Well well well. Robbie Williams’ first gig in 3 years can best be described as a triumph. Scores of famous faces, along with the luck few who had managed to get tickets online, had turned out eager to see whether the fifth member of Take That still had it.
The ninety minute set was a mixture of old and new, and with comeback single Bodies recording Robbie’s biggest first week sales since Rock DJ (thanks to the man himself for providing that fan fact), there were high hopes that Robbie’s new material would be a step away from his Rudebox phase (i.e. it wouldn’t be shit). His recent performance on the X-Factor had been inconclusive and heavily criticised in some quarters, so the evening had the potential to be either amazing or awful.
The new music is produced by the legendary Trevor Horn, who was also on stage playing bass, and it was certainly an improvement and in some ways a step back to more familiar (and successful) ground. Starstruck was a favourite, sounding so George Michael-esque that Robbie had the crowd practicing George’s dance moves before the song had even started. Another new track was dedicated to Robbie’s girlfriend and should have been too painful for words as he sang the whole song looking up adoringly to her in the balcony. But it was impossible to be anything but endeared to the guy, who’s not been short of love life issues in the past, and the track went down well.
Of course, the crowd made the most noise for the golden oldies. No Regrets, Millennium, Supreme, Feel, Come Undone and Angels all made welcome appearances, although there was no sign of Let Me Entertain You or Rock DJ. Having opened a little nervously with two new songs, Robbie was back on terra firma with Come Undone and clearly gained confidence from the audience singing along. From then on in he was back into his cheeky chappy persona, cracking jokes and telling funny stories.
But this was a more mature artist on stage that perhaps he was previously, referring to his age and his grey hairs more than once. Robbie was quite emotional at times, and seemed keen to lay old demons to rest. Take That were reconciled, Gary Barlow was his new best friend, and even Guy Chambers was name checked, much to the delight of the crowd. To be fair, the audience would probably have applauded almost anything from their hero but he rewarded them with a great show. Full of energy and charm, backed by an excellent band and orchestra, and supported with an autocue in case of emergencies, Robbie Williams is definitely back.
Robbie William's new album, Video Killed the Radio Star, is out on November 9th
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