Let him entertain you [review Dubai]

Quoted from: http://archive.gulfnews.com/

'Published: 04/18/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)

By Mubashera Asgher

Robbie Williams' upcoming concert in Dubai sold out in under 3 hours. What is this inexplicable charm that Robbie possesses? And why are we all under his spell?
What's with the Robbie Williams phenomenon anyway? Sure, he's probably the biggest star on the planet right now, is red hot, loved by even veteran rockers such as Scorpions and U2 and actually makes unbelievably good music. But does that justify the Robbie mania that has spread over the world faster than bird flu (okay, so that's a bad comparison. We should have said faster than lightning).
I mean, the man's rude, crude and yes, as he admits himself: "I apologise for my language. It's ... awful." And yet, Robbie oozes charm. He's got that bad boy thing going on that gets girls hot under the collar and boys trying so desperately hard to be like him. He's got that je ne sais pas sex appeal, that X-factor that works wonders. Try. Try all you want. You'll never be able to put a finger on it. Either you have it or you don't. And Robbie not only has it, he'll drown in it if he isn't careful.
How many artistes can you name who, in Dubai, have pretty much sold out tickets on day 1 of going on sale - and in under 3 hours!! So great was the demand for tickets that promoters were forced to sell another 2,500 tickets earlier this month. For those who weren't there to witness the frenzy, hear this. Although the tickets went on sale at 10am on April 7, fans queued up outside THE One in Jumeirah from 9 or 10pm the previous evening.
People were there with their sleeping bags, blankies and pillows, some alone, some in groups, some with their husbands, wives and kids in tow, sleeping on the road outside the shop, waiting to be among the first few to get their hands on the Robbie tickets. Admit it, that sort of desperation to be at a concert has never before happened in Dubai.
Robbie has taken Dubai in a new direction. Now that we can boast of a Robbie Williams performance here (not to mention J.Lo, BEP, Roger Waters, Mark Knopfler, Destiny's Child, etc), who's to say that the biggest and baddest rock stars and musicians won't be following in the Robster's footsteps?
The guy has set a benchmark. From now on, any concert that takes place here will be compared to the Robbie concert: Did tickets sell out just as fast? How many people? Was it better, worse, not even close ... The comparisons will be endless. Fans in Dubai and the rest of the world may have put Robbie on the map, but Robbie's gonna put Dubai on the map when he performs at Nad Al Sheba Club on Friday.
From being the funny guy in Take That in the 1990s to the bare-it-all, trash- em-all, cocky popstar we all love today, Robbie's come a long way. From everyone in Take That, Robbie was wickedly different. He wasn't your typically cute boy band member. Robbie was a rogue, he didn't smile impishly for the camera and he didn't care about having a clean-cut image. It came as no surprise to fans that Robbie was the first to leave. His debut solo single in 1996 was the aptly chosen cover of George Michael's Freedom, followed by the hugely-popular Old Before I Die. From that point on, the hits followed each other like bowling pins hit by a pro.
Robbie's most recent album, Intensive Care - his eighth so far - was recorded in his bedroom over the course of two years. Are you surprised that Robbie made the album in his bedroom? You shouldn't be. Anyone who's paid attention to the lyrics of his songs and knows anything about the guy would understand that the songs that have made Robbie a zillionaire and have become musical anthems the world over are pretty much extracts from his diary. Strong, Angels, Let Me Entertain You, Old Before I Die, The Trouble With Me, Come Undone, No Regrets, Feel ... all these are personal songs, with personal lyrics, about the personal ups and downs in Robbie's life. He's willing to share his soul with us and we're more than happy to lap it all up. The perfect musical partnership, wouldn't you agree?
Intensive Care, Robbie says, is "lyrically the best album I've written. Although I do say that before every album comes out. But I think I mean it this time."
The album is inspired by the Human League's 1984 single Louise, about a man who sees his former girlfriend at a bus top and realises that he still has feelings for her. "It's one of my all-time favourite tracks," says Robbie. "I liked the idea of writing from Louise's point of view. And so several tracks on the albums, such as Ghosts and Spread Your Wings run along similar themes, about ex-lovers who still yearn for one another."
It goes without saying that if Robbie loves this album so much, think of how much it would mean to his fans. Naturally, it became the highest-selling album in Europe in 2005, despite only being released in October!
Does that go a little way towards explaining the Robbie phenomenon? Not yet? If you've been able to get your hands on a pair of tickets, maybe the concert at Nad Al Sheba will explain why. If even then you're not sure, don't even try. Some things just are. There's no way to explain magic.'