He didn't appear upside down sliding from the top of the stage with arms wide open as if forming an inverted cross, as he did in that legendary concert at Knebworth Park over 20 years ago. This time, Robbie Williams opted for a galactic epic, with a countdown simulating the launch of a space rocket (which was him) singing Rocket, his new song. After an intro filled with reflections on technology and artificial intelligence, featuring visuals of Freddie Mercury, Bowie, and even John Lennon, Robbie appeared dressed as an astronaut, the king of astronauts, with oversized mirrored glasses and surrounded by microphones like a celebrity to passionately rock out to this song where the influence of Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath is evident.
But... Hold on... Robbie climbs onto a winged structure that lifts him about 20 meters to finally throw himself upside down almost like at Knebworth. The crowd goes wild. He touches the ground, removes the spacesuit, and remains in a red tracksuit with a red tank top, revealing his shiny XL necklace, very street style.
As if it were necessary, he introduces himself: "My name is Robbie fucking Williams!". With all his overflowing energy, he continues with Let Me Entertainment You, a song from '97 that he revives to proclaim himself as "the king of entertainment." And indeed he is. "Let's go," he cheers in Spanish.
This is how his only concert in Spain started, at the Español stadium in Cornellà, where he didn't sell out all 40,000 seats (reaching 32,000) although it seemed like it due to the total dedication of his fans. Before kicking off the BRITPOP Tour on May 31st in Edinburgh, Robbie promised that this would be his "most daring tour". And everything was XXXL, pure excess, especially in his looks: Robbie astronaut, Barbie-style fuchsia Robbie, tracksuit-wearing Robbie, divine Robbie in cabaret coat... And Robbie in comedy club mode, constantly engaging with the audience in funny monologues: "Sometimes I wonder why I do this. And when I see you, my audience... I remember it's not for the glory, not for the money (dramatic pause). It's because I have four kids and I need to get out of the house." He also engaged in a surreal dialogue with his teenage self, projected via AI on the screens, and threw a jab at Take That...
To perform Rock DJ, a danceable hit if there ever was one, Robbie put on a red fur coat and red sunglasses, of course. A lively Robbie, like a monkey, climbed on all possible bars and platforms on the stage.
Fully grown and colossal, he then tackled Love My Life, his song of personal reaffirmation, about 'loving yourself': I am wonderful / I am magical / I am me. He composed it in 2016 after going through rehabilitation twice. It almost seems like the anthem of his 2025, his year of resurgence: he's back to the big stadiums (hadn't done a macro tour of this scale since 2018), starring in his own biopic Better Man ("have you seen my movie?" he asked the fans), exhibiting his artworks at the Moco Museum in London (yes, Robbie has been exploring his artistic side for two decades, but decided to exhibit in 2019), and will release a new album in the fall, teasing some tracks during his tour.
Midway through the concert, Robbie traversed half the court to reach Stage C, a boxing ring-style stage in the center of the stadium. "You know, Coldplay has a Stage C, I saw it and said to myself: 'I want a damn Stage C in my show too!'." He sang Supreme with nods to Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, and the entire stadium was already chanting Robbie, Robbie, Robbie... "Thank you, friends," he replied in his increasingly fluent Spanish.
He then introduced his "new best friend" Thom Rylance, the amiable leader of the British indie band The Lottery Winners, who accompanied him on the guitar. Another comedic moment, even asking if anyone was from Madrid, teasingly. Robbie unleashed.
Upon returning to the main stage, his eight dancers welcomed him like Egyptian goddesses dressed in gold with a spectacular choreography. Like the Freixenet bubbles to celebrate his Millennium, fun and upbeat. Inspired by the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice, it was his first hit to top the UK charts (in 1998) after leaving Take That. And it always works.
In a flash, Robbie changed his look to appear with pink feathers and said: "There's a rumor that has followed me my whole career. Many people believe that I'm secretly gay." He then launched into another monologue where he mentioned Gary Barlow, confessed that he will always be the "guy in the middle of the dance floor giving it his all," and ended with a lesson: "I'm not cool, I've never been cool. If you try to be cool, stop, it's exhausting."
With his fuchsia suit, belt, and shoes included, a Barbie-esque Robbie elegantly performed Sinatra's New York, New York. He then removed the jacket to remain in a tank top (pink) and continued to rock out with She's the One and Kids, that hit he released with Kylie Minogue.
Two hours of show, over 20 songs, and a 51-year-old Robbie who seemed to have returned to the 90s and 2000s, all strength and fun, but now without substances.
If he started like a rocket, he ended like the angel of Britpop, saving his classic Angel for the finale. Leaving a feeling that there is plenty of Robbie for many years to come.