Ah, the cheeky, boastful, high camp Robbie: we’ve been expecting you. You’d never guess he came into this run of shows off the back of some, somewhat bizarre side projects: last year’s Robbie-as-a-monkey film Better Man bombed at the box office, while his recent therapy-speak laden art exhibition was universally panned. But no matter. Back in stadiums and on a mission to reclaim his pop crown, this was a night of pure, uncut Williams: charismatic, OTT showmanship undercut with neurosis; self-deprecation (“it’s good you’re here otherwise it’s just some bloke with mental health issues jumping around a stadium on his own”) mixed with the braggadocios (“I’m s******g hits!”); all delivered in a blockbuster package of dancers, jokes, pyro, confetti, stunts and brilliant pop songs.
Robbie Williams at the Emirates Stadium as he kicks of his Britpop tour (Photo: Leo Baron)This was the nominally titled Britpop tour, named after his forthcoming new album, the 90’s indie guitar influenced record he’d wanted to make in 1995 after he left Take That. But other than punchy opening new song “Rocket” – which liberally borrows not from Britpop but from Manchester post-punk band Buzzcocks’ 1979 single “Everybody’s Happy Nowadays” – there was no other Britpop to be heard (unless you count the very Oasis-like “Old Before I Die”, written, as Williams said “six nervous breakdowns ago.”)
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Yet as ever with Williams, it was a fine line. He takes his own advice to “embrace your inner cringe” a bit too far: his AI deepfake conversations with himself fall flat; his hopes of being best entertainer in the world were undermined somewhat by a terrible pub-band megamix of hits (“Song 2”, “Seven Nation Army”, “Livin’ on a Prayer”) where he doesn’t seem to know the words (“you won’t get that a Beyoncé gig” he says, with good reason.). His post-therapy, post-sobriety, my-wife-and-kids-saved-me chat was laid on all too thick.
He encored with his two mighty ballads – “Feel” and an ever-soaring “Angels” – both belted back to him with gusto. “I’ve had the best time I’ve ever had on stage,” he said at the end, and for once there was no joke to lessen the sentiment.
Robbie Williams plays again at the Emirates Stadium tonight before going on tour.
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Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Robbie in London was over the top, bizarre yet also sincere – only he can do that )
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