Entertainment

Adelaide 500: Robbie Williams Delivers A Fitting Finale

It was obvious from early in the day that the growing throng amassing on the Concert Green were less focussed on racing, and more ‘Ready to Robbie.’

It was obvious from early in the day that the growing throng amassing on the Concert Green were less focussed on racing, and more ‘Ready to Robbie.’ The final day’s offering of Robbie Williams drew a sell-out crowd, so much so that organisers had to stop selling tickets at around 5 p.m. This was a wise call, as it was mayhem inside the grounds well before the support acts even hit the stage.

Ollie English from the Adelaide Hills was the first on stage, with a mellow blend of soul and blues to chillax the crowd after another full-on day of thumping V8 action. This guy is so laid back he’s almost concave, but he knows how to deliver a great set. https://soundcloud.com/ollienglishmusic

Bringing on the funk, Neon Tetra were brassy and ‘saxy’, one of the groovier acts you’ll see. Their horn section adds a kind of disco vibe to them, real ‘get up and dance’ music.

https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/neon-tetra

By the time Multi-platinum Brisbane sibling super-group Sheppard hit the stage, there was a real buzz happening among the crowd who were in full party mode. Having been at both previous nights’ concerts, it felt like the numbers ere double, and trying to secure a spot close enough to the stage was near on impossible.  Opening with their new single ‘Coming Home’, these guys and gals were slick, colourful, and real crowd pleasers in every sense.

But alas, the ‘Heavy Entertainment Show’ was in town, and heavy entertainment it was indeed. Shameless, brazen, bold and brassy, Robbie Williams sure knows how to put on a show and his signature riff ‘Let Me Entertain You’ couldn’t have been any further from being a statement rather than a song title. The man knows how to please. Definitely not shy to drop expletives at will, Williams has the innate ability to have an audience eating out of his hand, even if you’re not a Robbie Williams fan per se.

Covering songs from his own repertoire, he also covered George Michael (Freedom), Cab Calloway (Minnie The Moocher), and a delightfully indulgent 70’s/80’s medley just for good measure. The man is so blissfully successful he can afford to not effectively give a damn what he does onstage, although he does so in the right measures. Indulgent, yes, but never so excessive that he comes across as arrogant and condescending.

Dragging people onstage for selfies, signing a female fan’s breast, and even dragging his dear old Dad onstage, it was a night of controlled chaos as the bad boy of pop drew the curtain on Adelaide’s fuel injected weekend.

That’s it for another year, and we look forward to seeing hat next year has to offer in terms of the after show gigs. What an experience it has been, I think everyone can put their feet up for a while and reflect on the weekend that was.

By Dazz Hassan

Pics: Phil Williams

Pic: Phil Williams

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