Jonathan Demme Quotes

The power of live music is vast. Live music is a wonderful way to spend some time.

Live music is better.

There's nothing to compare to live music, there just isn't anything.

I'm 90% performer, 10% musician. I've always said that Gossip are a band I would go see, not a band I would listen to.

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.

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.

Older people generally appreciate live music.

The idea of standing five feet away from Norah Jones and listening to her sing Neil Young's 'Down By The River' was just phenomenal. I compare that to what my kids know of at a concert, which is sitting in a stadium and watching a huge screen.

I was always more interested in the ultimate live performance rather than the recording for its own sake. And, for the audience too, that thrill of - just being there.

Music is a performance and needs the audience.

I really love live performing!

Playing in arenas, that's very non-personal with the crowd.

When playing any song in front of an audience, you're watching them experience it, and it changes. In a lot of ways, it's almost like the music is just the background buzz to what's happening between you and the audience in the room.

It was really strange for me when I started to play concerts in America where the audiences were all sitting down.

You don't work as hard to watch a movie. You work harder to watch a play, so what the audience puts into it is interesting.

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

The adrenaline of a live performance is unlike anything in film or theater. I can see why it's so addictive.

All I have is my performance, I try to feed in the best of everything that I could possibly do into those 90 minutes and to make a live entertainment show out of it.

When you tour, you regain the music and the connection with the audience.

There are a lot of singers who cannot sing to save their lives. We have to accept it, but thank God there is such a thing as live shows. It's only when people are faced with live shows that the world gets to know how good or how bad they are.

People don't come to my concerts because they know the program. They come because they love the atmosphere and because they know that when I offer them a program it will be a night they never forget.

Performing 60,000 people, that's easy. The energy's already there. They're already doing most of the work. All you gotta do is not forget the words - and feed them energy, too.

I love the power of theater. I think it's an experience you never forget.

I try to go to concerts whenever I can, just because I love music.

I first came across Langhorne Slim when I saw him play live, and he's an incredibly infectious performer. The way he works the crowd is mind-blowing. You can listen to his music without really listening to his lyrics, but it pays off if you do.