Priscilla Dimech and Daniel Mangion are devoted Robbie Williams fans as they secured front-row status at the Granaries on Thursday night. But nothing prepared them for the centre-stage status they were afforded by their idol. 

Throughout the two-hour concert, Williams bantered with Priscilla and Daniel, joking about tattoos, relationships, baby-sitters, and, of course, sex. 

Between belting out classics like Let Me Entertain You and Rock DJ, the British pop icon stopped to interact with the audience, talking them through his journey of career highs and lows. 

At one point, the estimated crowd of 20,000 watched Williams walk down the stage and approach a group of women, singling out Priscilla, striking a conversation with her, much to the amusement of the crowd. 

He would return to speak to her throughout the show, even dedicating his song She's the One to her. 

Speaking to Times of Malta after the show, Priscilla was ecstatic:

"I was going to die. I've been waiting for this moment for 27 years. I was praying to God that he'd at least brush past me - and he spent half the show interacting with me. I was going to die, especially when he hugged me and said: 'I love you'. It's something I will remember all my life. I'm living a dream."

Contacted on Friday, Daniel Mangion described the show as the highlight of his year, along with the birth of his daughter, Giulia, now three months old. 

"I've been following Robbie Williams since I was 12 years old. I always wanted to go to his concert, but unfortunately, I couldn't make it. It was a dream come true to be at a Robbie Williams concert, let alone to speak to him. It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

"I tried to get tickets for me and my wife, but when we returned from abroad last September, my wife told me she was pregnant, so we put off any dream of going to any concert. When I saw the concert being advertised, she told me, ‘It’s your dream, go have fun.’"

At one point, the singer asked Daniel to shoot a video recording of himself to show to his daughter when she grows up. 

"Eventually, she’ll understand the song. The lyrics are very profound and meaningful, and dedicating that song to my daughter was a very special moment. He’s the biggest star Malta has ever seen, and he dedicated that song to her... I’m still in shock today."

Daniel Mangion with his wife Roberta.

There was even time for some banter at the expense of fans watching the show from the top of the Catholic Institute building.

“You're watching me, but Jesus is watching you,” he quipped. 

On Friday morning, Williams thanked Malta for the welcome. 

"Malta: that was one of my favourite ever shows. Thank you for giving me such a lovely welcome for my first visit - I hope you’ll have me back again," he wrote on Facebook. 

More than 20,000 people packed the Granaries for the show. Photo: DOI