News Details

Q&A with Matt Goss

Original Interview Date: Aug 21, 2009

It only takes a few minutes with Matt Goss and Robin Antin to see why they're a perfect match.

They tease each other. Constantly. They're like family. And when it comes to the new show "Matt Goss Live From Las Vegas" at Caesars Palace, they're both driven to succeed.

VisitLasVegas.com sat down recently with “The Voice” and his producer, the creator of the Pussycat Dolls, to talk about their new show, how it came about, and – in between joking and teasing – the real reasons why it will be a hit in Las Vegas.

Q: Are you ready for opening night and how excited are you to kick off your extended run here in Las Vegas?
MG: We’re completely not ready. I have no idea what you are talking about.

RA: Matt has to learn all the dance moves. I am teaching him some really hard choreography and back flips and stuff.

MG: OK, now I’m actually going to start the interview and say … there are no back flips. I can barely touch my toes. That’s actually one of the upsides of having Robin on board is that I can touch my toes. She’s insisted on that. ... We’re more than ready. Our nerves have really settled. Maybe a couple of weeks into rehearsals and the music started to come together. I’m the musical director as well so I’m trying to get all the musical elements to be really, really different to what people usually hear in this town. Hopefully it’s a little bit more edgy and I think it really settled our nerves to just start hearing the music really come together. And then Robin made our day and started bringing all of the dancers onstage.

RA: Yeah, [first] the dancers and then the other day we brought on the backup singers with their new costumes that blew the band and Matt away. They came walking up on stage and everybody just stopped and went like “whooooooa.” All these guys you know, just freaking out at these girls in little hot dresses. It’s exciting seeing it build. It’s like a painting.

MG: We genuinely asked not to hear the buzz in Vegas, but we’ve met some really cool people, like supposedly the real taste-makers in Vegas, some super cool people coming and going. This is exactly with this town needs. We’re going to be here every weekend. This is going to be our regular hang. Just cool people hanging out, like a speak-easy club. What we’re feeling from the locals is that this could be the joint to be in over the weekend.

Q: How much of a challenge is it to you to bring the kind of success to Las Vegas that you have had internationally?
MG: Respectfully, I always underestimate an audience that may not know me. I think it’s wise. I’ve played Wembley Stadium to 70,000 people and I’ve played Hyde Park to 100,000 people. I can’t use any of those references because there are songs that when I play those venues I can literally do the first chord and people know every single word. Recently I experienced nerves, in a good way, that I experienced in the very, very beginning of my career. It’s starting again. I’m a big believer in humility and -- I want to create a show that -- this resort is proud of and Robin is proud of, but one I’m proud of. I want it be something that people who has seen me perform 10, 20, 30, 40 times see and say, “wow, that was unbelievable.”

RA: In regards to people getting to know him here and knowing whether they going to invest in him right away. … there’s a reason that Matt, in his Bros days, that the band was so massive. A huge part of that is because of his talent, his voice and what he gave to his fans. Here he is again and he’s doing the same thing. Basically, he’s performing on stage, he opens up his mouth and his voice comes out. He’s known as “the Voice.” His talent speaks for itself. To me, that’s the reason I’m here with him, besides the fact that he is the most incredible person and deserves this.

MG: I was doing an interview in Australia and it was on a live national radio station. They played some of my old hits and they played my new single, “Evil” and I must have gotten maybe two or three hundred responses on my forum saying “this song’s incredible” and “this is amazing” and “It’s so good to have you back." -- Robin manages me, but we are great friends as well and we really take it seriously. You can’t do a show like this unless you take it seriously.

RA: We have so much fun, too. I’m the female version of him and he’s the male version of me. We show up and the style and the way we think and we work so much on the same level and it’s weird. It was really meant to be for us to come together.

Q: You’re billing this as a kind of hip, sophisticated lounge show, something unique and fresh. What specifically makes this show different than a typical Las Vegas production and why?
MG: It’s just the right side of civilized. I definitely don’t want the flip flops and the can of beer. Come out for a good night out with us. Once the show is finished, hang out, drink, socialize, talk about the show. I want this to be something that becomes part of people’s social life. I think that’s what’s different. It’s not hokey. We’re not going to be doing a lot of banter. It’s about the music, it’s about the connection to the lyrics, it’s about the connection to the moment to the room. Sing, drink, if you want to get up and dance and give your number out to a few tasty, pretty people -- do it. Definitely like speakeasy, just a good room to be in, period.

RA: Something that’s making this stand out beyond anything else to me that’s in Vegas right now -- what Vegas is missing is a male Celine Dion. … the Frank Sinatras are gone. Matt is bringing this back in the [2010] version, but in his own way. He’s doing a few covers and he’s the musical director. The arrangements, you’ve never heard before and are so beautiful. But his own music stands up so incredibly well that he will definitely have women and also, I believe, men – when he sits down and sings a song called “Goodbye” at the keyboard, you just see the emotion. That’s why I’m here. I love music so much. Besides being Matt’s partner, I’m probably his biggest fan.

Q: What attracted you to Las Vegas and what have you learned about the city so far? And favorite things to do and see since you’ve been here?
MG: Being used to London, there are benefits for being known and being a celebrity in other parts of the world, but the advantage for me in Vegas is there are no preconceived ideas; there’s a curiosity which is nice that I haven’t had in 20 years. I was in the cab yesterday and the cabbie says to me, “I’m really stoked, mate. I’m really pumped about this. It sounds great.” He saw the billboard and he was excited. I personally invited him to come in. Even the room service people come in and are really excited about it. To me it isn’t just about the fabulous people. I know we genuinely have some very fabulous people come into the shows. There’s going to be hopefully a very well known singer getting up with me and pretty much if there’s a star playing in Vegas at that time, they’re well to come and jump up. You know if Prince is here and wants to come up and play guitar … it’s going to be one of those rooms.

RA: Matt, just as he does in every day life, connects himself to what he calls the veins of the city. Literally, the cab drivers, room service, all the people who are there to help us.

MG: I come from a working class family and I’ve managed to acquire an incredible lifestyle for myself and there’s not one day I take that for granted and I want this to be where anyone can come and say, “I’m going to go out for a night out and to see Matt Goss live in Las Vegas.”

Q: What about you, Robin? You know this town very well.
RA: Oh, definitely.

MG: Don’t even listen to her. There’s one word with Robin. Shop.

RA: I like to shop, but there’s another thing I like to do. Dance class. I live for dance class.

MG: She has an obsession with Hermes bags, which is a very dangerous obsession.

RA: It really upsets Matt.

MG: I think they’re beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but they’re the price of a small car.

RA: Well, I don’t have many. The other thing is that I worked for so many years. I built the Pussycat Dolls for …

MG: … for 200 years.

RA: For 12 years before I saw a penny. I put all my own money into it, and before that I worked as a dancer and choreographer. I don’t want to be one of those people who says I’m struggling, but I didn’t come from a wealthy family at all, by any means, and always had to buy everything on my own. So after all these years, when you finally get a little reward, there are little things in life that you go, wow, I actually now get to carry that bag.

MG: Now she’s the Duchess of Beverly Hills.

RA: No. I’m underground. I’m not one of those Beverly Hills girls. That’s not who I am. I come from the valley.

MG: She’s super cool. I give her a hard time. She’s down to earth, but she’s super fabulous.

Q: If you had one message to the people of Vegas about your show – this is why you need to come see my show and hang out – what would it be?
MG: There’s a line on my tattoo here that says “Civility Costs Nothing.” And I’m hopefully state-of-the-art and what I’m doing is state-of-the-art, but I do believe in something else called values and I believe in entertainment. Not in a hokey way, not in a way maybe that people are used to. I want people to come and forget about their problems. I want the Matt Goss Live from Las Vegas show to be the definition of escapism. Come and let your hair down, enjoy it, dress up a bit and consider it a night out. Don’t just say, “oh, I’m going to go to some show.” The Palms is pretty much known as the family-owned casino and it shows in what we’re doing. Me and Robin are like a professional family. Come and be a part of our family [at Caesars Palace].