Alright, let's get this “Thinking About Staging Stuff to Make Our Shows Better And More Fun” meeting started!

What a title.

Hehe. It's certainly straight to the point.

Anyway, the first question we'll be dealing with is our concept... In other words, “What do we want the audience to feel while we're on stage?”

And don't forget that we're gonna be opening for Free Cluster.

Our job is to warm them up and get a good atmosphere going.

Yeah! Okay...
Then, do we want to aim for “The show's started! I'm so excited!”?

We do want to get them excited. That way they'll be looking forward to Ms. Naruse's performance even more.

In that case... Blue Moments is a more fun and up-tempo song, so why don't we make it the second song we play instead?

Actually, I think it's fine where it is.

We need to get their attention with our first song, so we should start with our most recognizable—

Wait, that sounds like Ichi and the girls!
When did they get here?!

Oh, it is them.

Do you think they're talking about that big show they're doing soon? We should go help them!

Rin, wait.

Huh?

It sounds like they're having a very serious discussion. We probably shouldn't interfere.

Okay☆ In that case, we should think about other ways we can help them!

I'll go grab the others!

Then, we'll play Blue Moments first.

Okay! We're gonna raise the roof so hard they won't know what hit them!

Which brings us to our next point.
How are we going to play it?

The intro's gonna need to have a bigger impact than normal. We could add reverb, while you go hard on the drums.

I agree. We can try experimenting later. Does anything else immediately come to mind?

Hmm... It'd be great to have the crowd sing along with us or do call-and-response like Ms. Naruse said she does with her band...

But most of the people there aren't gonna know the words to our songs.

Then, how else can we get them going?

By coming up with a new arrangement? Improvising? Or by adding sections where we can show off our technical skills...?

Those are all valid options.

But nothing we do will matter unless we can do it at the level of quality that Free Cluster's fans are expecting to hear.

So if we're going to do this, we have to do it all the way.

Yeah, we know.

Anyway, let's continue.
If we're going to improvise...

That should do it for our first song.

Now we just need to hammer out the details by actually putting our ideas to the test.

Anyway, for our second song... Let's see...

Oh, before we move on, why don't we take a short break?

We've been at it for quite a while already...
Taking a moment to breathe may help us come up with some good ideas.

Yeah, sounds good.

Then, we'll resume in ten.

Okay!

Working hard, everyone?

Oh... Hi, Miku!
Wait, you're all here?

Ta-daa! We brought snacks! Have as much as you like♪

Well, it's just the snacks you girls brought us the other day, but still.

Thank you so much...!
Were you all waiting for us to take a break?

It sounded like you were all having a very serious discussion, so we didn't want to interrupt.

Can you tell us what you were talking about?

We were discussing the staging for our next performance.

Ms. Naruse gave us some advice when she came over to coach us, and...

I see...
You have to use everything you've got to guide the audience's experience...

Hearing that made us realize how we'd been glossing over that until now.

We should have been using every aspect of the whole show to guide our audience's feelings the way we want...

But those other factors, like the concept of the show, effects, crowd interaction... We haven't thought about those much at all.

Right.

First, we need to figure out how we want them to feel. Then, we have to find a way to make that happen.

We have to think harder, and dig deeper.

Hehe. This is so exciting.

Huh?

You all want very much to move the hearts of as many people as possible with Leo/need's music, yes?

And with that wish as your driving force, you've already touched the lives of so many.

She's right.
We've all been moved by what you do, too.

Even now, you're all trying to improve so that you can put on performances which are truly compelling to your listeners...

So, I'm very much looking forward to seeing what kind of show you girls put on.

Miku...

I agree.

We can't wait to hear what the new and improved Leo/need is going to sound like.

Thank you. We promise not to disappoint.

Anyway, we'll get out of your way.

Good luck, girls!

Thanks...!

We need to make the most of the support Miku and the others have given us.

Yeah. So let's get some good ideas lined up.

Alright, so next up...
star trail is the last song we'll be playing.

So, we'll want to set the stage for Ms. Naruse and the others by pumping the audience up and getting them ready to see more.

Then, to get them really excited, let's try to make it sound like we're moving forward into the future...!

We usually start out kinda slow when we play it, so why don't we give it a bit more pep with brighter riffs and a springier sound?

In that case, we'll also want to change up our lighting a bit. What if we...