Roberta Freeman news

[GNR Insider]

Hey, Roberta has been super active lately; she did vocals on Gilby Clarke's new album, coming soon, recorded her fourth album with Nick Waterhouse, was on Conan with The Pretty Reckless, did a project with Marcella Detroit (Shakespears Sister, Eric Clapton, co-writer Lay Down Sally, The Core), and will be touring North America this spring.

She has a website too, www.robertafreeman.com

 

[moreblack]

I really liked that last Pretty Reckless album. Don't know Roberta sang on the studio songs though.

[Gambit83]

I have an upcoming interview with her. She just had surgery, so hopefully in another week or so.

[ludurigan]

On 12/02/2018 at 1:58 AM, Gambit83 said:

I have an upcoming interview with her. She just had surgery, so hopefully in another week or so.

oh this is fantastic!

I have a few suggestions to make, hopefully you enjoy them!

BEFORE GNR

were you familiar with GNR before joining them?

BEING FOUND

is it true that slash was the one who went after you/found you? how did that happen? was that because you were on the cinderella live release (see here = https://www.robertafreeman.com/credits)?

PRACTICE FOR ILLUSION

how were the rehearsals with the band before the first show?

How was Slash during rehearsals?

How was Duff during rehearsals?

REHEARSALS WITH AXL

You had to sing along and harmonize with Axl live on several songs. so i guess you must have done at least a few rehearsals with axl?

If yes, how were those rehearsals? How was Axl? Did he give you some basic directions or some very specific directions on what to sing and how to sing? Or did he left you girls do your own thing? Was he easy to work with?

SOME MOMENTS FROM THAT TOUR

12.05.91 -- Worcester Centrum Centre, Worcester, MA that was yor first show with the band, right?

12.09.91 -- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY. Four days later and you guys are on MSG for 3 nights. Not bad...

12.19.91 -- Los Angeles, CA "November Rain" video shoot. A week later and you are shooting the video for November Rain. Care to share a few stories about that?

Then you spent January touring the US, a lot of shows in one month!

02.19.92 - Toyko Dome, Tokyo, Japan Then you are off to Japan to do these 3 shows and record them for a VHS release. Were you given any specific instructions on how to behave onstage for the cameras on these 3 dates?

Then Mexico and US again and then off to London for the Freddie Mercury Tribute on 04.20.92 - Wembley Stadium, London, England. I bet all of your friends saw you on TV. How was that night?

Then you started the European tour. At this point you probably knew what to expect and you were probably feeling a lot more comfortable. Any particular memories from this leg of the tour in Germany, Belgium, Austria etc?

06.06.92 - Hippodrome De Vincennes, Paris, France - this show is watched all over the planet on pay per view and what not. Axl goes off on Warren Beaty. Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz join the band. You sang Always on the Run, right? Any memories from rehearsals, before, during and after the show?

06.13.92 - Wembley Stadium, London, England , 72,000 crowd and brian may from queen guesting on two songs, how was that? Did you sing on the Queen songs Tie Your Mother Down and We Will Rock you?

08.08.92 - Stade Du Parc Olympique, Montreal, Canada Axl leaves the stage and a massive riot happens. How was that?

09.09.92 - Pauley Pavilion, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA MTV VMAs you guys play November Rain with Elton John. Was that a particular highlight for you?

11.25.92 - Poliedro de Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela first show in South America and that seemed like a crazy leg of the tour with troubles everywhere, axl brings an interpreter onstage, throws chairs at journalists, throws TVs out of hotel rooms etc etc etc; Any memories?

02.06.93 - Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand - your last show with them, right? how was that? you knew at the time it would be the last? did you expect to come back?

HOW DID YOU SEE GNR?

Some people say that GNR was at the top of their game in 1992. Others say that the band was falling apart and becoming a parody of itself. How did you see it?

SOME FANS SAW A DIFFERENT BAND

There were quite a few GNR fans that were actually very upset that GNR changed so much in 1992 after Izzy left and Steven. They said the five-guys-playing-rock-n-roll became -- on their words -- "a circus", with you girls on vocals, the horn sections, 2 keyboarders etc. did you ever notice that from said fans? was that an issue?

AXL MOOD/BEHAVIOUR

Axl said in later interviews that he didn't want to do that tour and he was forced to go on the tour by Slash and Doug Goldstein. That somehow explains his erratic behaviour on that tour. Did you know anything about that? What are your thoughts on that?

SLASH AND DUFF ZOMBIE-LIKE

During that 1992 tour, people described slash and duff as walking dead zombies because they were talking so much drugs and drinking so much. people had them on lists of celebrities who are going to die next week. yet they seemed to be always functional on shows. what are your thoughts about that?

AXL LATE TO SHOWS

During that 1992 axl seemed to be always late for shows. Slash, Duff, Matt, Gilby have said many times in interviews that it made them pissed off. How did you react to that?

AXL TALKS ONSTAGE

What about axl so-called rants? He seemed to have had a way with words, somewhat like a preacher, and  seemed to command the audience while he was talking -- and he did talk a lot on that tour! what were your thoughts on that?

VIDEO DOCUMENTARY

There was video cameras around the band all the time for that tour. there were 3 videos released and there was a rumour that the band would release a documentary or something about that tour that never got released. did you get interviewed for that? do you know where the tapes are so [joking] we can go there and get them released?

GNR MUSIC

we recently talked on this podcast to brian "brain" mantia, who was the drummer for the band in the 2000s. he said he didnt really know or cared too much about GNR previously to joining the band but once he started learning the songs he understood why the band was so successful. did you had a similar moment? do you enjoy GNR music or you prefer other type of music? do you have any favorite GNR tracks? why do you like them better?

AXL VOICE

you are a singer. you saw from a very close distance axl singing his ass off night after night for about a year. what do you have to say about his singing style?

what do you like the most about it?

we all know that axl damaged his voice a lot during his career and apparently he did so because he pushed it so hard. by the time you joined the band he actually had developed a completely different way of singing because the doctor said to him that if he kept singing like he did before he would lose his voice. looking back now, though, it seems like even then he was still pushing his voice too much. as a singer, was it scary watching him push his voice so hard? did you fear for his voice? have you ever talked about that with him? has he ever asked you for some advice?

STUDIO TIME / JAMMING

During or after the tour did the guys ever invite you for any studio session to cut some demos, to record something, to writing sessions or just to jam? Did you expect to take part in the recording of any future GNR album?

POST GNR ACTIVITIES

You recorded one of my favourite albums COL PARKER with Gilby Clarke, Slim Jim Phantom. That album has some fantastic songs like HARMONY

you also recorded several albums with gilby clarke. it seems like you are his go-to girl when he is looking for a female singer;

THREEUNION

before the so-called GNR reunion, there were lots of rumours flying around and one of them is that GNR would tour with members from every era. Were you paying attention to all that? Did anybody reached out for you? Did you talk to someone like Gilby about it?

OK GOT A LITTLE CRAZY HERE I SUPPOSE I DIDNT SEE THE 3-4 HOURS FLYING BY WHILE I WAS WRITING THESE QUESTIONS!

thanks and keep rocking!

 

[fernandoGNR]

^^ Great questions right there!

I'm curious to know if she knows why was Tracey Amos replaced in july 1992 and if she is still in touch with Tracey and/or Diane Jones

 

[Gambit83]

On 2/13/2018 at 2:42 AM, ludurigan said:

oh this is fantastic!

I have a few suggestions to make, hopefully you enjoy them!

BEFORE GNR

were you familiar with GNR before joining them?

BEING FOUND

is it true that slash was the one who went after you/found you? how did that happen? was that because you were on the cinderella live release (see here = https://www.robertafreeman.com/credits)?

PRACTICE FOR ILLUSION

how were the rehearsals with the band before the first show?

How was Slash during rehearsals?

How was Duff during rehearsals?

REHEARSALS WITH AXL

You had to sing along and harmonize with Axl live on several songs. so i guess you must have done at least a few rehearsals with axl?

If yes, how were those rehearsals? How was Axl? Did he give you some basic directions or some very specific directions on what to sing and how to sing? Or did he left you girls do your own thing? Was he easy to work with?

SOME MOMENTS FROM THAT TOUR

12.05.91 -- Worcester Centrum Centre, Worcester, MA that was yor first show with the band, right?

12.09.91 -- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY. Four days later and you guys are on MSG for 3 nights. Not bad...

12.19.91 -- Los Angeles, CA "November Rain" video shoot. A week later and you are shooting the video for November Rain. Care to share a few stories about that?

Then you spent January touring the US, a lot of shows in one month!

02.19.92 - Toyko Dome, Tokyo, Japan Then you are off to Japan to do these 3 shows and record them for a VHS release. Were you given any specific instructions on how to behave onstage for the cameras on these 3 dates?

Then Mexico and US again and then off to London for the Freddie Mercury Tribute on 04.20.92 - Wembley Stadium, London, England. I bet all of your friends saw you on TV. How was that night?

Then you started the European tour. At this point you probably knew what to expect and you were probably feeling a lot more comfortable. Any particular memories from this leg of the tour in Germany, Belgium, Austria etc?

06.06.92 - Hippodrome De Vincennes, Paris, France - this show is watched all over the planet on pay per view and what not. Axl goes off on Warren Beaty. Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz join the band. You sang Always on the Run, right? Any memories from rehearsals, before, during and after the show?

06.13.92 - Wembley Stadium, London, England , 72,000 crowd and brian may from queen guesting on two songs, how was that? Did you sing on the Queen songs Tie Your Mother Down and We Will Rock you?

08.08.92 - Stade Du Parc Olympique, Montreal, Canada Axl leaves the stage and a massive riot happens. How was that?

09.09.92 - Pauley Pavilion, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA MTV VMAs you guys play November Rain with Elton John. Was that a particular highlight for you?

11.25.92 - Poliedro de Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela first show in South America and that seemed like a crazy leg of the tour with troubles everywhere, axl brings an interpreter onstage, throws chairs at journalists, throws TVs out of hotel rooms etc etc etc; Any memories?

02.06.93 - Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand - your last show with them, right? how was that? you knew at the time it would be the last? did you expect to come back?

HOW DID YOU SEE GNR?

Some people say that GNR was at the top of their game in 1992. Others say that the band was falling apart and becoming a parody of itself. How did you see it?

SOME FANS SAW A DIFFERENT BAND

There were quite a few GNR fans that were actually very upset that GNR changed so much in 1992 after Izzy left and Steven. They said the five-guys-playing-rock-n-roll became -- on their words -- "a circus", with you girls on vocals, the horn sections, 2 keyboarders etc. did you ever notice that from said fans? was that an issue?

AXL MOOD/BEHAVIOUR

Axl said in later interviews that he didn't want to do that tour and he was forced to go on the tour by Slash and Doug Goldstein. That somehow explains his erratic behaviour on that tour. Did you know anything about that? What are your thoughts on that?

SLASH AND DUFF ZOMBIE-LIKE

During that 1992 tour, people described slash and duff as walking dead zombies because they were talking so much drugs and drinking so much. people had them on lists of celebrities who are going to die next week. yet they seemed to be always functional on shows. what are your thoughts about that?

AXL LATE TO SHOWS

During that 1992 axl seemed to be always late for shows. Slash, Duff, Matt, Gilby have said many times in interviews that it made them pissed off. How did you react to that?

AXL TALKS ONSTAGE

What about axl so-called rants? He seemed to have had a way with words, somewhat like a preacher, and  seemed to command the audience while he was talking -- and he did talk a lot on that tour! what were your thoughts on that?

VIDEO DOCUMENTARY

There was video cameras around the band all the time for that tour. there were 3 videos released and there was a rumour that the band would release a documentary or something about that tour that never got released. did you get interviewed for that? do you know where the tapes are so [joking] we can go there and get them released?

GNR MUSIC

we recently talked on this podcast to brian "brain" mantia, who was the drummer for the band in the 2000s. he said he didnt really know or cared too much about GNR previously to joining the band but once he started learning the songs he understood why the band was so successful. did you had a similar moment? do you enjoy GNR music or you prefer other type of music? do you have any favorite GNR tracks? why do you like them better?

AXL VOICE

you are a singer. you saw from a very close distance axl singing his ass off night after night for about a year. what do you have to say about his singing style?

what do you like the most about it?

we all know that axl damaged his voice a lot during his career and apparently he did so because he pushed it so hard. by the time you joined the band he actually had developed a completely different way of singing because the doctor said to him that if he kept singing like he did before he would lose his voice. looking back now, though, it seems like even then he was still pushing his voice too much. as a singer, was it scary watching him push his voice so hard? did you fear for his voice? have you ever talked about that with him? has he ever asked you for some advice?

STUDIO TIME / JAMMING

During or after the tour did the guys ever invite you for any studio session to cut some demos, to record something, to writing sessions or just to jam? Did you expect to take part in the recording of any future GNR album?

POST GNR ACTIVITIES

You recorded one of my favourite albums COL PARKER with Gilby Clarke, Slim Jim Phantom. That album has some fantastic songs like HARMONY

you also recorded several albums with gilby clarke. it seems like you are his go-to girl when he is looking for a female singer;

THREEUNION

before the so-called GNR reunion, there were lots of rumours flying around and one of them is that GNR would tour with members from every era. Were you paying attention to all that? Did anybody reached out for you? Did you talk to someone like Gilby about it?

OK GOT A LITTLE CRAZY HERE I SUPPOSE I DIDNT SEE THE 3-4 HOURS FLYING BY WHILE I WAS WRITING THESE QUESTIONS!

thanks and keep rocking!

 

Haha wow. This is better than having a producer. Thanks and believe me I’m asking your questions/giving you credit.

[RussTCB]

On 2/13/2018 at 2:42 AM, ludurigan said:

is it true that slash was the one who went after you/found you? how did that happen? was that because you were on the cinderella live release (see here = https://www.robertafreeman.com/credits)?

Whoa. Because of this link, I just found out she sang on Holly by Nick Waterhouse. I own and love that album!

[ludurigan]

8 hours ago, RussTCB said:

Whoa. Because of this link, I just found out she sang on Holly by Nick Waterhouse. I own and love that album!

hey thats great, guess i am gonna have to listen to it now, never heard of it!

i strongly recommend the col parker album, it has 2 or 3 really good songs and the rest is good or at least very listenable!

[ludurigan]

9 hours ago, Gambit83 said:

Haha wow. This is better than having a producer. Thanks and believe me I’m asking your questions/giving you credit.

great man, hope you have a good time talking to her!