28/6/2003 Scotland

In Scotland the podium was on the north side of the stadium. NO PODIUM IN THE MIDDLE! That was just a story. It's an standard podium with a long catwalk in the middle (in to the audience) and two more at both ends of the podium (left and right). According to me it looks a bit like the Marco Borsato (Dutch artist) podium in "de Kuip". So for those who have been there they know what it's like.



During the second concert in Scotland Robbie sang one extra song: "Back for good".




The setlist of that night was:




1. Let Me Entertain You
2. Let Love Be Your Energy
3. Monsoon
4. Come Undone
5. Strong
6. Me And My Monkey
7. Hot Fudge
8. Mr. Bojangles
9. One For My Baby
10. She's the One
11. Supreme
12. No Regrets
13. Kids
14. Ecstasy/Rock DJ
15. Feel
16. Millennium
17. Angels
18. Back For Good



No Something Beautiful but maybe in the course of the tour it will be played as soon as the video is ready and showed during the concerts. Robbie began the shows with "Let me entertain you" and came on stage the Escapology way. During the encore (which started with "Rock DJ") Robbie was launched out of the catwalk. During "Supreme" a girl from the audience was invited on stage to dance with Robbie and during "Kids" his pants came down (Kids was sang with back ground vocals).



During "Me and my monkey" there was a film with a monkey. At the end of "Monsoon" Robbie sang a part of "Radio Ga Ga" by Queen. During "Strong" the chorus was an the big screen and during "Angels" there was loads of fireworks and confetti!



Oh, and he sang parts from "Babe" and "Everything Changes" from Take That, imitated Justin Timberlake, R Kelly and Ronan Keating (In other words, he made fools of them!), did the "Rumpy Pumpy song", let the audience make a picture all at once, made fun of the Spice Girls, did a part of "Radio Ga Ga" (I already mentioned this) at the end of "Monsoon" and before "Hot Fudge" Jonathan Wilkes came on stage!

source: http://www.robbiewilliamsflag.nl/engels/verhalenuk.htm

29-11-2002 Angel Studios Amsterdam



FANTASTIC! That?s the only word to describe last night!. Yesterday I got, totally unexpected , a special delivery. A letter announcing I was one of 50 winners to a secret concert, given by Robbie Williams in Holland. The ticket could not be bought, only won, and I?ve won the tickets with a ?fotocake? which was made and delivered at BNN by a Hilversum baker.

I (Anita) was there to, winning the tickets at the BNN forum. Thanks to that forum fans could keep on writing each other after the concert, and this is how this idea came up! At first it was a Robbie Williams forum, now it?s music in total, but the most (and best) storey?s are about Robbie. This is Marcel?s report about that day that was in one word SUPER!.

Yesterday it was the day. About 17:30 we where at the main entrance at the Amsterdam Arena, the gathering site. Here we all received an exclusive Escapology gig-badge, and only with this badge you had access to the concert. After this we where moved to the secret location by touringcars (with loud RW music), what, after a long detour (to shake of the press), appeared to be the Angel studios on and Amsterdam industrial terrain.

We where welcomed by an interviewing Katja Schuurmans and received drinks. In the hall a Robbie Williams special radio-show was recorded by BNN, and we bumped in to several Dutch VIP?s like Gordon (Dutch singer and entertainer) and Beau van Erven Dorens (Dutch tv-star and entertainer). After 45 minutes the doors to a small studio opened (the smaller the better) and it turned out we where not even 1 meter away from Robbie, there where no fences! Wow, this was the closest I?ve ever been. After 10 minutes he came on stage ?and boy he was great?! just amazing! Dressed in black (with a horrible white scarf) he told us he was looking forward to this and he looked as if he really was. In about 30 minutes he was going to do about 6 songs, turned out to be 7 in about one hour, mostly due to his many enthusiastic story?s en jokes. A shot show but normal for a promotional gig. And what a gig. This year there where two and I was at one of them. The rest has to wait 8 more moths until his European stadium tour!

He sang the following numbers: Monsoon, Feel, No Regrets, Nan?s Song, Sexed Up, Come Undone and Supreme. That is that was on the setlist! But after Come Undone he asked us what was our favourite song from the new album. One of them was hot Fudge, what was started spontaneous by Keyboard player Claire (Robbie looked really surprised) One of the girls yelled ?Toxic?, to what Robbie said "Toxic is not on the new album, it was a B-side of the Eternity single"! She?s a stalker! But he started an a cappella version of the song! After that he asked us what we wanted to hear and almost everybody shouted ?Angels?. Robbie told us that ?Supreme? was on the list, but he could easily change it in to ?Angels?. That ?easily? took a bit longer then expected. De keyboard player had to find his ?string-parts? for Angels and it took more than 5 minutes to get ready! So Robbie ended up telling one of his storey?s. Finely ?Angels? was played.

During the show Robbie was in a funny mood. Take That came along of course and Robbie told us has dancing skills where much better than Justin Timberlake?s (and he showed us, LOL) He also told us his song writing partnership with Guy Chambers was no more, but we needn't worry, he could do it on his own. After which ?Come Undone? was played. Robbie said he wrote most of the song him self it was going to be the new single. ?Nan?s Song? was played by Robbie and Gary Nutall, both on guitar. Before starting Robbie said he had written the song for his grandmother who died, and it sounded a bit like this, (Yelling) Nan?s dead, Nan?s dead, Nan?s dead! Robbie realising he was a bit crude, and apologised, looking up. During the song he lost track a couple of times, due to a loose microphone. After the song he said he screwed up again and the press will probably be writing he can?t play the guitar. But he turned it into a joke and said he knew him self he can?t play the guitar, but it doesn?t matter, cause (pointing to the press) ?You can?t sell out a stadium in 40 minutes?! During the first line of ?Sexed up? he forgot his lines, and the song started again after some one from the audience told him his lines. At the end of the song the ?Millennium? refrain came passing by.

This was really a great night,. So small, so intimate, so cosy, with a Robbie who had a happy mood. He mentioned that he was not in the mood for sad songs, because he was really happy. On minor point was that he sang of key now and that (just like with ?Feel? at the MMTV-awards) and the band had aged a bit. Keyboard player Guy and Fil have left the band (Fil started his own band in New York) and two older men took their place. I think the guitar player with the white/grey hair is Neil Taylor, bur I?m not sure. The rest of the faces where familiar. Claire on the keyboard, Chris on drums, Gary on the guitar and Yolanda on the Bass. Background vocals Katie and Tessa didn?t came along, as didn?t the horn section. Robbie was interacting with the audience the entire time, what an entertainer! He shook hands, gave kisses to a girl, she gave him a toy monkey (ME And My monkey) An other girl really wanted his (ugly) white scarf. But like the necklace he wasn?t giving it away, it was to expensive. She could have his bottle of water from which he drank specially for her!.

After ?Angels? it was really over, and Katja Schuurmans came on stage to do the introduction for the tv-recordings, Robbie probably didn?t want to be introduced.

To bad we could get autographs, but I?ve got a setlist. Esther managed to take one of the podium for me, LOL!

In the meantime I?ve had calls from the Leeuwarden Courant and the music magazine Samsonic. They want to interview me about the Gig. And on Monday there is something about the gig in RTL-boulevard and the concert is shown on BNN at December 16th.

Altogether it was a special night which I will never forget. And for those who don?t have a ticket to one of the concerts in the Amsterdam Arena next year. Suckers!!

Setlist:
1. Monsoon
2. Feel
3. No Regrets
4. Nan's Song
5. Sexed Up (+Millenium)
6. Come Undone
7. Angels

16/1/2001 Ahoy Rotterdam


The supporting act ?Toploader? was ill and replaced by ?Novastar? from Belgium. Altogether nice music and good musicians, but it didn?t really fit with Robbie Williams. Pretty relaxed, alternative music which didn?t warm up the audience FOR Robbie.


Robbie him self sounded better than last week. Because of that he came up with an extra song, his new single ?Let love be your energy? (buy!). During ?She?s the one? there was a problem with his monitor, making it unable to hear him self and (quite a lot) sang of key! After the first refrain he couldn?t stand it much longer him self and stopped. Walked of and came back like noting happened started ?She?s the one? again (this time really beautiful) LOL!. Robbie told us this time that Gary Barlow and mot he wrote ?Wonderwall? and made a ?re-light my fire? improvisation. During the last song ?Rock DJ? the entire Robbie crew came on stage in the most weird creations (and a number of really fat men in Robbie?s ?Rock DJ? tiger-pants). This because this was the last show of the tour! Really funny stuff!

The rest of the show was pretty much the same, but the again, Robbie is never the same twice! This was a top week with two of the best concerts I?ve ever seen!


Oh I almost forgot.. some one threw a joint on the stage, that interested Robbie very much! After the show we saw Robbie at the artist entrance / exit and I?ve got an autograph from Robbie?s guitarist Gary Nutall.


Setlist:
1. Let Me Entertain You
2. Old Before I Die
3. Beautiful Day (U2-cover)
4. Strong
5. Better Man
6. The Road To Mandalay
7. Wonderwall (Oasis-cover)
8. Forever Texas
9. No Regrets
10. Supreme
11. Let Love Be Your Energy (alléén 16 maart!)
12. Kids
13. She?s The One
14. Millennium (+ Rollin? (Limp Bizkit-cover))
15. Angels
16. Rock DJ

8-3-2001 Ahoy Rotterdam


We left Thursday at 08:30 from Harlingen, because we wanted to stand up-front at the concert. At 10.30 we arrived at the Ahoy, and where surprised that there where only (about) 35 people (at the Bon Jovi concert, last year in the Gelredome, at that same time there where already hundreds of people), so sanding in the front would not be a problem. But until 13.30 we had a problem. Recently there is a new rule at concerts, witch says that until 13:30 no one can enter the Ahoy terrain. So no queuing in frond of the entrance (because of hypothermia by sanding in the cold and rain all day, we where told by MOJO, the got a lot of complaints about that, so that?s why). Anyway, after 13:30 it really got crowded and we where in line up frond. After a couple of showers at 18:30 we finely entered! My camera (with zoom lens). I surprisingly was allowed to take inside, and there we where in frond of the podium and exactly in the centre (right in frond of Robbie microphone).


At 20:00 the supporting act, Toploader, started. I already knew some of it because they where the support act at the Bon Jovi concert last year.. It?s a pop/rock band, breaking through in Holland with numbers like ?Dancing in the moonlight and ? Achilles Heel?. The singer/keyboards (a Syb v/d Ploeg, he?s a Dutch singer, look a like) sat the entire 35 minutes (and 9 songs) behind his piano/Hammond, so there was something missing about the show. But the music was pretty good and it sounded alright (and a bit looser than last year at Bon Jovi?s). A nice supporting act al to gather (there at Pinkpop by the way).

At about 20.45 we saw 6 people going up in the air to control the spotlights. After that the entire Ahoy managed to do a wave, so there was a pretty good atmosphere. At exactly 21:00 the light went out for the second time en parts of Robbie?s clips (Rock DJ, Millennium, Angels and Strong) where projected on a video wall. Right after that we heard the sounds of Fat Bottomed Girls (ooooh, won?t you take me home tonight) by Queen and heard a voice saying ?This is a public announcement, Robbie Williams will be entering the stage in 5 minutes?, and of course everybody started screaming! After a couple of these announcement, the queen music turned in to a classic Robbie intro of ?O Fortuna?. Flashes of light went through the hall. After the intro the black curtain came down en with more thunder and lightning Guy Cambers (Keyboard) started ?Let me entertain you?. Still there was no Equipment, drums, band and no Robbie Williams. Then we saw it all. The podium came down with some sort of elevator. The audience went wild, but still no Robbie Williams. On the back of the podium, what was dressed up with things like a slide, showstairs, two huge video walls, there was a golden cage and with an elevator (again) Robbie came up in a black and silver seat. He came out of the cage, came down the showstairs singing ?Let me entertain you?. He was dressed in a black suit, he got rid of the jacked in minutes, and looked surprisingly slim! After ?Let me entertain you? came ?Old before I die?. After this Robbie said ?Good evening Rotterdam, it?s a beautiful day? ! And the cover of U2 (Beautiful day that is) followed. Robbie told us that he almost cancelled the concert because of vocal problems. For the concert he had to make a choice between Holland or Switzerland, but he liked Holland more (I never liked the fucking Swiss anyway). Whether it?s all true I don?t know, with Robbie you?re never completely sure. During the number ?Strong? Rob was playing with a football and told us it was customary at his concerts that ?the girls show their tits?. He wasn?t satisfied with the results end mumbled on about Holland usually being so different, liberal and so on, and of course the word ?Weed? was mentioned (on second thought this happened not during ?Strong? but ?For ever Texas?.. oeps my mistake)! After a terrific version of ?Better man? (lord I?m doing all I can, to sing for Rotterdam!) the ?Road to Mandalay? was sung. During the song Robbie was surprised that the audience reacted so enthusiastic. He asked if we liked the song (my favourite of the last album) and said afterwards that there had never been such a great response, because at the other concerts the liked the singles better than the album tracks. And we had more rhythm than the night before, clapped nicely with the beat of the music (yeah for us). Another cover followed, a very surprising one, Oasis?s ?Wonderwall?. And that after Robbie?s big fight with Leam Gallagher! After the song (accompanied only by two guitars, Gary and Fil) Rob could go on without his famous Liam-pose and telling the audience he actually wrote the song (don?t let anybody tell you something different, I wrote that fucking song!). After this song, which was accompanied by a sold out Ahoy, ?for ever Texas? was played. Followed by ? No regrets? and ? Supreme? and a super version of ?Kids?. De vocals done by Kylie Minogue where show on the video-walls (throughout the concert there where show amusing images on the video-walls) and Robbie invited the audience to sing Kylie' s parts really loud, what was no problem of course! After ?Kids? Robbie and the band disappeared from the podium and a ?we want more? was shouted out loud. After a couple of minutes they came back and Robbie was wearing one of his football shirts. A white piano was pushed on the stage and a acoustic version of ?She?s the one? was the result. De rest of the band sung along with multiple vocals and it was sooo beautiful!. At one time Rob stepped away from the piano and I took out my camera out. As I was zooming in and was ready to take a picture, he pointed right in to the (mine) camera and sung She?s the one! That was one of the best moments of the concert. A hilarious version of ?Millennium? followed (Limp Bizkit?s rolling was mixed in it!) and after that everybody joined in for ?Angels?! After ?Angels? the show stopped. Was this the end of Robbie after 1,5 hours? Had it anything to do with his voice? But we still missed one song! That wasn?t one we wanted to miss. Backstage a cappella and with two vocals ?Rock DJ? started and the band returned to continue the closing song ?Rock DJ?. Robbie and band thanked us and bowed on the frond of the podium noticeably often. Robbie said ?may the force be with you?. ALWAYS, and disappeared. This was really the end.

Afterward we stood in line for the merchandise for a while and I bought the tour book, a T-shirt (London - New York - Knutsford) and a poster. After that we walked to the artists entrance and we saw Robbie! He was getting in a blinded tour bus which was followed by running girls. Not to smart, because the rest of the band came out and I?ve got pictures of me with all of them! WHAT A DAY! Fantastic! This was worth all the waiting! The only songs I misted where ?Karma Killer?, ?Lazy Days? and the new single ?Let Love Be Your Energy?, but that didn?t make the fun any less!

great reviews !