Rod Laver Arena was abuzz with excitement on Thursday night (22 October) as 30s and 40-somethings flocked to the first of three, sold-out Melbourne shows to see Robbie Williams.
Named the ‘Let Me Entertain You’ tour, it was clear Robbie would only be playing ‘the hits’ and that’s all he played – hit after hit after hit.
It was a cold one in Melbourne, with a gale blowing and ten degrees outside, so it was a good thing the roof was closed. Merch stands were going gangbusters and inside the venue, mock Brazil football tops with ‘WILLIAMS’ strewn across the back along with light-up horns were big sellers.
Click here for photos.
UK band Lawson began proceedings. Little known in Australia, the boys, who have 6 top 20 UK singles to their name, drew a big cheer from the festive crowd as lead singer Andy Brown asked “what’s up Melbourne”.
A perfect fit for large arenas, Lawson, with Brown’s soaring vocals and the band’s handsome looks made the most of the chance to win over some new fans with songs like 'Learn To Love Again', 'Mountains' and 'Roads'. People were clapping along and receptive when asked to echo some “oohs and aahs”. There’s little doubt these guys will themselves be headlining venues like this in no time.
I thought the demographic might have missed my generation’s obsession with capturing every moment on their smartphones and for a while there was a strong lack of people holding devices out in front of them. Ten minutes before Robbie was due to come out screams erupted and faces and phones were directed to a gentleman sitting in my row. My hopes on a Snapchat free gig were all but turned to dust (the gentleman was Hugh Jackman).
Hugh Jackman - image © Katie DuttonAs the lights dimmed, text appeared on a screen above the stage. 'Hello', 'Is Anybody Out There?', 'Shake Your Ass', 'Am I Still Your Son?”' were all met with predicted responses from the crowd as dramatic orchestral music played. The words 'Let Me Entertain You' drew the biggest response and out rose Robbie from under the stage.
Jacket, sunnies and that signature cheeky grin drew crazed screams from the man of the moment’s worshippers. Robbie didn’t hold back from exhibiting his signature behaviour, grabbing his crotch and blasting out the opening lines from 'Let Me Entertain You'.
Image © Katie DuttonRobbie’s performance and words from his famous 2003 Live At Knebworth shows worked well back then so why not shout out “one hand in the air, two hands in the air” and remind the crowd he is “Robbie F-ing Williams”.
From start to finish Robbie played his hits. After ‘Let Me Entertain You’ came ‘Rock DJ’, then ‘Monsoon’ then ‘Come Undone’. He wasn’t mucking around and he wasn’t there to plug a recent album. Robbie pointed at people in the audience, spoke to them mid song, winked at others, leaving his back-up singers and band to keep the ball rolling.
Image © Katie DuttonIt was all about Robbie. His simple presence had people going mad. He’d joke about using teleprompters to remember the words, shrug his shoulders and accidentally introduce songs that were due a few tracks later. There was an element of early 2000s cheesiness with cartoon TVs on the screens at the back and Robbie’s funny outfits, which included a kilt and tiger-head underwear, which he flashed and grabbed when he felt like it.
Williams is so relaxed and yet commands so much attention on stage. How could you not be after playing arenas and stadiums since his boy-band days as a member of Take That in the early 90s? (He brought back support act Lawson on stage to sing a couple of Take That songs including ‘Back For Good’ – a nice touch as often artists of his size never cross paths with the supports on tour).
Image © Katie DuttonRobbie slotted in a few covers within some of his songs. Lorde’s ‘Royals’, Jay Z’s ‘99 Problems’ and ‘Whole Lotta Love’ all got a run. What was most obvious is Williams’ admiration for Queen. Taking pointers from the great Freddie Mercury’s stage theatrics, he also played large chunks of ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, which the crowd loved.
Robbie Williams still has great energy and charm about him. He looked fit as ever, dancing, jumping and running all night. His growing maturity and love for his family, including his two young children and wife shone through. He brought his father Pete on stage to help him sing ‘Better Man’ and sung a song called ‘Motherf-r’, which was dedicated to his youngest child.
Image © Katie DuttonAlthough Williams is now a married father there were still a few hopeful ladies in the audience with signs asking 'for a snog'. Williams did flirt with the odd lady in the crowd, always checking how old they were, a joke related to his recent, awkward moment where it turned out one of the women he was interacting with was in fact only 15-years old. “By the way how old are you? 28? Excellent” he joked to a fellow Brit he pulled up on stage, drawing a rapture of laughs from the envious crowd.
Robbie Williams is big enough to have dedicated fans follow him around the world as he tours. He dedicated a song to a French fan who had travelled from home to see him and another Australian audience member who had been to all of his recent, local shows.
Image © Katie DuttonFinishing his encore with ‘Angels’ and Claude Francois’ ‘My Way’ with 12,000 back-up singers, it's fair to say that if you had the money, you’d be doing the same.
Click here for photos.
