Robbie Williams shines
FIREWORKS heralded the biggest concert in Perth’s history and the start of Robbie Williams’ highly anticipated Close Encounters Australian tour. The atmosphere at Subiaco Oval was palpable as about 40,000 fans jostled for that all-important first glimpse of pop superstar Robbie Williams. Flames shot into the air as the enormous arrangement of semi-circular screens started a digital countdown. Voices of 40-somethings joined the 14-year-olds. Men’s baritones joined in with more high-pitched counting.
Rising from the ground amid streams of vertical smoke – and decked out in a black jacket, jeans, a blue scarf and Terminator-like shades – was Robbie Williams. The screams were deafening. “Radio” heralded the arrival. Stopping a moment to bask in the adoration, Williams soon got down to business – skipping around the stage and intermittently singing along with his backing singers. Singing took a backseat to the necessary posturing and posing. This is what the crowds came to see. Williams immediately acquainted himself with the cameras, which tracked his every move. Looking straight into the lens, his face beamed around Subiaco Oval on the massive screens, Williams intimately told 40,000 people, “I love you”.
“Good evening everybody,” he bellowed. “I am Robbie Williams and this is my show.” And what a show it was. In the style of an old variety performance or a Vegas stage show, Williams took on the role of entertainer. He danced, joked, parodied, pranced and teased the audience. Singing was not his priority and why should it be? It was almost unnecessary as backing tracks and back-up singers took care of the particulars. Williams’ priority was to take care of the crowd – and he certainly did that. Visually, the show was spectacular. Shaped like a massive horseshoe, the amazing stage had enough lights to power a small town. No expense was spared with dazzling light shows, fireworks, smoke, flames and lasers.
Amid that shiny setting, Williams was like a diamond in the rough. A scruffy scoundrel with an often dirty mouth and cheeky smile. The kind of man every woman wants to save from himself and every man (and oh yes there were quite a few) wishes he could be. A cross between a swaggering Mick Jagger and Jack Nicholson in The Shining, Williams often looked manic and demented, but as quickly turned earnest and endearing, showing an uncanny knack to mesmerise a stadium full of people. In a recent interview, Williams said who he was on stage was not who he was in real life. “I am basically doing an impression of what I think a rock star or pop star is.” While he does it well, it is Williams that is lying just below the surface, the one that appeared when he was moved almost to tears at the end of “Angels”, the Williams we get glimpses of when he stops hamming it up, that truly intrigues.
But this was a show, a dazzling, bewildering stage show and as the captain of the ship, Williams simply must be larger than life. While watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show recently, Williams discovered his theatrical on-stage persona had more than a little in common with the film’s Frank N. Furter. “The walk, the singing, the facial expressions – it’s uncanny,” he said. Indeed it was.
Williams played it up to full effect during “Tripping”, while “Monsoon” proved a crowd-uniting moment with arms waving side to side. Often stopping for lengthy chats with the audience, Williams, the eternal playboy, lamented the lack of visitors at his hotel. “There is nobody there,” he said. “NOBODY”. No doubt that will change. He also asked why there were no old people in Perth. “I haven’t seen any old people. What have you done with them?” He baited the audience with: “I do believe Kylie arrived in town today”, but hopes that she would appear for a duet on show-closer “Kids” proved fruitless. As he introduced new song “Love Light”, Williams joked: “Don’t worry, it’s not Rudebox”. Good-naturedly acknowledging the widespread panning of his recent single. He saved that for the encore.
English television presenter, actor and musician Jonathan Wilkes joined Williams for the duet they recorded for Robbie’s Swing When You Are Winning album, “Me and My Shadow”. Wilkes stuck around to ham it up on a hilarious rendition of The BeeGees’ hit “Stayin’ Alive” and “Strong”. Together the pair were like a madcap comedy duo, tripping over each other, joking and jostling.
The only hint that Williams was tired came when he told the crowd: “We are going to do a strong called…” “Did I really say that? I’m f**king jet-lagged.” Williams gave a nod to his boy band days with a version of “Back For Good” by Take That. It was followed by “Advertising Space”, “Come Undone” and “Feel”. “I’m not sure I understand,” Williams said over and over before bidding the audience goodnight. The encore kicked off with the blazing “Let Me Entertain You”. Fireworks shot into the sky and everywhere people were on their feet, clapping and dancing along, as Williams, now decked out in an Adidas tracksuit top, ran around the stage. Rudebox was next, followed by showstopper “Angels”. Williams was visibly moved by the sing-along and resounding applause.
Then with “Kids” it was all over. Williams thanking the crowd profusely. And again it was there. That touch of humility and that slightly melancholic air. The little boy lost on his multimillion-dollar stage.
news.com.au / PerthNow
(more pictures from Perth are here)