Robbie Williams Breaks Concert Simulcast World Record

10/21/09 2:46pm

by Paula Danylevich (CHARTattack)

LONDON, ENGLAND — On Tuesday night, I experienced what could possibly be the best hour and a half of my concert-going life.

Robbie Williams played his first show in over three years at The Roundhouse in Camden to a comparatively small audience of 3,000 — much smaller than his usual crowd of 60,000+.

Most North Americans only know him for "Rock DJ" and "Angels," but when I last saw Williams in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2006, he played four sold-out shows of 66,000 people per night, so seeing him in a small venue like The Roundhouse was having him hanging out right beside you.

The show, a tune-up for his soon to be released album Reality Killed The Video Star (in stores Nov. 9), is being billed a comeback after the poor reception to 2006's Rudebox. And if this was a comeback, then Williams came back in a BIG way on Tuesday night. Tickets for this show sold out in less than five minutes and scalpers were asking (and getting) the equivalent of over $1,500 per ticket.

The show was the kick off to the BBC's "Electric Proms" concert series, and the Guinness World Records confirmed BBC Worldwide's live show of Williams' concert, shown via satellite in venues in 23 countries, marked the "most simultaneous cinematic screenings of a live concert in history."

Williams was joined on stage by 38 world class musicians, led by Reality Killed The Video Star producer Trevor Horn (Pet Shop Boys, Paul McCartney), and included a string section, a horn section, an opera singer, and a host of others, including his regular band.

Williams opened the show with this new single, "Bodies," and quickly got into the groove, showing no signs of his previously apparent stage jitters.

Williams was on point in every way. From his performance, to some great stage banter, this was a fan's dream show. He performed old favourites including "Come Undone," "No Regrets," "Millennium" and "Angels" and several new songs from the new album, including the stand out track "Deceptacon."

Williams closed the show with something rather unexpected: The Buggles hit (Horn was a member of the band) "Video Killed The Radio Star," which got everybody in the audience jumping up and down and singing along.

The performance reaffirmed Robbie Williams is a true entertainer — the Frank Sinatra of his generation. I flew over 3,000 miles to see this show, and it was worth every penny... and the jetlag!