CATTY – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, the pop rock artist, CATTY, reveals what she does before taking the stage. You can check out the story, after the break.

I think the people who get on stage with no preshow ritual or nerves are up there with the strongest people on the planet. I wish I was like them but I’m not. I’ve been singing for 10 years, from empty pubs to sold-out shows but every single time I’ve performed – the lead-up to getting on stage has been hard to navigate. I think it’s something a lot of artists have in common – loving attention and hating it.

My first tour experience came right off the back of a two-week writing trip to Scandinavia, my band member and I had both managed to get sick. I think we had a day in London before we had to travel to Manchester to perform and we were running on excitement alone. Just before we went on stage our dressing room was full to the brim of our team and all I remember is having conversations about work when my band member had his head in a steam bucket. That was our first show and we vowed from then on to always do it differently.

I think the most important thing is to find out what works for you – but here’s what works for me. About 15/20 minutes before I get on stage I try to only hang out with other people who are going on stage with me – they’re the only ones who really understand your nerves, your energy, your excitement and I think it’s really important to feel connected to them. Warming up is essential here but if you find vocal warm-ups boring listening and singing along to songs that you like is a fun alternative.

Throughout the day I try not to think about getting on stage too much. A lot of my show day experiences involve sitting in a van but on our first tour I survived on a diet of hash browns and iced coffee – I would probably pay more attention to that next time and make sure I eat things that make me feel good. Service stations and other people who tour are your best friends, get to know the good ones.

After the show, my favourite thing to do is meet some of the people that came to watch. They’re the reason I got to do what I’ve always wanted to do that night, it’s important to always be grateful for that.

Most importantly the best advice I was ever given is to stop trying to be good on stage. As soon as you get in your own head on there you’re out of the moment – stay in the moment.

Keep up with her on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter.