20 years ago, Robbie Williams was in Toon
WHATEVER your take on Robbie Williams, there’s no doubt he’s one of the most successful British pop acts of all time.
Since leaving Take That in 1995, the Stoke-on-Trent-born singer has clocked up seven number-one UK hit singles and 10 chart-topping albums.
Twenty years ago, having parted acrimoniously from Gary Barlow and co and released his debut album Life Thru A Lens, Robbie embarked on a UK theatre and club tour - The Show Off Must Go On - to promote the release.
If Newcastle’s Mayfair ballroom had hosted Pink Floyd, U2, Led Zeppelin, The Who, AC/DC and other giant rock acts, 23-year-old Williams stepped out there as a rookie solo pop artist on this day 20 years ago.
And to be fair, our reviewer was impressed, writing: “Robbie Williams proved his critics wrong with a rousing performance which showed he can make it alone.
“Some have questioned whether the former Take That man could emerge from the shadows of his former group, but the show was a triumph.
“Robbie’s weight gain and struggles with too much of the rock and roll lifestyle have received more attention than his stop-start attempts at a solo career recently.
“But as he strode on stage to wolf whistles and screams, Williams did not look like a man under pressure.
“While some of his solo songs
lack the ecstatic power of Take That’s finest moments, his magnetic personality and enthusiasm meant the attention rarely wavered.
“His voice was also surprisingly strong enough to carry material from new album Life Thru A Lens.
“Between songs he joked about his past and received rapturous applause to Lazy Days and I Hope I Die Before I Get Old.
“Probably the finest moment was the hilarious version of the Take That classic Back For Good which spun from being a ballad to a mad punk version.”
“It was as if Williams was exorcising his Take That past and pointing to the future as a rock star - on this form it certainly looks rosy.”
It was a triumphant gig at an iconic venue, which was sadly demolished to make way for The Gate leisure complex two years later.
Robbie Williams would return to play live dates in the North East as a hugely successful solo artist in the years that followed.
SINGER’S TRIUMPHANT SHOW AT NEWCASTLE’S ICONIC MAYFAIR