Williams thrilled as the "King of Entertainment" in Vienna

First studio album since 2016 coming in autumn

Robbie Williams is a phenomenon. After causing a storm of enthusiasm following his departure from the British boy band Take That in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he has become increasingly withdrawn over the past decade. His last studio album with new songs, "The Heavy Entertainment Show," was released in 2016. In 2022, "XXV," an orchestral best-of greatest hits album accompanied by a tour, was released to mark the 25th anniversary.

The new album, "Britpop," is scheduled for release this fall. This winter, Williams made headlines with a unique biopic called "Better Man," in which he was portrayed by an ape. While the film received critical acclaim, the approximately $110 million (approximately €94 million) film was a box office failure, grossing only $22.5 million (approximately €19.3 million) worldwide.

From "Rocket" to "Angels"

But that didn't bother the approximately 50,000 visitors at the Ernst Happel Stadium much. The concert had been sold out months ago, with tickets in the highest regular category costing well over 200 euros. With the powerful opener "Rocket"—a single for the upcoming album—the 51-year-old got the crowd going with hard guitar riffs, and immediately followed up with the 1997 evergreen "Let Me Entertain You" from his debut album "Life Thru a Lens."

"My name is Robbie Williams, this is my band, and this is my ass," the singer greeted his Viennese fans. "Michael Jackson once decided he was the King of Pop. So I am the King of Entertainment," Williams said at the beginning of his two-hour show, in which he repeatedly included his fans in the front rows.

After a medley "to warm up the vocal cords," which also included the Bon Jovi hit "Livin' on a Prayer," Williams sent a lot of emotion into the stadium with the ballad "Monsoon," summing up his 2002 lifestyle: "I'm here to make money and get laid."

There was excitement in the cheaper seats when Williams walked from the main stage to a smaller stage in the middle of the stadium to the gentle "Road to Mandalay" ("Coldplay had a C-stage, I wanted that too"), where he sang hits like "Supreme" and "Relight My Fire" - a song from the biopic "Better Man", in which he covered the Take That hit of the same name.

The show finally continued on the main stage with hits like "Millennium" and "Come Undone," before concluding after two hours with the mega-ballads "Feel" and "Angels." Those who weren't able to snag tickets this time still have a chance to see Robbie Williams on September 14 in Klagenfurt.