US singer-songwriter Patti Smith (centre) performs at the Nobel Prize award ceremony. pic/AFP PHOTO

Leon De Souza, playback singer
'The first time I forgot my words on stage was when I was 17. I was singing Richard Marx's Right Here Waiting... and messed up the lyrics. I just carried on singing. As long as you are confident, the audience won't realise you've made a mistake; even if they do, they will admire that confidence. You tend to make mistakes on stage and you can either stop, apologise and go off stage, or get on with it. I believe the show must go on, even if you've inverted two verses or have missed your cue because of some technical problems.'