Chapter 355: Ignite

Many pop stars with similar record sales can't compare to Madonna in terms of concert performances. On one hand, most of Madonna's songs are highly suitable for live performances, and on the other, the Queen of Pop invests considerable effort in concert rehearsals and preparations.

One point worth noting is that Madonna has rigorously maintained her physical fitness to support the high demands of her world tours, transforming herself into an almost indestructible "Iron Barbie," a feat unmatched by many of her peers.

Thus, no one's success comes easily.

When the concert officially began, although many in the audience were there for Simon Westeros, the atmosphere heated up quickly with energetic songs and wild cheering.

After about thirty minutes, as Madonna finished singing "Holiday" and the stage lights dimmed, the audience immediately sensed that Simon Westeros was about to appear.

Indeed.

Under the dim lights, a figure slowly rose from below the stage, seemingly dressed in black, with a slightly blurry silhouette, but the strikingly designed double-neck guitar was faintly visible.

Madonna reappeared at the edge of the stage, spotlighted, microphone in hand, and loudly asked, "Who's coming up next?"

Mixed with shouts of 'Simon' and 'Westeros', the cries were mostly just screams.

Tens of thousands of people.

Deafening screams.

As the screams subsided, Madonna raised her hand towards the stage, her tone mysterious, and said, "Look, fire!"

A sudden shocking strum tore through the air.

Real flames burst forth.

Many in the audience even thought they were hallucinating.

But their attention was instantly captured.

A second strum.

A third.

With each sound, the spotlight focused on the figure at the center of the stage. It wasn't very bright, but clear enough for everyone to see the figure.

Dressed in a punk-style black outfit.

The guitar was like no other ever seen on stage, significantly larger than a regular electric guitar, with a steampunk-inspired white body and orange double-neck, and a metal tube running through the center extending above the neck, ending in a shiny silver exhaust pipe-like structure, almost like a sharp long knife.

If there were another person from another time who had seen George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road," they would instantly recognize this flamboyant flaming guitar.

There wasn't.

Yet, this did not diminish the awe the audience felt upon seeing this guitar.

On stage.

After three sharp sounds, the strings began to hum.

Rapid and deep.

It wasn't the much-anticipated "Flight of the Bumblebee."

It was more like.

An invasion and spread.

Many then recalled Madonna's final phrase; she didn't use her usual "Welcome, Simon Westeros," but instead said, "Look, fire!"

It was indeed fire.

It was definitely fire.

An entrance is important, this slightly teasing statement indeed holds true; whether it's Michael Jackson or Madonna, or many other superstars, they all insist on making it a point.

Since he decided to make an entrance, Simon did the same.

From the Madonna concert meeting in April, Simon had been pondering this, and during this time, he discussed it many times with Madonna's team.

The memory of the stunning "Mad Max: Fury Road" and that flamboyant flaming guitar led Simon to gather some of Hollywood's finest prop masters and guitar craftsmen to discuss its feasibility.

Ignoring costs, it was indeed made.

Then came the opening SOLO.

"Flight of the Bumblebee" was naturally the first consideration, but after trying it, the stage effect wasn't as impressive.

Simon also tried improvising.

Memories of many experiences taught Simon that a fast and passionate introduction would firmly capture the audience's attention.

However, inspired by the flaming guitar and previous practices, he ultimately composed a complete piece.

"Fire."

On stage, the aggressive tune sometimes fast, sometimes explosive, sometimes humming, sometimes bursting, increasingly gave the audience a sensation of spreading flames.

And.

Whenever the tune surged to its limit, flames would burst from the metal tube at the end of the double-neck guitar.

It wasn't an illusion.

There were really flames.

Then, the atmosphere ignited, and the venue erupted in wild screams again.

Backstage, watching the man freely expressing himself on stage, Janet looked on adoringly, she certainly wouldn't miss her beloved man's concert.

Under the stage, Lisa Collins, like many others around her, screamed wildly, subconsciously always glancing at the petite girl named Jennifer beside her, worried that the little girl, who was extremely excited and holding a placard, might faint.

Outside the Brenda Barry Arena, watching the performance on a giant screen, tens of thousands of people also began to scream wildly.

In homes across the nation, feeling the nearly burning hot atmosphere of the live concert, many regretted not flying to New York at all costs.

Although the guitar SOLO named "Fire" lasted only 2 minutes and 

20 seconds, it was destined to become a classic that countless guitar enthusiasts would strive to learn after tonight.

When the tune reached its final climax, the flame jets no longer intermittent, but wildly surged towards the sky as if to burn everything.

The stage's sound and lights became increasingly chaotic.

Then.

The glory faded, and it was darkness.

2 minutes and 20 seconds.

It was as if God snapped his fingers, and everything abruptly stopped, the stage returned to darkness.

"Ah!!"

"Ah!!!"

The screams on the venue were even crazier, with countless fans shouting a name towards the dark stage.

The darkness lasted a full three minutes, and so did the shouting.

Initially worried that their idol might be overshadowed by Madonna, the main act of the night, or might not meet their expectations, or even might just be a front as some gossip media suggested.

Now, all doubts, concerns, and questions vanished.

The figure just now, was their god.

Their deity.

This night, even if just for those 2 minutes and 20 seconds, was worth it.

Under the stage, Lisa Collins's emotions were the first to recover because of the crying of the petite girl beside her. She wanted to comfort the girl, but ultimately didn't move.

She made up her mind to find an opportunity to see that guy again soon.

She really wanted to touch him again!

When the stage lights came back on, the steampunk vibe had disappeared, and the stage was brightly lit.

The backing track started, and Madonna's fans immediately recognized her Latin-style dance track "la isla bonita," followed by Simon and Madonna appearing together on stage.

Simon had changed out of his black outfit into a casual white suit, and his guitar was also swapped for an acoustic one.

Madonna was in a fringed, glamorous dress.

As Madonna began to sing, Simon was both guitarist and backup dancer.

Effortlessly expressive, perfectly synchronized, it was hard to imagine that this was a man with a net worth of several billion dollars. It seemed he was meant to be the guitarist on stage, the backup dancer, the one who could easily steal the limelight from the lead actress.

After the song, although it wasn't as stunning as "Fire," the applause and cheers in the venue were still vigorous.

After Simon exited, the next half hour returned to Madonna's show.

Although the applause continued and the cheers persisted, everyone inevitably looked forward to the return of a certain figure.

Madonna had anticipated this situation but wasn't concerned.

Simon Westeros's role in this concert was meant to add a touch of flair, though this 'flair' overshadowed the 'fabric' but was meant as an embellishment.

Moreover, no matter what, Simon couldn't steal her job.

After this concert, there would still be tours in several states in the southern United States and in Europe. Madonna believed that due to tonight, the attendance for the remaining tours would definitely exceed expectations.

The concert lasted 120 minutes.

Simon was scheduled to appear three times, thus placed at 30, 60, and 90 minutes.

Of course, the final curtain call would definitely involve him coming out to greet the audience, counting "Fire," the guy was actually pulled onstage five times.

The audience could somewhat predict the rhythm of his appearances from Simon's first half-hour appearance.

As expected, an hour into the concert, Simon Westeros reappeared on stage.

The opening accompaniment was the unfamiliar ticking of a clock.

The audience stirred, tonight there would be two new songs.

Or rather, including "Fire," apparently three.

On stage, this time it was Madonna's guitar-friendly song called "Hung Up."

Simon and Madonna were positioned on opposite sides of the stage, each holding an electric guitar.

Their interactions across the stage, along with the singing, excited many in the audience, while some fans felt a bit jealous.

Hey, Westeros (Madonna) is mine!

Even with such interactions, some audience members began to speculate about the nature of their relationship.

Occasionally, the camera caught the ring on Simon Westeros's left ring finger.

Many also knew that Madonna was currently dating Warren Beatty, and to help promote Warren Beatty's new film "Dick Tracy," Madonna had even sung the theme song for the movie.

However.

Even with these speculations, apart from the very possessive die-hard fans, many in the audience were actually somewhat hopeful about something happening between the two.

When "Hung Up" ended, naturally, there was a half-hour wait.

90 minutes.

When Simon appeared on stage again, this time he and Madonna sat on two high stools near the front of the stage.

Madonna held a microphone, Simon wore a headset, and he had switched to another acoustic guitar.

Noticing these details, many in the audience realized something and quickly quieted down.

Madonna didn't disappoint and didn't start singing immediately. Instead, she turned to the man beside her and asked, "Simon, how are you feeling tonight?"

Simon smiled warmly and nodded, "Very good."

His first spoken words of the evening, a casual remark, triggered another wave of screams.

Madonna waited a moment, showing off a smug expression, and asked, "Seeing so many people here, are you envious?"

Simon still smiled, "Envious."

"Ah ah ah!!!"

"Simon!"

"Simon, I love you."

Another round of light screams.

Madonna paused again and then asked, "Simon, tell me, how many people are here tonight?"

Simon looked around seriously, with the accompanying shouts, "About a hundred thousand, I guess."

Madonna feigned dissatisfaction, "Although I also wish there were that many, this is only a forty thousand-person stadium, how could there be a hundred thousand?"

Simon seriously said, "It is a hundred thousand."

"Are you sure?"

Simon nodded confidently, glanced at Madonna's other side, his tone carrying a hint of natural assumption, "You're standing next to two."

Madonna followed Simon's gaze to her right, of course, there was nothing there, suddenly realizing something as if leaning towards the man beside her, "Hey, Simon, don't scare me."

Inside and outside the venue, many people then realized.

A hundred thousand.

It seems, perhaps, it should be, not just people!

Everyone recalled a rumor that had been circulating since last summer: Simon Westeros, is a medium.

Remembering that besides themselves, there were 60,000 other 'audiences' inside, many people, even understanding this might be a joke, still felt a bit creepy.

On stage, Madonna knew when to stop and quickly sat up straight again, saying, "OK, just a joke, so, next is 'Ghosttown,' for everyone."

"Ghosttown."

The clear guitar sound began.

This was still one of Madonna's songs, only originally released in 2015.

Simon chose this song because he had seen a live performance video where Taylor Swift accompanied Madonna, and their sitting together on stage now was exactly the scene from Simon's memory.

This song wasn't as explosive as Madonna's other songs, but still very suitable for engaging the audience's emotions.

Unconsciously, the audience started clapping along with the song's rhythm.

As the song reached its climax, both left their stools and walked towards the T-shaped stage end.

Amid the echoing applause, Simon's final song of the night was about to end.

Under the stage, Lisa Collins was somewhat excited, as Simon had clearly noticed her earlier, nodded, and smiled at her; she waved back at him.

Thinking about how to find an excuse to meet him, a sudden change occurred beside her.

The petite girl named Jennifer, seeing Simon was not far ahead, somehow found the strength and courage to suddenly climb onto the stage and rush towards the man.

Fans rushing the stage at concerts is not uncommon.

To prevent such sudden occurrences, the stage is usually guarded by security personnel, and Madonna's concert was no exception.

In fact, during the past one and a half hours of the performance, some fans had tried to rush the stage, but all had been successfully stopped.

The part of the stage near Lisa Collins was also guarded by security personnel, who had heightened their vigilance as Simon Westeros and Madonna approached. However, no one expected that a petite girl, who seemed unlikely to climb the over one-and-a-half-meter-high stage, would suddenly show such potential.

When several burly men rushed onto the stage, the petite girl was already tightly hugging Simon.

Fortunately, the last song had already ended, and Simon and Madonna were just about to return, so there was no awkward interruption in the rhythm.

Feeling the girl hugging him and crying while shouting his name, when a couple of security personnel tried several times without success to pull the girl away and were about to get rougher, Simon quickly raised his hand to stop them, and Madonna also waved her hand, indicating to those who had come onstage to go down and to prevent anyone else from rushing up.

The venue quieted down after a moment of disturbance, watching the scene on stage.

Many of Simon's fans, seeing the girl clinging to their idol, showed envious looks, regretting that they hadn't been bolder just now.

Now, there was no chance.

Security personnel stationed around the stage had raised their alertness to the highest level, and other fans who tried to rush the stage were stopped.

On stage, Madonna quietly left, while Simon patted the still-crying girl in his arms, speaking softly, "Don't cry, okay? I feel guilty seeing girls cry."

The girl, feeling no one pulling her anymore, finally calmed down, still tightly hugging the man in front of her, obediently nodded, and with some sobs said, "Mm, mm... I won't cry, Simon, I like you."

"Thank you," Simon said, then took the girl's hand, "Let's go over there."

The girl hes

itated, then obediently let go of Simon, allowing the man to lead her by the hand to the two high stools they had just left.

Sitting down, feeling the countless eyes from below, the girl seemed to finally realize what she had just done, shyly bowed her head, gently leaning against the man next to her, her small hand still tightly holding onto a piece of Simon's clothing.

Simon softly asked the girl next to him, "What's your name?"

"Jenny."

"A very nice name," Simon smiled, adjusted the guitar strings lightly, and said, "Then, I'll sing a song for you. What would you like to hear?"

"Any... anything."

Watching the warm interaction on stage, whether inside the venue, outside, or in front of TVs, many felt their hearts melting.

Simon thought for a moment, then said, "Well, 'Rocket Man' for Jenny, and for everyone, wishing you all happiness."

With that, the guitar began to play.

Elton John's "Rocket Man," which years later would become the theme song for the Rockets basketball team.

However, this song actually had nothing to do with basketball.

More so, it was about family, longing, wandering, loneliness, and love.

*...

*She packed my bags last night, pre-flight.

*Zero hour, 9 AM.

*And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then.

*Then I miss my home and my loved ones.

*...

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