Henry Lau gets 'very nervous' in intimate performances: 'You can't scream and stuff'

Despite having performed on hundreds of stages, big and small since his debut in 2008, Canadian singer-songwriter Henry Lau admitted that he still gets "very nervous" during intimate performances, especially "when it's somebody right in front of me".

Henry was in town yesterday (Oct 28) for a press conference for the upcoming New Year celebration Singland Festival, where he will be performing on Jan 3.

Taiwanese singer Terry Lin, who will take the stage on Jan 2, also dialled in during the session with local media.

AsiaOne asked Henry what his most impactful experience in 2025 was and he said: "I released a lot more songs this year — that was one of my big goals."

The 36-year-old added that it would "definitely be one of my bigger priorities" for 2026.

Radio DJ Hazelle Teo, who hosted the event, went on to ask if he prefers performing on a big stage or in a smaller, cozier setting.

He said: "I don't think many people know this but the bigger it is, the less nervous I get.

"I've done a lot of performances, a lot of different types of venues, even like busking on the streets. I wouldn't say I've done it all, but I have a lot of experience."

He continued: "When you're doing a very intimate kind of performance, you can't scream and stuff. These days I like the screaming."

He shared that aside from being a singer, there's "never been another option" for him.

Offering some words of wisdom, he advised aspiring youths to focus more on the difficult moments and push through with dedication.

He said: "I haven't met a single person, who has worked so hard, that hasn't made it or been successful yet."

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Singland Festival 2026 is Singapore's biggest indoor New Year's celebration and is set to take place on Dec 31 and Jan 2 and 3 at Marina Bay Sands.

This will be Henry's first solo performance in Singapore and he hopes to perform some new songs.

K-pop superstar Rain will perform on Dec 31 while American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo will perform on Jan 3.

Tickets are available on Sistic.

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esther.lam@asiaone.com