Robbie wows fans at preview gig

Williams releases his latest solo album this month

Pop star Robbie Williams sang before 2,000 fans at an "intimate" concert in central London on Saturday.

The 31-year-old spent 90 minutes on stage at the London Astoria, singing a selection of old tracks and new songs from his latest album, Intensive Care.

"I want to thank you for being part of this moment," he said after performing his biggest hit Angels.

DJ Chris Evans, who attended the gig, described it as "awesome". "He is going to get bigger and bigger," he said.

"I know it sounds strange, but he's going to be massive," he continued. "He is learning his trade very well."

Little Britain star David Walliams was also seen in the audience.

'Cheeky banter'

Dressed in blue jeans, black leather jacket and blue T-shirt, Williams opened the set with Ghosts, a track from his new album.

More new songs followed, among them Sin Sin Sin, his latest single Tripping and the ballad Make Me Pure.

The singer performed several new tracks including the single Tripping

The songs were warmly received but did not galvanise the crowd as much as more familiar numbers like Feel, Supreme and Millennium.

The concert was the second of three warm-ups gigs ahead of his album's official launch in Berlin next Sunday.

The first took place in Paris on Thursday, while the third will be held in Amsterdam on Wednesday.

"After the large-scale production of Knebworth two years ago it was an amazing experience to see Robbie in such an intimate venue," said the BBC's Liam Allen, who paid £275 for two tickets to the sold-out event.

"He seemed really relaxed and had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand with plenty of his trademark cheeky banter between songs.

"The new material sounded very promising, and Tripping was received as if it was an old classic.

"But, as ever, Angels was the real showstopper."