11 Jun Golden glitters

Already in the subway, we notice the crowd and the excitement. Next to us stands a woman with glitter around her eyes. My wife, who is also in a good mood, speaks to her. They immediately start a conversation. A little later, I see the woman pull out a glass jar filled with gold glitters. A few seconds later she started  decorating my wife with glitters. First next to her eyes and on her forehead, then on her eyelids. It is a nice little job. They are so focused that they are not distracted by the drastic acceleration and braking of the subway.​

People streams
At the exit, we say goodbye and are engulfed by slowly flowing crowds. ‘We are at entrance H,’ says my wife, who has taken care of the tickets. The streams of people split and flow back together with other streams, then squeeze through openings. The Arena is high, and it feels like you are climbing a real hill of steps to suddenly be able to gaze broadly over the entire stadium from above. We soon spot an ideal spot, a bit further down. There are several rows of seats kept free because the view is insufficient, but not if you are standing. This way, we can move around freely and dance.​

Openhearted
Robbie Williams appears in a spacesuit, climbs to the highest point, and is launched to float down like a drifting astronaut. My wife can sing along to all the songs, I have only read the review in the Volkskrant and it gave two stars to the show of this superstar. As the concert progresses, I understand why. Robbie seems to no longer have the strength to jump on stage for two hours and has cleverly incorporated various slow passages where he tells us about his life, his children, his wife (without her I am nothing) and openly about something he always carries with him: his fears.​

In the show, a number of unpredictable passages are incorporated, such as establishing a warm and intimate contact with an unknown audience member. Robbie shares what his wife advises him: ‘Just act as if what you are doing here is completely normal. That all these audience members do this from time to time, but today it is you. Also think that it is now. Tomorrow could be different. You might not be here then. So focus solely on now.’​

His friend the fear
“She is fantastic,” says Robbie, “this really helps me to be with my fear.” The way Robbie Williams talks about his fear shows that he has made friends with it. The fear is not gone, but it does not bother him. He maintains a good relationship with it! I don’t care about the 2 stars from the Volkskrant. I am visiting Robbie at home. I sit at his table and he tells me honestly and intimately about his life. Occasionally, he plays a song for me and the other guests. These are fun catchy songs. We have good seats there at the lower edge of the stadium and dance fully supported by thousands of drifting lights.​

Robbie’s hand
As we go back on the metro, I can’t believe my eyes. Right in front of us sits the woman with glitter on her eyes, the same woman who made up my partner on the way here. She is even more enthusiastic than on the way here because Robbie touched her hand during his round through the audience that evening! She cherishes it now as the most precious thing that could ever happen.​

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