When no one shows up to your concert, but you decide to hold it anyway

Posted on Saturday, 20 August 2022 - 7:16pm by Lieutenant Tazuko Miyahara & Lieutenant Konata Hiiragi

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Officers Lounge, Deck 3

For the past few days since departure, Konata had been leaving flyers in the Standing Bear's public spaces that she and Tazuko were going to hold a concert in the officers lounge, and had been telling people not to miss it. Finally, the date on the flyers had come, and the time Konata and Tazuko had reserved the officers lounge for had arrived. The two had gotten to the lounge early to set up. When they were finished tuning their instruments, it was just about time for the concert to start. However, Konata and Tazuko found themselves on a stage overlooking an otherwise deserted lounge.

"Dangit;" Konata grumbled, looking at the chronometer on the wall. "I knew I should have slid PADDs under doors."

"Maybe it's just that not a lot of people are interested in this 20th century music?" Tazuko suggested. "You know, perhaps we should just get out of here."

"Hell no;" Konata responded. "We've got the lounge for two hours, and I fully intend to hold this concert, audience or not."

Konata stepped up to the microphone.

"Alright, greetings everyone; thank you to everyone who remembered the date and showed up, which is nobody, but that's okay; because we've got a great show for all you folks tonight, but first, allow me to introduce the band; on lead guitar, we've got myself, Konata Hiiragi! You may know me better as your ship's doctor. And covering Piano and lead vocals, we've got my wife of 17 years, Tazuko Miyahara! Tonight, we're gonna take you back to the 20th century and the legendary music of the group Queen!"

Konata turned to Tazuko.

"Well, honey; take it away!" She said. "As they say, the show must go on!"

Konata's cue was for the two of them to open with the Queen song that shared Konata's closing remark:

"Empty spaces, what are we living for?
Abandoned places, I guess we know the score. On and on,
Does anybody know what we are looking for?
Another hero, another mindless crime
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime
Hold line.
Does anybody want to take it anymore?

The show must go on!
The show must go on, yeah
Inside my heart is breaking
My makeup may be flaking, but my smile still stays on

Whatever happens, I leave it all to chance
Another heartache, another failed romance. On and on,
Does anybody know what we are living for?
I guess I'm learning
I must be warmer now
I'll soon be turning, around the corner now
Outside the dawn is breaking
But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free.

The show must go on!
The show must go on!
Inside my heart is breaking
My makeup may be flaking, but my smile still stays on"

Konata performed a guitar solo that she liked to believe was on par with Brian May.

"My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
Fairy tales of yesterday, grow but never die
I can fly, my friends!

The show must go on!
The show must go on!
I'll face it with a grin,
I'm never giving in
On with the show!"

More guitar solo from Konata.

"I'll top the bill
I'll overkill
I have to find the will to carry on
(On with the show.)
The show!

The show must go on!"

Konata stepped back up to the mic.

"Thank you, Standing Bear, you've been a great audience so far, and there's much more where that came from!" She said. "Now, this next one is a bit near and dear to both myself and Taz, as it's the song we danced to at our wedding. It's a bit tough for us to sing by ourselves, so feel free to sing along if you know the words..."

"Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality.

Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see
I'm just a poor boy
I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go
Little high, little low
Any way the wind blows
Doesn't really matter to me.
To me."

Tazuko began the piano ballad section.

"Mama,
Just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead.
Mama,
Life had just begun
But now, I've gone and thrown it all away!
Mama, oooh,
Didn't mean to make you cry
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on,
As if nothing really matters..."

Some more piano before heading into the next verse:

"Too late
My time has come
Sends shivers down my spine
Bodies aching all the time
Goodbye, everybody
I've got to go
Got to leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, oooh,
I don't want to die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all!"

From here, Konata took things away into the guitar solo, leading into the opera section, where Tazuko took over with the piano:

"I see a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will you do the Fandango?
Thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening me
Galileo, Galileo
Galileo, Galileo
Galileo Figaro - Magnifico! (Oh, oh, oh)

I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?
Bismillah! No, we will not let you go
(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go
(Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go
(Let me go) Will not let you go
(Let me go) (Never) Never let you go
(Let me go) (Never) Let you go (Let me go) Ah
No no no no no no no
Oh mama mia, mama mia
Mama mia, let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me
For meeee!"

Back to Konata on guitar for the "headbang section"

"So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?
So you think you can love me and leave me to die?
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby
Just got to get out, just got to get right out of here:"

More headbang section, giving way to the outro:

"Nothing really matters
Anyone can see
Nothing really matters...
Nothing really matters to me..."

Konata bowed as Tazuko finished the piano work.

"Any way the wind blows..."

Konata and Tazuko immediately moved into the next song without making any commentary.

"I'd sit alone and watch your light
My only friend through teenage nights
And everything I had to know
I heard it on my radio

You gave them all those old time stars
Through wars of worlds, invaded by Mars
You made 'em laugh, you made 'em cry
You made us feel like we could fly

So don't become some background noise
A backdrop for the girls and boys
Who just don't know, and just don't care
And just complain when you're not there

You had your time, you had the power
You've yet to have your finest hour
Radio (radio)

All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga
All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio blah blah
Radio, what's new?
Radio, someone still loves you"

Konata and Tazuko exchanged a glance before the second verse began. Sure, they were nuts for performing for an empty lounge, but they were both having fun, and that was all that mattered:

"We watched the shows, we watched the stars
On videos for hours and hours
We hardly need to use our ears
How music changes through the years

Let's hope you'll never leave, old friend
Like all good things, on you we depend
So, stick around, 'cause we might miss you
When we grow tired of all this visual

You had your time, you had the power
You've yet to have your finest hour
Radio (radio)

All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga
All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga
All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio blah blah
Radio what's new?
Someone still loves you."

As the music finished, Konata knew what was coming next to segue into the next song. Though she would do it if still nobody showed up, she was secretly hoping someone, anyone would walk in the door to make it less awkward.

To Be Continued...