"I reached the stage where I was afraid to wiggle my leg, but then I thought 'why shouldn't I?' It's what I do and now I know how to turn an audience on again"
About this Quote
The pivot - “why shouldn’t I?” - is the quiet rebellion. It’s not denial; it’s a decision to reclaim habit as craft. Marriott frames performance as something you practice, not something you either authentically “have” or lose. That’s why the line lands: it refuses the romantic myth of effortless charisma while still insisting charisma can be rebuilt.
“Turn an audience on again” is blunt, almost workmanlike. The subtext is technical: you can read a room, find the voltage, and push it. It’s also a little vulnerable, because “again” admits there was a time he couldn’t. Coming from a British rock singer whose career moved through peaks, reinventions, and the punishing expectations of live circuits, the quote reads like survival advice from inside the machine. Marriott isn’t chasing novelty; he’s choosing ownership. The leg wiggle becomes a philosophy: don’t apologize for your signature - sharpen it, mean it, and make it hit.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Marriott, Steve. (2026, January 16). I reached the stage where I was afraid to wiggle my leg, but then I thought 'why shouldn't I?' It's what I do and now I know how to turn an audience on again. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-reached-the-stage-where-i-was-afraid-to-wiggle-110523/
Chicago Style
Marriott, Steve. "I reached the stage where I was afraid to wiggle my leg, but then I thought 'why shouldn't I?' It's what I do and now I know how to turn an audience on again." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-reached-the-stage-where-i-was-afraid-to-wiggle-110523/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I reached the stage where I was afraid to wiggle my leg, but then I thought 'why shouldn't I?' It's what I do and now I know how to turn an audience on again." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-reached-the-stage-where-i-was-afraid-to-wiggle-110523/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.




