Violet Skies – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, the singer-songwriter, Violet Skies, shares what she does before every show. You can check out her rituals, after the break.

I’m not a nervous performer, and I’m pretty chilled and well rehearsed. I mostly love being on stage or in the studio and especially love rehearsing for shows with my band as it’s just that one step away from the real thing. Any excuse to sing all day into a microphone I’ll take. The day before the show and then again a few hours before I’ll usually be checking and changing the set list, editing the audio tracks and double checking everything. I really love that side of live and have spent a few years learning more about the tech set up from those around me so I could firstly understand it better and now I can control it.

At soundcheck (if it goes well and there are no technical problems and the little invisible audio gremlins haven’t decided to turn up) we run any new songs and smooth any mix issues, but I always always mic check with the first verse of my track Patience – I always have, and it’s always a little test – I know if my voice is tired or not quite right it immediately.

I’ll usually get changed not long just after soundcheck, so I don’t spend more than 15 minutes doing that – and don’t think about it too much. I’m only ever wearing all black and I don’t believe in ironing (who does this out of choice, who?) so there’s not a lot that can go wrong there.

So that’s me – right up until about 30 minutes before playing. Instead of doing the things you’re supposed to do before shows (warming up, meditation, stretches, gargling) I like to really stress myself out by eating a nice big dinner way too close to performance time and then feeling a bit sick, remembering I’ve left my shoes/favorite lucky ring/other seemingly important item out in the van or hotel or home, burn my mouth on my hot water and honey drink and generally spend time hyping myself up with a concoction of mistakes. I then convince myself I need the loo for the gazzilionth time, and then I get on stage and it’s all wonderful and fine and it doesn’t matter about anything else and I run around the stage and have a rip roaring time. I hope that’s the professional answer you were looking for. Come see me play soon.

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