Robbie Williams at AAMI Park
Iconic British singer Robbie Williams is here in Melbourne bringing his XXV Tour to the shores of Australia and New Zealand. Mesmerising fans with a spectacular blend of nostalgia and contemporary flair, we visited AAMI Park to celebrate 25 years of his solo career; partying the night away to his greatest hits and fan favourites, as well as a few special covers. The evening of entertainment, tailored to showcase the evolution of his music and the art of his storytelling, took us through an incredible and expansive setlist one can only dream of.
First up on the main stage were Lufthaus; a joint venture musical collab between Robbie Williams and his long-term musical collaborators Tim Metcalfe and Flynn Francis. The duo performing sans Williams, opened their 55th stadium show to celebrate their first show in their hometown of Melbourne, and were clearly happy to be home. The party vibes were high throughout their set, as Metcalfe and Francis performed catchy tunes like opening song Spirit The Ghost To Open, Alcohol and club track Ringo. Our favourite song of the set was their big hit Sunlight, as the crowd were entranced by their indie-electro essence.
Next up was Gaz Coombes, the renowned lead vocalist of Supergrass. Taking the spotlight as the second support act, we were impressed by Gaz’s incredible vocals and his band’s extraordinary talent. Kicking off with Salamander and an amazing saxophone solo, the set smoothly transitioned between solo tracks and Supergrass classics with Richard III and title track Turn The Car Around from his latest album. The setlist featured beloved songs including Feel Loop (Lizard Dream), and Deep Pockets, as well as some of our favourite Supergrass hits Moving and Pumping On Your Stereo. Closing out with The English Ruse, Gaz took the time to tell the audience, ‘You lot are in for a treat’.
Robbie Williams is a true showman – and the dramatic entrance featuring his backup singers, dancers and his band for opening track Hey Wow Yeah Yeah gave the audience a taste what was to come. Diving right into Let Me Entertain You, he yells, ‘My name is Robbie Fucking Williams, and this is my band’ as the screams of his adoring fans almost drown out the mic. Robbie’s multifaceted talents as a singer, dancer and charismatic showman shine through for the entirety of the spectacular event. He spends a lot of time talking to the audience, recounting humourous and heartfelt stories from his career – from calling himself a shrivelled Harry Styles, to joking about loving his audience individually in the 90’s, Robbie is all smiles throughout Land of 1000 Dances and Strong. His rapport with the audience is undeniable – he’s doing this for them – as he connects and forms a lifetime bond with ‘Marc with a C’. Always self aware, he tells the crowd that he has two types of songs; 1. I’m Robbie Williams and I’m fucking amazing, and 2. I’m Robbie Williams and I’m lost and depressed and lonely. Launching into song type number 2 with Come Undone, we’re soon laughing again watching a music video of Do What U Like from Take That’s early days, before relishing in covers of Could It Be Magic and Oasis’ Don’t Look Back In Anger.
Taking us on a nostalgic journey, we hear Take That song Back For Good and a performance of Love My Life, as Robbie tells the audience, ‘The man you see before you today is the happiest I’ve ever been’. Talking about releasing a film next year before playing Better Man, throwing t-shirts to the crowd for their attention-seeking dancing during Candy and bringing up all the emotions during Feel had us all enthralled and captivated by every word. Performing hit after hit, we are treated to Kids where the backup singers give their all for an amazing performance, before we all get up on our feet to boogey to Rock DJ to close out the pre-encore set. Seeing Robbie Williams was more than just attending a concert; it was a reflection on his life to date, acting as a form of therapy and sharing his journey – with all its highs and lows. Removing all barriers, Robbie is there to put on a show and treat his audience to a wonderful night of entertainment. It was never in doubt how much Robbie adores his Australian audience, and how the feeling is mutual.
For the encore, we see Robbie change out of his eye-catching costumes in place for an Australian cricket shirt – with the number 23 donned in memory of his best mate Shane Warne. With a cover of John Farnham’s You’re The Voice, the stadium gets the loudest they’ve been all night as they chant along every word as if it were our national anthem. Slowing things down for She’s the One, Robbie serenades two ladies (while ironically singing about ‘the one’) as fans Charmaine and Kara swoon. Time is taken to address the tragedy from the previous week’s concert, dedicating Angels to Robyn Hall who passed away at one of the Australian shows; telling the audience ‘It breaks my heart’ as he sends his love to Robyn and her family. As we close out the night, we hear acapella versions of Let Me Entertain You, Strong, Come Undone, Better Man, Feel and Angels – and as he leaves the stage, we marvel at what a show it has been.