The Cock Robin Forum View topic

Galahad · Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 2:50 am Post subject: An interview with Lise Anderson

Lise Anderson took part of the Cock Robin line-up as an additionnal musician during their 1990 tour.

She's very active in the « Live au Grand Rex - in Paris » video, playing (well) the keyboards, accordian too and making some backing vocals. She offered us a very pleasant interview that's following below. We would just like to thank very much her for giving us a precious (and musical) point of view of the Cock Robin during this period and about the famous "Grand Rex" Gig.

Cock Robin Forum : Cock Robin is famous in Europe (especially in France), nevertheless they confess themselves they never reach the charts in their own country (USA). When did you discover them and did you often listen to Cock Robin before joining the line-up ?

Lise Anderson : I was a fan of their first album. I actually saw themlive on their first tour, at a place in Hollywood. I thought they were great. Then they just kind of disappeared from the U.S. scene. When I tell people now that I was in a band called 'Cock Robin', they don't know know the name.

CRF : Was it an aim for you or even a dream to be part of such a Pop Music band ?

Lise : Definitely. Before joining Cock Robin I was in a few different bands, had a solo career, and did alot of studio work --commercials, etc...

CRF : A very crucial point, would you tell us when and how were you chosen to join the Cock Robin ?!

Lise : Anna moved upstairs from me. She came to one of my solo performances and thought I played keyboards like Peter. So she got me an audition.

CRF : How would you consider this event changed your life (musically and humanly) ?

Lise : It was such a blast!!!!! So much fun! Who doesn't want to be a rock star?

CRF : What were your relations with Peter Kingsbery and Anna LaCazio, did they become some kind of friends or was it mainly professionnal ?

Lise : A little of both.

CRF : Do you remember approximately how many shows did you perform with the Cock Robin ? Did you play in various countries and what kind of memories did you had of France ?

Lise : Hmmmm... I think the tour was about a month, and after the first week rehearsing in Nice we played a concert almost every night. I loved France. The food was amazing. Memories.... eating a fab meal that lasted all afternoon somewhere in the middle of the countryside... when we first got to Nice we had been traveling for almost 24 hours, and I just wanted to sit on the beach. 'Ah, how convenient', i thought, 'there are chairs provided on the beach'. And when the kids came up to me (as they did repeatedly) I told them, in very poor french, that I 'did not want any new friends'. They finally left me alone, giggling at me. I later found out that they wanted money for sitting in the chairs. Duh! Oh, and the mini bar incident... We were put up at a very nice hotel. Lo and behold, there was a refrigerator in my room, stocked with all sorts of goodies! I assumed it was free. A week later I was shocked when presented with a bill. Again, duh! You must realise I was a poor musician/artist, had never stayed in such fancy digs.

Hmm... I learned never to kiss a fan because they will follow you throughout the rest of the tour... I learned not to run a bath and try opiated hash for the first time (flooded the room).... In Paris, just before we went on stage at the Grand Rex I called my boyfriend back home on the backstage phone, squealing in excitement, telling him I was about to play Paris! An after show dinner with a lovely french boy, had my first pate de foie gras (I was a vegetarian at the time, but how could I not try foie gras?) -- it was wonderful. I could go on and on.... it was a very stressful time (keyboards really were the center of the band, and it was not an easy job) but magical, too. Great way to visit Europe for the first time -- as a rock star!

CRF : Of course we all know now you've been immortalized on the "Live au Grand Rex" video that Cock Robin recorded in Paris. Any special memory of this evening, .. how did you live/enjoy it ? By the way it seems you're not only gifted on keyboards ? :- )

Lise : How sweet of you Smile

Yeah, I play a mean accordian.... Smile

As I said before, playing Paris was an epitome for me. I remember the camera man constantly zooming in on me, making me a bit nervous. I have Tourettes Syndrome, which means, in my case, I blink alot and wiggle my nose when under stress. Watching that video is hard for me, when I see how twitchy I am. Playing "The Biggest Fool of All" on the accordion at the end was amazing. That song was one of my favorites, I performed it myself in my solo shows. Let's see....you want details, eh? When we all went backstage and Peter stayed onstage, performing "Just Around the Corner", Kevin (the percussionist) suddenly, out of nowhere, grabbed me and kissed me. Wow! I think we were all just so excited. No, nothing ever came of that.... Smile

As I mentioned before, afterwards a lovely french boy took me out for a romantic late night dinner. How can you beat that?

CRF : Unfortunately Anna LaCazio decided to leave the band during that 1990 year, did you expect such a sudden change that meant the end of Cock Robin ?

Lise : It hit me like a ton of bricks. We were already planning our next tour in September. No one saw that coming.

CRF : How did you manage this disappointment and what was her main reason according to you ?

Lise : I don't know Anna's reasons. It was incredibly disappointing for all of us. I just had to move on and keep on with my life.

CRF : Did you keep any contacts with Peter and Anna after that ? Did you stay tuned with Peter and Anna solo career ?

Lise : Peter just disappeared. I stayed friends with Anna until I left the music business, got married, and moved away from L.A. in 1992. I've visited her in Joshua Tree and thought her solo stuff was great, don't know why it never was picked up by a recording company. We email back and forth, intermittently now.

CRF : Peter succeeded in convincing Anna to reform the band in 2006 (with Clive Wright, Pat Mastelotto and Damian Lester), did you get the IDWTSTW album, it seems it was hard to find it in the USA ?

Lise : I have not been able to find it, nor even pirate it off the web!

CRF : We can imagine that you would be happy to be on keyboards again with Peter/Cock Robin ?

Lise : I was a bit disappointed that I was not asked to play with them again, but I understand they wanted to keep the band small. They paid all of us quite well when we toured. I would jump at the chance to play with them again.

CRF : Music meant a lot to you very early ? How were you familiarized with it ?

Lise : Was classically trained, started performing at 7, started touring (in California) by 9, went to college on a full scholarship for piano/voice performance. But even then I knew I wanted to play popular music. I was very excited by the punk and new wave scene that popped up in the late 70s, early 80s. I left college to join a band that was recording on a small label. We did pretty well locally, got radio airplay. One day our manager brought us a demo tape from another band he was managing. We recorded it, and later I recorded it myself. Years later, sitting on the tour bus, I found at that that demo tape was Cock Robin -- !!! -- how eerie is that? After Cock Robin I continued

performing, with my own band. Music continues to be my life saver -- right now I'm really into the new Radiohead CD, Sweeney Todd soundtrack (Johnny Depp can sing!), of course, Sufjan Stevens. His album "Ilinoise" is tremendous -- you should check it out.

CRF : So, you played keyboards for the Cock Robin, the piano is your preferred musical instrument ? Are you sometimes singing ?

Lise : I have been singing classically for a few years with a motet, singing obscure religious music written in the Western Reserve area of Ohio in the early 1800s, before european music arrived. The music is very interesting, almost gregorian, with gothic titles like "Clasp Me To Thy Bosom, Oh Faithful Tomb". I play alot of Chopin on my grand piano, and sing like a maniac in the car.

CRF : Have you any model in the musical world, classical or contemporary ?

Lise : I think my alltime hero is Tom Waits. I love everything he (and his wife) have done. His latest album is fabulous too.

CRF : When did you decide (if you did so) that music would be your job, or maybe more, your life ?

Lise : In high school. I was already composing my own pop tunes.

CRF : It's probably not so easy to carve out a place in the music business nowadays ?

Lise : Well, yes and no. The music industry just became such big business, with manufactured stars. With the advent of the internet and sites such as myspace, you can have the world hear your music.

CRF : Where/how did you practive music before that meeting with the Cock Robin ?
And after, what were your projects and occupations ?

Lise : Even before Cock Robin I was a jeweler. Silly costume jewelry. I started by making jewelry to wear onstage. Then the Museum of Contemporary Art store in Los Angeles wanted to sell it. That was the start of a very long career. That is still my main occupation -- www.liseanderson.etsy.com

CRF : What kind of band/musicians do you like ? What is the last album you've bought ?

Lise : I like alot of different music. What's in my car right now? "The Sound of White" by Missy Higgins, lots of old Roxy Music, Antony and the Johnsons, Missy Elliot, Natasha Bedingfield, others that I mentioned above.....

CRF : What's happening in your life now ? Still music I guess ? Any creation that we could listen to ? :- )

Lise : I left the music industry with a broken heart. After recording album after album for a major label and in the end nothing ever coming of it, I just had to walk away. Music was my biggest love. I should have realised that the music business is a business. I moved away from L.A., sold my recording studio piece by piece on ebay, and did a lot of classical music. I got married, had a daughter who is now 9. I still dream of performing again... maybe after my daughter is grown. I have a vision of me as an old lady, singing jazz in a smoky, seedy old bar, with a voice raspy with age. Ala Tom Waits.

CRF : How do you see France from your US point of view ?

Lise : Love love love france. Am not to proud to be an american these days. Our president is a complete idiot, and ignorance is dangerous. I would love to do like Peter and move to France.

(Traduction française)
_________________
I used to be schyzophrenic but we're ok now.

Mike Wagner · Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 6:11 pm Post subject:

Thanks to both of you!! Very Happy

_________________
" I Look For Perfection, Inside Of This Wreck"

sandra · Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 9:18 pm Post subject:

tankyou
_________________