Sick just before New Years Eve gig. Advice

[DaftCat]

Hi,

I am going to do the show regardless. I guess I will be doing less lead vocals and my harmony vocals on other tunes will most likely be an octave lower.

Anyway, I am certain some of you have been through this before(perhaps not Jan 31st) and hoping you can share some tips to avoid coughing and scratchy throat.

Hope that makes sense.

[jive1]

Avoid drinking three things:
- Milk and other dairy products- it will only increase the amount of mucus and phlegm that you'll have to battle against while singing
- Citrus Juices - The acids will burn the throat, and if it's tender already, it will add to the discomfort
- Alcohol - Similar to citrus. But a small amount can help open up the sinuses

Halls Mentholyptus is your friend, but spit it out while you're singing (duh!). Echinacea tea works wonders too. It got my a$$ into work, when I couldn't afford to miss it. My wife swears by a tea made using honey, lemon, and cloves. Tylenol Sinus is my over the counter drug of choice.

Hopefully, you're playing a non-smoking show.

Drink plenty of water, to lubricate the throat and keep the nasal passages open.

Move your head to the side when you cough. Don't cough into the mic, especially if it's not yours or you're sharing the mic with someone else. Aside from that, you don't want your coughing amplified.

Good luck!

[Jeb]

Originally Posted by DaftCat

Hi,

I am going to do the show regardless. I guess I will be doing less lead vocals and my harmony vocals on other tunes will most likely be an octave lower.

Anyway, I am certain some of you have been through this before(perhaps not Jan 31st) and hoping you can share some tips to avoid coughing and scratchy throat.

Hope that makes sense.

I've lost a recent gig because a "prominent" player didn't communicate his handicap (due to sickness), in a timely enough manner and the band leader cancelled with the club owner before he contacted me. There is likely someone else waiting in the wings to play your gig if you can't.

If there is a chance that you can't go, let your players know so they can assume a "plan B" before cancelling with the club owner. I'd guess that on New Year's Eve especially, there are capable, eager players ready to take your band's place (and payout) given a few hours notice.

[Marley's Ghost]

Use a neti pot. http://www.sinucleanse.com/netipotlanding.htm
It will help relieve the symptoms. Get some Zinc lozenges and Halls euchalyptus drops.

[DaftCat]

Thanks for the tips.

I own the mic.
I have Fisherman's Friend. Went to the Doctor and I have a throat infection because of all this. I guess I won't be singing much at all.

Thank goodness its a non-smoking venue also.

Cyaz,

[Joe P]

If it's a 'dry cough' or 'tight chest' kind of thing, I've found the old-fashioned Robitussin 'green label' to work wonders. It only has one active ingredient, that being something that's like "guiefennison" or something like that.

I've found it to have no cold-medicine-like side effects, like light-headedness or nourvousness or whatever. It 'loosens phlem', and clears out my lungs - makes the cough go away. But it's for like DRY coughs, know what I mean? like when you can't cough up anything, but it's still tickling your throat and making you want to cough.

I don't know what our less-experienced band would do! Our drummer sings about two thirds of the leads, and if he were too sick to sing - oh, man; we'd be bummin'.

Good luck, and happy New Year -

Joe

[GiantSlacker]

Originally Posted by jive1

Avoid drinking three things:
- Milk and other dairy products- it will only increase the amount of mucus and phlegm that you'll have to battle against while singing
- Citrus Juices - The acids will burn the throat, and if it's tender already, it will add to the discomfort
- Alcohol - Similar to citrus. But a small amount can help open up the sinuses

Halls Mentholyptus is your friend, but spit it out while you're singing (duh!). Echinacea tea works wonders too. It got my a$$ into work, when I couldn't afford to miss it. My wife swears by a tea made using honey, lemon, and cloves. Tylenol Sinus is my over the counter drug of choice.

Hopefully, you're playing a non-smoking show.

Drink plenty of water, to lubricate the throat and keep the nasal passages open.

Move your head to the side when you cough. Don't cough into the mic, especially if it's not yours or you're sharing the mic with someone else. Aside from that, you don't want your coughing amplified.

Good luck!

+1 for the Tylenol alergy sinus. I usually only talk half a dose since it tends to make me discombobulated if I take the whole dose.