If you thought Robbie Williams named his latest world tour Let Me Entertain You after his hit song of the same name, you would be mistaken.
After seeing his performance in Abu Dhabi, we reckon the tour’s name comes from Williams simply being an all-round entertainer. He will entertain you through music, dance, jokes, his fashion choices, and his captivating on-stage persona.
The English singer took the stage at the du Arena on Yas Island on Saturday night, performing in front of thousands of fans as part of his Let Me Entertain You tour.
In a two-hour set, Williams kept fans completely enthralled as he performed some of his biggest hits — Feel, Angels, Millennium, Rock DJ, and Candy, along with covers of songs such as Lorde’s Royals, and even Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
A few moments before Williams walked out on stage, a large screen flashed the words, “Marhaba (Arabic for hello). Are you there? I can’t hear you. Let me entertain you,” and the crowd roared their excitement. Everyone at the jam-packed arena was on their feet, ready to dance.
Williams had the crowd in the palm of his hand, and he hadn’t even walked out yet. With adrenaline pumping, fans knew they were in for a treat, and Williams did not disappoint.
Starting off with his hit Let Me Entertain You, the former Take That band member wore tight black pants, a black vest that showed off his heavily-tattooed arms, and horns on his head, stressing that bad-boy image.
From the pumping high beat, Williams seamlessly transitioned into swing music, singing hits from his album Swings Both Ways as he put on a conductor’s jacket and shiny white gloves.
“My name is Robbie Peter Williams, and I’ve got a little daughter. I love her to death. This is the longest I’ve been away from her, and I miss her so much. Her name is Theodora, and that’s her professional name.
“If she’s going to be a lawyer, a doctor, her name is Theodora, and if she’s going to be a stripper, her name is Teddy, but I’ve got to keep her off the pole, and that’s what I will be doing; keeping her off the pole,” he joked as he told the audience about his two-year-old daughter. He also has a six-month-old son, Charlton.
Williams then grabbed a guitar and started singing parts of Go Gentle, which he wrote for his daughter. Discussing his life as a father, the English singer, in an unexpected move, then invited his own father on stage as they together sang a heart-felt Better Man.
And just as seamlessly as he transitioned into swing, Williams moved from heartfelt to upbeat, singing Queen’s We Will Rock You. But it wasn’t the song that sent the audience roaring again, it was the fact that Williams went backstage for a few moments and came out wearing a short black skirt (not a kilt; a skirt).
And if that wasn’t enough to tease fans, Williams lifted the skirt provocatively above his knees as he was singing.
“No regrets, everybody. No regrets,” he said, keeping the skirt on for almost the entire second half of the show.
With Williams’s contagious energy and fun persona feeding the crowd, the two hours flew by as he concluded his performance with Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. With a screen playing Queen’s performance of the song, Williams managed to create a duet with the late Freddie Mercury as fans sang along.
He followed that with Angels, and bid fans farewell.
Well, Take That, Abu Dhabi! The Millennium man certainly did entertain.
