Neil speaks!
"Worst mistake of my life!!"

Date: May 1998

The scene: Richard Nicholson's front room in his flat, cigarettes are lit, Watford footie fans are cheering their side parading the second division trophy through the streets outside & the sun is shining.

Nina Monet asks the questions in Neil's first interview one year on from joining The Secrets...

Left: Neil Robinson. Photography: Shona Richardson

Nina Monet : how did you meet The Secrets?

Neil: Well, I was on the same course as a chap called Richard (Dickie Poth)

NM: That's Gav's flatmate isn't it?

N: Yeah, so I met Gav through him...worst mistake of my life!!...No, the biggest opportunity of my life. Laura was living with Gavin at the time & she suggested to Gav when they were looking for a new bass player to choose me

NM: Had you been in a band before playing bass?

N: No, not playing bass, but i've been in a couple of bands before...a band called Lisp

NM: So what did you do in that?

N: Sang...quite out of tune!

NM: So how long have you been in The Secrets now?

N: I think it's about a year in the next two weeks

NM: And you play keyboards as well as bass don't you?

N: Not any more, not any more!!

NM: So you only play bass now?

N: Yes, one has graduated

NM: So you prefer bass to keyboards?

N: Yes, 'cause i know what i'm doing on bass...well...

NM: Being the baby & newest member of the group do you ever feel like you don't have much say in contributing your ideas?

N: Erm...I wouldn't say that when I do have ideas they don't really listen to me but I feel very intimidated because they're like "we'll do this chord in a fifth, and this one in a seventh" & I'm like "I'm just going to smoke a fag now!!"

NM: Do they listen to you when you do have an idea though?

N: Oh yes, they listen to me but it's just that I don't come up with ideas very much because I get very paranoid by the fact that they seem to come up with all the good ideas first!!...and they come up with the music...

NM: So do you write your own songs?

N: I wrote one song called Keep This One (...well that was a working title that Gav gave me...made it sound a bit poncy!!)...but that's not being recorded at the moment because it was written around the time we were changing from a pop type outfit to a rock type outfit

NM: So you haven't written any songs that are going to be on the new album?

N: No

NM: So what's your favourite secretsong?

N: Dodgy question...depends who wrote it!!

NM: Why?

N: I''m just really paranoid that I'm going to offend someone!

NM: Well if you had to say - it doesn't matter who wrote it

N: (pause):...I think either Let It Go or Glove Puppets

NM: What music are you currently listening to?

N: Stereophonics, they're a cracking band...and Robbie Williams

NM: (amazed) Huh!?...er...right!!

N: And The Verve...I do like a bit of The Verve...and pretty much anything that makes me want to dance

NM: So what's your top three favourite albums?

N: ...Erm...trying to think...Take That Everything Changes ( I do apologise!!) A Life Less Ordinary soundtrack and probably the Red Beatles CD.

NM: All right, so what are your top three favourite songs?

N: I like that Sting song Puff Daddy covered recently (Every Breath You Take), gotta have a Take That...Back For Good probably...and...god, what have i got in my record collection!!?...oh yes, EMF's Unbelievable

NM: What was the first record you ever bought?

N: Okay, I'm going to hang my head in shame now, Jason Donovan Too Many Broken Hearts!!!

NM: So what do you sing in the shower?

N: The harmony parts iIm supposed to be singing live!!

NM: If you could be anything, what or who would it be and why?

N: Well if i could be anything, i'd probably be in this band and very successful because it's the only thing i'm good at...being a tart on stage basically!

NM: Who would you least like to be?

N: Looks-wise, Shane McGowan!...and career-wise, one of Upside Down, that crappy boy band (they're all crap - Ed)

NM: Who would you most like to be stranded on a desert island with?...probably some woman I guess...

N: It would definitely have to be someone I respected...probably someone like Desmond Tutu or Nelson Mandela - someone like that can really open your eyes with what they've put back into society

NM: What, so not Pamela Anderson then?!!

N: No, that would get boring after a while...plus the plastic would melt after a while...I don't know really

NM: What are your three most treasured possessions?

N: My bass guitar, a little stone that used to be my Grandma's before she died which has got a little painting of a cat on it that my Grandad did, and, er, I don't really know...I don't really have many possessions!...Probably my phone!

NM: If you had to live without one of them which one would it be?

N: Probably the phone

NM: What's your idea of the perfect weekend?

N: Friday night going down the student union bar with everybody I know being down there, going for a drive, gotta be a football match on the Saturday afternoon (either at Reading or an England match), Eaturday evening playing a gig at the union bar...& everyone going "god you're good!!"...and then on Sunday, going down to the beach with friends & kick a football around

NM: What would you say is your biggest achievement to date?

N: Probably getting to university...a subconscious achievement because I never thought i'd actually do it!

NM: What's the meanest trick you've ever played on someone?

N: I don't really play tricks on people, but I suppose it would be when I was about ten years old I had a ten pound note which I pretended my brother had stolen because I wanted him to get into trouble with my Nan. But he got me back by putting a load of thorns and stinging nettles in my bed so I went to bed that night with red poisoned legs!...But i deserved it...

NM: And what's the nicest thing you've ever done for one person and who was it?

N: I don't know...I tend to do small nice things but I'd like to think it was something for my mother...always speak about her in a good light iId say!!

NM: What was the worst present you've ever received?

N: It was probably from my Dad; one Christmas I got a Charlie & The Chocolate Factory book and on my birthday (which was at the end of February) I got another Charlie & The Chocolate Factory book which i suppose is quite funny looking back at it now!

NM: How would you describe yourself in one sentence?

N: A fun loving big ego'd soulful person

NM: How would you describe a Secret?

N: A private thing between two people

NM: So you think The Secrets reflect that?

N: Yes...I suppose if we were signed we'd have to change our name!