Apple Music Festival, Robbie Williams review: Robbie reclaims his crown as a great British showman

Williams remains the eternal, eager-to-please child, says John Aizlewood
Brief encounter: Williams, who was wearing his tiger pants from the 2000 Rock DJ video, was on top form
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John Aizlewood26 September 2016

He's a 42-year-old father of two and going little grey around the temples but as he hurtles towards veteran status, Robbie Williams remains the eternal, eager-to-please child.

Resolutely socks-free and wearing what looked like pyjamas, he last night played his first British show since a four-night run at the O2 Arena in July 2014. He remains as insecure (“You are all fans, right?”) and as hubristic (“I’d like to remind you this is not the sort of place I’m used to playing… if you want to sit down, go and see Sting”) as ever.

Williams is always a bundle of intriguing contradictions. He was happy to indulge in gurning and fondling his testicles during Rock DJ — and at one point pulled down his trousers to reveal the tiger pants he sported in the 2000 hit’s original music video.

But he also transformed the over-familiar Angels into something desperately moving when he dedicated it to his manager, David Enthoven, who died last month. “There’s a big hole in my life,” he said. “I miss him, I’ll always miss him.”

To the delight of an audience including Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and pop star Ellie Goulding, the singer reclaimed his crown as a great British showman. Even if he still persists with a tired swing section and an even more tired My Way, this was a feast of entertainment.

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He previewed his November album, Heavy Entertainment Show, with Motherf***er, apparently a tribute to his youngest child, and rocker Sensational; he blasted out the hits (Feel gets better with age; Old Before I Die doesn’t); he took a brilliant chance with a punkified version of Take That’s Back For Good; he digressed into A-ha’s Take On Me and U2’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For; and he even invited his dinner-jacketed father Pete Conway to duet on A Better Man.

Williams is as likeable as he is watchable, I hadn’t realised just how much I’d missed him.

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