Robbie Williams changes direction after rant about Suede frontman

Robbie Williams has changed his tune after an extended rant against Britpop stars Suede and their frontman Brett Anderson - and has admitted he went off "on a tangent".

On-off Take That star Williams launched a tirade earlier this week and used his criticisms of Suede to launch into a broadside against a string of 90s guitar bands, while praising pop acts such as One Direction.

He saw red after reading comments Anderson was said to have given in an interview about "crap boy bands" which he claimed had been assembled "by committee".

Williams has now conceded he might have overreacted to the criticisms - although he said it had been good to "get it off my chest".

Williams has now said: "On closer inspection re: my last blog, it would appear that I've gone off on (a) tangent not entirely created by Mr Brett Anderson of pop combo Suede.

"It won't be the last time that this happens and it felt good to get it off my chest. Thank you Brett."

Earlier this week Williams said more fans' hearts would be racing at the prospect of a One Direction album than a Suede release.

His swipe at Anderson was reminiscent of the ongoing feud he had with Oasis in the late 1990s after he fell out with the Gallagher brothers.

Williams was stung by comments attributed to Anderson in an interview in which he was reported to have said: "There has always been crap pop music.

"I remember when we had all the crap boybands in the 90s - stuff like that has always been around. The lack of money in the music industry created a crisis. Record companies don't have the resources to take a gamble, so these pop stars are created by committee."

In his original blog, Angels and Millennium singer Williams went on to dismiss the Suede star's suggestion that label budgets were tight in those days.

"I think not - any quarter-decent three-chord knobheads could and did get a deal in the 90s," he said.

After naming bands such as Echobelly, Shed 7, Ride, Northern Uproar and Kula Shaker, he added: "Should I go on? Cos I can and they sure did."

He went on to complain about people who were too "bigoted" to appreciate pop acts.

Addressing Anderson, Williams said: "There were a few special indie bands then just as there are in every generation. And just as some pop bands are useless, some are magnificent in every generation.

"I feel sorry for the people who are too bigoted to appreciate the latter. The world's a lot more exciting with a One Direction in it.

"And more hearts will genuinely race at a new 1D album than they ever have or will at any Suede album in any time period. Sorry about the truth."

Williams signed off his latest blog by pointing out Suede released their new album Bloodsports this week. "It's good too," he added.

PA