Robbie Williams, Glasgow review: 'indie aspirations'
For this “club” tour, Robbie Williams is honouring both ends of his career, writes Fiona Shepherd
Robbie Williams, Barrowland, Glasgow ★★★
In less than a year, Robbie Williams has downsized from playing a rugby stadium to headlining this rather more intimate heritage venue - not a reflection of his pulling power, but of his cultural muscle. After all, he can now claim, should he wish to spin it thus, that he is bigger than The Beatles, having just beaten their record for most UK Number One albums with his latest release Britpop.
Williams has said that Britpop is the album he wanted to make at the start of his solo career; perhaps this is the sort of venue he imagined playing. With rock band in tow, he strolled onstage wearing a Primal Scream t-shirt as if to acknowledge his indie aspirations and seemed comfortable throughout for the fans to see the whites of his eyes.
For this “club” tour, Williams is honouring both ends of his career. First up, a zip through debut album Life Thru A Lens, starting with Lazy Days, a bit of an indie bruiser from back in the day.
As per the track listing, Angels landed early with Williams handing vocal duties over to the crowd while Old Before I Die, typical of his cheeky lyrical turn, was a jovial singalong with the audience riding the key change. Elsewhere, the lairy Ego A Go Go, inspired by Gary Barlow, and classy ballad Killing Me, showed some range. Along the way, he reflected on his past smugness and delivered his “most middle-aged performance” of Let Me Entertain You.
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Although it took several singles to hit paydirt, it remains a strong pop collection. Maybe he really did start his career with some Britpop. As he launched in to his latest album, he wondered if the new songs had connected yet - Rocket went hell-for-leather, Pretty Face was certainly memorable enough and he relished the sub-Oasis swagger of Spies while his odd ode to Morrissey (co-written with Barlow) backed up his assertion that “my career has been built on audacity and a wink”. And some infernally catchy songs.
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