Troup – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, Alex Troup of the rock band, Troup, shares what they do before every show. You can check out their rituals, after the break.

Eat.
We love to eat when we roll up at a venue but ideally not within a few hours of showtime so we’re not bloated and sleepy. Nothing spicy or heavy – it’s been known to come back to haunt me mid-high note. The healthier the better – although tours tend to start healthy and finish with junk food. It’s hard to eat well on the road and sometimes crap is all you can find or afford.

Soccer.
There’s a few Europeans in our band and we love to kick a ball around. Empty venues and parking lots are made for pre-show soccer. If we’re touring with another band, we’ll get them to join in. We’ll also get the crew in for a game. It’s a great way to break the ice and develop comradery on the road. It’s also a fun way to shake off the boredom of sitting on a bus all day; helps relieve the tension and nerves present before any live performance.

Singing.
We’ll sing something to warm up. A Beatles song, normally – they have the best harmonies. ‘Don’t Let Me Down,’ ‘I’ll Be Back’ – anything with harmonies. There’s nothing like an acapella Beatles harmony to get the vocal confidence going.

Dressing Room Kick Out.
Any, friends, girlfriends, press, photographers, crew, managers, even family have got to leave the dressing room about 10 minutes before showtime. It’s us who are going on stage, so it’s us that need to focus together and get into the zone. We’re not primadonnas but a beer, a handshake a high five and some jokes and backslapping go a long way to helping us hit the stage and rock it right and give people one hell of a show!

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(Photo credit: James Weir)