Nostalgic hits and new crowd-pleasers with familiar cheeky banter: Our review of Robbie Williams at The Halls Wolverhampton

Some fans had picked their spots outside The Halls back on Sunday morning for show on Monday night, despite a warning from organisers urging people not to camp out in the cold overnight.

And the now-LA-based superstar rewarded their dedication when he took to the stage after Reverend and the Makers, showing he is as strong as ever performing nostalgic tracks from his debut album Life thru a Lens on his Long 90's tour, which rolled into Wolverhampton to massive anticipation and a rapturous welcome.

And the 51-year-old's new BRITPOP album - also performed in full - shows he has not lost the ability to write and perform perfectly crafted crowd-pleasing songs, nor the feel for a great night out.

Indeed its release last month extended his remarkable record as the solo artist with the most UK number one albums (BRITPOP was his 16th to top the charts - Taylor Swift has managed 14 and Elvis Presley 13). Only The Beatles are ahead of him.

The Stoke-on-Trent-born and bred former member of Take That wore the T-shirt of Wolverhampton's own hometown heroes Slade, who have adorned the same stage many times.

And the cheeky banter Robbie was always known for was evident when he credited signature tune Angels - sung mainly by an adoring crowd - as saving him from "sellling spice" in his home city.

Let Me Entertain You and opener Lazy Days had the packed Halls crowd on their feet right away - but Willams didn't rest on the laurels of nostalgia.

The second half of the show brought highlights including Spies from the new album and a song written about his wife of 20 years, Ayda, who he also credits with "saving" him.

There were jokey references to The Beatles, the only artists ahead of him in the UK number one album record charts: "I'm not being beaten by the Scousers so I will have to do a few more albums".

And there were nods to his time with Take That and acrimonious departure in 1995, which he largely took the blame for.

But there must be no hard feelings - one of the songs on the new album he wrote with Gary Barlow about their joint hero Morrissey went down well.

Robbie is no stranger to being documented in books and television, and early on in the show he took the opportunity to bring on long-time super fan Jemma Williamson who, at the age of 14, travelled from her home to see Take That. She couldn't get in but urged him to call her, leaving her number. The moment featured in the band's documentary.

On stage on Monday more than 30 years later, clearly unawed by the cheers of the crowd, Jemma, now a nursery teacher from Wolverhampton, recounted her line from the documentary, saying: "Robbie's my favourite because he's got gorgeous eyes and a gorgeous body and he can call me any time."

Now the band have a new Netflix documentary coming out and Robbie has already featured in a solo programme, showing he is still able to adapt - he turns 52 on Friday.

But it was tales of his former life of rock and roll debauchery in London and ending up "back at me mam's in Stoke" which particularly went down a treat, as did the songs both old and new.

Perhaps a few more hits could have been thrown in - timeless anthems like Feel, No Regrets and She's the One missed out - but the show did what it said on the tin and the attraction was Robbie who could have been a stand up comedian if singing hadn't panned out.

The banter and laughs all added to a great evening of nostalgia from the Britpop era and power pop that shows Robbie has lost none of his charisma - or 'pulling power' - going into his second half-century.