Luminous

Sound and light emerged as twins every time Leo hit the keys. Deep hits and ripples of soft, colourful light filled the room. Sharp taps and luminous shapes appeared hovering over peoples’ stretched-up hands. The audience, thrilled with the audiovisual spectacle, was rocking in the musical atmosphere Leo was erecting.

And how amazing it was to perform in this place. Leo had always been a regular in “The Round”. As a teenager, he went to the youth centre based here. Here he learned to play music and experienced his first mixed reality musical performance. Years later, he had remained a regular visitor. He would hang out at the bar in the lobby after work from time to time and rarely missed a Thursday’s Gig in the Music Room.

Although Leo had been part of the local creative community since he was a teenager, being more reserved, he usually was on the audience’s side. This time he mustered the courage and swiped on the open call for local talent to perform at this year’s Knowsley Summer Performance Festival. A few auditions and about a dozen rehearsals later, he was in the line-up for the opening night.

The performing event attracted people from Knowsley and visitors from nearby areas who gathered at the courtyard of the Round this last Friday of June. Being able to experience music together on this summer night felt so liberating. People felt carefree and optimistic, like they were on holiday, temporarily leaving behind personal struggles and shared anxieties.

Leo, on the other hand, was feeling restless. He had never played for such a large audience, and now he would do it with a piece he produced himself. He started somewhat anxiously, but everyone seemed to enjoy the ambience he created on the small stage. The vibe coming from the audience uplifted him. More confident, he began to soak the entire room in an atmosphere of sound and light. Soon his audience was mesmerized.

The piece was completed - he woke up his immersed audience with soft sounds and an almost imperceptible breath of light and left the stage before the room was flooded with frantic likes.

It was a good night for him. In the yard, he found Greg and Patrick waiting for him. His friends applauded him the old-fashioned way and lifted their glasses; Leo grinned awkwardly. He was feeling thrilled but couldn’t express it.

“Put the specs back on; the next show is about to begin”, he urged them, so they would lift their attention from him, and they obeyed, turning to watch an animated wallpaper crawling up the walls of the building.

“You were amazing in there” he heard a familiar, deep voice behind him and took off his glasses. The holograms were lost. In front of him was the dimly lit face of Alex Smith. He lost his words for a moment but managed to say, “Thank you”. He actually said it three times, which made Greg take off his specs to see what caused this awkward tension. Alex Smith’s face said, “nice to see you again,” and a crooked smile formed. Before thinking of something to respond, Leo heard, “I’ll see you around”, and Alex’s rugged face was no longer there.

Leo felt a bit short of breath. He hadn’t seen Alex in so long, and now he didn’t even manage to speak. His blissfulness had subsided. He looked performatively at his luminous wrist to act out an excuse and go home.

Likes from the performance flashed triumphantly on his wrist. The good vibes uplifted him once more. In a moment, he brought his hand close to his mouth and uttered:

“Message Alex Smith”.