Gary Neville On Playing With The Charlatans, DJing & Lucky Underpants! | Football Music & Me

We never had

music

in the dressing room until I became captain and then I sat down, it was played at the end of the Champions League final of the new 99 camp and we all sat on the pitch with the players and faced our fans and Liverpool killed him. sing it about Mo Salah too to be fair, which is just don't take that song that's our cool old song. I like the idea that every

football

player I think wants to be a lead singer in a rock band and every lead singer. in a rock band wants to be a

football

player, come on, come on, welcome to the first edition of football

music

and me, a series that combines the two biggest passions of most people, football and music , we have great guests throughout the series, but I am delighted to say that the one who starts us off is a man I have known for over 30 years, first as a player and then as a Pandit.

He is, of course, the overlord of overlay. This is Gary Neville, as I know you are the busiest man in the world. hotel analyst entrepreneur real estate developer you have your own production company you've launched the phenomenally successful overlay YouTube channel so where and how do you fit music into your life? Do you know something? It's really interesting because I lived in Manchester from the time. from when I moved to Manchester 2002 2001 to 2006, so four years and we live a stone's throw from the emn arena which is now called AO Arena. I think Emma, ​​Emma and I went to concerts all the time, literally all the time, so actually, it wouldn't just be big gigs of the moment.

Arena, we go to smaller concerts and, um, sometimes I was learning to play the guitar as a hobby, stop now, so don't expect a little melody from me. but in the last year we started dating again with another couple we know very well, so I went two weeks ago to Las Vegas just to watch YouTube. Yes, you went there, how was it? Incredible as a spectacle. I've seen YouTu live three or four times in stadiums in Europe and I mean that in the best way: it was more of a YouTu stage show than a real rock concert in a stadium that they would do, so it was a different University of Washington and I discovered It's a little difficult in that sense, but the incredible thing about the Arena was seeing Bruce Springstein, who is my idol last summer, in High Park, which absolutely blew me away.

I've been watching James Liam Frey, the Manchester band

charlatans

, all in the last 12 years. 18 months, so in the last 18 months I've regained my kind of vigor for music. It's actually one of the things I do to relax. I was going to say, "Look, I get emails or messages from you at 4:00." in the morning your company is called Relentless, you know that you are one of the most impatient people. I know it too yeah, yeah, you are, yeah, listen, you came in here today, right, come on, come on, it's typical, I have something at 12 though, but music now I was wondering, this is the only time you really tune out and you can just walk away from Lose Yourself in particular at a particular concert at a concert because you don't say it, literally, I went to YouTube, I must have been. the only person in the whole phoneless sphere that literally everyone likes this video and I'm like, let's be serious, so literally when I go to a concert, sometimes I do a little Instagram live at the beginning or it to be. but in general I tune out and, um, yeah, I like the idea that every football player I think wants to be a lead singer in a rock band and every lead singer in a rock band wants to be a football player. there's this idea like you said I would never change my life for anything other than to be The Edge, which is not the lead singer of a rock band, but to be, you know, the lead guitarist or N Gallagher in Oasis or you know.

That kind of thing, can you see why me and football music started because of the synergy between you know? I've always been part of football legends so we've raised millions of pounds for music therapy and some of this goes towards that too. but the synergy between football and music has always been there, yes, and always will be. I think football players and they want to be musicians, they want to be football, yeah, because it's not, it's kind of a blanket statement, but I think football. Players and musicians tend to come from the same type of backgrounds, there will normally be exceptions of course, but they tend to come from the same type of working class backgrounds, where they basically had a guitar thrown in front of them and a football thrown in front of them. or a football now I never had a guitar thrown in front of me when I was younger, but my dad played Billy Joel in the car, yeah, and he played Bruce Springstein, and the first album I bought was Bruce Springsteen, uh , Born in the United States back in 1984 85 and it was after seeing the Dance in the Dark video on uh top of the pops where it's um Courtney Cox um a young Courtney Cox gets on stage, not famous at the time, starts to dancing with it and it blew my mind, it was amazing, I get goosebumps now just dancing in the dark and Born in the USA and Darlington County, all that stuff, that album is the best album, it's amazing that album, um, and my dad played those songs and he played Billy.

Joel and you know it was amazing last year because it was actually billage on Friday night. I think Thursday night I thought he would be in the night after me and I couldn't stay down, but I think Roy came for Billy. Joel on Friday night and then Bruce was backing up on Saturday, but Bruce Spring, yes, Bruce Springston blew me away, last time was the first time I saw him live, which is really amazing considering my hero was That's your first musical. influence, so you're like, yeah, I think so, I think it was and that's when I realized that I like guitar based music and then obviously like if you like it, that was in the mid '80s, um , and then you get to that kind of In the late 80s is when the kind of Manchester music scene appears and again what would be rock bands with a kind of guitar theme and that's where yeah, if it doesn't have a guitar, it doesn't I usually like it. to be honest with you when uh I was thinking about you famous when you wanted to dedicate yourself to football you made a decision that you were not going to see any of your friends anymore uh so you didn't want to see, I know there are a lot of jokes about that, about them being equally delighted and all, but did you also decide that you were so focused on football that you almost gave up music or did you know that wasn't the case yet?

Because when I started driving music, did you go to Vans then did you go and see things then oh yeah uh no no no absolutely no no from 16 to 20 didn't do anything didn't do anything Jeff, honestly, I didn't do anything but I was listening to music in my car , TRUE? I wasn't going to see bands at that time, the only concerts you saw were Ryan's, yes that's terrible, yes that's a terrible joke, but yes, I think in that period from 16 to 20 what you heard then the last time, the last time. I remember seeing my school mates, actually we were in a pub it was a farewell for all of us from our school obviously we were 16 years old and I remember we were all sitting on the floor to sit down oh and I remember and you know something was touched at that time to sit at the end of the Champions League final of the new 99 camp and we all sat on the field in front of the players and faced our fans and to this day I get very emotional with that song because it has been overdone a lot. a little bit and Liverpool killed it singing it over Mo Sal too to be fair, which is just don't take that song, which is our song, but you know me, it's like one, so that song for me hits me in two spots. my life where I left school to dedicate my whole life to Manchester United for four years and I don't see anyone for those four years and that's the last song that, if you like, I remember in that pub that night and then the next time I I hear in my head it's on the field at the new camp and now, tomorrow, believe it or not, tomorrow night, I'm actually Saul from James, I'm hosting with Cara um a Char man music for Change and obviously James is going to play the last four or five songs of the night and last year I went to see them on the orchestra tour in Blackpool and had the absolute pleasure, petty pleasure and privilege of sitting with Tim on the floor after the concert in his dressing room. room for an hour just talking and you know something?

It made me so nervous Ian, anyway, it's quite reassuring for him, just when you watch him on stage, it's a beautiful thing, he's one of the best performers you'll ever see. Incredible. James' life and just listening to it afterwards put me at peace and there's not many things that do that, no, and it really made me feel at peace, but James, um, I've probably seen them four, five, six times and they mesmerized me, believe. The whole band mesmerized me, the feeling, the energy, the spirit, the kind of thing I read somewhere the other day that they stayed away from the Manchester scene, that was almost deliberate, yeah, no, no, you don't think on them as a band from Manchester it wasn't the archetypal type of not the Roses or swag, no, but if you look at their music and Longevity and the way the music continues to this day, you know you listen to it all and you find out something.

They're new all the time because they play so many different songs at their shows that they never play the same kind of set list, if you like, from night to night and much less on tour, so they're unpredictable, they're kind of a spirit. free. and um I would say they've become my favorite Manchester band um or favorite band in general uh over the last five 10 years, obviously I knew them when I was younger, but overall they've morphed into, you know, you could have said stone. Roses, I love stone roses, they are fascinating, but when you look at James and if you like the body of work, it is absolutely incredible.

I mean, you're not a demonstrably emotional person, no, but you're out in the field at the new camp. then when you heard that you cried to be fair you tried not when Ollie scored that goal as you can imagine I'm the only one left behind in the corners. I don't go up to corners. Gary Neville is left behind, alone. He didn't even need to look at the set piece sheet, so I found out that he is too far to run and I usually ran, sometimes I would just lie on the ground and literally get emotional looking at the sky. thinking what the hell just happened um overall it was an emotional evening you always know just the things that stand out that night to sit on the field um the goal comes into me just lay back and say what the hell just happened um I remember going back to the hotel and having come back around 1:00 and had the kind of drinks that you do and then it's the only time in my life that I've never gone to sleep.

I go to bed at 6:00 and see and I actually remember walking into my room and thinking I'm not staying I'm not sleeping I'm not sleeping I want to miss a second no no I can't sleep I can't this is it's it's still you're still there in the room with Phil, no, it was obviously at that moment. I was not married and was with a different girl at the time. We went to the room and I said, "Look, I'm just going out." a walk and I went out for a walk we were at the Hotel Arts in the FR of Barcelona and I literally just went out for a walk with a drink in my hand and I came back around seven thirty qu8 um I went to have breakfast and there were some people there We got up and started to drink champagne It's the only time in my life that I've spent all night and all night and all day the next day, but um m, music is, I mean, Manchester is a home of music and a warm bed.

Music is so important to the city. Do you think that has influenced your taste in music? because you are a son of Manchester you are influenced by your environment but you are you are the you are the I always describe you as an ambassador for Manchester, you are very proud of Manchester, you are part of Redevelopment, Regeneration and you are always trying to help the Manchester community, that is largely your spirit, do you think that influenced your taste? in music you almost gravitate towards Manchester bands because they're Manchester, I think so, um, I think I'd say I'd like to say Greater Manchester because you know, traford, sford, Barry Bolton, they're all very important to me, those areas in which We all have something: our University and all our Hots in Trafford, our football clubs in Salford and I grew up.

I was born in Berry. I now live in Bolton. I sometimes live in Manchester city centre, but usually we go back to see my mum. in Bolton, and that's where my n and my grandad Liv, so I think you have to, if you're from Manchester, you can't escape the fact that Manchester has an amazing music scene, a rich history of bands and shopping. that because it's who we are, we believe in each other, it's one of the city's greatest strengths, um, it makes me laugh sometimes when you get what would be a national or international type of food.

Concepts Hotel Concepts, companies to come. to Manchester and then they put those sort of quotes from Manchester bands on the wall to try to think they're from Manchester, but actually, to be fair, people read through which I think generally they have, we havetransformative of music, isn't it? Yeah, you say, if we were sitting in a bar having a drink, well, definitely, someone played a good song, you're far away, yeah, absolutely or even better, someone type. You know the acoustic guitar comes with a singer and you know, or a piano, it's not even necessary. I'm more into guitar than piano, but suddenly you feel the elevator lift at the edge where you write a good song.

You go through speaker systems, but I think live music, live music, is amazing, um, I. I love live music. I love seeing musicians. I love seeing the way they act. It's absolutely great. I don't like theater or opera or anything like that type of music that I listen to. What are you listening? at the moment I'm still listening I'm still listening I listened to you two a lot recently because obviously I was going to see you but I still listen to James Bruce Springsteen I think those are the two that you like, the different periods Springstein did too when you think about Tunnel of Love , the album is quite country and we just saw that Beyonce just released a country.

I saw that the other day the video and music were brilliant. Texas is absolutely brilliant, I think it's amazing, but you know something. I actually think Beyonce and look, I'm not. I can't call myself a Beyonce fan. I couldn't name three songs, but there are some artists that are so good that you can transcend all kinds of differences if you like the demographic of people and attract them and she has that she is world class, so she had the idea that she can make a kind of you know, I think she's the first black black singer. to ever be the top of the country in the west of CH America, which I think is amazing, that's the opposite of divisive, yeah, you know what I mean, in a world where I see so much division, I'm not going to be politician with you. here but there's a lot of divisive language and I think someone like that can connect people you know that means to me that music can make football and music can bring people together um and very important to do that and I think Bruce Springsteen It doesn't last three four generations unless you're very special at that level and I saw him last year at the Hi Park do 3 hours 15 minutes 3 hours 15 minutes he's 73 years old and he looked like a million. dollars and I looked at him and I thought wow wow so much respect so much admiration not because he stayed at the top hungry desire work ethic skill all those things entertaining healthy fit all the things you would want him I mean I'm sure he has his imperfections like the of everyone, but he was only for me.

I felt so good watching it and there was actually a song he said about getting emotional. He has a song on the album Born in the USA called My Hometown and I always remember my dad

playing

it. in the car because it was a song we liked um Nev, your dad is great, I love it, I actually was. I was literally crying that night at the concert, feeling emotional just singing, hearing him sing that song, uh, I didn't know. To be honest with you, I used to sing it, but he did it, but it reminded me of being with my dad and I when I was younger and traveling to cricket matches in the summer or football matches, so yeah, the music of football can bring that excitement to your in life I will get excited thinking about your dad, you know how much I loved your dad, well, they all did it, didn't they?, yes, yes, they did.

I always tell people the famous story because it was, uh, Germany, was it Euro 2006? Yes, he called me. He had been at camp for a long time, he said when you got here, Jeff, I said, I'm here tomorrow, he said, oh, he said I need a getaway, so we went to one, and the next day, someone said to me, what? did? Did I say I dated Neville Neville in Bon Bon and got angry, we had such a good time to be fair? I always remember it was actually Old Trafford when I was younger and I don't remember what it was, they said We were collecting some tickets but I don't know how or why and um, the woman told him what your name was and he was Neville and she was the first o the last one and he said a lot of love.

I always remember that it stays with me. Keep in mind he could be all the damn, all the BL, love them all, love them all, love something like quitting smoking, but I always remember laughing at the time thinking, I mean, who has, I mean to my grandmother, seriously, when I think of my grandmother, um you. I know God bless her and it was because it was the nurse who said you can't call him Neville Neville, right? Yeah, and as soon as you say something like that to Manan, you like, oh my god, do the opposite of what you do. a star a star a star was born yeah I just want to finish with do you think there are um in many ways they are comparable to being a high level football athlete and an artist to a certain extent in the way that you have to do it.

Conduct yourself, take care of yourself and just be at the top of your craft while they want you now, that may be a manager who wants to play. Choose yourself or it could be the public that wants to buy your things. There is that, but then. I see some of those types of bands and they have had a great time, don't they compare me to footballers? totally opposite way to how you dedicated yours, yes, but what I would say is that, um, and I glimpsed it. I watched Bruce Springsteen on stage last year and I don't know, but I suspect he has a nutritionist.

I suspect he is a fitness guru. I suspect he's in the gym every day. I suspect he's working hard to be able to go out three times a week and do it for three hours because he looked absolutely fantastic and we've had a couple of The bands, artists stay at our hotel in Manchester and their demands around food, nutrition, something like access to gyms, yoga, Pilates, things that I see a little bit, so there is a great professionalism, obviously, now these artists take care of themselves because what they put into it. in terms of those two hours of intensity three times a week, that's what a football player does, they put themselves through those two hours maximum three times a week and then they train every day and you have to be absolutely focused for that you know if you take risks with your preparation as a musician now like Spector and then as a football player you would be found out in 10 seconds M you know the idea that you would damage your throat, I think if you abused yourself too much by drinking too much or if you didn't prepare physically, you couldn't go on stage and last, and you know, we all know the kind of benefit we all are much more. kind of wise in terms of health, training, physical health and mental health, um, so I suspect it's something quite new in the last 10 or 15 years for musicians and also for CU before that, I suspect they were having a good time after a concert, as would be usual.

I've been right, we're in The Lash, but to be fair, that was the same for football players, but now I'd be surprised if there are many bands that do that on a regular basis, probably now, after a gig, probably they will begin. getting their bodies voice back to start working for the next day or the next, you know, the concert they're having in the next few days, so there are some similarities, but it's the same with everything you get. type of song, wonders, an album, wonders, you get the ones that stayed there for 10, 15, 20 years and you get the ones that are legends, they stay there forever, you know what I mean?

It's like you know you were watching them both last week in or two weeks ago in Las Vegas and they had Elvis on the screen. What do I mean? Elvis is there, yes, obviously, in Las Vegas, he is there, but Marilyn Monroe is there. You just see these people who are legends of what art would be. and the music and they will never leave us because they just transcended icons icons are icons that are beyond and there are some of those that the type of music that will live on in the Beatles will be the same um obviously their the music will just live forever regardless to say if they are here or not, great stuff, thanks Jeff, join me next time when I sit down with a real Hollywood star who is also a member of the original crazy gang and the man who says he played music in the football locker room Vinnie Jones w