WW L L INTERVIEW
AN INTERVIEW WITH KATY PERRY
American singer, songwriter, and television judge, Katy Perry, talks to Wirral Life ahead of her latest tour in an exclusive interview.
The crowd will certainly‘ Roar’ as Katy Perry hits the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Thursday 21st of June 2018.
It’ s the Firework star’ s first visit back since 2014, when she wowed the North West audiences as part of her sold-out, 151- date Prismatic World Tour.
Liverpool holds a special place in her heart as it’ s the venue where, in 2008, with only one hit single under her belt, she was chosen to host the MTV Europe Music Awards at the then newly opened Echo Arena during the city’ s Capital of Culture year.
Wirral Life caught up with Katy to find out what we can expect from her latest tour.
Are you excited to be back in Liverpool? Yes! I always come back to Liverpool because you supported me from the start and I love that when I do go to a city, maybe I’ ve had an incredible experience there, I then have more to say on stage. I think it’ s so impersonal when the only thing you can say about a place is,‘ Hello Liverpool …’ I mean, what about Liverpool? I should know exactly what Liverpool is like, what’ s the coolest pubs, where the best food is, I like to go out and find out that stuff. I’ m an adventure junkie when I’ m on tour. The tour really is just a road trip in disguise!
Your new tour is called‘ Witness’ and we know that each of your albums reflects a personal journey, do you think it’ s important for you to have this reflected in your artistic output? With Witness, I felt like I found liberation regarding the changes in my own life and in the world around me. I like to deliver songs that inspire both thought and movement. There’ s no other way I know how to write. I only really know how to write in my voice and what I’ ve gone through, and my life journey is what I draw inspiration from. Really, I’ m a student of life and an observer of life, and that is where I get a lot of my ideas. Being an observer, being present, watching and listening, which includes listening to my own thoughts.
Is it a reflection of where you are in your life with a different vision and tone? I like to grab little creative nuggets that happen to flow into my mind. I think that people relate to the vulnerability and honesty I try to bring into the songs, but some aren’ t that deep- some are just for going out, getting ready, putting makeup on. There’ s a variety of songs always in my records because I feel quite a variety of emotions. I’ ve been really lucky to work with some amazing artists on this album. The singles released so far‘ Chained to the
Rhythm’ features Skip Marley( grandson of Bob), and on the new singles,‘ Bon Appétit’ and‘ Swish Swish’ I worked with Migos and Nicki Minaj.’
A tour like this must be gruelling! How do you stay sane doing that amount of shows? It’ s really about the people I keep around me and their energy. I’ m quite loyal, and if I find a good person, I keep them forever! I’ ve got an incredible travelling circus that I like to make incredible memories with. I routed it( the tour) so I can really enjoy myself along the way and have experiences and make memories.
Do you get to see much of the places you visit? I mean, can we expect to see you on the Ferry across the Mersey or anything? I do love to try and sight see as much as I can. I definitely take in the cities; we always bring bikes on tour and cycle all around to find the best parks. In the UK, there are some beautiful old historic parks. I’ m so into history and so into culture – I dive right into that stuff. Sometimes when we go bike riding the day before or the morning of a show, we take some tickets and stop along the way in coffee shops and places and give them away, secretly- but I wear a hat and sunglasses, so you don ' t really know that it’ s me!
So, do you feel you’ ve come a long way since‘ I Kissed a Girl’ back in 2008? You ' ve packed a lot into the past few years! It’ s been an absolute whirlwind but if it wasn ' t fun, I don ' t think I would be running this fast still. I can remember every part of it by outfits! It’ s been quite a colourful few years with a lot of hard work, with a lot of excitement, a lot of purpose, perspective-opening and a lot of fun really.
Katy Perry’ s Witness Tour begins its UK leg on the 14th June 2018 in London, followed by dates in Birmingham( 18th), Sheffield( 19th), Liverpool on the 21st, Manchester on the 22nd and then Glasgow( 24th) and Newcastle on the 25th June 2018.
In her 10 years with Capitol Records, since she made her debut in 2008 with her album‘ One of the Boys,’ her music has been streamed more than 18 billion times alongside worldwide sales of more than 40 million adjusted albums and 125 million tracks.
Her singles“ Firework” and“ Dark Horse” each surpassed the 10 million threshold including song sales and streams and Katy is the first female artist to earn two RIAA Digital Single Diamond Awards.
Katy will be appearing at the Liverpool Echo Arena on the 21st June 2018 and tickets for the UK and European leg of WITNESS: The Tour are on sale now. wirrallife. com 21