"Actor: Guy Chambers"

• Robbie Williams - Live At The Albert | DVD | (03/12/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  For one night only the Robbie Williams showcase Live At The Albert is a fantastic testament to what was a very special evening. The concert offered tracks from his Rat Pack covers album Swing When You're Winning an album that finally gave him across the board appeal from nostalgic Grannies to hormonally imbalanced teenagers. With the average ticket price well into three figures and the likes of Tara Palmer-Tompkinson, Bob Geldof and Nicole Kidman in the stalls, this was no ordinary Robbie concert. Backed by a full swing band, accompanied by a slew of glamorous dancers, compered by Rupert Everett and featuring duets with John Lovitz, Jane Horrocks, the scene-stealing Jonathan Wilkes and even Old Blue Eyes himself Frank Sinatra (albeit in video form), Robbie takes centre stage and performs like never before. Classic track follows classic track--from "The Lady is a Tramp" (which Robbie dedicates to his last three girlfriends), to "Mr Bojangles" to "My Way", each and every one of them is instantly recognisable, even to most of the younger members of the audience. Directed by Hamish Hamilton (the man behind the spectacular U2 Elevation DVD) this is a great up close and personal view of an intimate gig. On the DVD: The disc is lovingly put together in glorious 5.1 surround sound. The DVD also features the documentary "Well Swung" which follows Robbie all the way to Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, where he recorded some of the tracks for the album with members of Frank's original band. There is also a gallery of luscious shots of Robbie on location and at the Capitol Studios. At times it does tend towards the schmaltzy, with Robbie fighting back the tears when the video footage of Frank singing booms out across the Albert Hall, but this is scant criticism. All in all this is a fantastic performance from a legend in the making. --Helen Marquis

• Robbie Williams - Nobody Someday | DVD | (08/07/2002) from £10.13   |  Saving you £7.86 (43.70%)   |  RRP £17.99

  The rock-umentary Nobody Someday both challenges and reaffirms everything we know, love and hate about Robbie Williams. Directed and narrated by Brian Hill, the man behind the infamous early-90s Australian docu-soap Sylvania Waters, the film is a frank representation of Robbie's 2001 European tour, which isn't always that sympathetic towards the star. Although Williams' continuous discussion about his shortcomings is at times endearing, his obsessive chattering and self-pity about his alcohol and drug problems soon sounds like a worn-out old record. It's also not always apparent when Williams is playing the fool and when he is not: the infamous hotel room scene, when Robbie convincingly rants to the camera about the German Chancellor commandeering his hotel suite, is a case in point. Shot in both colour and black and white, the film is a mix of some stunning live concert performance material and revealing behind-the-scenes footage. Key events featured include an obsessed fan pushing Williams off stage in Stuttgart, and the comical technical problems at the Paris gig. Despite the production's attempts to demystify star, it actually generates many more questions than it answers, adding further complexities to the brand/man known as Robbie Williams. On the DVD: Nobody Someday on DVD has a bonus quiz presented by Andy Franks, which features questions about the film. Each correct answer results in exclusive clips from the tour which didn't make it to the final cut of the film. These include Robbie declaring his undying love for his housemate and life-long pal Jonathan Wilkes, and exclusive live performances from the tour. There's also a bonus photo gallery, which features some stunning photographs taken by Scarlet Page and Diana Scrimegeour. --John Galilee