Grimes Quotes

Stage fright is not a thing about 'Am I any good?' It's about 'Am I gonna be good tonight?' It's a right-now thing. It helps me. If I went out there thinkin', 'Eh, we'll go slaughter 'em,' I'm positive something would go seriously wrong.

Showing your movie to an audience... it's like your kid doing a piano recital. 'Just let it not fail. Please.'

The night before a show, I don't sleep. Really. I've been doing this for 30 years, and the night before a show, I still don't sleep.

When it's silent or when that energy of the audience isn't there, you feel the bumps a little more. You feel yourself losing breath a little quicker.

It was a nerve-wracking first few years having to tour and perform in front of people with the little bit of confidence I had.

I stand on stage hoping to give good energy to the audience, but if I cannot give good energy anymore, I will have to leave right away.

Performing live is difficult. But nobody's forcing us to do it.

I'm used to being nervous for shows in general.

There's no damn business like show business - you have to smile to keep from throwing up.

I've always had problems with my brain, so a lot of the songs are about issues I have with paranoia or freak-outs. 'When My Head Explodes' is about being on stage, having people look at you and expecting you to perform, then literally your head explodes.

I wish I didn't have to perform 'Iron Man' every night.

The '90s were a bit of a disaster for me in so many ways. On a personal level, I don't think I could have toured. Also, I had some physical problems with my back that are now sorted and I just wasn't in the right state of mind.

Before every performance, I think I am about to keel over.

I'm always exhausted after a show, even if it's just half an hour.

I don't know how to let loose when I'm dancing to the music and the people that made the music are watching me. I've never felt so much pressure in my life.

I suffer greatly from nerves. I have stage-fright badly, and it gets worse, but the stage is still my life.

I don't like touring and it seemed to be getting on top of me in a big way.

I love the stage. It's terrifying in a way that film and television is not. When you're about to go out, and you're adrenaline just gets out of control, and that can be really daunting.

I'm afraid that I won't do a good job when I go into an audition.

In all honesty, if somebody asked me the secret of auditioning for Americans, I don't know. Often, I do what's called self-taping for America. I go over there quite a lot to sit in a room and do stuff in front of people. You feel like a performing monkey. It's bizarre.

Your nerves can get the better of you, especially when it's your first film.

I love sketch; it's my favorite form. But if it's all improv, they're either very good, and it's annoying how good they are, and it makes you feel bad, or they're not too good; then you're sweating for them.

I think every entertainer's had nights when things go wrong. I mean you can't remember everything all the time, and especially if you're having hard times personally, things going on that you - you know, and then people make it worse. And that makes you feel worse.

When it comes to performance, I don't like to prepare at all if I don't have to.

I loved being on Broadway, but performing has become exhausting, and I just don't want to live in New York anymore. I'm just sick of the competition in New York, the feeling that I always have to rehearse to keep up my performance. I don't feel like rehearsing, even though it should be my favorite thing in the world to do.