Big Booty

Big Booty is one of those warm-up classics that looks completely silly from the outside and still gets you sweating once you're in it. At its core it's a chant-and-rhythm game: you say your own number, then call someone else's, all on the group's beat. Sounds easy. Isn't.

We stand in a circle and number ourselves off. The first person is Big Booty, then come Number 1, Number 2, Number 3 and so on. Big Booty sets the tempo, everyone else holds it. Whoever's turn it is calls themselves first, then whoever they're passing the hot potato to.

Goes like this:

All:        Big Booty, Big Booty, Big Booty – ooooh yeah
Big Booty:  Big Booty → Number 4
Number 4:   Number 4  → Big Booty
Big Booty:  Big Booty → Number 2
Number 2:   Number 2  → Number 3
Number 3:   ... uh ... Number 3?       (too late – Aiaiai!)
All:        Aiaiai!

What just happened? Number 3 missed the beat. By the time he realised he was being called, the rhythm was already gone. So he goes to the back of the line, and everyone behind him moves up a number. That also means: your number can change at any moment, so you have to listen, count and stay ready all at once. That's what makes it fun.

The game goes on immediately, no pause:

All:        Big Booty, Big Booty, Big Booty – ooooh yeah
Big Booty:  Big Booty → Number 5
Number 5:   Number 5  → Number 2
…

What counts as a mistake? Pretty simple: you fall out of the beat, you miss that you were called, or you stumble over your own tongue. Some groups also count calling yourself as a mistake; others allow it on purpose to crank the tempo. Agree on this in your group, otherwise you'll get arguments.

Why the game works so well: you have to listen, hold your own number in your head, aim at someone else AND stay in the rhythm — all at the same time. That's exactly the multitasking mode you need on stage, just without the stage. Perfect for waking up.

When the standing version gets too messy: Concentration

When the standing circle gets too restless, or when you simply don't have that much energy first thing in the morning, you can play the same idea sitting down. This variant is called Concentration.

Instead of standing, you sit. To keep the rhythm visible while sitting, the group snaps their fingers on the two speaking beats — one snap right, one snap left. The rest works exactly like Big Booty: say your own name first, then call someone else.

The crucial trick is in the count-in. Before each round — and after every mistake — the group says a verse together that locks everyone into the same pulse:

Con – cen – tra – tion – Concen – tration – now be – gins

There's room to play with the names. Instead of Number 1, Number 2 etc., the hierarchy variant is popular: the first player is Chef, the second is Vize, then come Three, Four, Five and so on. It's fun because the Chef can ruthlessly snap the Vize out of the game.

What to use it for

Both versions do essentially the same thing: they force you into a group's shared beat and switch your head from "I'm planning my next punchline" to "I'm listening and reacting." That's exactly the attitude you need on stage. Right before a show? Three rounds of Big Booty or Concentration — and everyone's awake, focused, and already half laughing.