Robbie Williams performed at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on November 11 as part of his Britpop World Tour, with a reviewer giving the show five stars and describing Williams' humour as self-aggrandising and self-deprecating, and noting his rapport with his band and dancers.
The concert opened with an artificial-intelligence framing device, with text and a recorded or generated voice saying AI could be the greatest threat to musicians or a fabulous tool. The framing included the line: “He's not a man he's a signal. You don't watch Robbie Williams, you tune into him.” Williams did not mention AI again.
Williams entered in a white jumpsuit to the song Rocket, lifting off from the stage in a rocket effect. He launched into Let Me Entertain You, telling the audience: "This is my band, this is my arse, and Melbourne you'd better be good because I'm phenomenal."
Across three stages, he performed hits including Rock DJ, Strong, Supreme, Love My Life and Better Man, and introduced a game called “shit or not” in which a muso got a solo for audience judgment. Thom Rylance from opening act The Lottery Winners joined him on stage for a cover of Oasis's Wonderwall.
Williams' patter mixed self-promotion with self-deprecation. "I'm not cool," he said. "I tried being cool once but I just looked constipated." He later performed My Way after relating his father's praise, concluding: "And he was right."
The reviewer, Karl Quinn, noted that the show was scripted and crafted, and praised its energy and audience participation at the sold-out 50,000-seat stadium. He added that while the AI conceit was given short shrift, the case for live musicians was made resoundingly. The review appeared in The Age, Brisbane Times and WA Today.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The concert review illustrates how major pop acts are grappling with the topic of AI while emphasising live performance.
- A sell-out crowd at a 50,000-seat stadium underscores the continuing commercial strength of large-scale touring in Australia.
- Williams' biopic Better Man, partly filmed in Melbourne, has kept him in the local cultural spotlight.
Background
Robbie Williams is a British pop singer who rose to fame with Take That before launching a solo career that has produced numerous hit albums and singles. His life story was the subject of the 2024 biopic Better Man, much of which was shot in Melbourne. The Britpop World Tour is his current tour.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe review gave Robbie Williams’ Britpop concert a five-star rating.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Robbie Williams’ Britpop show is ridiculous, hilarious and very entertaining. MUSIC Robbie Williams | Britpop World Tour ★★★★★ Marvel Stadium, November 11”
- SupportedWilliams performed at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on November 11 as part of the Britpop World Tour.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Robbie Williams | Britpop World Tour ★★★★★ Marvel Stadium, November 11”
- SupportedThe reviewer praised the show’s humour.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Robbie Williams’ Britpop show is ridiculous, hilarious and very entertaining.”
- SupportedThe reviewer praised the show’s energy.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “no matter how much chaotic energy he appears to summon, this is every inch a crafted show.”
- SupportedThe reviewer praised the show’s audience participation.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “There’s plenty of call and response throughout the concert”
- SupportedThe AI framing included the line, “He's not a man he's a signal. You don't watch Robbie Williams, you tune into him.”Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““He’s not a man he’s a signal. You don’t watch Robbie Williams, you tune into him.””
- SupportedWilliams said, “This is my band, this is my arse, and Melbourne you'd better be good because I'm phenomenal.”Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““This is my band, this is my arse, and Melbourne you’d better be good because I’m phenomenal,” he says”
- SupportedWilliams said, “I'm not cool,” and, “I tried being cool once but I just looked constipated.”Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““I’m not cool,” he says. “I tried being cool once but I just looked constipated.””
- SupportedWilliams recounted his father’s praise and concluded, “And he was right.”Brisbane Times - Latest News: ““My dad said to me, ‘Son, I was good. But you are the greatest in the world’,” he tells us. Pause, trademark grin. “And he was right.””
- SupportedWilliams did not mention AI again after the opening framing.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “AI will not be mentioned again.”
- SupportedThom Rylance from opening act The Lottery Winners joined Williams on stage for a cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall.”Brisbane Times - Latest News: “he is joined on stage by Thom Rylance, from the evening’s opening act, The Lottery Winners, for a cover of Oasis’ Wonderwall.”
- Not in the sourcesThe review appeared in The Age, Brisbane Times and WA Today.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Reviewed by Karl Quinn”