Tengger Cavalry – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, the Mongolian folk metal band, Tengger Cavalry, share what they do before every show. You can check out his rituals, after the break.

Nature & Alex:
Alex and I drink lots of vodka! Well, not lots… but we usually have one shot of vodka to get into the mood. It sort of gets the blood flowing and gets us in a place where we are excited to play. At the end of the day we are a rock and roll band, and doing shots of liquor before going on stage is a pretty rock and roll thing to do in our reckoning. It’s a good tradition and is usually accompanied by a whole lot more vodka after the set. Our favorite vodka is Balinoff, although not every bar has it, so sometimes we just go with what they offer. The thing is, we tend to drink so much that most vodka you find in America doesn’t really affect us anymore! One day we hope to get traditional Mongolian horse milk alcohol on our rider, though!

Josh:
I like to stretch and warm up. It helps my body stay in shape, especially for the longer tours. As a drummer, I’m using every muscle in my body in order to put on the best show possible so I have to be ready to perform at my peak. Otherwise, I sometimes wear a horse mask and walk around the venue before the show. It’s kind of a funny thing to do and adds a surreal element to the music. Furthermore – a lot of our songs are about horses, so I feel like it adds to the theme. We have a duty to keep Mongolian folk metal as weird as possible!

Robert:
Mindful breathing, it comes from the traditional Buddhist practice. I learned about it from reading some of the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. I really like that it gives me some quiet time before the show to really focus my thoughts and make sure that I deliver the best set possible. Being in a metal band on the road can be stressful and being able to center myself around something as simple and beautifully natural as mindful breathing. I recommend it to anyone who is going into a stressful or high-pressure situation.

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