06 April 2006


DUBAI --- The organizers of the Robbie Williams Concert scheduled on April 21 at the Nad Al Sheba Race Course, have denied the report published in a local daily yesterday saying that fake tickets for the ?sold out? show are circulating in the UAE.
A spokesman of Midas, the concert promoters, told Khaleej Times that there is no evidence so far regarding the forged tickets circulation and the report in the newspaper is baseless.?I was surprised to see a report like this. I contacted the newspaper office and they failed to give any kind of proof for the circulation of forged tickets,? he said, stating there is no evidence to the newspaper claim.He pointed out that this kind of propaganda only causes confusion and has nothing to do with the fact. ?The arrangements for the show are continuing. We do not think there are any forged tickets circulating in the market. If we get any evidence, we will inform the authorities concerned in the UAE and necessary action will be taken,? he disclosed. The official urged the fans of Robbie Williams who have already purchased the show tickets not to panic. ?Nobody with the show tickets will be locked out. The fans of Robbie in Dubai will have a great day,? he assured.

Robbie Williams says yes to cameras

http://www.purerobbie.com/photoplog/images/1/medium/1_file3.jpg

By Shell Pure Staff (http://purerobbie.com)

"The phone rings and it's the promoter of Robbie's show at Nadd al Sheba with a special message for fans going to the event - "Yes you can take pictures"."

Fans waiting for Robbie Williams friday night concert in Nadd al Sheba, Dubai, United Arab Emirates were thrilled to discover that they were allowed to take cameras into the arena. Robbie's promoter rang Phil Blizzard, Programme Director/Producer, AME Info Radio with the good news and it was announced on air to the surprise of listening concert goers.

Robbie's growing more popular by the hour :)



listen here: http://www.ameinfo.com/83588.html (http://www.ameinfo.com/83588.html)

Letters to the Editor
At last Dubai is attracting some real quality acts

Published on: Thursday, 20th April, 2006

Well done Dubai, for finally attracting some decent music acts to play in the country. Jamiroquai was great. April certainly is a month for music.

Where else in the world can you see A-list, multi-million album selling, grammy award winning, global superstars play such small, intimate gigs. (Oh, and Robbie Williams.)

Hopefully the other concerts will go as smooth as Jamiroquai and we won?t mess it up with the organisation of the whole thing on the nights.

Happy, Dubai

What is with all the hype about Robbie Williams? I know there are a lot of British in Dubai and, well they are really the only ones that have heard of him. With all this talk over tickets I listened to a few songs, and just don?t get it.

He is an average looking, semi-talented, slightly overweight thirty-odd year old. I can?t think why people would queue for hours to watch him, when tickets are still available for bigger A-List? stars such as Jennifer Lopez.

Gel, The Springs

Source: http://www.7days.ae/2006/04/20/at-last-dubai-is-attracting-some-real-quality-acts.html

Each to their own :p

Letters to the Editor

Published on: Friday, 21st April, 2006

In response to the letter I read yesterday from Gel (as in hair?), who cares that you "don?t get" Robbie Williams, 25,000 other people do and will all be having the time of their lives at Nad Al Sheeba, while you will be sitting at home, wondering where everyone is.

He played to 300,000 people in one weekend a few years ago, not that "average", I think maybe it?s you that?s average.

Ms K, Dubai


Source: http://www.7days.ae/2006/04/21/robbie-is-great-not-average.html

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/1madlady/19_eplus_event_entertain_4.jpg

Let him entertain you
By Mubashera Asgher

Published: 04/18/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)

Robbie Williams' upcoming concert in Dubai sold out in under 3 hours. What is this inexplicable charm that Robbie possesses? And why are we all under his spell?

What's with the Robbie Williams phenomenon anyway? Sure, he's probably the biggest star on the planet right now, is red hot, loved by even veteran rockers such as Scorpions and U2 and actually makes unbelievably good music. But does that justify the Robbie mania that has spread over the world faster than bird flu (okay, so that's a bad comparison. We should have said faster than lightning).

I mean, the man's rude, crude and yes, as he admits himself: "I apologise for my language. It's ... awful." And yet, Robbie oozes charm. He's got that bad boy thing going on that gets girls hot under the collar and boys trying so desperately hard to be like him. He's got that je ne sais pas sex appeal, that X-factor that works wonders. Try. Try all you want. You'll never be able to put a finger on it. Either you have it or you don't. And Robbie not only has it, he'll drown in it if he isn't careful.

How many artistes can you name who, in Dubai, have pretty much sold out tickets on day 1 of going on sale - and in under 3 hours!! So great was the demand for tickets that promoters were forced to sell another 2,500 tickets earlier this month. For those who weren't there to witness the frenzy, hear this. Although the tickets went on sale at 10am on April 7, fans queued up outside THE One in Jumeirah from 9 or 10pm the previous evening.

People were there with their sleeping bags, blankies and pillows, some alone, some in groups, some with their husbands, wives and kids in tow, sleeping on the road outside the shop, waiting to be among the first few to get their hands on the Robbie tickets. Admit it, that sort of desperation to be at a concert has never before happened in Dubai.

Robbie has taken Dubai in a new direction. Now that we can boast of a Robbie Williams performance here (not to mention J.Lo, BEP, Roger Waters, Mark Knopfler, Destiny's Child, etc), who's to say that the biggest and baddest rock stars and musicians won't be following in the Robster's footsteps?

The guy has set a benchmark. From now on, any concert that takes place here will be compared to the Robbie concert: Did tickets sell out just as fast? How many people? Was it better, worse, not even close ... The comparisons will be endless. Fans in Dubai and the rest of the world may have put Robbie on the map, but Robbie's gonna put Dubai on the map when he performs at Nad Al Sheba Club on Friday.

From being the funny guy in Take That in the 1990s to the bare-it-all, trash- em-all, cocky popstar we all love today, Robbie's come a long way. From everyone in Take That, Robbie was wickedly different. He wasn't your typically cute boy band member. Robbie was a rogue, he didn't smile impishly for the camera and he didn't care about having a clean-cut image. It came as no surprise to fans that Robbie was the first to leave. His debut solo single in 1996 was the aptly chosen cover of George Michael's Freedom, followed by the hugely-popular Old Before I Die. From that point on, the hits followed each other like bowling pins hit by a pro.

Robbie's most recent album, Intensive Care - his eighth so far - was recorded in his bedroom over the course of two years. Are you surprised that Robbie made the album in his bedroom? You shouldn't be. Anyone who's paid attention to the lyrics of his songs and knows anything about the guy would understand that the songs that have made Robbie a zillionaire and have become musical anthems the world over are pretty much extracts from his diary. Strong, Angels, Let Me Entertain You, Old Before I Die, The Trouble With Me, Come Undone, No Regrets, Feel ... all these are personal songs, with personal lyrics, about the personal ups and downs in Robbie's life. He's willing to share his soul with us and we're more than happy to lap it all up. The perfect musical partnership, wouldn't you agree?

Intensive Care, Robbie says, is "lyrically the best album I've written. Although I do say that before every album comes out. But I think I mean it this time."

The album is inspired by the Human League's 1984 single Louise, about a man who sees his former girlfriend at a bus top and realises that he still has feelings for her. "It's one of my all-time favourite tracks," says Robbie. "I liked the idea of writing from Louise's point of view. And so several tracks on the albums, such as Ghosts and Spread Your Wings run along similar themes, about ex-lovers who still yearn for one another."

It goes without saying that if Robbie loves this album so much, think of how much it would mean to his fans. Naturally, it became the highest-selling album in Europe in 2005, despite only being released in October!

Does that go a little way towards explaining the Robbie phenomenon? Not yet? If you've been able to get your hands on a pair of tickets, maybe the concert at Nad Al Sheba will explain why. If even then you're not sure, don't even try. Some things just are. There's no way to explain magic.


Source: http://www.gulfnews.com/features/sub_story/10033968.html

I am so jealous of the people going to that gig tonight.... I cant believe I have to wait another 8 weeks to see him

September for me :(

147 days shell.....wooohooo

how funny to compare him to J-Lo, maybe they should have compared their on lunacy? or marriages?

Here comes Robbie!
By a staff reporter

21 April 2006

DUBAI ? Watch out Dubai, here comes Robbie!

While, the city hots up to host Pop star Robbie Williams at the Nad Al Sheba stadium tonight with an expected turnout of over 25,000 fans, organisers continue to make a last minute attempt to accommodate more of his fans by printing additional 2,500 tickets, currently available at various authorised outlets including Virgin Megastore and Hallmark outlets in Dubai through the day.

His first ever gig in the Middle East, the show promises to be the biggest concert ever in Dubai, with an audience of some 25,000 fans.

UAE was one of the first territories to embrace Robbie after the UK and he is by far the most popular international male artist in the Gulf state with a string of platinum-selling albums.

Tickets for the gig went on sale last month and were all sold within two hours. Some 2,000 were sold online before the sheer volume of traffic to the site caused it to collapse! Tickets range from Dh195 for rear standing, and go up to Dh595 for a Grandstand view.

The Dubai gig will close the first leg of Robbie?s 2006 World tour, which also takes him to South Africa with gigs in Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria.

The fans of Robbie in Dubai excited to watch the pop star performing live said, " I am excited from the first day I heard Robbie will perform in Dubai. I cannot wait anymore. I waited in a queue for three hours to buy the tickets. Everybody has been discussing the concert both at home and office for past few days," said Karen, a resident of Dubai disclosing that this is the first time she gets an opportunity to watch a live show of Robbie.

Robin another fan said " I am waiting for this big evening for the past one month. I called up my parents in England yesterday and told them I will be going to watch Robbie Williams show tonight. I am very excited to watch him perform live.?


Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Displayarticle.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2006/april/theuae_april702.xml

ohh Dubai time the gig will be over now... hope it went well and that there are good reviews from it. And more importantly I hope he didnt get himself arrested for doing something dumb like asking people to show them their boobs!

Robbie Williams rocks 23,000
United Arab Emirates: 3 hours, 35 minutes ago
British pop star Robbie Williams last night played in Dubai to an audience he said numbered 23,000, the largest crowd ever for a concert in the UAE. The singer is on a world tour and arrived from South Africa to perform most of his favorite songs.


Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/83610.html


Not much news I'm afraid :p

I know this article is a bit after the fact, but still interesting :D


Everything you wanted to know about the Robbie Williams show
By Maey El Shoush, Staff Reporter

If you were wondering why tickets for the Robbie Williams show were first "sold out" and then made available again, here's your answer.

Organisers Midas Promotions said yesterday that typically Williams usually sets aside a number of concert tickets for various reasons.

One, he reserves the best seats in the house to fly in friends.

Two, for the Dubai concert some tickets were not released, pending final position of the mixing desk. Now, they have been made available after ensuring everyone has a good view of the stage.
That means another 1,500 tickets can still be bought at the Box Office and Virgin Megastores.

Control attempt

Midas Promotions also said they did try to control the number of tickets sold per person, but couldn't.

"It is our duty to sell as many tickets as possible. Fans would go to the box office and buy tickets they said were for friends, box office then made executive decisions," said Michael Hosking, managing director of Midas Promotions.

'Red hot'

At a press meeting yesterday in the headquarters of sponsors The One, the promoters said more than 23,000 people are set to gather at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai on April 21 to hear the "red hot" Williams.

"There is no hotter star out there who can capture the imagination of the Dubai public more," said Hosking.

He said they were surprised by most of the tickets selling out immediately and promised the most "spectacular" Dubai concert ever.

"This is an unprecedented step for Midas and the key issue is to ensure the event is a success for all who are involved," said Mel Tyler, operations director for Midas Promotions.

What to expect

Get to Nad Al Sheba early to avoid rush, organisers said. At the venue, read your wrist bands to know where you have to go and follow the signs.

There will be at least 180 security personnel and police present during the concert, including CID members in plain clothes.

"Although there will be a huge crowd, there will be space to manouevre and no danger of being crushed as we are taking up two horse racing tracks," Hosking said.

Special turf

Organisers said they have imported special turf from the United Kingdom to protect the race track.

Parts of the stage have also been flown in from England, including the roof which is estimated to weigh about 15 tons.
"Robbie is all about recreating something new, and he showed great interest in performing in Dubai and we all feel Nad Al Sheba is the perfect venue," Hosking said.

Reluctant

Michael Hosking, managing director of Midas Promotions, organisers of the Robbie Williams concert, said the pop star is actually a reluctant live performer and often gets nervous before he goes on stage.

He is also critical of his own work.

"The media speculation around Robbie is far greater than the reality. He's a great guy just 80 million pounds richer than most people! He is also very sensitive to local customs," he added.

Warning

Promoters yesterday said some people could try and sell fake Robbie Williams concert tickets.

"Although in this market it is rare, we have been alerted of the possibility. People should be careful not to buy tickets from places they shouldn't," said Nigel Peters from Midas Promotions, not really giving anything away.

Source: http://www.gulfnews.com/tabloid/Around_Emirates/10033741.html

sensitive to local customs? you mean he'll dress modestly and not encourage bare breasts at hs gig?

LooooL Joanne :D

Clip from Dubai 21 April 2006 Let me entertain you


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7YzX1UPD_U&search=robbie%20williams

Robe and HSL Light Robbie Williams in Dubai27-04-2006obbie Williams played Dubai?s largest to date at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai in front of 23,000 fans

Robbie Williams played Dubai?s largest to date at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai in front of 23,000 wildly enthusiastic music fans, who were also responsible for making it the fastest selling out show ever in the United Arab Emirates.
http://www.zioshow.com/images/db/news/dubai1.jpg
The entire production lighting rig, including 150 Robe moving lights, 60 points of rigging and all necessary power distribution was supplied by UK-based HSL. They air freighted 36 tonnes of equipment - with the help of Mapcargo - from their Blackburn base to Dubai, to meet the specification for Al Gurdon?s spectacular design.
The lighting deal was put together by Robbie Williams? production manager Wob Roberts, local production manager Peter Loh working for Midas Promotions and Robe Show Lighting?s International Sales Manager, Harry von den Stemmen.
Sourcing enough lighting equipment locally for the show was proving challenging and costly. Von Den Stemmen was simultaneously alerted to an opportunity by both Tony Sawyer of V.V. & Sons, Robe?s UAE distributor, and Louis Teo of Lighting & Sound Singapore where Loh is based. He immediately went to HSL, one of the UK?s fastest growing lighting rental companies with a large inventory of Robe moving lights - where MD Simon Stuart jumped at the chance of quoting to service the Robbie Williams show.
http://www.zioshow.com/images/db/news/dubai2.jpg
Stuart comments, ?The show was awesome! I?m extremely proud of the fact that we have worked alongside one of the best live production teams in the world and helped them produce such a great result?. The show ? artistically directed by Lee Lodge ? amazed and enthralled everyone present with its high production values and characteristically superlative performance by Robbie.
HSL?s crew chief and project manager was Mike Oates, who worked alongside hand picked crew of 9 HSL A-Team regulars. On site they liaised closely with Robbie Williams? lighting crew chief Mark ?Marky Mark? England, lighting director and show operator Richard Gorrod, site co-ordinator Tom Armstrong, Wob Roberts and Al Gurdon. Oates comments, ?It was an absolutely brilliant experience and a great exercise in teamwork and good communication?.
Moving lights were absolutely integral to the lighting design. The rig was based around 8 structural ?ribs? ? tall, hinged architectural set pieces originating from the ?Intensive Care? album launch show at Berlin Veldorome in October, arranged in a gentle upstage curve. Designed by set designer Ray Winkler and constructed by Brilliant, each is edged with 288 Saco LED lights, and they also contain 48 Turbo Fuzz Lights that travel as part of the set.
http://www.zioshow.com/images/db/news/dubai3.jpg
Forty Eight Robe ColorSpot 1200AT fixtures ? 6 per rib, were then added, along with 5 strobes per rib.
On the floor were 10 ColorWash 1200ATs sitting on the risers in between the ribs, with eight right behind the ribs, sitting on cases and shining through them. More ColorWash 1200ATs were used to up-light the set drape.
Rigged onto the sides of the offstage PA towers were five Robe ColorSpot 1200ATs and five Moles, with another 5 blinders on the onstage PA towers.
On a horseshoe shaped rear truss that followed the line of the ribs were another 16 ColorWash 1200ATs, plus four rigged above the central LED screen. Another two per side were hung off two individual front trusses, together with 3 Moles a side.
http://www.zioshow.com/images/db/news/dubai4.jpg
Under the set grill were twenty-four Robe ColorSpot 575ATs - their smaller size making them ideal for the space - shining upwards through the grills, along with strobes and 8-lites. On the catwalk thrust around the floor were 60 Birdies, along with an additional 24 PARs, also utilised as up-lighters through the grills.
The moving lights were used for a whole variety of effects from tight pencil beam matrix patterns to colourful washes to the creation of enveloping walls of colour, and also for profiling Robbie in the moodier moments.
HSL supplied the six Robert Juliat Manon onstage follow Spots, with the four FOH ones sourced locally from rental company Nemesis.
http://www.zioshow.com/images/db/news/dubai5.jpg
Richard Gorrod operated all the lights plus an EX1 digital media server from his Virtuoso console which tours with them. He commented ?HSL have been fantastic, nothing has been too much trouble and the kit has been meticulously well prepared?. Oates adds, ?The Robes were absolutely brilliant ? they were transported half way round the world, came out of their crates and all worked first time. There?s really not many other fixtures as reliable as this!?.
The biggest challenge for everyone on site in Dubai was the short timescale in which they had to build the technical infrastructure. However this also galvanised everyone into action, firing up the ?show must go on? spirit across all departments, who worked seamlessly together through some very long days and nights.
The Dubai show was part of a series of 4 ?warm ups? by Robbie Williams (preceded by three shows in South Africa), all ahead of his massive European summer stadium tour that kicks off in June. This streamlined ?rest of the world? rig (bigger than a lot of people?s ?A? rigs) as seen in Dubai and South Africa, will be used for shows in Asia and other territories in the autumn.
http://www.zioshow.com/images/db/news/dubai6.jpg
http://www.zioshow.com/images/db/news/dubai7.jpg http://www.zioshow.com/images/db/news/dubai8.jpg
source (http://www.zioshow.com/viewnews.php?id=7627)

I am soooooo excited - I just can't wait til September, where ever I end up. I think it is going to be a brilliant experience http://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/midi/froehlich/a065.gif http://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/midi/froehlich/a065.gif

It looks amazing :D

It looks amazing :D

And this is a reduced stage :D Can't wait to see what the full size stage is going to look like :yahoo:

god i am excited too , cant wait it looks fantastic!!!

23 April 2006
ROBBIE WILLIAMS
Suzanne Kerins
CHEEKY Robbie Williams clearly hasn't lost his sense of humour. The 32-year-old said at a sell-out gig at the Nad Al Sheba stadium in Dubai: "I am the Oprah Winfrey of pop.
"My weight goes up and down like a prossie's knickers." Nice!

"My weight goes up and down like a prossie's knickers." Nice!

know the feeling
(about the weight that is :rofl: )

lol Missus

Interesting reading...And thanks for the LMEY youtube clip :D

Rob gig banned by sheikh
By Grant Hodgson 28/10/2007

Robbie Williams has been banned from holding a huge concert at a racecourse in Dubai...because his last gig there terrified the ruling sheikh's horses.

The pop star was paid £1million for a sell-out concert at the Nad Al Sheba racecourse - home to the Dubai Gold Cup - in April last year. But plans for a repeat performance have been shelved after noise from the last concert - the biggest ever held in Dubai - caused a loss of form for billionaire Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's thoroughbred Arabian mares.

Dubai Racing Club chief Frank Gabriel said: "It affected their state of mind and their performance. That will never happen again."

Source (http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2007/10/28/rob-gig-banned-by-sheikh-98487-20019912/)

"But plans for a repeat performance have been shelved "

there are plans for new live performances?

sound intriguing http://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/more/bigs/c032.gif

Ummm, and he's not touring anytime soon anyways :jackie:

LOL even if he'd tour again I doubt he'd go back to Dubai or the same venue.

Poor Mirror, they're really starved for 'news' aren't they :shaz:

I just knew this had to be another twisted version of the truth.

This is an extract from the original article -

The Robbie Williams concert at Nad Al Sheba was a big success. Any chance of putting on some big gigs at Meydan?

It is interesting looking back at that show. It went very well and a lot of people watched it but there are lessons to be learnt. Putting on the concert damaged the racetrack and also the horses got pretty upset with all the noise. When he hit a big note or the music suddenly got very loud it had a negative effect on the animals. It's the horses at the site that are the top priority and so that is something we do not want to happen to them again.

So because Robbie scared the horses, will he be the last pop star to play at the racetrack?

That could very well be the case but we will always look at the events suggested on a case-by-case basis. In the future Meydan will very probably not go with pop concerts. Instead we will play host to more low-key events and hopefully they will try and involve the animals and not upset them.

the full article can be read here -

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/495381-hot-seat-frank-gabriel-jr

so, no plans have been shelved, Rob has not been banned - just another "sensationalised" headline in a craploid :shellslap:

Man, that`s f*****g ridiculous :))) lol I heard it on the radio yesterday and I was like ,,go away" :))