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Robbie: My King-size album ambition

Robbie Williams has said he feels like "the luckiest man on the planet" as he looks on course to claim another number one album - which means he would equal Elvis Presley's tally of 11 chart-toppers.

Williams, o ne of the world's most successful solo stars, shared his excitement - and the stage - with former Spice Girl Emma Bunton, at an intimate gig in west London.

He performed an energetic set featuring songs from his latest album, Swings Both Ways, and ended the night with a crowd-pleasing rendition of Angels, accompanied by songwriter Guy Chambers on piano.

The small venue - Under The Bridge at Stamford Bridge football stadium - was packed with Heart radio station competition winners, and the tiny stage was full to bursting with at least 20 musicians from Williams' band.

The gig was to celebrate Williams being named Heart's live artist of the year.

Dressed in a smart black suit and with his hair slicked back, Williams told the crowd: "It looks like I'm going to have a number one album. I feel like the luckiest man on the planet."

Commenting on how small the venue was, he joked: "I think this is the only gig I've done in 20 years that if I farted people could smell it."

The former Take That star had serious moments throughout the one-hour concert, with emotional references to his baby daughter Theodora Rose, his first child with wife Ayda Field.

"It's all that matters. She's given me the gift of being content," he said. "All I want to do is be her dad and the rest is trivial bull****."

Williams, who told the crowd he will be 40 in February, harked back to his early days as Bunton joined him on the stage.

The former boy band and girl band stars were two of the "finest people to survive the 90s", Williams said.

Before Bunton came on stage, he said they had "some damn fine chemistry".

The pair sang Dream A Little Dream, and after a gentle waltz during the song, they ended the duet cheek to cheek, with Bunton saying, "Love you" to the star of the show.

Before his performance of No One Likes A Fat Pop Star, Williams joked that it "takes dedication, perseverance and misery" to stay as slim as he currently is.

The Stoke-on-Trent singer said Michael Buble was his "man crush" and described Olly Murs as his "showbiz brother".

Williams strayed away from his swing theme for a quick burst of current hit What Does The Fox Say? by Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis.

According to early sales figures Williams looks on course to claim the 1,000th number one this weekend.

He was facing competition from JLS and Jake Bugg to achieve the milestone in the album chart, but early indications from the Official Charts Company show he has set the pace and pulled ahead.

Williams released Swings Both Ways yesterday, which would prove a fitting way of marking the occasion - the first ever number one - 57 years ago - was the big band classic Songs For Swingin' Lovers by Frank Sinatra.

Source: music.uk.msn.com
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