Take That star Robbie Williams sang an Oasis classic during an epic solo homecoming at the ground of his beloved Port Vale on Saturday night. And the Stoke star told fans that it was down to his partying with Oasis 's Liam and Noel Gallagher back in the 1990s that led to his initial split from Take That.
20,000 fans packed in to Vale Park in Burslem for the eagerly-anticipated gig that had been delayed for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. But on Saturday he was rolling back the years with a blistering two-and-a-half hour set of his huge solo anthems as well as a raft of Take That's classic tunes.
He opened the show with Let Me Entertain You and a brace of his classic solo hits like Strong and Come Undone. After belting out Take That's Do What U Like and Could it Be Magic, he then explained how Manc rockers Oasis would go on to play an instrumental part in his career.
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For he told fans at the gig how he was kicked out of Take That for "going to Glastonbury and hanging out with the Gallagher brothers", reports The Sentinel. He famously left the band in 1995 to the distress of fans at the time, before the band's reunion gigs in 2010 healed the old wounds.
It led in to one of the magical moments at the concert when Robbie launched into one of Oasis's biggest hits - Don't Look Back in Anger. The crowd of thousands sang along to the tune, that has become one of Oasis's best-loved anthems.
Robbie went on to dedicate one of his newer songs - Love My Life - to his children; Teddy, aged nine, Charlie, aged seven, Coco, aged three and two-year-old Beau. He melted the hearts of the crowd further with the anthems Millennium, No Regrets and Kids.
Wearing a sparkling jacket teamed with a black t-shirt and jeans, the 48-year-old had the 20,000 strong crowd dancing and singing throughout the night. When he first came out on stage, he said: "Allow me to introduce myself I'm Robbie f***ing Williams from Greenbank Road." The street where he grew up in Tunstall.
After returning for the encore, he had a quick outfit change into Port Vale's new home kit and returned holding Vale's promotion winning cup proudly. He thanked Port Vale owner Carol Shanahan for 'turning the club around single handedly' and described her as 'one of God's better people' - the title of a track from his solo album Life thru a Lens.
Robbie went on to reveal he had been driving through Burslem before the gig and had gone past the Red Lion - the pub where he spent the first four years of his life. He seemed emotional as he described the message 'Welcome home Robbie' written on a blackboard outside the boozer.
He belted out fan favourites like Millennium, No Regrets and Kids. And 'doing it for the kids' he certainly was as funds raised from the homecoming gig will go to charities close to Robbie's heart - the Hubb Foundation, the Donna Louise trust and UNICEF.
The star ended the exceptional evening with the song that truly launched his solo career, Angels. The crowd sang along and held the lights on their phones in the air.
It was a joyous end, to an emotional, touching and sentimental performance for both the audience and Robbie - who will forever be Stoke-on-Trent's son.
It was Robbie's first ever gig on home turf, but one that he will clearly never forget. Tweeting a poignant photo looking into the crowds wearing his Vale shirt, he said: "Well that was incredibly special. Can we do it again please? Rob x"
Setlist - Vale Park June 4, 2022
Let Me Entertain You
Monsoon
Land of 1000 Dances
Strong
Come Undone
Do What U Like
Could it Be Magic
Don't Look Back in Anger (Oasis cover)
Karma Killer
Bodies
Love of My Life
Millennium
Hot Fudge
No Regrets
Kids
Feel
Rock DJ
ENCORE
Glad All Over
Better Man
She's the One
Angels
Feel
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