Ian Gillan Quotes

I like to see other bands, and I like to hear their songs, but I really like it when they engage the audience.

Usually, when we're performing 'What About Your Friends' or 'Waterfalls' comes on, they all know the dance. It's like a sea of TLC dancers in the audience! It's so beautiful to see. I just love it so much.

A live concert to me is exciting because of all the electricity that is generated in the crowd and on stage. It's my favorite part of the business, live concerts.

I like it when I can sing half of a verse and throw the mike in some kid's face, and they sing it right back to me.

If you've never been to one of my concerts. I want you to know that it is OK to scream and yell.

I don't know how to get a crowd singing along. That's not what my music does.

The best live shows I've ever been to were Green on Red live shows. Amazing live band.

When I was touring with Peas, I was able to make the crowd feel the energy. When I said: 'put your hands up or make some noise,' they just did it.

I really like small, intimate shows, but there's nothing like playing at a festival. It's a completely different experience. Everyone is just a little more primal; they can get away with more things.

My music is party music. If you can make people party, you can always have an audience for that.

I like the experience being in the audience and being overwhelmed by sound, like thick, oppressive loud sound and distortion.

I've been going to Europe for some time on the festival circuit, and once you get in that element and see others reacting to it, it's easier to understand. You get trapped in the wave. The beats are driving and super-aggressive - like, so hard. I was curious.

I've had some of my best matches in front of 50 people in bingo halls and VFW halls and things like that.

Every time we play our music in clubs, there's such a strong reaction.

I think a show is more of an interacting with fans than you just singing songs.

I have a memory of this experience when I was young, watching 'Stop Making Sense,' the Talking Heads concert movie, which is one of the best concert movies ever, and I saw it in a full house in New Zealand, and everyone was cheering between songs, and you really felt like you were part of the audience at the gig.

My first concert was Chicago and Moody Blues. I was 15 years old.

The last Company Flow reunion show in New York City was pretty insane. Everybody knew all the words to every song; everybody had smiles on their faces. Those shows are what you hope for every time you get on the stage.

When people come to see me, they'll see what they know me for. Hits from the past, but I always mix in a little something new. New stuff. Old stuff. It creates a great show. There's a lot of crowd participation. A lot of interaction and energy. That's what I do best.

It's so incredible performing in front of 10,000-15,000 people singing along and giving off great energy.

The music comes alive when you actually perform it in front of a crowd.

'Finders Keepers' is guaranteed to create a vibe. If I'm having a difficult show, then I know I've got that song at the end to turn it around, and the phones will come out.

We went to see Lenny Kravitz last summer in Austin and he was awesome. His show was just awesome. I mean, like, when you see some of these great bands, you sit there and think, man, if only we were that tight, you know?

You were playing your instruments? Or do you have tape recorders under your seats?

The people who come to my shows have dollar signs drawn all over them. They have blue lipstick. I call them my animals because they just go totally mental.