When the lights go down, that's 30,000 peoples lives colliding. Everyone there working is working for that moment, everyone watching is watching for that moment. It's when you're all in agreement about what you're all doing so it's a wonderful feeling of togetherness and possibility.

I could be walking down the street one minute and get a handshake and then get spat on the next. I'm never sure whether to wear gloves or a helmet.

When I'm 40, too old to be a rock star, I plan to go back to college to study classical music.

I think it's part of being English, particularly if you are middle-class - you're always looking to be reminded that you are no good and you are always actually embarrassed about being successful.

In America idea of freedom isn't actually about freedom. That's about power. The point of an artist is to find out what are the flavors that I must work with. Finding one's freedom is about surrendering to your helplessness.

Abstract painting is dead. That's why it has become so interesting again.

Everything in my life is a fragile decision that somebody else made.