<\/p>\n
Robbie Williams<\/a> performed a show of two halves at London\u2019s Dingwalls on Thursday night (Oct. 9), marking his smallest-ever ticketed gig, and revealed how Taylor Swift<\/a> forced him to delay the release of his 13th studio LP, Britpop<\/em>.<\/p>\n At the 600-capacity venue in Camden, the singer performed his iconic debut Life Thru A Lens<\/em> in its entirety, before airing tracks from his upcoming album Britpop<\/em> (due Feb. 6). Those in attendance were required to put their phones in Yondr pouches, to avoid new songs being filmed and leaked online.<\/p>\n More from Billboard<\/strong><\/p>\n The show was initially slated to coincide with the release of Britpop<\/em>, though the record had recently been pushed back due to \u201cscheduling issues.\u201d Towards the end of the night, Williams confirmed that this was to avoid the arrival of Taylor Swift\u2019s The Life Of A Showgirl <\/a><\/em>(Oct. 3) and its subsequent chart domination, which will likely continue over the coming month.<\/p>\n If Britpop <\/em>reaches the summit next year, Williams will secure his 16th U.K. No.1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart<\/a>, breaking a tie with The Beatles in the all-time rankings. \u201cWe\u2019re all pretending [the scheduling change] is not about Taylor Swift, but it f\u2013king is, you can\u2019t compete with that,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n \u201cI was worried about making you [fans] all wait for the record. But then I was like, \u2018F\u2013k it\u2019. I\u2019m sorry, but I\u2019m f\u2013king being selfish. How many times in your life do you get to have the most No. 1 albums the U.K. has f\u2013king ever had?\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier on in the evening, accompanied by a full backing band, Williams reimagined the songs from Life Thru A Lens <\/em>with a rockier edge. The 11-track effort, which formed the foundation for one of the most successful solo careers in British pop history, features mega-hits \u201cAngels\u201d and \u201cLet Me Entertain You.\u201d Its artwork, meanwhile, sees its author posing in a swarm of paparazzi and was recreated for the poster of Williams\u2019 recent biopic, Better Man<\/em>.<\/p>\n Upon release in 1997, Life Thru A Lens<\/em> initially saw modest sales, though it eventually topped the Official U.K. Albums Chart and went eight times Platinum in the U.K. Its enduring popularity proved that a boy band member could successfully transition into a solo act, paving the way for others including Justin Timberlake and Harry Styles in later generations.<\/p>\n Taking to the stage at 10:45 p.m., Williams played the album in order, kicking off a two hour-long performance with a rollicking rendition of \u201cLazy Days.\u201d Like the majority of the fans along the barrier, he donned a red Adidas tracksuit in homage to his trip to Glastonbury Festival in 1995, which has also become the cover image for Britpop<\/em>.<\/p>\n Williams was greeted with huge cheers by the crowd. \u201cI never get to do gigs like this, and I always say to myself that I want to play smaller places,\u201d he began. \u201cBut then I finish my tour and I am knackered, I can\u2019t be arsed. Turns out, I can be arsed tonight!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t mind, I\u2019d just like to perform as Robert tonight. I just want to stand and sing my s\u2013t,\u201d he continued. \u201cTurns out, Robert is in really good shape.\u201d<\/p>\n As Williams prepared to launch into \u201cAngels\u201d \u2014 describing it as his \u201cHail Mary\u201d \u2014 the room began chanting his name, before he informed them: \u201cMy career is what it is because of this song.\u201d A staple at weddings, funerals, and public events, the track holds a deep cultural resonance and is one of the most-awarded and commercially successful British songs of all time.<\/p>\n After storming through the rest of Life Thru A Lens<\/em>, including \u201cSouth Of The Border\u201d and \u201cHello Sir,\u201d a poem Williams wrote for one of his former school teachers, he took a short break before returning to the stage for the latter portion of the set.<\/p>\n In the summer, Williams unveiled a mock plaque<\/a> \u2014 installed next to the iconic Camden Lock Bridge \u2014 to mark the release of his single \u201cSpies,\u201d while also paying playful tribute to the genre that defined an era. It read: \u201cRobbie Williams recovered from a severe case of \u2018long 90s\u2019 and returned to the home of Britpop<\/em> with the album he always wanted to make.\u201d<\/p>\n He would repeat this sentiment multiple times in between playing unreleased material, describing how swaggering tracks like \u201cRocket,\u201d \u201cBite Your Tongue\u201d and \u201cCocky\u201d represented \u201cthe artist I always wanted to be.\u201d Later on, new single \u201cPretty Face\u201d was dedicated to Williams wife, actress Ayda Field, while he joked how the psychedelic chord progression of \u201cSpies\u201d sounds similar to the Oasis classic \u201cChampagne Supernova.\u201d<\/p>\n Album track \u201cHuman,\u201d with lyrics that reference \u201cprotein pills in a dopamine package\u201d and a call to \u201cmake the most of being alive,\u201d was preceded by a speech centered on the future of AI, with Williams concluding that \u201cwe shouldn\u2019t be scared\u201d of the technology\u2019s capabilities.<\/p>\n In an even wilder left turn, Williams aired electro-pop thumper \u201cMorrissey,\u201d named after the songwriter and former Smiths frontman of the same name. The track seemed to play on Williams\u2019 fandom for the music icon, while also drawing comparisons between their outspoken natures. \u201cI\u2019m a little like you but a lot less worthy,\u201d he sang at one point, before describing the song as \u201cweird\u201d and adding that \u201c\u2018Gay For Morrissey\u2019 would make a great t-shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams will repeat the Dingwalls setlist at a string of underplay shows next spring, including a billing at O2 Brixton Academy (Feb. 8). The full schedule and ticket information can be found at his official website<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/a> Billboard VIP Pass<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Best of Billboard<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for Billboard’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n