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Kanye West is one of the best performers of all time. The Chicago rapper is behind legendary tours such as the Glow in the Dark Tour and Watch the Throne Tour, which have cemented his credentials on stage, away from the music. He’s also headlined several major festivals over the years, but not all of them have gone to plan.

Ye is a perfectionist when it comes to his concerts, specifically crafting the setlist and taking his stage design to new levels. He fully prepares himself for every element of his shows, which usually pays off with incredible results. However, there was one instance in 2015 where Kanye was caught off guard by the occasion.

Following in the footsteps of Jay-Z, Kanye became the second rapper to headline Glastonbury Festival on June 27th, 2015. Coming off the back of The Yeezus Tour, Ye performed many hits, including ‘Stronger’, ‘N*ggas in Paris’, ‘Power’, ‘Jesus Walks’, ‘Touch the Sky’, ‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing’, and many others.

Despite delivering some of his classic songs, there were a few hiccups. Ye was forced to restart his Yeezus song ‘Black Skinhead’ after comedian Lee Nelson invaded the stage. He also forgot the words to Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ while covering the song. The rapper is hard on himself, admitting he didn’t take his mistakes in the best way.

“It was incredible,” he told BBC Radio 1. “I started off the show, and I completely messed up the music. And me, as you can imagine by this phone call, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. So it really put me into a slightly depressed state, and it put me back in the position of when I was in high school and I got fired from my job, or when I played my music for R Kelly and he told me he was going to sign me.”

Kanye almost signed to R Kelly in the ’90s, with the ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ singer telling Ye he would give him a label deal. However, it didn’t happen, and Kanye was back to being broke. He was sold a dream that never materialised, and that feeling of disappointment came rushing back after his Worthy Farm performance.

Recalling the failed signing, he said, “Three months later, I didn’t have any money, I couldn’t afford a haircut, I couldn’t take my girlfriend to the movies, and I’m still in my momma’s bedroom, working on beats, and I was that close to being signed by R Kelly.” It’s fair to say he’s come a long way since then.

Ye felt his nerves take over on stage at Glastonbury and couldn’t get his thoughts together. These things happen to the very best performers, but a show so widely broadcasted is the last place an artist wants it to happen. “I don’t usually get nervous, I prepare, I get fully prepared,” he said. “When that music messed up in the beginning, it tapped into my nerves and when you’re nervous or vulnerable, something special and something different can happen.”