Ville Valo recently disclosed what it took for him to have a good gig and which elements made up his pre-show rituals list while he sat down for a chat in the latest episode of ‘Herbal Tea & White Sofas.’
It’s pretty common for rockers to have pre-show rituals before they perform for eager crowds, and Valo’s no exception. However, what set him apart from the other artists was the simplicity of his rituals. The Finnish rocker never needed extravagant elements to fill up his list of requirements, as he usually asked for bananas, a kettle, honey, and water.
Valo often opted for bananas since they were cheap, easy to find, and quickly filled his stomach when he needed a snack. His choice of hot water and honey was to relax him a bit, though the rocker also pointed out how he needed to be nervous before any show, which brings us to the other elements in his pre-show rituals list.
HIM singer also jokingly added he always needed to check his shoes to ensure there was no toilet paper stuck under them since it never looked nice, and with the way Ville said it, he surely had his fair share of troubles with that before. It seemed to him that was one of the worst things that can happen to someone who was about to go on stage in front of thousands.
The rocker continued by expressing how he also needed to feel stressed and have butterflies in his stomach, as it helped him be one with the audience, feel their excitement and reflect it into his performance.
Ville’s must-haves before a show followed:
“I’m very simple. I need bananas, a kettle, honey, and water… I think the most important pre-show ritual is to check that you don’t have toilet paper stuck on your converse. I’ve seen it happen; it wasn’t a good look. No matter how you wanna spin it, it doesn’t look good… especially when you wear black.
I think right before you go on stage, at least in my case, it’s very important being nervous, and it’s important to have butterflies going on. If they’re not there, I think the gig won’t be a success… because the best rock gigs are the ones where you walk on stage, and you just forget all about everything.
And the best gigs are usually the ones where you don’t remember anything after. Those are usually the ones where you get lost in the music and be one with the crowd. That’s a special feeling, but it’s easier said than done. I don’t think you really need routines when you need to be variant, conscious, and fast, so you can do what you are there to do, which is to sing and shout and shake that bum.”
So, although Valo had some routines before he went up the stage, such as always having a banana or checking his shoes to make sure there was no toilet paper stuck under them, the rocker also preferred to let things flow and share the audience’s excitement which made it easier for him to enjoy the show.
