The Press Conference
TV Hits Magazine, July 1996
Much cheering and clapping followed before Robbie finally appeared doing what can only be described as a 'chicken walk' across the stage before sitting down, moaning about England being knocked out of Euro '96. This is the press conference exactly as it happened.......
Have you a message for your German fans?
It'll be out soon. I'm really looking forward to coming out to everywhere, not just Germany - the whole world. I want to be seen and heard as an artist and also have a lot of fun along the way - I'm dying to get out of my local place.
Are you thinking about a career in TV at all?
I don't know really. I'm concentrating on music at the minute. I'm going to strike out the possibility of doing anything on popular TV for the while I've got to write an album, you know! There's a big hype surrounding all this ... I've got to write it all, you know what I mean!
There's speculation that Noel Gallagher's writing you a song is this to happen?
I suppose you've got to roll with it really, (everybody laughs), take your time, you've gotta say what you say, don't let anybody get in your way! I don't know, there might be, there might not be. Noel said he's quite willing to write me a song and I'd love for him to, but we'll see what happens...I might get Bonehead to write me a song instead! I might get Guigsy to do me an ambient house mix!
Do you feel any animosity to any of Take That?
I suppose when you're feeling an emotion whatever emotion you're feeling, you've got to get it out, as a catharsis really. I've done a lot of slagging off in the press and there hasn't been a lot of positivity to the people I used to be with. To tell you the truth, I'm over all that now, this is the future. I did an interview the other day and you go though a time where interviews are like psychotherapy! Anyway, I was talking about all the lads and all the good times. Really that's what I want again and I wouldn't mind meeting up with them all, but maybe not the manager! I'd like to meet up with the manager in a fork lift truck, souped up to go about 150 miles per hour non stop with no brakes! I didn't mean that honest!
What do you thing of Gary's single?
Well.....to tell you the truth, it's like this - I'd love to say it's not my cup of tea but it's alright, but in fact it's awful! (everyone draws breath) Hear me out, hear me out! It's not me slagging him off again, it's that I know what Gary is capable of and I've heard all his stuff he's got coming out and he's got tunes like Back For Good and more - I don't understand the record company or him releasing this song. But you know what, the next solo single's gonna be fantastic and Gary's gonna have a really good career, I'm sure of it.
Did George Michael give you any advice on your solo career?
He didn't give me any advice about it, it was just the weekend I left or got sacked from the band, went away and he was there. We just chatted and of course, if anybody's going to know what the dealings with record companies are like or leaving bands, it's gonna be him, so whatever advice he gave would have been good. We were talking about music, football and fruit!
Robbie, have you got any plans to move back to Stoke-on-Trent?
I'd been there for 22 years and you just need some fresh air, you need some fresh legs. You come down to London, it's like stepping into a lion's den, do you know what I mean? You can go out whenever you want! Eventually I'll move back to the Stoke area, but not for a while, and buy a very big house in the country!
Who's your favourite live act?
My favourite live act, um....it's gotta be Oasis!
When are you likely to start touring?
I've not made any plans, so give me some time to get my act together - I'm just going to go away and write now. There is definitely going to be a live show, a live act, and I guarantee that will be quite an event, but when it's going to happen I don't know.
What are you going to bring back into pop?
I don't know, wait and see. I mean, you can't tell by this first video, it's a bit of a laugh - it's not about being serious, you know...there's a lot of fun to be had in any walk of life and I hope to bring fun back into pop. I hope to bring the fun back into everything I go into, 'cause I'm cheeky chappy Robbie!
How many of the ex Take That members do you think will succeed?
It just depends what they succeed in...Jason's gonna make a brilliant painter and decorator, I'm sure! (laughs). To tell you the truth, it takes a lot of hard work, a good record company, good management and lots of luck, so it's up to them.
Robbie are you coming up to T in the Park this year? We had such a good time last summer...
Do you know, I did have such a good time, but you see the thing is, I won the flavour of the year award last year and I read in the newspapers the other day that the favourite T-shirt for the festival this year says, 'I'm with Robbie Williams,' so I don't think I'll be turning up! Maybe if I turn up, I'll wear a disguise - a boob tube!
Why did you stay with Take That so long if you didn't get on too well with them?
Well you see, without harping on about it, when you've done something for so long, certain things are taken away from you and maybe you start believing you can't succeed without a certain manager, and I was just really worried about my comeback for so long, to tell you the truth. But the thing is I'm here now and that's what we're all here for!
Did you really doubt yourself that much?
No. Do you know what, when I was a child I told my Nan I didn't know what I was gonna do, but when I was 12 I told her I'd be a millionaire by the time I was 22, and I was! And I had no doubt in my mind that I was gonna do it, and I also have no doubt now that I'm gonna carry on and I'm gonna be a huge star again.
Are you still friends with Mark Owen?
I'd love to be friendly with Mark Owen. I think everybody needs a little time to see what went on on the past and re-evaluate certain situations, and I just wanna give Marky a little time to realise what went on, because I don't want to be going back to talk to Mark Owen who's a Take That Mark Owen. I wanna speak to Mark Owen as a mate and I will speak to Mark Owen 'cause I really miss him, I do. Wherever it happens, it happens you know.
Have you a message for Gary or Howard?
I've got no message really...my only message to them all is good luck and I hope whatever you do you succeed in, 'cause you'll be following me!
What's your album going to be like?
I'm not sure yet I've been writing a load of songs - I've got a catalogue of 30 tunes that I've written and you see for me it's a totally new career, it's a totally new break, and everyone's running round trying to fathom out what I'm going to sound like. With the 30 songs I'm trying to be as broad as possible, really.
What's the best and the worst thing you've learned from hanging out with the Gallaghers?
How to stay up and how not to go to bed!
Why record a cover version for the first single?
It's a statement. It's more of a statement than a single, to tell you the truth. The statement is, 'I'm free now to do whatever I want and to do whatever I choose!' It's not gonna be on the album, I'm putting it out as a statement. I've had 12 months in the mire if you like, which means I've experienced all lows, and I certainly know what lows feel like now. I also know what highs feel like and I don't want the lows again. This is my track....it's freedom - that's what I'm all about.
Isn't it slightly ironic that you're covering a George Michael song when Gary's been compared to George Michael himself?
The comparisons have been made by the media not me. I don't think there's any irony attached to the fact I've done a George Michael song. All the irony is in the tile Freedom and not the artist. I've done this track for many reasons, but I've gotta take my hat off to George Michael, who's the only artist who's stood up for himself....not the only artist, one of the only ones I know who's actually stood up for himself against his record company, so hats off to George!
Is it good to be back?
Course it is! To tell you the truth, right, some people are journalists, some people work in the media, some people are carpenters, some people sweep the streets, I perform - that's what I do and that's what I was born to do. I'm just glad that I'm on the stage now after that terrible twelve months I've had and I'm in front of all you lot telling you about it. Thank you very much.
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