Tyrannian Concert Hall Bands: An Origin Story

     Each week I’ve been profiling famous bands, how they got their big break and the impact they have had on Neopian society. An unknown source has communicated an essentially VIP pass for me to chat with the bands, the band managers and all the people that gave them breaks along the way. So, without further ado, let us chat about M*YNCI!

     Bustin, CJ, Chance, Crisp, and Joe have not always been the members of an ultra-successful boy band in Neopia. They were destined to be stars though.

     In 2001, an advertisement was placed in the Neopian times for energetic, expert vocalists that were also good at dancing. All across Neopia, people filtered into Mystery Island. Tourism was booming with the tryouts. The beach was the location of tryouts, but the long lines reached far past even the Island Mystic! Aspiring dually talented vocalists and dancers battled it out on the sandy shores of the Island, singing and dancing their hearts out. Out of the many, many Neopets that tried out, ten were selected as finalists, and surprisingly five of those finalists were Myncis!

     “Honestly, I’m not too surprised!” Said a chipper CJ in a recent interview. “Mynci’s are known for their legendary dance moves. Our strong tails can really assist in some radical steps!”

     “It was really fun to make the final ten. I’d worked for a long time perfect my vocals, and my natural talent dancing made auditions so fun!” Crisp added in.

     Bustin recalled, “I think Joe and Chance were having the most fun though! I’m not sure they even remembered they were in an actual audition. They were such naturals, dancing and singing so gracefully like they were already in the band on the great concert stage.”

     The five Mynci’s impressed the band’s future manager, Lionel the White Lupe. He remembers the day he told the five they got the job. “There really wasn’t any competition. The fact that they were all Mynci’s really wasn’t a requirement, they were just the best there was! There was so much natural cohesiveness and chemistry, that I really didn’t need to build a team or band, they just clicked. There has never been a more natural joining of bandmates. The talent was there, the togetherness was there, it was time to make an album!”

     The five set out to make an album. Bustin remembers it being a little tricky at first.

     “I think the biggest problem is that no one really knew us. And we were doing a thing no one had seen before. There weren’t boy bands or girl bands before us, there was just sort of rock and roll. And that’s great, it really is, there just wasn’t a waiting space for us. We had to make it. We had to carve our part of history. We had to elevate our names. It was up to us to show the world our version of pop,” Bustin emotionally recalled.

     Lionel had to find a way to involve the community and get them to learn about the band before their album was out. So, he brainstormed a way to get the band “out there.”

     The solution? Community dance parties! After a song was written, Lionel would advertise the community dance lesson and party on the beach at Mystery Island. Each song had corresponding dance moves and special steps M*YNCI would perform. They would teach the public their dance moves. Before the album was even released, the Mystery Island community knew all the words and the dance steps, and could follow along with the boy band vivaciously (there is really no party like a Mystery Island party!). This community rallied around the newly formed M*YNCI and supported them right out of the gates.

     CJ was amazed at the idea. “I know it’s a little unorthodox, releasing singles at community dance parties, but I think it really made our people feel like they were part of the group. It wasn’t just us five, it was truly all of us coming together and creating these memories and having the time of our lives.”

     “Lionel is a creative genius. There is a reason he is the best in the business. He refines talent and made gold, pure and simple.” Crisp said admiringly.

     Lionel, blushing in his humility said, “Thank you guys for the lovely compliments. I think it’s important to understand that dancing is universal. Having fun, sharing a laugh, nothing is more bonding. Besides, that was such a joy for me personally, those early days. No one passes up a community dance party on Mystery Island. Jovially, Lionel laughed fondly at a memory long passed.

     So, these community dance parties really readied the group and their supporters at the Label. Lionel was ready to prove his theory. The album was ready to be released. With the album release, a tour would begin. It was game time.

     “Butterflies, definitely, but I never really was worried it would flop. I guess in my mind, we’d had so much fun auditioning, then writing and learning all the new songs, and with the community involvement, I counted it all a success already,” CJ bounced happily.

     It was a raging success. Their single “Hi Hi Hi” already soared to number one on the Neoboard Hall of Fame and on Neoradio, it was a hit too.

     “Lionel told me the day after our ‘Hi Hi Hi’ single launched that there wasn’t a platform we used that it wasn’t a hit on. I was shellshocked!” CJ laughed.

      There wasn’t a Mystery Island Native that didn’t have the CD. The launch party was on the Beach they all met at of course.

     “There was really no other option for location of the launch party, and it’s great for local business!” Lionel chipped in, always with business on his mind.

     The launch party was legendary. The excitement couldn’t be contained within Mystery Island, there was already talk of the most anticipated album of the year all across Neopia. The launch party was packed- from bouncing Blumaroo’s of Roo Island, to palace Skeiths of Meridell, the flying faeries of Faerieland, and even Kauvra from Neopia Central took a much-needed break during an extended restocking clear and made her way down to the party. The album sold like hot cakes, shattering record after record, going ultra platinum.

     “It wasn’t long before Skalpo was knocking on my door and calling my mobile asking M*YNCI to be headline at the Tyrannian Concert Hall. It was a natural fit. After some pretty intense pricing negotiations, Skalpo and I reached an agreement and now M*YNCI has recurring concert dates, in addition to their rigorous touring schedule,” Lionel said proudly.

     Skalpo remarked, “I really couldn’t *NOT* have M*YNCI came to play. They really were the hottest boy band there was and maybe the hottest boy band there will ever be. Their band is legend, and so they deserve a spot in my concert hall. You have to be a legend and these fellas are. Lionel was being nice when he said I was calling and knocking. I was begging and calling every few minutes. I needed them here. There are certain artists that elevate the atmosphere and the strong community element really elevated their platform.”

     Skalpo was extremely pleased at the traffic M*YNCI concerts had brought in, and soon offered an additional two concert dates, so a total of three days a month they headline the Tyrannian Concert Hall! They play on the 4th, 11th, and 18th of each month, drawing large, enthusiastic crowds that often dance along with them. M*YNCI also offers some limited edition items with ticket purchase, and the items are as follows; M*YNCI Shrit, M*YNCI poster, M*YNCI CD, M*YNCI Cap, M*YNCI Ticket, M*YNCI card, M*YNCI Fan Book, and a M*YNCI Jacket.

     As with last week, I’ve used my negotiating skills to get you some hard-won discounts. Bring this article of the Neopian Times to the Tyrannian Concert Hall and show Skalpo for a 10% discount and one free extra M*YNCI souvenir item from their concert. I hope you have a blast checking M*YNCI out!

     Thank you so much for tagging along on this journey with me as we look back on M*YNCI’s history and celebrate music and the stylings of the artists of the Tyrannian Concert Hall. Join me next week as we dive into the world of circular, decaying, musical mould that just so happens to play music. We will dig into the band’s history and how they got started in honour of Tyrannian Victory Day!

     To be continued…