Keith Urban recently sat down with Billboard at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where he is currently holding a 12-date residency, to chat about what advice he would give to other artists starting Vegas residencies, what his unique pre-show rituals are, and when fans might be able to expect some new music from him.
Urban, who is performing at the Colosseum through Nov. 21, is asked what advice he might give to other performers beginning their own residencies in Sin City.
“Vegas always feels like it's in transition,” he replies. “It's evolving, and moving, and shape-shifting, and changing… Even the idea of doing a residency has changed over the years.”
The singer notes that while there was a time when people thought of residencies in Vegas as something to do at the end of their careers, it’s definitely not the case anymore. “You see everybody here,” he says. “Everyone, wherever they are in their careers.”
When asked what the last thing he does before going onstage is, Urban replies with a hilariously unexpected anecdote. Emphasizing that he always tries to “stay loose” prior to hitting the stage, he reveals that he recently did so with the assistance of Hulk Hogan’s '80s workout tape.
Urban explains that he was recently at drummer Matt Chamberlain’s studio, where they decided to play a boombox he had just purchased. The only cassette tape they had around? Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania Workout from 1985.
“So I found a copy of that, and we cranked it backstage,” Urban says. “We did this, like, ridiculous workout with the band with Hulk. It's beyond absurd, I mean, in all the right ways, it's heightened. So we went crazy on that.”
The singer notes that on another occasion, he amped himself up for a show by blasting Elvis Presley’s Vegas performance of "Patch It Up" for some inspiration.
In the interview, which you can watch above, Urban also discusses what he loves most about performing at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, and he gives an update on upcoming touring plans for 2020 and when fans might be able to expect some new music from him.
