Chapter 360 Mayday

Hearing Xu Xiangjie's words, Zhou Yan was surprised, "So fast?"

Zhou Yan knew that Xu Xiangjie was very capable, but he did not expect that his efficiency would be so high. The things he was told just last night came to fruition this morning.

Xu Xiangjie walked to the desk and handed a piece of information to Zhou Yan, "Luckily, I only made two calls and asked. Mr. Zhou, take a look and see if this band is what you are looking for."

Zhou Yan took the information and was stunned after just one glance.

This information is very simple and handwritten.

It contains the names of several members of the band, a contact information, and the school where they are located.

This band is indeed very young, and they are basically in college.

There are now four people in the band, and Zhou Yan was surprised because he saw the name of lead singer Chen Xinhong at the first sight.

Isn't this Ashin?

Then he saw guitarist Wen Shangyi, drummer Qian Youda and bassist Cai Shengyan.

At this moment, Zhou Yan was able to confirm that this so band was Mayday.

Looking at the information in his hand, Zhou Yan smiled. He didn't expect that Xu Junrong and the others could not find potential newcomers for such a long time before collecting information. Now he casually dug and found the big fish of Mayday.

Seeing the smile on Zhou Yan's face, Xu Xiangjie also laughed, "It seems I didn't make a mistake."

"It should be them." Zhou Yan nodded and revealed to Xu Xiangjie why he wanted to find this band, "Yesterday Wu Bai came over and when we were chatting, he mentioned to me that this band was good, so I took it to heart. I still believe in his vision.”

"Oh, it turns out it was recommended by Wu Bai." Xu Xiangjie suddenly said.

He was still wondering why Zhou Yan suddenly wanted to find this orchestra. Did Zhou Yan entrust other parties to collect information about the Taiwan Island Music Festival besides the Zhou family?

"Teacher Zhou, do you want me to check out this band? It just so happens that they will be singing at my friend's bar tomorrow and the next two days."

"Two days from tomorrow..." Zhou Yan muttered, "When do they usually sing?"

"The singing in this bar usually starts at half past eight and ends at one o'clock in the morning."

"Is the intensity so high?"

Four and a half hours, this intensity is not too high.

"The time is not short, but it's impossible to sing all the time. There will be breaks in between."

Zhou Yan pouted, let alone performing in a bar, he couldn't bear to stay in the bar for more than four hours.

Unless it's a quiet bar like a coffee shop, Zhou Yan's ears will feel uncomfortable if he stays there for a long time.

After thinking about it, Zhou Yan said, "After the show ends tomorrow night, let's go over and have a look."

"Do you want to tell the bar owner?" Xu Xiangjie asked.

Zhou Yan shook his head, "There's no need to say hello. You can reserve a seat in advance and try to be as quiet as possible."

"clear."

…

It rained continuously for three days in Taiwan, and outdoor concert performances were also suspended for three days.

Also because there was no outdoor encore, Zhou Yan and the others arrived at the bar at eleven o'clock the next night.

Wang Zuxian also went along.

When he saw Wang Zuxian, Xu Xiangjie was slightly surprised, but he didn't think much about it. After all, Zhou Yan and Wang Zuxian were good friends. Wang Zuxian went to the concert hall tonight, and it was normal for them to go to the bar together afterward.

Even if there was something between Zhou Yan and Wang Zuxian, Xu Xiangjie would not ask too much. He was a smart man and knew what to ask and what not to ask.

Xu Xiangjie booked a booth in advance. The location was good, not too far from the stage, and there were not many guests around, which met Zhou Yan's requirements.

When they arrived, there was no one on the stage.

After Xu Xiangjie went to ask, he came back and said to Zhou Yan, "The orchestra is taking a break. It is estimated that they will go on stage in a few minutes."

Zhou Yan nodded, "Don't worry, since you're here, just sit down for a while. The atmosphere of this bar is not bad."

"This store is relatively new. The owner was also a singer in his early years and released records, but the development was mediocre. Later he opened a bar. Unexpectedly, the music career did not develop, but the bar did prosperously. This is the first time he has opened it. There are three branches.”

Zhou Yan nodded secretly. If the other three stores are similar in size to this one, it means that the boss is still very strong. Such a store requires a lot of investment.

Moreover, opening a place like a bar anywhere in the world requires some connections. The fact that the boss can open four bars in a row also shows that he has connections.

"Since you're here, let's have a drink. The consumption tonight is mine. After all, it's so late and I have to drag you to work overtime. I feel bad about it."

Xu Xiangjie smiled and said, "Then I won't be polite to you. If you two want to drink anything, I'll get it for you."

"Do as you like. You know this place better, so you can make arrangements."

"Okay, got it."

After Xu Xiangjie left, Wang Zuxian put his hand on his chin and said, "It's been a long time since I came to the bar."

"Me too."

The last time Zhou Yan went to a bar was in London, England. The Backstreet Boys performed at the Water Rat Bar, and Zhou Yan went to check it out.

Wang Zuxian glanced at the empty stage and said, "It seems you are very interested in this band."

Zhou Yan doesn't really like places like bars, and he just finished a performance today, and now it's very late, but he still runs over to take a look, which naturally shows that Zhou Yan attaches great importance to this orchestra.

"It's not all for them. I've been working these days and have less time to spend with you. I'm going back to Yanjing tomorrow. I'll take this opportunity to take you out to relax."

"Third brother, I find that you are getting better and better at coaxing people." Wang Zuxian smiled, "If you feel embarrassed, then hurry up and finish the script and show it to me. I still don't know what I'm going to shoot."

"The first draft of the script has been completed in the concert hall today."

"Really? Then show it to me after we go back later."

"Why don't we show it tomorrow morning? It will be late when we go back later."

Wang Zuxian shook her head firmly, "No, I have to watch it tonight, otherwise I can't sleep."

Zhou Yan smiled, "It's good that you can't sleep, let's do something else."

Wang Zuxian spat, "Not serious."

The two were flirting, and Xu Xiangjie came back after taking the order, "It's already ordered, and it will be delivered in a while."

"Thank you for your hard work."

...

The food they ordered was delivered quickly, and the three of them chatted while drinking.

About ten minutes later, several young talents walked onto the stage.

The members were dressed very simply, and even looked a little immature. The lead singer Chen Xinhong, who was standing in the front, was tall and thin, with short hair, side-parted, and a dark complexion.

Although Chen Xinhong's image at this time was very different from later, Zhou Yan still recognized him at a glance.

Chen Xinhong held the microphone and said with a smile, "Sorry, I've kept you waiting for a long time. The song I'm going to sing next is called "Weakness", which is also our so band's original song. I hope you like it."

Zhou Yan became interested when he heard that they were going to sing original works.

However, he had never heard of this song "Weakness". Many of Mayday's songs were very popular, and Zhou Yan didn't pay much attention to them. He basically listened to songs like "Gentleness", "Suddenly I Miss You", and "Stubbornness".

He also wanted to hear what the creative style of Mayday was at this stage.

When the prelude of the song sounded, Zhou Yan frowned. To be honest, this prelude was very ordinary, and the first impression it gave people was that it was simple and noisy, and the style was very wild.

In fact, it is impossible to make the prelude of this kind of pop songs more complicated. They always follow the same direction, and they can only use a few instruments, namely guitar, drums and bass. The bass is almost non-existent. Ordinary listeners can't feel the bass at all, and ordinary bands can't play the role of bass.

Of course, Zhou Yan doesn't pay much attention to these, because he didn't have much expectations. For pop songs, melody is still the most important. Let's see how Chen Xinhong sings.

After Chen Xinhong opened his voice, Zhou Yan frowned even more.

This song is not a question of whether it is good or not, but the style is too psychedelic, and Chen Xinhong's voice can't support this psychedelic style.

The song as a whole gives people a feeling of decadence and chaos. Zhou Yan even thought of Marilyn Manson. Of course, Chen Xinhong's singing is definitely not as exaggerated as Marilyn Manson.

But there is a good news, that is, this song can already see a little bit of the band's later creative style, which shows that Mayday's style has been initially formed.

In fact, as long as the lyrics are changed and the singing style is changed, this song can also become a sunny and positive lyrical rock.

Xu Xiangjie noticed Zhou Yan's frown and thought to himself that Mr. Zhou would probably be disappointed. It seems that Mr. Wu Bai's recommendation may not be useful.

Xu Xiangjie was naturally dissatisfied with the performance of so band, especially since he had high expectations before coming. This time, the gap was too big for him.

He did not see a single bright spot in this band.

Being able to create should be a bright spot, but this bright spot is nothing in the band. Which band can't create? The key is to see how the creation is.

The work does not have to be highly technical, as long as it sounds good.

What is considered good is not determined by one person, but by the public, and the reaction of the audience is obviously not ideal.

After Chen Xinhong finished singing a song on the stage, there was only sparse applause from the audience. Most people did not appreciate this song.

So Band probably realized that their original songs were not popular, so they did not sing original songs later, but sang some songs that were popular at the moment.

Although they did not sing other people's songs, the audience was still quite respectful and the response was good. After all, the level of bar singers is not very high, and So Band's level is pretty good.

However, Xu Xiangjie certainly could not ask them to perform at the level of bar singers. Huanyin must sign professional singers, and Chen Xinhong's singing level is very mediocre among professional singers...even mediocre is a bit conservative.

The only thing worth praising is that the band has a lot of energy and is very positive.

But for a band, it is probably difficult to make a living by relying on the energy on the stage.

After the band sang for fifty minutes, it took another round of rest. At this time, Zhou Yan suddenly said to Xu Xiangjie, "Xiangjie, go and get in touch with them."

Xu Xiangjie looked at Zhou Yan in disbelief, thinking that So Band's performance was so good, did Teacher Zhou still have to get in touch with them himself?

He seriously recalled the nearly one-hour performance of the band just now, trying to find the point he had overlooked, but he couldn't think of anything after thinking about it.

"Mr. Zhou, to what extent do you need me to contact them?" Xu Xiangjie asked carefully.

"Ask them if they are willing to sign a contract with our company."

If the noise in the bar was not very noisy at this time, Xu Xiangjie would have doubted whether he had heard it wrong.

Such a mediocre band actually signed with the company?

If someone else said this to Xu Xiangjie, Xu Xiangjie might have to remind him carefully for professional considerations that the probability of failure would be very high if he signed this band.

But Zhou Yan was in front of him.

Putting aside the fact that Zhou Yan was the second boss of their company, he was now an internationally renowned composer.

For Xu Xiangjie, Zhou Yan was definitely an authority in music. The key point was that this band was recommended by Wu Bai, which was equivalent to having two authorities.

When he disagreed with the authority, Xu Xiangjie would unconsciously doubt himself: Did I really overlook something?

Zhou Yan saw Xu Xiangjie's expression and knew that he was not optimistic about the So Band.

This is understandable. After all, their performance tonight was not satisfactory. The lead singer's singing skills were average, and the only original song they sang was not outstanding.

At this stage, Mayday did not show their talents.

Of course, if So Band was really outstanding, it would have been poached before Zhou Yan found out.

"Although the original songs are average, there is some potential. If you think about it a little, there should be a big change. Huanyin has too little business now, so signing such a band is not a bad thing."

Xu Xiangjie nodded. In any case, signing such a band would not cost much, and even if it failed, Huanyin would not lose anything.

Creative singers are the easiest to support, because you don't have to work hard to find songs for them. They can be self-sufficient. The key lies in the subsequent production and distribution, and this is still controlled by the company.

"I understand. I'll go there now."

After that, Xu Xiangjie stood up and walked towards Chen Xinhong and his team.

There is no backstage for performers to rest in a place like a bar. After Chen Xinhong and his friends left the stage, they sat around a table nearby.

When Xu Xiangjie arrived, several people were reviewing their performance.

"'Weakness' is a bit different. Let's change to an original song with high acceptance in the next show."

"That's right. If we continue like this, the boss will probably have an opinion."

"How do we know which song is more acceptable if we don't sing all the songs?"

"That's right. The last time we sang 'Weakness', the response was actually quite good, at least better than today."

"Ah Xin, do you want to put on some heavy makeup? When you sing 'Weakness', your stage presence should be more positive."

"No."

"Haha, I'm kidding. If you really put on heavy makeup, you'll scare the audience away when you go on stage."

"How about singing 'If Love Has Destiny'? Zhou Yan is holding a concert here recently, and this song has become quite popular again."

"My Cantonese is not very good. You know that the effect of singing is average."

"Sing the Japanese version. No one can understand it anyway."

...

The few people were chatting happily when Xu Xiangjie came up to them and said with a smile, "Ladies and gentlemen, can I talk to you?"

Hearing the voice, the few people looked at Xu Xiangjie at the same time, with puzzled expressions on their faces.

Wen Shangyi was the first to speak, "Brother, what do you want to talk to us about?"

Xu Xiangjie did not beat around the bush and directly took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Wen Shangyi, "I am Xu Xiangjie from the Art Department of Huanyin Records. I am very interested in your performance just now, so I want to invite you to join Huanyin."

"Huanyin?"

Wen Shangyi took the business card in doubt, but before he could see the words on it clearly, the business card was snatched away by Chen Xinhong.

Then the business card was passed back and forth among the several of them. After reading it, the doubts on their faces became stronger.

Qian Youda was the most vigilant. He had never heard of this Huanyin company, so he suspected that the guy in front of him might be a liar.

There are too many such liars disguised as scouts. They had encountered it once before.

At that time, they were also performing in a bar. A man who looked like a dog came over to hand over a business card and said exactly the same words as Xu Shangjie.

That time, they were so happy that they thought that their thousand-mile horse had met a good horse trainer and a bright future was beckoning to them.

Fortunately, Qian Youda was careful at the time and spent time tracking the other party, only to find out that the other party was a liar.

After that incident, they are now more cautious.

Qian Youda took the business card and asked tentatively, "Brother, is your Huanyin company newly opened? Why haven't I heard of it before?"

Xu Xiangjie nodded and said, "The company has indeed been opened for a short time, but don't worry, although we are a new company, our strength is not bad. Do you know Wu Bai? His business in Taiwan is now handled by our company."

Although Xu Xiangjie mentioned Wu Bai, Qian Youda and others still didn't believe it. The liar said that his company was responsible for the business of many well-known artists, and even showed them photos of himself with those celebrities.

"Do I have to pay a fee to sign a contract with your company?" Wen Shangyi was quick-witted and asked directly.

As soon as he heard Wen Shangyi's words, Xu Xiangjie knew that they had misunderstood him as a liar.

He said with a smile, "If you sign a contract with our company, not only will we not ask you for money, but we will also pay you a salary every month. Although the initial salary is not much, it will definitely be enough for your basic living."

"Will it not be a contract of selling one's body?"

Nowadays, some scammers do not cheat directly, because many people will not be fooled by direct scams, but they make tricks in the contract.

Some people were deceived into signing a contract of selling their bodies, and later they had to pay a ransom to redeem themselves.

It's okay not to pay, the copyright of all the works they created belongs to the company. (End of this chapter)