Robbie Williams at Apple Music Festival - LIVE REPORT

Robbie Williams at Apple Music Festival - LIVE REPORT

From former Take That to laddish, to trouble artist to stadium-filling superstar, no other British pop icon have grown up under the limelight as Robbie Williams. Now at 42 years old he appears to have settled into his natural role as all-round entertainer. 

The butterfly-suited pop icon starts with two hits without a pause (“Let me entertain you” and “Rock DJ”) before reintroducing himself: “I am Robbie Fucking Williams, and this evening your ass is mine.” This ‘pick up line’ has been already used, the fact that he wants to reintroduce himself sounds quite new. But understandable as the show at the Roundhouse is broadcasting live (on Apple Music) around the world to mostly a new generation. 

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His presence at the Apple Music Festival comes in handy; Williams has just announced his events solo album, “Heavy entertainment show” (to be released on November 4th via Columbia Records/Sony Music). The set is William’s vision of himself, his art and what he wants to give to the audience: “Light entertainment, but on steroids”, as he said.

The set is, in fact, heavy, with his 11 piece band ready to present William’s best hits during an outstanding 90 minutes of true pop. The setlist goes through Take That’s hit “Back for good” and premiering some brand new tracks, like “Motherfucker” - a grunge track he wrote for his baby son, which part of the chorus is “Your mother is a nutter and you’re a bad motherfucker.”

The crowd is really entertained, with people singing along while FaceTiming their friends at home; this is proof that Williams is sitting where nobody else in pop music, in a place where he can combine create pop tunes with light entertainment in an effective way. 
A sweet telling moment comes during “A better man” when halfway through he says: “” Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s my daddy Pete!”. Here it is, father and son gently harmonise, reaching the chorus “I just want to be a better man”.

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Williams seems not so keen to present more than another track from his forthcoming album, despite “Motherfucker” and at the very end “Sensational”, only after the fans have danced and shook their bodies on his biggest hits and singed along to “Angels”; Williams dedicate the latter to his manager David Enthoven, who died last month, saying: “He truly saved my life – he left a big hole in my life.”

The rest of the show is one hits after another, something that everyone was expecting, and nothing less. 

SETLIST:
Let me entertain you
Rock DJ
Monsoon
Come Undone (with “Still haven’t found what I’m looking for”)
Back for good
Minnie the Moocher
Somethin’ stupid
Millenium
Batter man (with Peter Williams)
Motherfucker
Old before I die
Strong
Candy
Feel
Kids (with “Whole lotta love” by Led Zeppelin)

ENCORE:
My way
Angels
Sensational