British Pop Star Robbie Williams Has Launched A War-of-words With A Critic Who Branded One Of The Singer's New Zealand Shows "Ham-fisted Karaoke".
The Take That star is currently on a solo tour Down Under, and he was left fuming after reading a write-up of his recent gig at The Basin Reserve venue in Wellington by New Zealand music critic Simon Sweetman.
In the review, the writer declared that Robbie is a "ham-fisted hack" with "all the sound and feel of Drunk Uncle at a 21st (birthday party)" and the Saturday night (31Oct15) concert "showed just how far you can take karaoke if you've got the cheekbones".
"The whole chav-made-good, I'm grinning-so-I-must-be-winning shtick is tiresome - and it must be tiring," he wrote. "The fact that he can barely aim anywhere near a high note let alone hit one is insulting."
Robbie hit back at the reviewer during his Tuesday night (03Nov15) gig at the Vector Arena in Auckland, by reading out a poem titled Hello, Sir, written for one of his former school teachers, that featured on his 1997 debut solo album Life thru a Lens.
"Well, I'm here and you're still there, with a fake sports car and receding hair... But thanks for the advice and I'm sure it'll do, for the negative d**kheads just like you," he read before adapting the last line to say, "And here I sit in first class, Simon Sweetman, kiss my f**king a**e."
He also addressed the feud online by tweeting a picture of the critic holding his young son, writing, "Simon Sweatman (sic): Baby eater..."
"This is one of those avant-garde things, is it?" says a droll, dubious and dying...