This Bank Holiday Monday, 6th June at 2pm, RTE Radio 1 presents Showtime: a unique journey inside the singer's mind.

From pre-show nerves to rapturous applause, tour fatigue to feeling invincible, join award-winning documentary maker Danny Carroll as he meets some of the most revered singers of our time to share opinions on the best and worst of their profession.

Showtime features contributions from John Grant, Conor O'Brien (Villagers), Camille O'Sullivan, Jehnny Beth (Savages), Frances Black and Stuart Staples (Tindersticks).

“When the audience loves you it’s great," John Grant says. "But when you’re caught in the labyrinth of your thoughts during a performance it can be the most excruciating hour and a half or two hours imaginable. It can be an absolute nightmare or it can be the best thing ever.”

Jehnny Beth (Savages) says: “There was always a phrase I used to think about before going on stage, and I knew that phrase would help me. I would be on the side of the stage, five minutes before the show, and I’d be like, ‘Oh. What’s that phrase, what’s that phrase? If only I could remember that phrase I know it will be fine.’ And then suddenly it comes to me, and it’s like ‘Oh yeah!’ And the phrase is... Stop thinking.”

Conor O’Brien (Villagers) says: “My whole body is always telling me not to do what I do for a living. It’s very weird and strange. But I know I’m going to enjoy it once I’m on the tour and everything’s happening. It’s also really gratifying when it does actually work; it’s like this tension release.”

We also have a look under the hood of our singers’ minds with the insights of opera singer and psychotherapist Virginia Kerr and performance psychologist Dr. Sarah Sinnamon.