When the spotlight hit The Skjoldånd and the drumming started, Dee gulped silently. The bone throne was completely shrouded in shadow, but his mic was live. He knew his parents were out there somewhere, but thankfully, they weren't in the front row. He couldn't see them, only his friends, and that at least gave him a sliver of relief.
The rhythmic drumming continued. The Soverign, the Tiger and The Mystic took their places on stage, spotlights hitting each of them. The crowd started cheering as he kicked off the intro to "I am Bulletproof" with a keyboard riff. At long last, the spotlight hit the throne, illuminating The Prophet.
The fear that paralyzed him an hour before was gone. In its place was the healing magic of music and the passion of a dream becoming reality. He didn't move much, but his voice carried across the theater - bolstered by slamming guitar riffs and a powerfully tribal rhythm section.
"Hello, Cleveland!" He shouted to the roar of an energetic crowd. "We are Kuro. Thank you for coming out to celebrate the release of our first single with us. We promise to make this a night you won't soon forget. But all have to promise me one thing, can you do that?"
The crowd began to cheer.
"Promise me that when all hope is lost, you'll fight against all odds!!" He shouted. "Never give in!! Never back down!!"
As they launched into a song of the same name, the energy in the theater was palpable. The pit was alive, and people lifted their fellow fans up into the air.
They skipped over their usual cover of "Rebel Yell" in favor of debuting the just-released B-side to their first single, the never-before-played "Rebel Love Song." And in true Ziggy Stardust tour fashion, turned a lot of heads when the Mystic lifted the Prophet into his arms during the Tiger's guitar solo, spun him around on stage, and kissed him. Ziggy had told them after their very first show not to hide their relationship. And Jay wanted to make damn sure Dee's parents saw that their son not only had a successful music career, but a partner who loved every inch of him exactly as he was. The Prophet spent the rest of the song on his feet, albeit with his arms wrapped around the Mystic's neck, picking up the backup vocals on his headset mic.
The crowd cheered as The Prophet proudly made his way back to the throne. The Mystic's support looked more like a consort's escort, and also provided time for a change of instruments. The Mystic picked up his violin, while the Soverign quickly swapped out for an acoustic guitar. The Prophet's message of love took a softer turn with "Savior." And he dedicated "In the End," their usual finale, to everyone in the audience who bravely chased their dreams, even in the face of what felt like certain death.
It was the best they'd ever played that song, and the crowd made sure they knew it.
"That song... is very special to me. Because we ARE more than our bodies." Those words alone were inspirational. But coming from The Prophet, someone with a very visible disability, carried a significant amount of weight. "And believe me when I say how fully you can live... when you're not afraid to die. But I could never rise back up and relive my glory without the entire Kuro tribe by my side. So, let them hear it!"
He gave every band member their moment in the spotlight as he called them out by name. The Skjoldånd, The Sovereign, The Tiger and the Mystic.
"We have one more song for you tonight before Hexed takes the stage." He played a few of the opening notes on his keyboard, letting them ring in the silence. The crowd started to cheer. "This song... is for anyone who ever tried to tell you how to live... They know who they fucking are!"
He repeated the opening notes on his keyboard and the rest of the band joined enthusiastically. It was the most important song of the night, not only because it was their first single, but also because it was a personal message from Dee to two people in that crowd in particular. And they all wanted to help him spit that vitriol.
Even after the short stint on his feet earlier, the rest of Kuro knew Dee wouldn't hold back. What surprised them, though, was how quickly he made his way to center stage - a whole verse sooner than they'd rehearsed. It took noticeable effort, but he was determined. Jay knew that. And tonight, out of all nights, was the time to defy expectations. The guitarists slid back, jamming back to back as they gave their singer the spotlight.
The Prophet walked to the very edge of the stage and screamed the bridge with every ounce of his strength. The walls themselves were probably shaking right along with Dee's weakened muscles.
As the Tiger leaned into his solo, the Prophet leaned forward. He pointed to several of his friends and fellow musicians in the front row. "Give me a lift!"
Rekker, Joe and many of the others were more than happy to oblige. The stunned look on everyone's faces when Dee gave them two thumbs up and did, in fact, freefall off the stage said that this part was definitely not rehearsed. The Dogs in front of the stage were equally surprised and tried to grab him. But the other musicians were taller, and they pulled The Prophet up and over, hoisting him in the air.
To their credit, no one skipped a note. The Prophet belted the final chorus on his back, the crowd going wild as they all pushed and shoved to get their hands under him for even a split second. As light as he was, keeping him up over the crowd wasn't difficult. But he was entirely at their mercy.
Instead of guiding him back up to the stage, he ended up in the back of the theater. Where, thankfully, Damien and several of his top Dogs were there to intercept him. Damien grabbed him around the chest, while the others made a hole. He tenuously held the singer upright, but it was obvious that he'd have dropped had anyone tried to leave him on his feet.
Still, The Prophet shouted, "Thank you, Cleveland! Remember! Never give in, never back down, and keep that energy going for Hexed!!"
As security spun him around, he finally saw them - his parents - standing awkwardly in the back of the venue. They tightly clutched their bags of Kuro merchandise as they locked eyes with their son. Their expression was hard to place - shock and surprise had given way to nervousness, pride, regret and even relief, all barely contained and threatening to bubble over. His mother gulped, her weight shifting imperceptibly closer. His father looked away.
Dee looked like he might just bubble over himself. Thankfully, before he could, one of the Dogs made a grab for his wireless receiver and switched off his mic. The lights went down on stage and Damien steered him quickly out the back door before anyone could cause an even bigger scene.
Aaaand part 3
The rhythmic drumming continued. The Soverign, the Tiger and The Mystic took their places on stage, spotlights hitting each of them. The crowd started cheering as he kicked off the intro to "I am Bulletproof" with a keyboard riff. At long last, the spotlight hit the throne, illuminating The Prophet.
The fear that paralyzed him an hour before was gone. In its place was the healing magic of music and the passion of a dream becoming reality. He didn't move much, but his voice carried across the theater - bolstered by slamming guitar riffs and a powerfully tribal rhythm section.
"Hello, Cleveland!" He shouted to the roar of an energetic crowd. "We are Kuro. Thank you for coming out to celebrate the release of our first single with us. We promise to make this a night you won't soon forget. But all have to promise me one thing, can you do that?"
The crowd began to cheer.
"Promise me that when all hope is lost, you'll fight against all odds!!" He shouted. "Never give in!! Never back down!!"
As they launched into a song of the same name, the energy in the theater was palpable. The pit was alive, and people lifted their fellow fans up into the air.
They skipped over their usual cover of "Rebel Yell" in favor of debuting the just-released B-side to their first single, the never-before-played "Rebel Love Song." And in true Ziggy Stardust tour fashion, turned a lot of heads when the Mystic lifted the Prophet into his arms during the Tiger's guitar solo, spun him around on stage, and kissed him. Ziggy had told them after their very first show not to hide their relationship. And Jay wanted to make damn sure Dee's parents saw that their son not only had a successful music career, but a partner who loved every inch of him exactly as he was. The Prophet spent the rest of the song on his feet, albeit with his arms wrapped around the Mystic's neck, picking up the backup vocals on his headset mic.
The crowd cheered as The Prophet proudly made his way back to the throne. The Mystic's support looked more like a consort's escort, and also provided time for a change of instruments. The Mystic picked up his violin, while the Soverign quickly swapped out for an acoustic guitar. The Prophet's message of love took a softer turn with "Savior." And he dedicated "In the End," their usual finale, to everyone in the audience who bravely chased their dreams, even in the face of what felt like certain death.
It was the best they'd ever played that song, and the crowd made sure they knew it.
"That song... is very special to me. Because we ARE more than our bodies." Those words alone were inspirational. But coming from The Prophet, someone with a very visible disability, carried a significant amount of weight. "And believe me when I say how fully you can live... when you're not afraid to die. But I could never rise back up and relive my glory without the entire Kuro tribe by my side. So, let them hear it!"
He gave every band member their moment in the spotlight as he called them out by name. The Skjoldånd, The Sovereign, The Tiger and the Mystic.
"We have one more song for you tonight before Hexed takes the stage." He played a few of the opening notes on his keyboard, letting them ring in the silence. The crowd started to cheer. "This song... is for anyone who ever tried to tell you how to live... They know who they fucking are!"
He repeated the opening notes on his keyboard and the rest of the band joined enthusiastically. It was the most important song of the night, not only because it was their first single, but also because it was a personal message from Dee to two people in that crowd in particular. And they all wanted to help him spit that vitriol.
Even after the short stint on his feet earlier, the rest of Kuro knew Dee wouldn't hold back. What surprised them, though, was how quickly he made his way to center stage - a whole verse sooner than they'd rehearsed. It took noticeable effort, but he was determined. Jay knew that. And tonight, out of all nights, was the time to defy expectations. The guitarists slid back, jamming back to back as they gave their singer the spotlight.
The Prophet walked to the very edge of the stage and screamed the bridge with every ounce of his strength. The walls themselves were probably shaking right along with Dee's weakened muscles.
As the Tiger leaned into his solo, the Prophet leaned forward. He pointed to several of his friends and fellow musicians in the front row. "Give me a lift!"
Rekker, Joe and many of the others were more than happy to oblige. The stunned look on everyone's faces when Dee gave them two thumbs up and did, in fact, freefall off the stage said that this part was definitely not rehearsed. The Dogs in front of the stage were equally surprised and tried to grab him. But the other musicians were taller, and they pulled The Prophet up and over, hoisting him in the air.
To their credit, no one skipped a note. The Prophet belted the final chorus on his back, the crowd going wild as they all pushed and shoved to get their hands under him for even a split second. As light as he was, keeping him up over the crowd wasn't difficult. But he was entirely at their mercy.
Instead of guiding him back up to the stage, he ended up in the back of the theater. Where, thankfully, Damien and several of his top Dogs were there to intercept him. Damien grabbed him around the chest, while the others made a hole. He tenuously held the singer upright, but it was obvious that he'd have dropped had anyone tried to leave him on his feet.
Still, The Prophet shouted, "Thank you, Cleveland! Remember! Never give in, never back down, and keep that energy going for Hexed!!"
As security spun him around, he finally saw them - his parents - standing awkwardly in the back of the venue. They tightly clutched their bags of Kuro merchandise as they locked eyes with their son. Their expression was hard to place - shock and surprise had given way to nervousness, pride, regret and even relief, all barely contained and threatening to bubble over. His mother gulped, her weight shifting imperceptibly closer. His father looked away.
Dee looked like he might just bubble over himself. Thankfully, before he could, one of the Dogs made a grab for his wireless receiver and switched off his mic. The lights went down on stage and Damien steered him quickly out the back door before anyone could cause an even bigger scene.