The announcement date for a new Robbie Williams tour inevitably begins with a welter of press releases saying which promoter has got shows and when and where he or she is holding them, but a first glance at the European itinerary for his “Intensive Care” run looks – well, a little spaced-out.
Apart from Attie van Wyk of Big Concerts‘ three-date South African run in April, which takes in Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria and is already being heralded as “the tour of the century,” there are 21 summer stadium shows spread over 99 days.
“Everything looks fine to me,” Williams’ agent, Ian Huffam from X-Ray Touring, said. But he wouldn’t be drawn on how many of what he referred to as “days off” will get filled as ticket sales fuel further demand.
The busiest promoter will be Scumeck Sabottka of MCT, who has handled Williams in Germany from the beginning of his solo career, with July shows in Dresden, Hamburg and Berlin, followed by August dates at Munich, Cologne and Hockenheim.
He also has a share of the August 23rd show at Berne’s Stadt de Suisse Stadium, which he’s co-promoting with Solstice Denervaud of the Swiss-based Ishtar Music.
The announcement of the Williams tour came a day after Football Association chief exec Brian Barwick confessed he isn’t confident that developers Multiplex will complete Wembley Stadium in time for the May 13th Cup Final but, as the tour doesn’t wrap up there until September 14-15, Huffam probably need have no worries on that score.
The other dates announced November 9th were Brussels, Paris, and Amsterdam in June; Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Budapest, Milan and Vienna in August; and Glasgow and Leeds in September.
— John Gammon