Cooper Phillip – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, the pop artist, Cooper Phillip, gives you her tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

Tip #1. Have fun with your band. I enjoy being around the people I work with. It sets the tone for the shows knowing that your band is in sync with you on and off the stage. It’s important we enjoy the rehearsal process. As a female musician and songwriter who is also classically trained, it’s important that there is mutual respect among bandmates. I know what I want but I’m open to being challenged. The best ideas always win.

Tip #2. Make the sound guy your best friend. I arrive early and get the lay of the land if it’s a venue I haven’t performed in before. It’s very important to connect with the sound guy and the team at the venue that’s responsible for making you sound and look your best. People feed off your energy so I make sure to leave all bad energy at the door.

Tip #3. Soundcheck is everything. It’s incredibly important to get a feel for the sound in the room prior to the performance. A great soundcheck means you start the show knowing that the sound is great and all I have to think about is the performance. A great soundcheck means the sound guy knows what I’m looking to hear on stage for myself and what we expect the audience to hear. The better I hear myself in the monitors, the better the performance will be. I’m also not afraid to make adjustments during the show. My only goal is to give you the best experience I can.

Tip #4. Resting my voice on days off. I pride myself on giving the best vocal performance that I can, so it’s important to me to rest my voice in between shows dates. The songs on my new EP, Thank You Heartbreak, are extremely challenging and I have to prepare properly to perform them. I drink a lot of hot water with honey and lemon and do breathing exercises to balance and ground myself.

Tip #5. Expect and prepare for anything. You never know the reaction you will get from the audience. I had a show one night and after one of the songs, a guy jumped on stage and wanted to hug me and basically bow down at my feet. Of course, it was weirdly flattering and though he was in my personal space, I went with the flow and the audience appreciated the moment. It could have easily gone the other way but it worked out.

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