Robbie Williams jokes about 90's fame
Robbie Williams repeatedly joked about his dwindling international fame, but there was never any doubt that his Australian fans had remained loyal to the British pop star despite his eight-year absence from the country.
"There I was, like an obese Justin Bieber in the charts; I had starlets who wanted to sleep with me and I let them," Williams joked about his 90's fame, as he began his Australian tour at Perth Arena on Thursday night.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself, I am Robert Peter Williams," he said to the cheering crowd.
"Are you ready to be entertained? Show me your jazz hands."
It was a night of swing music on a three-tiered stage full of dancers and musicians, with only a few of Williams' past pop hits thrown in, mostly as part of a medley.
While the 40-year-old has reportedly battled mental illness, weight problems, alcoholism, and drug abuse in the past, the audience was treated to a fresh Williams who has more energy than ever.
He may have settled down and become a father - with another child due in a few weeks - but Williams still knows how to dance, kick a football, suspend himself over the stage and flirt with his adoring fans, many of whom have aged with him.
At one point, he posed for a photo with a 21-year-old woman and sang happy birthday to her, making a false start only because he realised her mum was not ready to record the moment.
Williams also talked about his daughter who he joked was more interested in repeatedly listening to Beyonce's Single Ladies instead of his own music.
The former boy-bander performed songs including Minnie The Moocher, Mr Bojangles, Trouble, Shout and Swings Both Ways.
During That's Amore, he brought a woman on stage to "marry" him and sang Do Nothin' Til You Hear From Me with his father.
His own songs, like Rock DJ, didn't lend themselves well to the swing treatment, but Angels had everyone on their feet and singing along.
Australian fans obviously missed Williams and he seemed genuinely pleased to be back on our shores and he will perform another show in Perth before travelling to Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.
