What is your advice for trying to perform, especially singing, while in the grip of a nasty cold or flu? I'll be the guest performer at the Bunker this Monday. At various moments in the set I'll be joined by six others. Unless...I can't cope with the head cold that is attacking my body!

Is it better to cancel or are there concoctions or techniques to get one through an hour set? A lot of work has gone into preparing for this and it would be a shame to have to cancel. On the other hand, it would be even worse to deliver a substandard performance.

Tony Hillyard replies

Performer's nightmare Micheal! My sympathies.

I always like to think I could get a stand-in if I need to cancel. Or at least make a good attempt at finding someone for them. Which means you need to start working on that now. Just in case. If you can get someone lined up who will step in at the very last minute it takes the pressure off you.

2. Let the organisers know

Let the organisers know you might be substituting at the last minute. They'll really appreciate the effort you are making. If you can't get a stand-in, you need to give the organisers lots of notice so they can find someone and have them standing by.

... a lot depends on whether its a cold in da doze or a sore throat.

1. If its in the nose, work out now which numbers will require a change of key because of the effect of the cold on the voice (mine drops a lot with a cold).
   

2. If its the throat, try and organise your set to give your voice a rest after the particularly tough vocal numbers. Ask some of your guests if they would do a solo number to rest your voice.
   

3. Ask the organisers if they can provide a sound system if possible, less effort on your vocal chords.
   

4. Ask the organisers to let you split the set across the drinks break so you can rest and lubricate the voice.
   

5. It is really important with a dicky throat to only have to rehearse the minimum number of songs. A lot of performers dont allow enough time for intros, retuning and heckling comebacks, and they often end up with more songs than they need. I plan for at least 30 secs between numbers making13 or 14 songs max plus an encore for one hour. Even fewer songs if you reduce it to two 25 minute sets. Lots of performers assume their songs only take 3 mins or so and don't allow time for breaks. So they come with 18 or 20 songs for a one hour gig. Total waste.
   

6. I plan for at least 30 secs between numbers. Terry Free takes 15 mins between songs and 5 mins to sing one I timed him! (Terry lost his confidence and didn't perform publicly until fifteen years later, when he began to use humour to overcome stage fright. This format became so popular that "the act" was born.)
   

7. If your guitar work is good, drop a song or two and replace it with an instrumental.
   

8. Choose a couple of numbers with a big chorus where your guests can sing with the audience and you can rest the voice between verses. The audience will never know, nor will they mind.
   

9. Choose short songs.
   

10. Take out anything longer than 4 mins unless it has long instrumental breaks. Extend the instrumental beaks in each song or perhaps stick in another one.
    

11. Work out slightly longer verbal intros for each song.
    

12. Drop the toughest vocal number. Or at least put it early in the set.
    

13. Choose the easier vocal numbers for the back end of the set when the voice is most tired.
    

14. Ask the organiser to let you split the set across the drinks break so you can rest and lubricate the voice.
    

15. Use your guests in the second half to rest the voice most when it is most tired/stressed.
    

16. Ask the organiser if they mind you cutting the set to 50 mins. Then cut two tough vocal numbers. Better to do a good 50 mins than have the voice crack up for the last 10 mins.
    

17. Leave the audience wanting more. The organisers can always put more floor spots on.

1. Choose one of the chemist medications that dry up the nasal passages.
   

2. Stay off all dairy product for at least a couple of days before as it clogs the nasal passages.(A tip from Wellington blues singer Marg Layton).
   

3. Take throat lozenges all day before the gig.
   

4. Use a nasal spray.
   

5. Have a kip in the afternoon before the gig.
   

6. Eat a light early evening meal. It keeps the pressure off the diaphragm so singing is easier -every little thing helps.
   

7. I have a long hot steamy bath and a quick cold/ cool shower an hour before the gig. The steam helps the vocal chords and relaxes you and your vocal chords. The cool shower wakes you up gets the blood flowing.
   

8. Gargle with Listerine (the original flavour) before the set.
   

9. But for a cold during a gig try using liquid honey to coat and ease the vocal chords (take it on stage with a spoon like Marg Layton does) and a flask of hot tea with honey and lemon up there with you.
   

10. If you're really sick do the gig sitting down - less energy drain so you keep it for performing.
    

11. Avoid alcohol on the night as it will hit you like a brick when combined with the medication (which isfine when you are back home in bed!).

WHAT MICHEAL DID

The performance was scheduled for Monday evening.

Friday rehearsal

I had previously scheduled a rehearsal party at my house for Friday evening and decided to go ahead with it, telling myself that I would take it easy. On Friday afternoon, the sneezing and runny nose started in earnest.

When the first guest arrived I took a Codral Daytime to keep my head clear during the party. It was a nice party, lots of fun. Even though I did take it easy on the singing, my voice was gone by evening's end. I took a Codral Nightime which was a great aid in getting a good night's sleep.

On awakening I had a very sore throat, a snot factory for a nose, a fever, and frequent coughs and sneezes. I stayed in bed all day. I decided to:

1. Eliminate all dairy products from my diet.
   
2. Eliminate caffene.
   
3. Eat only well balanced Zone meals. (3 wholesome, freshly prepared, meals daily. 40% carb, 30% protein, 30% fat)
   
4. Drink only water, or hot water with fresh squeezed lemon juice and manuka honey.
   
5. Stay in bed most of the time and move real slow when not in bed (no rehearsing).
   
6. Have a teaspoon of manuka honey at least every hour during the day.
   
7. Stop speaking (including singing).
   
8. Not worry about what would happen on Monday night.
   
9. Take Codral Nightime to help sleep through the night.
   
10. Take Vicks VapoDrops between the mugs of hot water/lemon juice/manuka honey.
    

I started thinking about alternate song lists and arrangements.
I decided that I would cancel if my sore throat hadn't gotten better by Monday.

The sore throat was gone, the rest was pretty much the same but not quite as severe.
I continued the same eating and drinking but without any citrus.
I put new strings on my guitar and played through the set without singing.
Went back to bed.

The coughing, sneezing and runny nose stopped at about 14:00. I took a long hot shower and tentatively tried to sing a couple phrases. The sinuses were still stuffy and the singing sounded like it, but at least the voice was working. But would it last through a set?

I talked with Martha Louise and Sue Hill, both of whom were collaborating with me in my set, and asked if they would be willing to fill in with some of their own performance material if my voice gave out part way through the set. (This was the first talking I had done in three days!). They both graciously agreed. With that safety net in place, I decided to go ahead with the performance. I went back to bed. I still had a fever.

I took three asprin to try and break the fever. Got up and had a light Zone meal. Gathered together what I needed for the performance. If I wasn't eating or drinking hot water/manuka honey I was sucking on Vicks VapoDrops.

I filled a thermos with hot water/manuka honey to have with me on stage, packed Codral, nasal antihistimine spray, VapoDrops, a bottle of asprin, and a liquid Zone meal. The fever had started to break and I had drenched my shirt with sweat, so I took another shower, put on a clean shirt and packed an extra shirt in with the pharmacuticals.

I had everything set up and ready to go at The Bunker
I was trying really hard to not talk without being rude.
The format for the evening was a first half of floor singers, a short break, then my set.
The Bunker was packed way beyond capacity with some people even standing in the entrance.
I felt quite honored by the turnout.

I don't know what got into Roger but he had booked so many floor spots in the first half that it wasn't over until well past 22:00.

Normally, the second half would start around 21:30. I didn't get started until about 22:30.
In the meantime the fever was still breaking, the second shirt was drenched
I changed into the third shirt.
I had been constantly alternating VapoDrops with drinking hot water.
I ate the liquid Zone meal about an hour before my set started.
I chose to not take any of the pharmacuticals.

When I started singing the first song I didn't really know what was going to happen.
I hadn't sang more than a single phrase at a time for over three days. Now that's adventure!
I made it through the first song, then the next and the one after that and eventually the whole set.
I was sipping on hot water/manuka honey between most songs.

The fever finally broke about half way through and I felt better at the end than I did in the beginning.
The voice was getting pretty weak by the end.

I didn't talk much between songs and so wasn't as engaging with the audience as I wanted to be and didn't feel as animated or expressive (I like to sing forcefully but was holding back) as I prefer to be.
Still, I'm glad I went through with it instead of cancelling.

Thanks again to everyone who provided encouragement and support.

Micheal Young
www.MichealYoung.com