BST Hyde Park 2024: Robbie Williams

BST Hyde Park :

After watching Andrea Bocelli take over BST Hyde Park in the most stunning way on Friday night, I returned on Saturday to enjoy a day of pop-rock brilliance headlined by the ever-iconic Robbie Williams. As always with BST Hyde Park, the day was composed of some of the biggest and best names in music, alongside the brilliant stars of tomorrow, Huge names like Seal, Kate Nash and Gaz Coombes graced the Great Oak Stage, whilst some of the most exciting future stars like Ellur, James Smith and Davina Michelle took over the Rainbow and Birdcage stages.  All of this musical brilliance culminated with headliner Robbie Williams delivering a career-spanning set that will undoubtedly go down as one of the very best BST has ever seen. 

Robbie Williams:

Robbie Williams has made a name for himself as one of the finest showmen around today, and this headline set at BST Hyde Park makes it abundantly clear why. As an individual Robbie has had one of the most turbulent careers of any musicians, something he admits himself, but the Robbie Williams that took to the stage last night would not exist without it. This was a man who is not only grateful to be on that stage, but grateful to be alive, making the most of every single opportunity he has going. 

Early in his set Robbie joked "Tonight will be therapy for me, but entertainment for you", but it really did seem just that. Showing his vulnerability, Robbie guided the 65,000-strong in attendance through a career-spanning setlist which included throwbacks to his days in Take That, and a detour through that famed Glastonbury visit. This detour led to a cover of Oasis 'Don't Look Back in Anger' before being joined by Gaz Coombes and Danny Dyer for covers of Supergrass 'Alright' and Blur's 'Parklife' respectively. The latter of which Robbie described as "The double act you didn't know you needed", but God I'm glad we got it.

This sort of outlandishly fun moment sums up exactly what the night was about, with Robbie doing whatever it took to entertain the crowd,
whether it be singing countless hits in fine voice, or cracking one liners that had the audience in fits of laughter. The entertainment started the moment a personalised "Are You Ready Hyde Park" came on the big screens, seeing Robbie make his way to the stage from the back, and continued the whole way to the very end of the night.

Whilst his personality could carry a whole concert, you need the songs to back you up. By creating the perfect setlist Robbie had the songs there for him in abundance. Iconic tracks like 'Strong', 'Come Undone' and 'Rock DJ' filled Hyde Park with Robbie and the audience both putting their heart and soul into every single word.

Show closer 'Angels' led to a stunning firework show, providing the perfect end to a night that myself, and 65,000 people, will never forget. Robbie Williams opened the night by saying "You better be good, because I'm phenomenal" which in hindsight is still an understatement. The man was born to entertain, and he may never do it as well as he did at BST 2024.

Seal:

After being a special guest during Andrea Bocelli's headline set on Friday Night, it was now time for Seal to stand alone on the Great Oak Stage as part of Saturday's festivities. Of course, being the seasoned performer he is, this was not an issue, with Seal and his band mastering their way through an hour of pop-soul brilliance. Timeless songs such as 'Kiss From a Rose' had the thousands in attendance up on their feet singing along as if their lives depended on it. Seals passion for music was so clear, pouring his heart into every word he sang.

This passion was clearly felt by all in attendance as they became louder and louder as the set went on. By the time set closer 'Crazy' came around Hyde Park was packed full, with tens and thousands of arms up in the air waving from side to side in unison, celebrating a performance that was as iconic as the man putting it on. Seal is a natural born performer and still feels as exciting as ever when on stage. He has the presence and calibre of songs to be headlining events like this, making his shows a special experience

Gaz Coombe:

Gaz Coombes, lead singer of Supergrass and masterful solo artist in his own right, was another of the huge names to grace the Great Oak Stage. Gaz brought his feel-good indie sound to the park, with every note being lapped up by a loving audience. Being on at the same time as an England quarter final match is always going to be a difficult task, something that Gaz himself poked fun at. It's testament to him as a performer that for 45 minutes you could forget what was happening and be completely lost in his music. The setlist features a few Supergrass songs, with 'Moving' getting a particularly load reaction, but the main focus was on Gaz's solo work, as it should be. 

He is a lyrical genius, and this is highlighted so clearly in his solo work. Tracks from Gaz's most recent album 'Turn the Car Around' like 'Feel Loop (Lizard Dream)' and 'Don't Say It's Over' showcased this lyrical prowess, making Coombes a firm crowd favourite. This is something that of course helped him later in the night when he reappeared on stage for a duet with Robbie

Soft Play:

Rainbow stage headliners Soft Play delivered an electric set turning a rather peaceful day into the most brilliant bedlam. The talented duo stood out as somewhat of a genre-outlier when looking at Saturday's line-up given their punk roots, but given the size of the crowd who turned up to watch them, you'd never know. I have been lucky enough to see Soft Play (f.k.a. Slaves) three times now across their career, and this was their best showing to date. Both men look like they are truly loving what they do, and the connection between the two has never seemed stronger. They are as energetic as a band could possibly be, forming an instant connection with the audience who quickly fell in love with them. 

Their set caused mosh pits from the word go, with both Isaac and Laurie entering the crowd throughout to spur these on further. Classics like 'Sockets' and 'The Hunter' were definite crowd pleasers, but the handful of songs taken from the bands upcoming album Heavy Jelly show that Soft Play are just getting started. They are already one of the UK punk scenes most important bands, and they are just going to keep getting bigger!

Davina Michelle:

Dutch pop-rock star Davina Michelle took over the Birdcage in the afternoon, bringing energy and feel-good vibes in abundance. Davina and her live band are a tight knit unit, playing together with the chemistry of a band who have been at it for years. The setlist featured a few crowd pleasing covers, the first of which was a powerful rendition of P!nk's 'What About Us', a cover which had previously received plaudits from P!nk herself!. The second cover was of 4 Non Blondes' 'What's Up?', which sparked a huge crowd reaction. 

Despite these fantastic covers, it was actually Davina's original music which impressed most, showing her emotional depth as an artist. Songs like hyper were the ideal party songs to get a crowd moving, whereas more vulnerable songs like 'I SAID NO SIR' displayed just how talented Davina is as a songwriter. She has the ability to tackle serious issues in the most openly relatable way, and it was abundantly clear just how important this was to so many people in attendance. Davina is a generational talent