Music superstar Robbie Williams joins Zane Lowe for a special in-depth chat at the ground of football team Port Vale, Vale Park, in his home city of Stoke-on-Trent. In the interview he discusses his recent Number 1 album ‘XXV’, his career in music, his love of Oasis and how Liam Gallagher is “vital”, how the only two people he thinks fame hasn’t impacted are Tom Hanks and Noel Gallagher, why fame impacts boybands and girlbands in the way that it does and how he wants to make a documentary about it, and how pop fans stay loyal like supporting a football team for life.
On wanting to make a documentary on fame and how it impacts boybands and girlbands…
If you run through every boyband and girlband that’s ever existed. With Take That, Gary Barlow leaves the band, his career’s supposed to do that and it didn’t. He suffered with bulimia, didn’t leave his house, went to sleep underneath his piano because he’d forgotten how to write songs. Incredibly depressed. Changed his name on his credit card because he didn’t want people to see Barlow. Howard Donald wanted to commit suicide after he left Take That. Mark Owen’s been to rehab and Jason Orange just can’t do it. And then there’s me, the mental health, the rehabs, the addiction, there’s all of that. So that’s what being in a boyband really does. And I’m sure that in 5 or 10 years’ time if you sit down with One Direction to a man, they’re all going to have their isms that have been caused by this machine. I want to do a documentary about it. Maybe we should do it together. About boybands and girlbands and what really happens. Why fame does that to you.
On his love for Oasis and how Liam Gallagher is “vital”…
Ultimately, I’m a huge fan of Oasis and was. And I was there and I was part of it and it was f***ing unbelievable and incredible hedonism and reckless abandon and rock ‘n’ roll and let’s turn it to 11,12, and let’s see where this goes. And yeah, it’s part of that competitive nature of me too. And also they were gigantic bullies too, to the whole industry, everybody in it. And I didn’t like that. And a lot of that still remains inside me. They’re probably different people now but there’s a lot of me that’s like, “They’re f***ing bullies, them. I don’t like bullies.” But Liam looks as though he’s changed. He’s doing fine. And he’s rocking it. The great thing about being a fan of Oasis is when Liam comes out with a great album, I can be a fan. The great thing about being resentful towards them, is when they don’t, I’m happy. I win on both sides. It’s so genuine, Liam’s last album that he put out, there’s like five or six tracks on there that are just like… I’m so glad he exists. And I’m so glad that he is a personality out there that’s vital, because there’s not many of them about. And especially in this day and age where pop stars can’t say and do and be personalities, it’s fantastic that there’s a Liam Gallagher in the world.
On how he thinks the only two people fame hasn’t impacted are Noel Gallagher and Tom Hanks…
I play this game, that who has got through that [fame], come through the other side and gone, “I enjoyed every bit about it, and I’m totally mentally really well and I’m happy to continue. Let’s do more of it.” Do you know, here’s the thing. The first person that jumps to my head is Tom Hanks. But, we don’t know the real Tom Hanks. So we don’t know what went on with his life. The other one who I think … Noel Gallagher seems to have handled extreme fame really, really well. They still achieved what they achieved, and he’s still Noel Gallagher
On why he thinks boyband and girlband fans remain so loyal like supporting a football team…
What I think it is when a boyband or a girlband gets to a certain place or a certain stature, because there’s lots that fell by the wayside and can’t come back and, God bless them, for having that sort of being at the top of the mountain at such an early age and then they have to go away and figure out how to live. But what I think it is with the Spice Girls, One Direction, Take That, NSYNC, New Kids on the Block, all of those people that reach that place, it’s their, the fans’ football team. So it’s Liverpool or it’s Manchester United. Do you know what I mean? And you just never stop supporting Liverpool. It gets etched in. So it’s like a young girl’s, primarily, football team.
Comments are closed.