Transcription of an interview Gerry Kelly had with Michael, when he was over in Ireland for a two-day promotional trip for his new album and the coming Tour.

K

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang clearly was the same for over a year.

M

16 Months!

K

16 months. Do you get that feeling when you go out every night of the week to do that show for 16 month. (Michael thinking about an answer) Or does it become a chore?

M

(laughing) noooo! It never becomes a chore, but it's.... You get used to it. It takes stamina to do a 16 months run, to do that kind of length of time, because you're doing the same thing night after night. The only thing that is different is the audience. Some times audiences are better than others and you can be having a run where you are thinking: No, the same old show (moaning voice). And sometimes the audience will taking on you and lift you to "I really love doing this tonight!".

K

Are you happy now, cause 16 months was a long time.

M

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

K

Have you got your mouth full of performing 8 nights a week?

M

Oh yes! Not forever, I mean I am sure a show will come along, something will come along I love to come back onto the stage, but you do get a point where you think: No, no, no. I love making records, I love doing concerts and I love doing theatre, so it's great that I am able drifting.

K

You have a new album.

M

Yes

K

And a new tour.

M

Yes. I actually planned it, cause I knew when I left Chitty I don't know what to do with myself, cause I love working, I love keeping going, I love to keep acting. So I was planning this album all the way through Chitty. And we literally finished on the Saturday! A good party (Michael winking, laughing, Thumbs up and laughing more) Yeah! Aparantly.

K

(laughing knowingly)

M

Yeah, you're welcome. (brushing hand through his hair, Sighing). Never happen with a party (to the audience). It's a ??? idea! And then I was in the studio on the Monday.

K

A lovely story. How do you get to the fact ??? (sorry clip stopped here)

M

The concept of the album is to tell a love story. I wanted to tell a story of a love affair. From meeting someone, from saying hello to them and falling in love with them right the way to courtship, the committing to somebody. The great honeymoon period in the relationship and the bit where all the crack starts to appear. Then it goes horribly wrong (laughing). And then you come to the end of it hopefully at a place where you say: You know, we are not together anymore. Off you go. I hope you find love, I hope that I find love. It's not going to be together. And at the very end I go out on the pull with Antonio Banderas. I am doing a duet with him.

K

(laughing) You're actually not...... (Here I am missing a tiny tiny bit of the interview)

M

Antonio and I were in New York. During the Blackout!

K

Lovely. Describe.

M

Actually it was fantastic. It was the most exciting thing.

K

Well all the lights went out.

M

Yeah, I was in Time's Square, when the whole of the eastern sea-board went up and initially everyone is really scared. We thought, is this an attack, is this... you know everyone is very conscious of 9/11. When we realised it's all going to be ok a party descended in New York. It's hard to describe it. I've been there, you know... off and on every year over the last ten years and there is always a noise going on, always a background humm, there's always lights flashing, there's air-conditioning units, there's traffic.... Here there was no sound. There was nothing. Just people. Cars weren't driving, because of the traffic lights were gone. Everyone was giving away food, because all the freezers were gone down and no one could get out of town. It was just brilliant. It brought out the best in everyone. (not letting Kelly in to ask someone) I am trying to make this record. I took along two candles, one for Antonio, one for Melanie, for their dressing-rooms. I had to give them the next day, used! Thanks mate. (Kelly laughing, Michael grinning broadly). It was lovely.

K

You're in the Odyssey on the 21^st of October.

M

I am

K

You're coming back. Big, big stadium.

M

I know, I have never been there. Normally I have done the "Waterfront".

K

This is gonna be a minimum of 5,000 people.

M

(looking astonished and a bit shocked)..... Great.

K

You sing one for us after this.

M

Yeah sure. The first song: "You had me from hello".

K

Oh that's from Jerry Maguire.

M

That's the line from Jerry Maguire.

K

(shaking hands) You're looking very trim.

M

(smiling) Thank you.

K

He's trim looking! Michael Ball! (Michael leaving for the stage to sing "You had me from hello").