Benjamin Clementine Quotes

I began singing in dive bars and really small clubs. I dragged my piano down the stairs, and I went down the street with my keyboard, and I would go to every different dive bar that I could get to agree to let me play. I'd call and pretend I was Lady Gaga's manager.

When I was a street performer, before I had any songs of my own that anybody would stop and put in money for, I would always be doing covers. Even with covers, people wouldn't stop in the beginning.

I'd get a train to some town and wander about to find a decent spot. Sometimes I'd play for three hours; sometimes I'd get moved on after three songs.

There are a lot of bands coming up now that are literally thrusting their soul, their passion into something that fans can pay for a ticket to go see, and they know it's going to be awe-inspiring.

My first jam was at Hotel Diplomat opening for Hollywood.

I wouldn't do go to another band.

One of the main reasons for wanting to perform live again was to have contact with that audience.

Going to a concert can sometimes be very difficult. It can be a long journey. There's the ticket prices. But when the music goes to the community - not the community coming to the concert - they say, 'Wow! I didn't know that this music was so amazing!'

We played in bars and other such establishments and anywhere where people would listen. Sometimes they did, and sometimes not. The outfits we wore were classics of the 50's.

I love live performance and have huge admiration for people who can really do it. It's the same with music: I'll play a record and think that I'm not really into country or ragga. But, if it's live and the musicians are good, I'll listen to pretty much anything.

Well, everything about singing, I learned from busking. Everything I learned about songwriting, I learned from busking.

My dream has been to have my rock band behind me, play live, and entertain.

But live shows are cool. I just got back into the idea of enjoying it live.

I had so much fun playing songs from 'Based On A True Story...' and getting to see the crowd's reaction to those songs was unforgettable.

Nothing beats a live performance. Nothing.

As a busker, one thing that does not work is self-consciousness. A busker needs to be working. A busker needs to shed all ego and get down to work. Play your songs, play them well, earn your money, and don't get in people's way.

Performing live is the greatest high in the world. That's why I do what I do.

I think people need to see Prince live to really understand how remarkable he is.

A lot of times you go to a concert, and when you leave, you don't know anything more about the act then when you got there.

I did pretty well busking. I would play two to eight hours a day, and I could make two or three hundred an hour.

I used to be a street singer in San Francisco.

People have said I played some pretty amazing gigs in the seventies, but in all honesty, I probably played one good show in three.

It's like freedom of speech - they can't tell you not to do it. When no one will put you on at a club or venue, you can go to the street, just start singing, and get a lot of good feedback from people as they walk by. I got really good at lip reading and seeing if a song is working. It was a good way to start.

You get way better from playing to the passing public. You learn how to entertain. But it took me a good three years out on the promenade to figure that out. You also learn what makes them stop dead in their tracks and what doesn't.

I don't care about the gold records and all of that stuff. I care about what we do onstage, and the joy that we bring to people.