At this point in Robbie Williams' career, 13 studio albums deep and 21 years since his solo debut, it's no surprise that his presence alone is enough to send a crowd into hysterics.
Combining that with his years of experience and travelling suitcase full of hit songs, 'The Heavy Entertainment Show' Tour had almost no room for error. After getting the audience upstanding for 'The National Anthem Of Robbie' (a personalised version of 'Land Of Hope And Glory'), the performer entered wearing a boxing robe on theme with the aesthetic of his recent album 'The Heavy Entertainment Show'.
Wasting no time, Robbie launched into the title track before an energetic rendition (complete with choreographed dance routine!) of 'Let Me Entertain You'.
Image © Charlyn Cameron
"Vivaaaaaaa Bris Vegas!” he chanted at one point in the show, awarding him a room full of cheap applause and respect from audience members for personalising his stage banter.
Further to this he made a point of mentioning – multiple times – the fact that he genuinely loves Australia and even praising us for making particular songs in the setlist hits when other countries didn't. It's a great thing to see an international artist in concert, but an even greater thing when they take the time to properly acknowledge where they are and show their appreciation, too.
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One of the highlights of the night was Robbie's tribute to George Michael in the form of a supercharged cover of 'Freedom! '90', but not until after a hilarious anecdote where the performer insinuated (in a slightly more explicit way than written here) that he'd have gone after George if he were gay.
Image © Charlyn Cameron
From one tribute to the next, 'Love My Life' was a dedication to Robbie's two children, as he sat in the grasp of a giant boxing glove that lifted above and rotated around the audience, giving them a chance to get a closer look at the singer as he waved and interacted with them.
One of the things Robbie is known for is his audience interaction and there was no shortage of this in the show. He quizzed an audience member on the lyrics to 'Come Undone' and also invited a fan up to sit with him while he sang 'Somethin' Stupid'.
From a cover of 'Sweet Caroline' joined by his father Pete Conway to the ethereal and angelic 'Angels' – which had phone torches glowing and the entire crowd chanting along – Robbie Williams proved once again that a backlog of hugely successful hits mixed in with unmistakable charm and a stage presence to die for is the perfect recipe for a magnificent show.
Robbie Williams Tour Dates
22 February – An Evening On The Green (Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley)24-25 February – Rod Laver Arena (Melbourne)
28 February-1 March – Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney)
3 March – A Day On The Green (Geelong)
4 March – Adelaide 500
7 March – Perth Arena
