Getting on stage and putting on a killer show isn’t easy. Sometimes, even the biggest rock stars need to have a pre-show ritual to get their head in the game. Let’s take a look at four low-key hilarious rock musician rituals that are actually true!
1. Robert Plant Prefers an Ironed Shirt
Led Zeppelin loved to party, but not every rock star has to be “on” 24/7. Sometimes, you just need to iron your shirts and get your mind straight before a show. That’s what Robert Plant would often do, particularly during the band’s reunion tour in 2007.
Plant allegedly would request a special, secluded spot with an ironing board so he could iron his shirts before getting on stage. Plant himself said that the act helps “get him into the mood” to perform in front of an audience.
2. River Cuomo and Scott Shriner Love Pre-Show Frisbee
Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo and Scott Shriner have a playful approach to preparing for an upcoming set. Before each set, these two rock stars will take a few minutes to themselves and have a lighthearted frisbee game between them. However, there’s also a real, physical purpose for this ritual.
According to Cuomo, playing frisbee before a set helps them warm up their hands before handling their instruments, and also helps get their heads in the game. It’s not so superstitious if there’s a tangible purpose to the ritual.
3. Keith Richards and His Shepherd’s Pie
This example of rock musician rituals is actually pretty well-known, but that doesn’t make it any less funny. One would imagine The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards would have a more scandalous pre-show ritual. However, the man’s getting on in years; sometimes, you just need a good meal before doing your job.
Richards always makes the request for a shepherd’s pie before preparing for a show. He’s obsessed with the dish and would prefer not to get on stage without at least one good shepherd’s pie with an unbroken crust in him. He even refused to play a gig one time when he found out that his security team had eaten his coveted pie. A travesty, we’d say.
4. Foo Fighters Drink Jager and Listen to Michael Jackson
This is a pretty interesting one. Rock icons Foo Fighters are a bit superstitious and have one notable ritual before they perform every show for a dose of good luck. That ritual would involve drinking Jägermeister and dancing to Michael Jackon songs.
“Some bands pray to God they’ll have the best show of their lives,” Dave Grohl said. “Some bands huddle in a rugby scrum and yell, ‘Go team!’ We listen to Michael Jackson’s ‘Off The Wall’ and do Jäger bombs, which are Dave Lee Roth juice. If you want to be Dave Lee Roth onstage, you need at least four Jäger bombs to get you there.”
Photo by Chris McGrath
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