Vocal eze, water... ???

For my second post, I once again am seeking the council of this board.

I'm a high energy "jumping all over the place" kind of singer. I drink a tough of water on stage to keep my voice as fresh as possilbe. I know some people drink tea, or beer even.

I've heard mixed reviews about Vocal eze, does anyone know if this stuff is any good?

And specifically... can you use it and still drink water, or does it defeat the purpose?

I tried it once, but it kinda wigged me out.

Overall, I find that if I stay hydrated before the show, that seems to help the most. Once you're on stage, drinking to stay fresh is good, but if you aren't already hydrated, you'll know it.

Beer, or rather the alcohol in beer, can cause you to not hit notes. I only know a couple local guys here in the scene that can drink a bunch while singing. But they are VERY seasoned singers and know their voices inside and out.

Thanks for the reply, and thanks for the gracious welcome over in my other thread.

Yeah, in my time I've pretty much come to the same conclusion. I only drink water, tea, milk, and beer.

And I am absolutely one of those guys who cannot sing drunk, or even with a few in me... it just messes me up bad!

I pretty much just try to stay healthy and do what I can. It is harder on the road, but on the road we usually do not headline... which makes our set a little shorter, and allows me to drink a little after the show. When we're at home in Saint Louis it kind of stinks having to down water all night while everyone else gets their free rounds. But eh... such is life I guess.

Thanks again man

Dthraco has it right about drinking water BEFORE the show. You need to be hitting the water several hours before a performance. It needs to travel through your system before being of any real use during performances. Liquids taken during a show may help you feel better, and thats good, but it really doesn't help the voice. Nothing cold or hot is good while you're singing. Room temp is the key for liquids. Also, make sure you are drinking water, not just cola, lemonade, etc, in the afternoon. It takes your system longer to filter out the flavored substances. Alcohol dries the throat and vocal mechanism (and screws with the mind). Herbal tea seems to be popular among many pro singers.

Al

I agree with Al,

I routinely gig and practice for 4 hours with nothing at all, yet after the show or practice, I start my hydration.

I'm not against a sip of water during a gig at all , but I don't need it.

It's the same with working in the sun , if it's an extreme climate you need to start your hydration the day before to be safe.

, you mentioned singing drunk, yea that's not a good idea, I tried a beer on a break sunday just to see what would happen...... I was ok, but cold things during a performance can tend to tighten the throat so cold is not the best first choice, and of course dead drunk is not so good either....

al is right.....drinking water 30mins or less b4 the show will make ur throat feel better but wont really help ur singing...u need plently of water b4 hand.....

its the same in sports and working out......

Any thoughts on how caffeine affects the voice?

I don't usually drink caffeinated beverages, but a few months ago I had a long drive home and was dead tired, so I had one of those 5 Hour Energy shots. On the three-plus-hour drive home, I was singing along with Mr. Big (Eric Martin), The Babys (John Waite), Old Yngwie (Jeff Scott Soto), and more completely effortlessly and with no warm-up whatsoever.

It was pretty interesting.

It's funny. My band hit the ground running about 3 and half years ago. We released an Ep and toured on it for all most two years. Now we've got some time staying at home and playing regionally while we record our new album.

My point is... I really had very little time to study the tricks of the trade, it was pretty much learning as I'm going, and frankly reading a lot of post on this forum... (which is why I finally decided to get involved).

I never really thought of a performance as being like an athletic event, but in my younger years I was a competitive athlete... and I can honestly say I've had shows that left me more worn out and dehydrated than any game I was a part of... so those are some really good points...

As always you guys rock, and thanks for the tips and good word.

Peace,

Brian

Thanks for joining the community.