Robbie Williams took to Hyde Park's stage like a comeback king and did not disappoint with a funny, gloriously celebratory and also deeply moving set.
The Angels singers took us on a warts 'n' all tour of his life, including his split from Take That, the hedonistic 1990s and the "peace" he finds today with his wife Ayda and four children.
His set begins with a video sequence of the superstar reading The Hyde Park Times with the headline 'Is Robbie Williams The Greatest Live Entertainer?' before putting on a boxer's dressing gown and walking backstage while autographing a fan's T-shirt.
Actor Danny Dyer and Supergrass singer Gaz Coombes come into view like bodyguards flanking the star, who hugs a miniature cardboard cut out of Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher as dancers groove to the chant 'Are you ready Hyde Park?'
Swapping the dressing gown for a white tuxedo, he then rises from beneath the stage to a stomping performance of Let Me Entertain You.
And crikey, he most certainly did.
He introduced his 1999 single Strong, saying: “I will only know if I can be vulnerable with you if you can sing along a cappella to one of my lesser-known hits."
He follows this with the moving Come Undone, expressing his struggles with alcohol, drugs and depression.
There's a bit of audience engagement - he tells us how glad he was England won their quarter final - before declaring "I'm taking you back to the 90s!"
We are treated to a live commentary of Take That's early Do What U Like video, pointing out Jason Orange's 'nipples and tassles' and his own derriere.
He revisits his first lead vocal Could It Be Magic, before recounting how he quit or was pushed from the boy band.
Then there was a 'lost' weekend at Glastonbury where he met Oasis, which brings a salute to the Britpop era with a cover of Don't Look Back in Anger, followed by Supergrass's Alright, performed with the band's frontman Coombes.
For Blur's Parklife, Robbie is joined on stage by Eastenders actor Dyer who drawls "Let’s ‘ave it, Hyde Park,” before taking on Phil Daniel's spoken-word part.
The performance is accompanied by an incredible 44-strong brass band of Beefeaters, consisting of Coldstream and Welsh Guards, who filled the catwalk as dancers weave through them throwing beach balls as streamers fall from the sky.
Back For Good comes as a nod to Williams’ reunion with Take That in 2010, and then comes a tender moment where Williams thanks his wife, Ayda, and children for turning his life around.
A possible poster boy for overcoming mental health issues, he shares his battle with drink and drugs, explaining how it juxtaposed a life of incredible success.
His fans whoop when he tells them he stopped drinking 24 years ago. "I'm on cocaine tonight..," he says, adding "joking..ketamine".
From there he sings hit after hit, including a hugely emotive Feel, a nostalgic Millennium, an uptempo Rock DJ and No Regrets.
He steps into the crowd to serenade an Italian fan with She’s The One, and her glistening eyes are beamed across the park.
He sings a dedication to great artists who have died, including Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Elvis Presley, Prince, Tina Turner, and Bob Marley, their faces emblazoned on the screens.
Opening up again to the crowd, he says: “At 50, I’m still here and I’m extremely grateful… Tonight I was the happiest and most chilled I have ever been coming on stage.
"Maybe it was England [winning], maybe it was you guys, but I’m really f****** happy… Thank you for helping me remain on the planet. I love you guys.”
He ends the show with Angels, with fireworks exploding in the sky, everyone's torches lit on their phones, and as it comes to an end, his wife and daughter came on stage to give him a hug.
"Thank you and goodnight," he says.
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