At this moment, Shen Yutong and Su Yajing had already walked past together, and Zhou Wang was also curious about how Wu Lei had managed to invite a band of this caliber—
Although they weren’t considered top tier, compared to other resident bands, they definitely counted as a "celebrity band".
As for Su Man and Miao Ying, they didn’t move at all, obviously not very interested in this kind of thing.
"Thanks, thanks..."
When Zhou Wang went over, Su Yajing and the others were already chatting with "Rooftop Cat", and the band members were quite approachable, smiling politely all the time.
Wu Lei probably knew what Zhou Wang wanted to ask, so he briefly explained the process to him.
Actually, it wasn’t that complicated. Some of the hottest bars and livehouses cooperated with Xinghui Travel. Wu Lei found the owner of one of them. After some coordination, they helped communicate with the band performing tonight, resulting in this "private concert".
Besides the connections, the most important thing was that Zhou Wang used "Money Power".
He had already told Wu Lei in advance, no matter the price the band normally charged for a bar performance, he was willing to pay triple, and more if necessary.
Singing in a bar for a night is the same as singing in Zhou Wang’s house for a night, and they could make more money, so why not?
Even those hoping to build fame through viral bars wouldn’t mind one night like this.
The honest truth is... when it comes down to it, who isn’t short on cash when you’re stuck doing bar gigs?
In the music industry, unless they’re from wealthy families, most musicians are broke before making it big because this path requires complete dedication.
According to incomplete statistics, before the show "Huaxia Hip-hop" aired, an average of thousands of rappers went hungry every day...
"This folk band has been getting a lot of buzz lately because their lead singer is ’Rooftop Cat’. Even though their contract with the bar hasn’t expired, their prices have gone up, and now their performance fee for a single hour has reached 8,000..."
"How much?" Zhou Wang was taken aback.
"Uh, it’s 8,000..."
Wu Lei couldn’t tell if Zhou Wang thought it was expensive or cheap, so he repeated it.
Zhou Wang gritted his teeth; he found it surprisingly inexpensive...
Though thinking about it, it wasn’t so strange. Back in college, Zhou Wang had asked nearby bars if they needed resident singers and had fantasized about making a living by performing... huh, selling his talent.
Even though he didn’t pass the bar’s interview, Zhou Wang remembered that the usual pay for having a singer perform for a night was about 500 to 600.
Considering a whole band of five people, even at five times the rate for singers, it indeed wouldn’t exceed 3,000. Given this calculation, the "Rooftop Cat" band getting 8,000 for a night was quite a lot.
If it weren’t for that unexpected viral video, they probably wouldn’t even be getting 5,000 under normal circumstances...
Famous singers make a lot, but the industry still follows the 80/20 rule, with most struggling at the bottom. "Rooftop Cat" was already one of the better ones among them.
Spending a few grand to get a small but famous band for a private concert, Zhou Wang naturally felt it was worth it.
Later, with Wu Lei’s introduction, Zhou Wang got acquainted with the band members.
This process was rather interesting.
Upon learning that Zhou Wang was today’s financial backer and the owner of this place, the five band members showcased different attitudes.
If you break it down, the lead singer "Rooftop Cat" and the female guitarist seemed quite enthusiastic towards Zhou Wang, while the other three rock youths appeared somewhat indifferent.
But Zhou Wang knew they weren’t intentionally giving him a hard time; it was just an artist’s usual dilemma.
They wanted to cater to the world yet couldn’t fully lower their pride, ending up either cursing while compromising or staying broke on the road of disillusionment.
After a while, with the instruments set, and drinks laid out on the table, "Rooftop Cat" glanced at Zhou Wang. Seeing him nod, she turned to signal the band members.
"That year, you embarked on a dusky strange land, thinking there lies your dreams..."
As soon as the girl started singing a cappella, Zhou Wang was amazed.
A rendition of "In a Strange Land" by Shui Mu Nian Hua was given a different clarity and simplicity with her voice.
In a live setting, without the studio’s tuning, most singers would have flaws, but "Rooftop Cat" had exceptionally solid fundamentals. It was during this face-to-face listening that Zhou Wang realized their modest fame wasn’t just about looks.
They had real talent.
Pouring a glass of cold Fenghua Xueyue beer, in the small courtyard under flickering lights, listening to a renowned band’s special performance, the ambiance hit just right...
Without the chaos and noise of a bar, both Su Yajing swaying to the music and Su Man with slightly narrowed eyes felt a unique joy.
"Cheers, to everyone’s success!"
In good spirits, Zhou Wang was the first to raise his glass, downing the beer in his cup in one gulp.
Su Yajing and Shen Yutong also drank theirs in one go. Miao Ying drank a bit less, and after some hesitation, Su Man, urged on by Su Yajing, finished her drink too.
A shade of red spread across Su Man’s cheeks, and surrounded by the enchanting folk tunes, she finally felt a long-awaited relaxation.
Not having to go to a bar to enjoy that bar-like atmosphere, this feeling was absolutely her kind of thing!