The concert will be shown on MTV in the US

Robbie Williams, the UK's biggest singing star, has begged fans at a New York festival to boost his profile in the United States.

Williams, who is relatively unknown in the US, appeared at an open-air concert as part of Robert De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival.

He asked the 15,000-strong audience to ring their local radio stations and request his single.

"Even if you don't like it, can you ask for it?" he said.

His latest album, Escapology, was released in the US on 1 April, but has failed to make a big impact.

The New York concert, broadcast on MTV in the US, was headlined by Grammy-winning star Norah Jones.

'Not bitter'

During his half-hour set, he repeatedly told the crowd: "My name is Robbie Williams."

When he performed his single Angels, he said: "This song was released here a few years ago and guess what? It wasn't a hit.

"But I'm not bitter. It made me a star everywhere in the world but here."

Last week, he admitted he was "bothered" by his failure to make the breakthrough in the US.

"North America seems to be on everyone's lips because it's the only thing I haven't done yet," he said.

Escapology sold a reported 29,400 copies in its first week after being released in the US.