Lee Cole – PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, the pop artist, Lee Cole, reveals what he does before taking the stage. You can check out the story, after the break.

When it comes to touring or even general shows, I’m not too crazy about the pre-show details but I do have some specific routines I like to stick by.

First things first, a week and a half leading up to my first performance I cut out all dairy products. I find it thickens everything in my throat and throws off my control a little bit. 2 days before my first show I also limit my talking and speaking as much as possible. I’ve found in the past that sometimes in loud environments such as clubs or events where you sometimes talk loudly, it can put a lot of strain on my voice. All vocalists will know when their voice is at its sweetest and clearest and I try and bring that out in every show.

On the day of my performance, I make sure I have at least 4 hours before I’m on stage. This gives me a chance to wake up and mentally start bringing myself together. I have a specific playlist I listen to that keeps me calm. I end up just sitting, closing my eyes, and visualizing exactly how I want my experience to go on stage.

As we arrive at the venue, I make sure I’ve brought along all my specifics from home. I usually arrive to a show with a flask of honey and ginger tea together with plenty of water bottles. When I see the stage setup for the first time I immediately start to mentally visualize myself on the stage delivering the goods. Each venue is different so I visualize myself at each one. 10 minutes before I’m on stage, I head backstage and leave my band members for 2 minutes while I stand alone, take in the moment and visualize some more. I then take a last few sips of either water or tea and huddle together with my band before heading onto the stage.

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