Robbie Williams to stage free gig in Melbourne

Pop superstar Robbie Williams will perform a free public gig in Melbourne on Thursday afternoon.

Fresh from a 40-minute set at the Sydney Opera House for the ABC’s New Year’s Eve countdown, Williams heads to Victoria to continue the promotional tour of his recently released biopic Better Man.

On Thursday at 5pm, Williams is due to take to the stage at Federation Square. He is expected to perform a short set and take part in a Q&A style interview.

Channel Seven has reported that promoters are keen to point out it is not a concert.

The movie, in which Williams is portrayed as a chimpanzee, was directed and co-written by Victorian filmmaker Michael Gracey. It was shot in Melbourne’s Docklands Studios, produced by a Victorian team and financially backed by the federal and Victorian governments.

Loading

Other local locations used for filming included Rod Laver Arena, Cruden Farm, Fawkner Bowls Club, Sunbury Asylum, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Pavilion, and Melbourne Town Hall.

Gracey has said the film grew out of a year-and-a-half of recorded interviews with Williams during which he often described himself as a performing monkey.

“There’s been plenty of musical biopics, and creatively you always want to come at something in a new or interesting way,” Gracey said.