The Professional Guide to Party Survival
(by our experts!).
If anyone knows a thing or two about staying healthy, looking good and bringing the party during the hectic holiday months, it’s professional performers. Here, Alive artists talk us through their health and beauty tricks to help you party like a pro...
Smart Habits
Take vitamins and probiotics
During the winter I’m pretty bad at getting my five-a-day. We’re on the road a lot, and it’s cold, which means a hazelnut latte becomes a legitimate breakfast! Taking a daily multivitamin and packing a few satsumas means that I can get some vits and stave off the dreaded cold and flu. As being ill at this time of year isn’t an option, I also have a daily probiotic drink as I heard that it can help avoid getting a virus. It’s working so far!
says Pete from Alive indie-rock band, Live Wires
The Wonder Brew
It’s all about Green Tea. I know it’s not the most exciting advice and everyone bangs on about it, but I’ve hardly been ill since drinking it daily. It helps to defend your body against so much bad stuff (its antioxidant-rich contents may prevent cancers and lower your risk of heart disease), although I’m still waiting for it to give me a proper six pack...
says Matt, Sound Engineer at Alive
Keep it clean
I’m an unashamed sanitiser obsessive! Pens, handles, the railings on stairs…they can harbour hundreds of germy handprints! So I keep some hand sanitiser gel in my bag to help stay germ free. Cleaning my phone with a sanitising wipe regularly cuts back on the germs that get near my face and mouth too.
says Anna from vintage vocal sensation, The Victory Rolls
Stay Fit and Party...
Hibernate to regenerate
Sleeping boosts your immunity, so try to get eight hours’ sleep - even if you go to bed at 5am. If you struggle to sleep, try to avoid looking at your phone half an hour before you go to bed, and use a drop of lavender oil on your pillow so you can relax.” Want to go into full hibernation mode? “Go all Hollywood film star and use a sleep mask to shut out any light.
says Sacha from London-based band, Ignite
Hit the bottle
Drink water like it’s your job! As a vocalist you have to stay well hydrated but drinking more water is actually the easiest health trick there is. To make drinking it less of a chore I add cucumber, mint or orange slices. The temptation might be to add some gin, but try to resist!
says Clare from The Fanatics
Less baggage
Get Funked vocalist Wendy is often flying across continents and time zones for seasonal performances, and swears by cold spoons to help to revive tired eyes.
A trick I use all the time is to chill four spoons in a glass of ice water and then place one over each eye. Keep switching the spoons while letting the other one chill and keep going until you see swollen eye bags start to disappear!
The Morning After...
Fake yourself fresh
Everyone feels rough the morning after the night before, but you don’t have to look it.
An easy way to look fresh faced is to use a cream blush on the apples of your cheeks. It instantly peps up tired skin and makes you look dewy and healthy...even if you don’t quite feel it!
says Alive’s Artist Development guru, Laura
Rev up your recovery
I’m a vegetarian so there are no ‘morning after’ bacon butties for me. My best hangover breakfast is a veggie omelette. There are loads of vitamins in the red peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes, and the eggs are liver-friendly. If you can stand it, a bit of chopped chilli can boost circulation and speed up your recovery. If you can't face a cooked breakfast, try a banana smoothie - the potassium helps replenish lost electrolytes, which is an especially good thing after alcohol, so I’m told!
says Ash from Breakthrough