A Close Encounters Catch Up
On Friday 18th and Saturday 19th August, Robbie performed what were arguably two of his finest concerts to date in front of some 100,000 people.
However on the Saturday, Robbie had an audience that far surpassed that figure when his concert was simulcast to scores of radio stations in over thirty countries across the world. So whilst playing to an audience of 50,000 in the Ernst Happel Stadium, the master of entertainment was actually playing to an audience of many, many more.
However, before the two majestic concerts, Robbie conducted an intimate interview, taking time to share his thoughts on his tour so far...
Can you describe the 30 seconds immediately before you go on stage...
They’re always very different…the ones that are great are when I’m sitting there and my hair’s done, and my sunglasses are on, my cravat’s ready and I’m sat there waiting for the stage to open up so I can stand on it and then be thrust into the stadium.
They’re the ones I look forward to , when I’m like “Yes! Come on, let’s do this!”
And then there’s other nights when, 30 seconds to go, and I’m really worried because I’m not bothered. You know, some nights I just go “I don’t want to do this”...
Any highlights so far?
Highlights for me have been the San Siro Stadium in Italy. Italy had just won the World Cup so when I got on stage in this huge, HUGE stadium that looked like the Death Star from Star Wars on the outside. You get in there…..you’d have to see for yourself... go online and have a look at to the San Siro Stadium...
What sites do you like on the web?
I look at www.rudebox74.com (no longer live), there’s some very funny stuff on there. There’s also some stuff on You Tube... I think you can find my performances on there, that the fans have kindly uploaded. But I like it you know, they sit and they film the performance on their cameras or whatever, when they come to the show, and then they put it on You Tube or www.rudebox74.com and I don’t mind …. I think it’s cool.
You’ve been on the road (on tour) for 4 months now….how’s it all going?
It’s going really, really well. I can’t believe how fast it’s actually getting from one gig to another. I’ve only toured, at the most, one month at a time all my life, you know, when I was in Take That and on the solo career. And this tour’s five months (long) and I was very concerned that I wasn’t going to get through it or something would happen. And, you know, I got very …I got very scared of the length…
But it’s easy, you know, I’ve done two months and I’m still here… two arms, two legs, I’ve still got a voice…I’m good
Any highlights so far?
Highlights for me have been the San Siro Stadium in Italy. Italy had just won the World Cup so when I got on stage in this huge, HUGE stadium that looked like the Death Star from Star Wars on the outside. You get in there…..you’d have to see for yourself... go online and have a look at to the San Siro Stadium….Because it just carries on forever and, you know the crowd goes up, up, up, up, up and just doesn’t, doesn’t stop. And it was like I’d been invited to their party because they’d won the World Cup.
They were the most entertaining crowd I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t say my performance was the best performance I’ve ever done but they were definitely the best crowd I’ve ever had.
And a highlight for me was the first night in Munich. For some reason, I don’t why it was….I think it was because of the weather because it wasn’t so hot. Everywhere else we’ve been has been really, really hot but the first night in Munich, it threatened to rain and I think that just makes.... gives the crowd more energy because the sun is sapping for me AND the crowd. But the first night in Munich I think I performed the best that I have performed this year I have all year and I hope the people who were at that concert that night agree with me.
Which songs are going down best with the crowd?
The songs that are going down the best with the crowds are….Sin Sin Sin is going down really well. Come Undone ALWAYS goes down just amazingly….it’s such a pleasure to sing it …..Feel, Angels of course….you know, the usual list of songs
You’ve got an amazing band and crew behind you….have they all been with you for years or do you hand-pick them for each tour?
I’ve been a solo artist for 11 years now and the band has kind of picked itself. At the core of that band I’ve had Gary Nuttall with me from day one and he’s the lead guitarist.
We were always waiting for Chris Sharrock, the drummer, to join us... he was with the Lighting Seeds at the time. Since Chris has come on board and Gary’s come on board we’ve seen a whole heap of people coming and going.Claire Worrall on keyboards…she’s been with us for a long time now but the band has picked itself and I think now, 11 years in, I’ve now got the best blend now... you know, of talent and personalities
The tour has a sci-fi theme with am amazing stage set…was that all your own concept?
I’m very fortunate to have management that know what they’re doing. I wouldn’t know…..
- ”Can you put a stage up?”
- “Yes”…
- “Well, can you come and put a stage up on my tour?”
I don’t pick those people but I have a wonderful set of people around me you know…the crew are fantastic
So what, then, was the inspiration behind the tour?
I’d always wanted to call it the “Close Encounters” tour because, at the point of conception of the tour, I was really into UFO’s, conspiracy theories, humanoids, lizards, ghosts and goblins and I still am.
When I was planning the tour I wasn’t working and when I’m not working if I’m not writing songs or promoting an album, then I’m normally online trying to find out if UFO’s exist. So, it’s called the Close Encounters because I’m really into UFOs at the moment…
Can you describe the 30 seconds immediately before you go on stage.
They’re always very different…the ones that are great are when I’m sitting there and my hair’s done, and my sunglasses are on, my cravat’s ready and I’m sat there waiting for the stage to open up so I can stand on it and then be thrust into the stadium.
They’re the ones I look forward to , when I’m like “Yes! Come on, let’s do this!”
And then there’s other nights when, 30 seconds to go, and I’m really worried because I’m not bothered. You know, some nights I just go “I don’t want to do this” you know and they’re the worrying evenings because if your body is telling you and your mind is telling you that you don’t want to do it, it’s very scary, knowing that you HAVE to do it.
I would say it’s 50:50 through this tour - 50 per cent “Yes, I can’t wait to get on stage” and 50 per cent “I just want to go back to the hotel and eat."
We know that “what goes on tour, stays on tour” but can you tell us about any tour shenanigans (funny escapades) so far?
There’s not a lot of, not from me…. there’s not a lot of shenanigans that go on, really…My best friend on tour would be Johnny and we wind people up we’re what we call “piss-takers”…there’s been no tricks or anything.
It’s difficult to say whether there’s been shenanigans cos I’m either in my hotel room or I’m at the venue.
You know I can’t go out really and sometimes I can’t even go to the hotel bar so there’s not been a lot of shenanigans because there’s just been a lot of “let’s watch this movie or “let’s do a quiz”.
You set a new world record by selling 1.6 million tickets in 24 hours…how does it feel to be SO in demand?
It’s scary…..maybe one day I’ll be able to feel the beauty of the success but right now - because it’s such a big number – it’s scary because in my head, I can’t sort of put things in its place. When I think of 1.6 million people, I think of them every night all the time….so, to me, you know yeah, it’s amazing but it’ll be more amazing when I finish the tour and I’ve done it.
Like Knebworth when I did the big show in England at Knebworth, people said “You must have loved that”. No I hated it ….. I actually love it now that I’ve done it. I didn’t enjoy doing it...the satisfaction of completing something.
Because 1.6. million or 2.8 million have turned up and bought the tickets. Now I’ve got to turn up and give them a good show….so it’s scary.
Can you have any kind of a normal life on the road?
I think, for me, this will be the last tour that I do like this for a long, long time. Because it’s one of those things where you go “Right, it’s a five month tour” and really for five months I have to give myself over to the people that buy the tickets.
I can’t go out, I can’t just go shopping or just pop down the road or, you know, go and do normal things. So in my head I’ve got to go,
“ Right for this next 5 months, my life isn’t mine, it’s theirs...just put your head down and get it done”
Any new venues/countries you’re looking forward to playing in the future?
You know, maybe, maybe River Plate in Argentina… I’m going to go down to Argentina and there’s a couple of gigs that I’m going to do down there that I’m just like “I can’t wait to see that”.
And also I’m doing the Azteca Stadium in Mexico so I’m looking forward to doing that. And that’s South America….that’s thousands and thousands and thousands of miles away from Stoke-on-Trent…why are THEY buying tickets, you know?
Your Vienna concert is being beamed, live via satellite, around the world. You’ve said that Vienna’s one of your favourite European cities, what make is so special?
I think that what is so special about Vienna is that a few tours ago – maybe like seven years ago, eight years ago I had one of the gigs of my life there, in an arena that I did and with respect, you know, I was told that the Austrian audience is not that animated…and then when I get on stage they were the top…definitely …up until Italy….I’d say Vienna’s the best….one of the best shows and one of the best audiences I’ve ever had. So it surprised me, so that’s why it sticks out in my head….you know, it’s like “I’m going to Vienna next….they’re great there!”
According to Shakespeare: “All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players”. Do you sometimes feel you’re part of some mad travelling circus... or are you the ringmaster!
It’s my job to be the Ringmaster when I’m on stage and Shakespeare’s right, I suppose. It’s becoming increasingly like the world is a stage with reality TV shows happening in abundance the way that they are at the moment. And real life is more interesting than fiction so yeah, the world is a stage….I’m just playing my part. But I’m the Ringmaster when I get on stage... off-stage, anybody can be the ringmaster, I’m not bothered ….somebody else go and do it!
Your new album is being released in the Autumn…it’s bit of departure for you, being a dance-focused release – how did that come about?
It came about in many stages…what happened at first was I was recording Intensive Care, writing and recording the last album and Jerry who plays bass in my band had come over to play bass. And whilst Stephen (Duffy) was in the studio, recording you know lead guitar or pianos or whatever, me and Gerry would get on his Apple Mac and sort of write these songs as a hobby. It was like a work-away-from-work. We got a few together... there’s a song on the album called The 80s, another one called The 90s, about my life in the eighties and my life in the nineties. And then, I realised there were a few songs that I really wanted to cover and, before I knew it, I had a whole album. And from what turned out to be a hobby has turned into being the next stage in my career.
What sites do you like on the web?
I look at www.rudebox74.com, there’s some very funny stuff on there. There’s also some stuff on You Tube... I think you can find my performances on there, that the fans have kindly uploaded. But I like it you know, they sit and they film the performance on their cameras or whatever, when they come to the show, and then they put it on You Tube or www.rudebox74.com and I don’t mind …. I think it’s cool.
You’ve collaborated with The Pet Shop Boys on the new album - were you a big fan of theirs in the early days?
I’ve always been a fan of the Pet Shop Boys and still AM a massive fan of the Pet Shop Boys. Working with them has been another tick in another box, it’s been another dream fulfilled.
I love Chris and Neil’s melodies, the lyrics, the atmosphere, the music, what they stand for as a band, what they believe in as people.…I’m a massive fan.
Is there anyone YOU would like to catch in concert?
I don’t go to concerts….they don’t interest me. I’ve never been a concert person. You know, I mean I’d love to see Prince, I suppose but with concerts…I like to hear what I know…I like to hear stuff that I already know.
And with a lot of people…with most people, the concerts that they play, I don’t know a lot of the stuff. …you know, I want to know every song and there isn’t any bands out there or solo artists that I know all the songs of ….you know, everyone who I like is dead!
Madonna’s great ….there’s three…U2 , Madonna and Prince…the rest I’m not bothered about. I’ve seen U2 twice and, for a man who doesn’t go to concerts – I DON’T go to concerts - I’m proud to say that I’ve been in the audience of a U2 gig because they’re phenomenal and he’s the best front man.
Prince, Madonna and Bono.. are all better than me!
