From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Inhale. Exhale.

Then, once more.

Inhale. Exhale.

Lily tried to calm herself down, taking deep breaths in succession.

Unfortunately, the effect was limited. Even so, she could still clearly hear the sound of her heart pounding wildly, as if it might burst out of her chest at any moment.

Moreover, the nervous emotions infected others, to the point that Connor's breathing rhythm was also disrupted.

Finally, Connor couldn't hold back any longer. "God, Lily, you're distracting me so much that I'm almost forgetting how to breathe. I thought you were the most excited about performing, but now that the moment is here, you're radiating an aura of anxiety, like you can't wait to leave the studio."

Lily tried to force a smile—

Unfortunately, it failed.

Everything was new.

The studio, the makeup, the styling, the complete professional performance equipment, the prior rehearsals, the entire staff, and the audience members who were gradually entering.

Everything! The professionalism created by the entire atmosphere firmly gripped their hearts, making it difficult to breathe, with a sense of impending explosion.

Even Miles, who had once performed on the stage of Carnegie Hall, found the entire atmosphere of the television program different. Since the end of the rehearsal, he had been like a puppet, his whole person appearing slightly dull, looking like he was completely at their disposal, to the point that one might suspect his soul had left his body to become an Avatar.

Not to mention Lily and Connor, who had never experienced a truly grand scene.

Originally, Anson was also nervous.

Whether it was a talk show or a formal band performance, it was all a first for him, and the anticipation mixed with nervous apprehension ignited a small flame in his stomach.

But the stiffness and anxiety of his three other companions gradually calmed him down. If they were so nervous, at least he should remain calm.

Moreover, from the beginning, Anson had already made up his mind to enjoy this journey—

Not because he had a way out, but because every opportunity before him was an extra reward. Instead of bitterly worrying about the possibility of eternal damnation, he should firmly grasp every moment.

At this moment, hearing Lily and Connor's conversation, the corners of Anson's mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly. "Don't worry, this is a television program, not a live broadcast, but a pre-recording. If we make a mistake, we can just re-record it."

Lily: … …

Connor: … …

Miles was also stunned. He hadn't thought about this at all. The Carnegie Hall performance was completely live, and a single mistake could not be undone. Although they kept telling themselves that mistakes were part of a live performance, the mistakes were still branded into their bones and were always difficult to forget.

Miles, "Wait, really?"

Anson nodded. "Of course. Unless you make ten or eight mistakes in a row, then the production team might be too lazy to save you. Otherwise, they can definitely re-record it."

"If I remember correctly, 'SNL' is live. You know, 'Saturday Night Live,' the title emphasizes live. But other late-night talk shows are basically pre-recorded."

Huff.

Lily exhaled a long breath, and her tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

Anson changed the subject. "Even if we really make a mistake, it doesn't matter. Anyway, the audience in front of the television hasn't heard the correct melody, so we'll just pretend the wrong performance is the correct one, and then there won't be a problem."

Pfft.

Connor immediately laughed. "Anson, are you playing rogue?"

Anson looked calm and collected. "Otherwise, how do you think those Britpop bands have managed to hang around at various music festivals until now?"

One second, two seconds—

One or two people all chuckled quietly, and the tense atmosphere dissipated completely.

Unconsciously, Connor took another look at Anson. It seemed that anything that fell into Anson's hands became simple. Perhaps, this was indeed a turning point.

Even if it wasn't, failure didn't seem so scary anymore.

"Hey, guys, get ready."

"The Tonight Show" staff came to notify them, leading the four people around backstage, weaving through the plywood-built studio's narrow paths, cutting in from one side. Ahead were the audience members who had come to listen, and the recording was in progress on the stage built in front, while they were heading to the small stage next to it.

This small stage was originally the performance position for the show's regular band lineup.

"The Tonight Show" was slightly different from other talk shows. There were no musical guests here. Even if singers came to promote their albums, Jay Leno rarely, if ever, let them perform songs. The show was still mainly focused on conversation, so the regular band was stationed on the small stage and interacted with the host.

However, occasionally, very, very occasionally, Jay Leno was willing to showcase some different tricks.

Such as skit sketches, such as guessing games, such as musical performances.

While enriching the content of the program, it was also making some different attempts to see the audience's reaction.

Today, because the interview subject was a street band, there was no performance segment, and relying solely on the video recording inevitably lacked the impact of direct experience; therefore, the production team still arranged for a band performance, which was why Anson and the others had been practicing these past few days.

Now, the moment to take the stage had finally arrived.

Before this, Anson and the others had been rehearsing and putting on makeup, feeling dizzy and disoriented, and had never had time to inquire about the other guest group on "The Tonight Show" tonight. It wasn't until this moment that Anson saw them and couldn't help but be stunned—

The "Star Wars: Episode II" cast.

Subconsciously, Anson began to look around, trying to find Hayden's figure. After so much back and forth, he hadn't expected the opportunity to meet to actually be at a talk show recording site?

However, he wasn't there.

The three big names who came to record "The Tonight Show" today were Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Like the "Spider-Man" cast, the "Star Wars: Episode II" cast also didn't trust newcomers, worried that young actors would expose their shortcomings on talk shows; but relatively speaking, they were luckier in that their cast had a lot of big names, and even without Hayden, there were still other actors who bore the important responsibility of promotion.

According to the schedule, "Spider-Man" and "Star Wars: Episode II" chose to be released in the same month, with a two-week gap in between. Although there was no direct, head-on collision, the two works were undoubtedly the protagonists of this year's summer blockbuster collision.

They would see each other often, and even if it wasn't today, there would still be plenty of opportunities in the future to see Hayden at any time.

Quickly withdrawing his gaze, Anson regained his focus—

Today he came to "The Tonight Show" not for Hayden or "Spider-Man," but for the band performance.

Waiting for the band to be fully prepared, the floor director stood behind the camera and gave Jay Leno a hand signal.

Jay Leno understood and continued the interview for a little while longer, then announced the end of the first stage of the interview amidst a wave of light laughter.

"After the commercial break, a band that plays heavenly music on the streets of Manhattan will be visiting the show. We'll see you later."

The wait didn't last too long, and then the floor director was already looking at the band, raising his hand to signal—

Three. Two. One!