BY MIKEY MIGO
When a band or artist is on the road for months or even years in some cases they need to have some form of structure to keep themselves from going insane. Some bands have their set way of doing things to keep them comfortable and as "at home" as possible. Maybe it's a very pictures, personal items, or meditation. What ever it is, it's their own. On the road the band and crew form their own traveling society. The culture and ways of this nomadic society is something very important.
Every band out there has their own rituals that they do before going on stage. Some bands do a football "hands in" type of rally call, some bands pray, some drink, and some do some really crazy shit.
Living on a bus will do that to you.
Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters have one of my favorite pre-show rituals I've ever heard. They listen to Michael Jackson songs and down Jagerbombs to get in the proper mood. It's not just a Jager shot to them, but "David Lee Roth juice." Dave Grohl's belief is that "if you want to be Dave Lee Roth onstage, you need at least four Jager bombs to get you there." So you got "The King Of Pop", "David Lee Roth", and "Jagerbombs"… No wonder the Foo Fighters are so great.
Blondie
Blondie doesn't hang out or really do anything as a group before a show. This is kind of sad. People could be out reading, napping, in hair and make up, or doing whatever on their own. Then about twenty minutes before going on stage, they get together and socialize but as soon as the set is over they go back to being reclusive. Their ritual is that they don't have one. I wonder if this affects their chemistry on stage. I would think the performances would be sorta dry and artificial like this.
Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson is one of the best songwriters of all time, but you'd be lying to yourself if you didn't accept the fact that he's crazy with a capital "fucking". He has a few different rituals, but he sometimes likes to sit in the crowd hours before the show to soak in the environment and energy. That's actually not so crazy when you realize this is the man who's been signing about "vibes" for years.
Madonna
When Madonna isn't snubbing her opening acts and being a super diva her backstage warm-ups are pretty much what you'd expect. She spends an hour in make up and hair, does her vocal and physical exercises, and spends time with her daughter. This is still Madonna though. She can request a camel be brought to her at 3 AM and she'd probably get two just in case she didn't think the first was "humpy" enough. Yeah.
Kenny Chesney
I am not a fan of country music, but I am a huge anti-fan of Kenny Chesney. Something about the guy just bothers me more than the normal "I don't like this music" kind of way. Maybe I'm just weird. But for sure, this dude is. Kenny Chesney has this magic "vibe room" backstage that people can go inside of, forget their problems, and refocus their energy. I could make an easy joke about what "really" goes on in this "vibe room", but you know the rumors and can make your own. Consider this your personal project.
Robert Plant
Apparently Robert Plant suffers a little from "Danny Tanner-itis". Before he goes on stage, he IRONS his clothes. Even one of the greatest front men of all time has his quirks. He is obsessed with having crease-free clothing on stage to the point that he demands an ironing board to be in his dressing room. I don't want to think of Robert Plant in anything less than "Rock God", so I'm going to imagine him ironing the hell out of those slacks more bad ass than anyone. Ever. He's Robert Plant for crying out loud.
Nine Inch Nails
I've not seen it in a few years, but for the longest time Trent Reznor and the band would cover themselves in cornstarch. Seriously. If you youtube old performances and Trent looks pasty, it is because he's pasty AND covered in cornstarch. I've heard a few different theories as to why they did this. Of course it makes them look more "dead-like", but I've even heard it absorbs sweat and keeps them dry. I'm not sure what the reason was. I'm sure it's out there. I just wanted to bring up how weird it was.
Usher
It's been scientifically proven that nothing is smoother than Usher. His pre-show ritual is pretty bland though. Simple enough, while practical, all he needs is his tea and M&Ms. Sure it's kind of boring, but I said he's smooth… like a depressed mime.
Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Simpson goes through quite a ceremony before going on stage to lip sync. I read that her girlfriend kissers her hand three times and then the band does a "really weird ninja dance." Casual lesbianisms and ninja dances is not where this ends. They then sorta "Hulk-Up" by clapping, getting their energy going and screaming out "a really bad word". I'll assume the "really bad word" is "talent".
Corey Taylor (Slipknot/Stonesour)
Corey is a bad ass who can and will sing, which is rare these days in commercial metal. His pre-show rite is the yingest of the yangs I've ever heard. The morning of a show he shows no concern for his health by drinking three pots of coffee and smoking an entire pack of cigarettes. Then once he gets backstage he turns into a boy band member by guzzling down ice cold water and warming up by singing songs like Billy Joel's "She's Got A Way". This is one helluva thing to go through to get his growl on.
Fall Out Boy
Pete Wentz claims all they do is high five each other. Pretty lame, but there's actually a whole lot more to it. These high five orgies are done in a precise order. He says they went out of order for two shows and they turned out to be "pretty terrible." I'm pretty sure they've still not figured out the proper order because I've never seen them NOT be terrible.
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