Music royalty Robbie Williams delivered a career-spanning performance full of fan favourites for a sold-out crowd of 25,000 at Sandringham Estate on Saturday night – and is set to do the same again tonight.
Wearing a sparkling gold vest, equally as flashy trousers, neck chain and rings with a satin scaff draped around his neck, the heavily-tattooed singer stood tall on a podium as TV screen-style visuals filled the screens behind him.
Joined by a full live band, including brass section, as well as a troupe of backing dancers and singers, Robbie wasted no time in proving why he’s one of the world’s greatest live performers.
Taking the audience (consisting of his legion of adoring fans, many wearing I <3 Robbie t-shirts) on an “odyssey through the highest highs and the lowest lows… the sex, the drugs, the scandal, and the paparazzi” – that’s exactly what Mr Williams delivered, and then some.
“Tonight, it’ll be therapy for me, but it’ll be entertainment for you,” he explained. And that was exactly how it felt (though the audience was there to share in the catharsis with him).
Rather than just playing the hits, Robbie - who performed in Malta just nights before - made time to explain the stories behind his globally-known songs.
This autobiographical touch helped to weave a coherent narrative – especially after he asked “do you guys know anything about my life?”, knowing full well the answer was yes. Similarly, a cover of Oasis’s ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ came after an anecdote about him hanging out with the Gallaghers at a Glastonbury many years ago.
Ever the scene-setter, Robbie took on the narrator-like role of storyteller as he reset the clock to the 1990s, refreshing everyone’s minds about how Take That got together and went on to become the UK’s most exciting boy band.
Throughout the show, he told his story exactly as it happened, weaving through the decades to the present day in which he proudly declares “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been”, referring to his 18-year marriage and four children.
‘Love My Life’, soon after, translated this positive message into an incredibly uplifting singalong– especially as a rainbow of paper streamers flew overhead. Later, impressive neon strobe lighting, the kind of which you’re more likely to find at nightclubs than royal estates, add an epic atmosphere to ‘Feel’.
He wasn’t afraid to poke fun at himself, either; “how old are you? 16?” he asked one audience member who was attending with her mum, adding “you make me feel like Justin Bieber… I’m like Harry styles but drooping”.
He also made lighthearted jokes about the story of Take That, especially as he cut ‘Could It Be Magic’ half way before detailing the band’s split due to him being a “rule-breaker”.
Because of this, Robbie’s performance contained pantomime elements at times, especially the shared ‘awws’ and ‘ooos’ as he recalled the bitterness of the band’s split.
A euphoric ‘Greatest Day’ - for which he was joined by support act and former band member Mark Owen - proved how close their bond remains. For many, it felt like a mini Take that reunion (especially as Owen had sung his solo songs and some of the band's hits a few hours earlier while wearing a green satin jumpsuit).
Throughout the entire show, Robbie had the crowd in the palm of his hands, particularly when he urged them to do their best dancing in the hope of winning a t-shirt (if they could catch it, of course) and even more so when he interacted with those on the front row, even dedicating songs to some audience members (shout out to Shirley from Hamburg, 78-year-old Rebecca, and of course Mark and Lyn).
Later, high-energy renditions of noughties anthems like ‘Let Me Entertain You’ and a funky-bass-fuelled ‘Rock DJ’ showcased his showman credentials: a real rockstar.
Throughout the near-two-hour concert, which sold out in just 24 hours and has helped to bring millions of pounds due to the regional economy thanks to hotel bookings, he was not just vocally impressive but also naturally very funny, delivering witty one-liners or hilarious anecdotes.
There was, contrastingly, no shortage of emotional moments during which he reflected on his 31-year career too, especially during the encore for which he returned to the stage wearing a gold-cuffed robe that could have passed as a royal gown (especially on this occasion).
After ‘She’s The One’, which had all the couples in the audience swaying together, and before performing final track ‘Angels’, Robbie shared with the 25,000 before him how their support has helped him through some incredibly dark times, having battled mental health demons and imposter syndrome for a large part of his decorated career.
“You guys have saved me when you didn’t even know you were saving me,” he signed off poignantly before lighting up the estate one final time as a sea of lights painted a perfect picture for ‘Angels’. Sung a Capella at first, the audience harmonised together like a choir – an incredible moment that will live long in the memory of everyone there that night.
While the performances - which included support from Norwegian popstar Dagny as well as magicians and string bands dotted around the site and Britain’s Got Talent 2020 winner John Courtenay playing his humorous piano-led songs in the VIP area - were great, the day could have done with one or two more main stage acts due to the length of waiting time between artists.
The event would also have benefitted from better signage (as it wasn’t particularly clear where certain car parks were), however, in terms of food stalls and bars, there was an impressive number and range on-site (but be prepared to queue).
Also, a word of warning to those driving to the event tonight: take snacks and drinks to keep you going after the show because, due to the sheer amount of people trying to get out, you’ll likely be stuck in a long queue of traffic for at least two hours.
Here's the setlist for last night's Robbie Williams concert:
Hey Wow Yeah Yeah
Let Me Entertain You
Land of 1000 Dances (Chris Kenner cover)
Monsoon
Strong
Come Undone
Do What U Like (Take That song)
Could It Be Magic (Barry Manilow cover)
Don't Look Back in Anger (Oasis cover)
The Flood (Take That song)
Love My Life
Eternity
Candy
Old Before I Die
Feel
Kids
Rock DJ
Encore:
No Regrets
She's the One
Angels
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