Roar energy empowers Katy Perry

November 15, 2014 11:25 am 13 comments Views: 101

Katy Perry performs live at Perth Arena during her Prismatic World Tour. Picture: Paul Kane (Getty Images).
Source: Getty Images

KATY Perry has the knees of fast bowler. About half an hour before she takes the stage for her Prismatic concert, an assistant brings in a heat pack that she lays across her legs.

We had just shared the news her Prism album had cracked the four-times platinum mark in Australia more than a year after its release.

Selling more than 280,000 records in the download era is a big deal.

“Yeah, it has legs. That album has legs and I’ve got messed-up knees,” she cracks.

The 30-year-old pop star has completed the Perth and Adelaide legs of the Australian tour with 17 concerts to go until she finishes her run in Brisbane on December 15.

Perry dances her knees off during the two hour show and she sings most of it too but like most performers these days, the backing vocalists do some of the lifting when she is hitting the choreography.

During a show that has all the bells and whistles we have come to expect of the postmodern pop extravaganza, Prismatic offers a kaleidoscopic light show, a high-concept stage with plenty of flying apparatuses and adds a couple of travelators.

Katy Perry and her team head to the stage to kick off the Prismatic concert. Picture: Christie Goodwin.
Source: Supplied

A fluoro-flashing costume is just one of the bells and whistles of the Prismatic show. Picture: Paul Kane (Getty Images).
Source: Getty Images

The travelator dance routines are definitely an add-on for the concert gadget wishlist.

Her opening night on the Australian tour in Perth last Friday night was the 85th show on the world tour and Perry and her team seem to have managed to avoid the myriad malfunctions that could so easily plague a production of such hydraulic ambition.

She credits rehearsals.

But fitness appears to play a significant role. No post-show all-nighters for this tight-knit crew who cycle to most of their shows and prefer a hike to a happy hour.

Perry says the six weeks she will spend in Australia plays into her get-fit kick.

“I am trying to turn a new leaf as far as staying fit and physical,” she says.

“And the holidays are always hard for me being at home. You just want to cuddle and hibernate and cosy up and drink hot toddies.

“And if I was touring Europe right now, it would be all ham and cheese croissants and putting on 10 pounds.”

Even a fit Perry, who spent her first few days in Australia exploring parks on bicycles, can’t conquer the tyranny of jet lag.

While we chat in her dressing room just minutes before she is due on stage, the Roar star is struggling to kick her brain into gear.

Perry has some serious dance duties during the concert. Picture: Christie Goodwin.
Source: Supplied

The next minute she is reciting an impressive breakdown of how many shows she has in each city, the size of Australia’s population – but understandably falters at mentally calculating what percentage of that population will see her shows. It is about 0.01 per cent.

Perry has two methods of battling jet lag.

“One, my meditation, which I use all over the world; transcendental meditation really works because it’s a very deep rest and relaxation. And then movies,” she says.

“I have never fallen asleep in a movie. It’s a pet peeve of mine. I really like allotting my time to certain things,” she says.

Katy Perry performs live at Perth Arena during her Prismatic World Tour. Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

“If I am going to have a massage, I want it to be good, if I go to the movies I want it to be good. I really hate wasting time.

“In Perth so far we saw Interstellar and Whiplash. Whiplash is like the Star Wars of drumming, if you like drumming. It was inspirational, in a musical way.”

Katy Perry Goes To The Movies actually made the evening news.

“That’s Australia for you. But I get it. People get excited when they get visitors. Y’all are far away,” she chuckles.

Female pop stars are seemingly divided now into two distinct camps — the shocking sensationalists and the family friendly.

Katy Perry performs live at Perth Arena during her Prismatic World Tour on November 7. Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Perry lands in the latter, staging an F-bomb free concert and even using asterisks when tweeting expletives to her 59.7 million Twitter followers.

Her demographic spans the ages and the fan dress-ups at the show are as much fun to watch as her own dazzling array of couture costumes.

The California Girl cites her moments of fan interaction as the highlight of a concert that is tightly choreographed over its 22 songs, a greatest hits setlist that runs from her earliest smash I Kissed a Girl through to latest chart-topper Dark Horse.

She doesn’t like calling them fans.

“Well, I have a really good relationship with them and I have always been very open with them. I actually cringe a bit when I call them fans because I never really want to see myself on a pedestal being adored, that weird thing people do with people in the spotlight,” she says.

Katy Perry is now the biggest selling digital singles artist in America.
Source: Supplied

“I just want to be able to share my music and my message and inspire people and this show is a very joyful show.

“I feel like if they haven’t smiled all week or all day, this is where they get their smile reboot.”

Now the biggest selling digital singles artist in America, there have been 81 million Perry songs downloaded worldwide since she relaunched her career in 2008 after a failed first attempt when she was dropped for her record deal.

That experience, and her passionate music fandom, has given her an enviable platform to champion other artists.

New York based, newly minted Australian pop star Betty Who was enlisted to open the first half of her Prismatic run here with acclaimed Swedish singer and songwriter Tove Lo booked for the second half.

Perry doesn’t like to refer to her followers as fans and loves interacting with them during her shows. Picture: Twitter/Sophie, @SimplyBieberr.
Source: Twitter

Katy Perry live on stage. Perry dances her knees off during the two hour show.
Source: Supplied

“I love new music so much. One of my favourite apps is Hype Machine and it takes all the music on all the blogs, compiles it and puts it on one place where you can discover it,” she says.

“I got to bring Betty Who on half of this run and then I lucked out on getting Tove Lo. I have always loved Tove, her writing sensibility is amazing. She’s an incredible pop singer.”

Besides heading to the ARIA Awards on November 26 as a special guest, Perry plans to use her down time to explore Australia.

She may have some hassles shaking off the ever-present paps but the black track-suited pop star reckons she will give it a red hot go in order to “have a life”.

“I am going to really enjoy Australia. Sometimes it feels a bit weird being this far from home but I’ll be at the beach. All day. I am going to find your waterfalls. I am going to hike,” she says.

“I’m going to get to know you guys.”

You can catcg Katy Perry live at:

Rod Laver Arena, November 14, 15, 18, 19, December 4, 6, 7 & 10.

Allphones Arena, November 21, 22, 24, 25, December 12 & 13.

Katy Perry, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, November 27, 28, 30, December 1 & 15.

*Tickets are available at Ticketek.com.au