'I was too arrogant and angry': Paul Weller admits he appreciates his success even more than his younger years - but rules out any hopes of a greatest hits show

 

He shot to fame as the lead singer of The Jam in the 1970s.

But Paul Weller has revealed he appreciates his job more now than ever, admitting he was 'too arrogant and too angry' when he was younger. 

In an interview with Radio Times, the musician, 63, touched upon his pre-gig jitters and also shut down any fans hopes of a greatest hits tour.  

Touching on how growing older has changed his outlook, the music legend said: 'I realise that the older I get – how lucky and fortunate I am to be able to do what I do.

'It’s never really a chore. I mean, it is work sometimes, you’ve got to get stuck in. But the older I get, the more I love it, and the more appreciative I am of it. 

'When I was younger I was too arrogant or too angry or whatever.'

But, despite his long and successful career, Weller admitted he still suffers from nerves before shows. 

His latest interview comes as he prepares for a new role of grandfather after it was revealed by Richard Eden that Weller's daughter, Leah, 29, is expecting her first child.  

'We are over the moon,' says Leah, who shared the photograph of her bump alongside her husband, fellow model Tomo Kurata. Leah's mother is The Style Council singer Dee C. Lee. 

Weller, 63, welcomed his eighth child four years ago. The baby was his third with his second wife, Hannah Andrews, giving him as many children as rock knights Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger.

Speaking candidly with Mary McCartney in an interview in British GQ's July issue earlier this month, Weller revealed that he gets stage fright. 

He explained he gets 'so nervous' he feels he doesn't 'want to be there' but said it disappears once he starts performing.

Mary asked how he feels when he goes out in front of a big crowd he reflected: 'It's almost a weird thing, because just prior to going on stage, especially in the hour before, I'm in bits. 

'I'm so nervous and so don't want to be there and want to go home, and then within minutes of actually being on stage, as soon as that first tune strikes up, I automatically feel as though this is completely where I'm supposed to be.

'It feels like the most natural, most comfortable, Zen-like place you could possibly be, it's so weird.'