Patti Smith Quotes

If I go see a band, and they play, like, zero from any of their old albums, I'm very happy about that. I do not want to see the bands of my youth playing the songs of my youth. I hate that.

I really enjoy playing America. I like the audiences there. It's the home of a lot of music I grew up with.

When you hear people scream because they're about to hear a song that has been a part of their life, there's nothing like that.

Doing new stuff live is tough just simply because I pay my money, I stand in my seats, and I see the guys I love. And if I paid that ticket, there's a good chance that I'm there to hear the stuff that made me fall in love with 'em - we call it the 'old stuff.'

I really love headlining. Opening up is fun - getting to play for all these people who might not know you - but it's so much easier sometimes playing for people who know all your songs: you get that instant feedback.

People who have witnessed all the years of me playing, they bring their kids and say, 'I used to see this guy when I was fourteen!'

Any band on their first couple records is just trying to keep up with their inspiration.

I still love to do the old songs. I know some people don't.

When you go to a great concert, you feel this arc, almost like the music of a well-chosen set takes you on this trip through emotions and through various forms of intellectual engagement.

I grew up the biggest fan of the Cure. Knew every lyric, had every album, B-side, single, poster, everything. Then cut to fifteen years later, and we're working on songs together. Ridiculous.

We didn't just want to go out and do that whole greatest hits thing.

That person who's going to a concert for a nostalgic reason, we're not really going to placate. We still play three or four hits every night. Now, we don't play them like the record. We try to find new ways to do it.

It's not a bad problem to have because a lot of classic acts are known for one or two songs and in their show they basically hold those songs off until the end and you sit through an hour or so of lesser known material but in our case most of the songs are well known.

My first concert makes me sound like a real old man. My very first concert was Jackie Wilson.

When I go to shows, I'm really looking forward to hearing the songs I know. I don't like it when a band tries to expose me to new stuff.

What I'm hoping is that every album I'm going to do will give my audience something different, and that they'll grow as I do.

It was all about music, about getting your friends to come and see you play. I don't see that same intimacy happening very much today.

What turns me on is to walk into a sold-out venue. The audiences are so much the same as they were in the '60s. It's just an amazing thing. I can't explain it, but I hope it never stops.

I still have all the faith and love for my music and yet I'm still playing places for kids.

The first record I bought myself could have been 'Oh Lonesome Me' by Don Gibson or 'Wake Up Little Susie' by the Everly Brothers.

People ask me if I ever get sick of playing 'Daydream Believer' or whatever. But I don't look at it that way. Do they ask if Tony Bennett is tired of 'I Left My Heart in San Francisco?'

Songs go through cycles for me. And sometimes I lose my passion for some of them.

I did 'Love Letter' and 'Write Me Back,' and those were fun albums for me to do because they took me back to music I love.

I just love, love going around and traveling and bringing the music to people. They just make you feel so happy that you came.

I had a couple CDs. But I never had that first concert experience, that first record thing.