat goes? You guys will cover for me, right? If things get bad, we can just use that 'Sakamoto Ryuichi' guy as the vocalist or something."
What Shuji and Makoto said wasn't wrong. Since I handle both guitar and vocals, I could end up exhausted by the latter half of the tour if I fail to pace myself, just like during the first one.
Now that I'm an experienced veteran of the road, that fact was burned into my mind.
Still, I wasn't overly worried. I had reliable members behind me on stage at all times. Their musical talents had fully blossomed, even surpassing mine in some ways, so I could comfortably trust them with my back.
If I couldn't trust Shuji and Yokishi on stage, who else could I trust?
Anyway, I went back to stuffing my face for the concert. The New York concert marking the start of the second tour. We were set to perform our music for 83,000 spectators at a place called MetLife Stadium.
Well begun is half done.
To prepare for diving into the madness of the crowd, I began knocking back shots of strong whiskey.
Wednesday. It was a time when workers usually had to be at their desks, but New Yorkers of all ages and genders were heading toward the stadium instead.
[NIRVANA]
Fans clutching concert tickets bearing the title of Enfants Terribles' second tour converged on MetLife Stadium with faces full of anticipation.
The venue, boasting a capacity of 83,000, was so packed before entry that there wasn't a spare inch to step. Even the New York State Police had to step in to maintain order.
"Who the hell are those guys?"
"Did they seriously pitch tents on the rooftops?"
New York citizens didn't hesitate to set up tents on nearby rooftops just for a chance to catch a glimpse of Enfants Terribles—the stars among stars. Every roof that could be considered a prime viewing spot was already occupied.
Some people sang Enfants Terribles' songs with their arms around each other's shoulders while waiting in line, while others chanted the slogans of the 'September Movement' triggered by the band.
Though no one led them, everyone began to chant the symbols of Enfants Terribles in unison.
"Alright! Everyone inside!"
Admission began, and the crowd that had been shaking MetLife Stadium with their presence began to fill the seats, chanting the band's name.
.
.
.
Michael Stipe. After sending a Wall Street suit to the hospital by making an assault look like an accident, he had scrounged up enough time and meager savings to buy a seat at MetLife Stadium.
True to their nickname as 'representatives of the working class,' the ticket prices for Enfants Terribles were affordable enough for even someone like him—who was currently paying off legal settlements to that damn suit—to purchase. He wouldn't have been able to make it if he'd had to buy from scalpers, but he managed to secure a ticket through the same tenacity he used to punch that executive.
"Selling tickets at ten times the price is crossing the line. Scum."
Had he been forced to buy from a scalper, he likely would have punched their teeth in, but luckily he bought his ticket at face value.
With those thoughts, he entered the venue to witness a truly spectacular sight.
A legion of instrumentalists, large enough to be called an orchestra, were tuning their instruments, and the Enfants Terribles logo was etched into the sky via holograms.
"They must've dumped a fortune into this..."
Michael Stipe stared slack-jawed at the spectacle unfolding inside the stadium. Traditionally, Enfants Terribles' stage production was far flashier than that of other groups.
This was the result of Hide's experience observing countless performances while grinding as an E-rank session musician in his past life, combined with the sharp talent forged in the land of K-pop.
"Whoa... that's insane..."
As Michael Stipe looked away from the sky-high holograms, massive screens on the left, right, and center of the stage made their presence known. Since it was a stadium of gargantuan scale, the space had been designed specifically to accommodate everyone's view.
"Come out already, you rascals!"
While watching the opening performance of KAT-TUN, who were famous for their cover of 'See You Again,' Michael Stipe waited impatiently for Enfants Terribles to burst onto the stage.
The opening guest exited the stage, the lights dimmed, and all illumination in the venue vanished. All the audience could see was the number '10' displayed on the massive screens.
—BOOM!
As the countdown reached zero, an explosion sounded, and light so bright it was hard to even look at began to erupt on stage.
When the light subsided, small red pyrotechnics went off at the front of the stage, and the members of Enfants Terribles popped onto the stage like popcorn. However, something was strange.
"Where's Hide? Why is it just them?"
Hide, the leader and frontman, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, even the guitar was being held by a Japanese youth named Sakamoto Ryuichi—someone who had briefly served as Hide's sub in the past.
Even though the interlude for 'Rock 'n' Roll Star,' the established opening track for Enfants Terribles, was already ringing out, there was no sign of Hide.
"What's going on...? Did they have a falling out?"
At that exact moment, Hide—wearing his signature round-lens sunglasses—shot out like Michael Jackson during his 'Dangerous' tour, amidst a rain of sparks falling from the sky.
"Shit hole."
"Time for all of you to drop dead watching the show!"
Before he could even process the flashy performance, Michael Stipe found himself shivering at the sound of Hide's voice, which was now focused entirely on the vocals.
Hide was excellent as a guitarist, but he was even better as a vocalist. There was a reason he held the role over Shuji and Yokishi, who were both talented singers in their own right.
As the voice and music that had drawn him here echoed through the stadium, Michael Stipe began to roar out joyful curses louder than anyone else.