Andrew Farrell
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Andrew Farrell
@braisedbywolves.bsky.social
160 followers 150 following 41 posts
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Man, I miss imperial phase Grant Morrison.
forteantimes.bsky.social Fortean Times @forteantimes.bsky.social · Jan 23
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January 23, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Reposted by Andrew Farrell
mrdiscopop.bsky.social
In case you can’t access Instagram, here’s the full text of Robbie Williams’ response to former Take That manager Nigel Martin Smith’s appearance on the BBC’s “Boybands Forever” documentary.

Powerful, revealing and emotional. (1/3)
Screenshot of Robbie Williams’ post to Instagram, which reads: “Hey Nige, Hope all is good in your world and life is being kind to you. “Just thought I'd jot down a few thoughts about our appearance together as talking heads on the boyband doc "Boybands Forever" “I was equal parts terrified and excited to be sharing a screen with you again. Excited to see where we both are on this journey and terrified in case old emotions would be triggered and l'd still be in a place of anger, hurt or fear. As it happens it would appear that time has done its thing, and I guess the wisdom it brings has taken its mop to a few nooks and crannies here and there. I guess not every nook has been bleached though.” Second page of Robbie Williams’ statement: "He's smart, is Robbie and it's quite clever, you know, 'I did drugs because I was in this band where I couldn't have girlfriends or I couldn't go out. That evil twat, Nigel, it's his fault that I'm behaving like a wanker' Nigel Martin Smith. “Allow me to respond to your assertion. My drug taking was never your fault. My response to the warped world that surrounded me is solely my own. How I chose to self-medicate is and was something that I will be monitoring and dealing with for the whole of my life. It's part of my makeup and I would have the same malady had I been a taxi driver. “I just got there quicker due to having the finances whilst trying in vain to counteract the turbulence of pop stardom's matrix-bending washing machine. “If you are following the story closely you can't help but notice a pattern emerge. “Boys join a boy band. The band become huge. Boys get sick. Some are fortunate through a series of self-examinations and…” Part three of Robbie’s statement: “…help to overcome their experience. Some never quite manage to untangle the mess of the wreckage of the past. “I'm not breaking anyone's anonymity by sharing the side effects of boyband dysphoria that relate to just us lads. “Everyone has publicly put this on record: Howard - Contemplated suicide when the band ended. Mark - Addiction, alcoholism, rehab. Gaz - Bulimia. Me - I think that one is well-documented. Jason - Whatever effect Take That had on him is so painful he can't even be part of it. “I will also remind you that the person acting like a 'wanker' was 16 when he joined the band and 21 when he left. That was the last time I saw you. I hope I have more grace and understanding when and if any of my own 4 children at such a vulnerable age behave in the same manner.” Part four of Robbie’s statement: "You get to a certain age and you just think, 'Fuck it, I'm not going to me grave as some big, nasty, evil bastard'." Nigel Martin Smith. “Allow me to help here. Nige, you continue to not come across as a relatable character and could do with a glow-up where redeemable features are concerned. “Therefore you play into the narrative you don't want for yourself. Here's what you should say: "The level of success was new to us all. I wish I knew then what I know now - I could have been there for them on a level that in hindsight maybe I wasn't" “Everyone will understand and appreciate that level of self-reflection. It's okay to admit your shortcomings. “No one is going to sue you for not knowing or understanding the psychological effects everything was having on everyone. We were outliers. Just concede a few points here and there cos no-one's gonna buy the version of perfection and upright behaviour that is your current M.O.”
November 17, 2024 at 12:18 PM
I'm not alleging anything, to be clear, just saying: there was a worldwide event that affected people's memories both directly and in the way that the period just previous seems wavy and unreal, and now no-one remembers that one of the last things that happened was that Taylor Swift was in Cats.
April 16, 2024 at 11:52 AM
My preferred reading of the line that most annoyed me from this at first ("I'm not the girl I was / or used to be") is that the second half is further back in time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXXx...
October 7, 2023 at 4:55 PM
Good morning to everything except the quirk of the British psyche that makes "I was completely horrified by his remarks, which is why I was chuckling along" an even slightly plausible defence.
September 27, 2023 at 10:33 AM
(Briefly remembers that he set this up)
I realise I'm at the point where some of my friends are on a refinement of a refinement of a refinement of a 10-years-old joke, both for their username and their display name, so if you've followed me and I haven't followed you, DM to let me know who you are:)
September 20, 2023 at 3:38 PM