George Michael has arrived in Australia
George Michael is in Australia to play his three 'exclusive, one-off shows'.
Feb 19 - Earlier this week George arrived and stayed a couple of days in Sydney, from where he travelled to Perth by private jet today.
George Michael will kick off his Australian adventure tomorrow at Burswood Dome in the capital of the Australian state of Western Australia.
George will then head back to Sydney to perform at the Sydney Football Stadium on Friday 26 February and on Wednesday, 3 March, he will perform at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne.
The 46-year-old is on his first visit to the country since his Faith tour in 1988.
George Michael NL news
George Michael arrives in Australia
George Michael touches down in Perth
Perth Concert - Media Reviews
George Michael on Australian stage
British pop star George Michael kicked off his first Australian tour in 22 years at the Burswood Dome on Saturday night.
Despite the venue change from ME Bank Stadium to the oft-complained about acoustics of the Burswood Dome - 15,000 punters eagerly awaited the pop stylings of the legendary gay icon. There were some production problems during the test run on Friday night - it was the first time the stage was setup in over a year and a half. Yesterday, the elaborate platform was revealed as three large screens and two smaller ones decorated the stage to allow even the furthest of seats to see the British singer perform. Bi-level scaffolding housed the instruments, which included bongo drums and keyboards.
For reasons unknown - the start time was delayed to about 8.30pm, but Michael was worth the wait. He greeted the crowd looking debonair in a black shirt and his signature shades. It was a far cry from his "Choose Life" t-shirt he wore in his heyday as part of 80s pop group Wham!
It was wall-to-wall hits from the man of the hour as he asked the crowd "Are we ready to make up after 22 years?" in reference to the last time he visited Perth. Fast love was a hot favourite, but everything he sang throughout the evening was lapped up by the adoring audience.
Michael flew into Perth on Friday and will head off to Sydney and Melbourne for his other Australian shows.
George Michael on Australian stage
By George he's back
British pop star George Michael kicked off his first Australian tour in 22 years with a show to whet the appetite of Melbourne fans. For reasons unknown - the start time was delayed to about 8.30pm, but Michael was worth the wait for the 15,000 at Perth's Burswood Dome on Saturday night.
He greeted the crowd looking debonair in a black shirt and his signature shades. It was a far cry from his "Choose Life" T-shirt he wore in his heyday as part of '80s pop group Wham! Fast Love was a hot favourite, but everything he sang throughout the evening was lapped up.
The lighting and display screens were flamboyant, with music clips from Michael's music collection dating back to when he first became a solo artist. He had a talented team behind him including six back-up soul singers.
Those with tickets for the Etihad Stadium show on Wednesday, March 3 should be counting.
By George he's back
George Michael wows Perth fans
British pop star George Michael has kicked off his first Australian tour in 22 years at the Burswood Dome.
Despite the venue change from ME Bank Stadium to the oft-complained-about acoustics of the Burswood Dome - 15,000 punters eagerly awaited the pop stylings of the legendary gay icon. There were some production problems during the test run on Friday night - it was the first time the stage was set up in over a year-and-a-half. Yesterday, the elaborate platform was revealed as three large screens and two smaller ones decorated the stage to allow even the furthest of seats to see the British singer perform. Bi-level scaffolding housed the instruments, which included bongo drums and keyboards.
For reasons unknown - the start time was delayed to about 8.30pm, but Michael was worth the wait. He greeted the crowd looking debonair in a black shirt and his signature shades. It was a far cry from his "Choose Life" T-shirt he wore in his heyday as part of '80s pop group Wham!
It was wall-to-wall hits from the man of the hour as he asked the crowd "Are we ready to make up after 22 years?" in reference to the last time he visited Perth. Fast love was a hot favourite, but everything he sang throughout the evening was lapped up by the adoring audience.
The lighting and display screens were that of a true flamboyant showman, with music clips from Michael’s music collection dating back to when he first became a solo artist. He had a talented team behind him with six backup soul singers and an enthusiastic keyboardist.
Vocally, he was slightly breathless at times and the microphone levels appeared to fluctuate but his voice was uniquely Michael and no-one seemed to be complaining. Much of his show was power ballads including Father Figure and Praying for Time. He stepped up the tempo with the Wham song Everything She Wants. Many people hadn’t forgotten those days as many were sporting the "Choose Life" T-shirt in the music video of Wake Me Up Before You Go Go which, unfortunately, Michael did not perform.
His dance moves haven’t evolved much, and, in the least condescending way possible, it was adorable to watch. He made great use of the stage and the runway, which was setup so he could get as close to the audience as possible. He was engaging throughout the show and it really seemed like he actually wanted to be in Perth, unlike some artists who treat their tours like it’s a chore.
He sang two covers quite beautifully - they were Roxanne by The Police and Nina Simone’s Feeling Good, which was performed while burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese graced the screens. It was his song One More Try that really shone, as well as his 1990 hit Too Funky. Barely anyone was sitting down throughout the entire concert, which was an unusual occurrence for a show in Perth. People wanted to boogie down to Faith after the 20-minute intermission, and boogie they did. The main qualm of the night was the breaks between songs were slightly too long, but that may have been more from eagerness to hear his next hit. After singing Spinning the Wheel he remarked "I must say I can’t remember the last time I played in this sort of heat, and I’m not just talking about the people in the room," What a charmer. It was exactly as one would imagine a George Michael concert to be, full of energy, bright lights and a party vibe.
He sang Amazing for "anyone who has found the one" and Flawless (Go to the City), but sadly didn’t try to hit any high notes. There was an amusing moment when he came out in a police shirt to sing Outside, which was released just after he was arrested for "pleasuring himself" in a public toilet. He only had one song for his encore and of course it was Careless Whisper. He got the crowd to sing along with him – it was a joyous moment. Many were waiting for him to sing Freedom, but it never came.
Those who chose not to buy tickets for the show missed out on some great entertainment. As he bid everyone adieu he said "I’m sorry it took so long Perth, I hope I made up for it tonight."
George, you sure did.
George Michael wows Perth fans
Music Review: George Michael
George Michael, Burswood Dome, February 20
There are superstars and there are just wannabes. You can't mistake one for the other when they stride on stage. George Michael is definitely a superstar.
From the lenses of his signature shades to the heavy soles of his shoes, the English singer has a stage presence not easily rivalled. Let's not discount the lust factor, either. When Michael grins with those dimples and dances the way we know he can, he's got you.
The audience paid their own homage: Choose Life shirts, some fluoro pink tutus, an original and worn-out 80s Faith tour T-shirt. Biggest props go to two Freeeks in tight black vinyl sheaths and a pair of sizzling female cops.
The massive but most intimate screens the Dome has probably ever seen provided rolling old clips, news footage and cartoons plus computer-generated shapes and images. With the band obviously separated from the singer and members occasionally coming down to join him, it planted the focus firmly on the singer-songwriter.
Like George Michael's best-of album, Twenty-Five, the set list was all about living and loving in an enthusiastic pop, funk, groove, dance and soul mash up. The smart arrangement of Wham's I'm Your Man, which started with a deep groove and then launched into pure pop, showed it's possible to mix it up and make the past far from daggy in the present. Faith was a hands-down favourite with its infectious melody and the original clip playing on the big screen was smile-inducing. Wham's Everything She Wants started achingly slowly and when the congas kicked in the audience went ape and sang along. As its title implied, 1990's Too Funky was all that and Michael grooved his way down the runway into the middle of the crowd.
For all the fun bits, though, there were some downsides. The show ran almost an hour late and the Dome was stiflingly hot. Michael commented that it was the hottest show he had played - and at that point he wasn't talking about the audience's enthusiasm. Perhaps that accounted for the constant breaks between songs which unfortunately disrupted the set's flow.
But let's get back to Michael, because when it was on, this show was hot. The song Outside was the singer's only reference to his troubles with the law and it came as he burst on stage in a cop uniform with handcuffs. Spin The Wheel was late-night sexy while Amazing and the trance-like Flawless joyfully forced you to dance.
The ballads were exceptionally good. Highlighted by a 12-string guitar, Father Figure - slow, prayer-like and very sexy - reminded us why Michael's voice is much loved. Fastlove was smooth and seductive. One More Try was sombre and hymnal with the backing vocalists cocooning around him while the poignant and political Praying for Time was sung in front of a blazing red screen. Put together, you realise exactly how much soul Michael's music has and it's impossible to call him simply a pop artist.
The set list did beg the question, why opt for a slinky Nina Simone cover and a thoroughly dull version of Roxanne, when Freedom didn't get a look in? Not that I was really expecting Club Tropicana, but Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go didn't arrive.
Careless Whisper ended the show as the sole encore. It's one of the best examples of where Michael's voice can go. Call me selfish, I wanted to hear him sing and stretch through it, not 15,000 amateurs. The crowd loved it, though, and had their regressed teen moment as the women squealed some more. The song climaxed, Michael said goodnight and that was it.
Granted it was a mixed show, but after a 22-year wait, in so many ways it was just a treat to see George Michael in the flesh and know he's still got the voice and all the moves.
Music Review: George Michael
Sydney Concert - Media Reviews
George Michael outdoes the divas in Sydney
First Britney disappointed, then Whitney did.
But George Michael broke the run of bad "comeback tours", winning over more than 40,000 fans at the Sydney Football Stadium tonight. When Michael sings I won't let you down' at the start of his hit Freedom, he delivers on his promise.
Taking to the stage 40 minutes late thanks to extreme traffic congestion around the inner-city venue, Michael was given a hero's welcome. Dressed head to toe in black, the former Wham! singer opened with Fast Love.
"Good evening Sydney, are you ready for a good night?" he said. "It's been 22 years." He then launched into crowd favourite I'm Your Man and Father Figure.
While divas like Britney Spears and Whitney Houston left some fans wanting their money back during their recent performances, Michael sang live, hit all his notes and whipped up a party for faithful followers.
It is Michael's first Australian tour since his Faith tour in 1988. He opened his 2010 tour in Perth last weekend and will play in Melbourne on March 3. "You still look so...good, I don't get it - plenty of sunshine and sex I reckon," he said.
George Michael outdoes the divas in Sydney
George Michael delights 45,000 fans at Sydney show
Melburnians with George Michael tickets can breathe a sigh of relief - he is a superstar who can deliver live in concert. There are no disclaimers, excuses or disappointments. Indeed Michael's Sydney show last night automatically set the bar skyhigh for this year's pop concerts.
The lengthy show ticks all the boxes. Firstly it looks incredible - the immense stage and mammoth video screens are state of the art and purpose-built for a stadium. But it was that voice and those song fans have waited since 1988 to see back in action in Australia. And while Michael has hardly been a saint over the years, his voice still provides instant goosebumps. "It's been 22 years, I'm going to try and make it up to you tonight," Michael told the sold out crowd of 45,000. "You all look so good, plenty of sunshine and sex I reckon."
The setlist is extraordinary - from Fastlove to Wham!'s I'm Your Man to 80s anthem Father Figure - and they're the opening three songs. Michael introduced Wham!'s Everything She Wants by stating "Who remembers 1984? We all have a lot less hair and a lot more experience." Those songs are sadly as far as the singer delves into the Wham! catalogue, although the huge screems play a montage of their iconic 80s videos.
The perfectionist has always surrounded himself with the finest musicians and vocalist and this tour is no different - the band sounding as impressive on the gorgeously bare ballad A Different Corner to the disco-driven Too Funky and Outside. Meanwhile hearing Careless Whisper, one of the best ballads ever written, was almost worth the price of admission alone.
George Michael plays Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
George Michael delights 45,000 fans at Sydney show
George Michael wows Sydney
George Michael has broken the run of bad comeback tours, winning over more than 40,000 fans at the Sydney Football Stadium on Friday night. When Michael sings 'I won't let you down' at the start of his hit Freedom, he delivers on his promise.
Taking to the stage 40 minutes late thanks to extreme traffic congestion around the inner-city venue, Michael was given a hero's welcome. Dressed head to toe in black, the former Wham! singer opened with Fast Love. 'Good evening Sydney, are you ready for a good night?' he said. 'It's been 22 years.' He then launched into crowd favourite I'm Your Man and Father Figure.
While divas like Britney Spears and Whitney Houston left some fans wanting their money back during their recent performances, Michael sang live, hit all his notes and whipped up a party for faithful followers.
It is Michael's first Australian tour since his Faith tour in 1988. He opened his 2010 tour in Perth last weekend and will play in Melbourne on March 3.
'You still look so fing good, I don't get it - plenty of sunshine and sex I reckon,' he said.
George Michael wows Sydney
By George, he's still got it
George Michael, Sydney Football Stadium, February 26
Although it is undoubtedly alarming for fans of modern music that various stars of the 1980s seem to be setting up camp in Australia - we've recently witnessed Salt-N-Pepa and some soul diva whose name escapes me, and coming soon are Huey Lewis and the News, Tears For Fears and Spandau Ballet - you have to give credit where credit is due.
George Michael has released only five solo studio albums since Wham! called it a day in 1986 (and one of those solo records comprised cover versions) and he has been more famous for his indiscretions offstage than his music for much of that period. But when you see and, more pertinently, hear him perform live, you can understand why so many adore him.
From the moment he appears, in front of two big screens showing what's happening live and three massive ones screening other visuals, Michael exudes star power. His voice is in superb shape; at 46 he looks pretty good and he has so many soul-pop classics up his sleeve he can afford to pepper them throughout his set, rather than save them for the encore.
And so we dance, probably not as well as he does, to the classy, breezy Fastlove and Amazing; we sing jubilantly along to Faith and Careless Whisper (yes, most present are old enough to remember all the words from the 1984 single); we even get to laugh at and with him - there's hilariously dated Wham! footage accompanying I'm Your Man and Michael dresses up as an LA policeman for Outside, his response to his notorious 1998 arrest.
The set isn't perfect. The singer makes regular ventures down a runway into the crowd, giving many an exciting look at him close-up, but a handful of tunes performed at the end of this runway falls flat, especially an awful light-jazz arrangement of the Police's Roxanne. Also, while his 21st-century material isn't bad, it's rarely on a level with his previous output.
But by the time Michael finishes with the roof-raising, gospel-flavoured Freedom '90, the lesser moments are swept aside. This is, on the whole, stadium pop par excellence and near impossible to resist.
By George, he's still got it
From Fast Love to last, George Michael rewards fans
George Michael. Sydney Football Stadium. February 26.
When George Michael first came to prominence in 1984 as one half of the pop duo Wham! (with Andrew Ridgeley) there were few signs he would become one of his generation's leading pop culture exponents.
Whether standing still on the massive multimedia set at the Sydney Football Stadium, throwing himself bodily into the music, or running deep into the crowd, at 46, Michael looked every inch the warrior king: fit, manly and charismatic, and completely at home on the arena stage after extensively touring almost this exact show since 2006.
Most of the 40,000 souls who made their way to the jam-packed arena seemed to have brought their cars, and the result was gridlock, which delayed the performance by 45 minutes. Your correspondent was subsequently still outside - having bolted from a cab in gridlock to complete the final few kilometres - when a roar worthy of Maximus Decimus Meridius (the hero of Gladiator), or at least the decisive field goal in a rugby grand final, erupted from the stadium. But no gladiator had been slain, no mere game won. Instead, George Michael had appeared before his adoring Sydney hordes for the first time in 22 years. The deep, unmistakable groove of Fast Love, from 1996's Older, shook the suburb.
Inside, the set was spectacular. Though energetic and obviously determined to cover as much ground as possible, for many of those present, the black suit clad popstar would have resembled a busy insect if not for the series of giant screens on which appeared Michael, his band and a dazzling array of carefully constructed films, photographs and lighting effects. The screens had a three-dimensional, high definition look to them, which conveyed a satisfying intimacy far into the vast crowd.
Michael was in fine, strong voice, with only occasional falsetto parts omitted. And his band, including eight back-up singers, spread across a multi-tiered scaffold, was impeccable. His patter was brief, but generous. "Sydney, you still look so f . . king good. I don't get it - plenty of sunshine and sex I reckon," he said.
The 2 1/2 hour set was a testament to Michael's songwriting versatility, from the fast and the danceable (Amazing, Too Funky) to the heartfelt and confessional mode (Jesus to a Child, My Mother Had a Brother). In the second half, after a 20-minute break, Michael and a handful of musicians set up as far into the crowd as they could get for a show within a show, the highlight of which was a jazz vocal tour de force on Roxanne, by the Police.
The evening's climax featured the star in full cop attire for his out and proud hit Outside, which parodies his 1998 bust for lewd conduct in a public place. A three-song encore ended, appropriately, with Michael's anthemic 1984 Wham! hit Freedom.
From Fast Love to last, George Michael rewards fans
Melbourne Concert - Media Reviews
George Michael wows Melbourne in concert at Etihad Stadium
How amazing was George Michael's Melbourne show on Wednesday night? Amazing enough to forgive him calling us 'Sydney'. Three times.
Michael's well-documented recreational activities may have robbed him of his short-term and geographical memory, but it certainly hasn't hurt his performance.
George Michael hasn't played live in Melbourne since 1988. He made up for lost time as 47,000 fans had their patience rewarded with a spectacular sold out show at Etihad Stadium. It constantly reminded you that beyond the headlines George Michael is a true superstar and one of the finest songwriters and performers of our generation.
To think the poxy NAB Cup almost caused this tour to bypass Melbourne is now ludicrous. Especially considering Melbourne is the last stop on his four-year greatest hits world tour. "Melbourne you are definitely the last show," Michael said, correcting his earlier glitch. "114 shows and you have the last show. I can't think of a better place to have done this show."
The singer - who had a teleprompter with lyrics to jog his memory if needed - also joked about his media reputation as a stoner. "I'm doing well for a drug addict," Michael said. "If I'm a functioning drug addict I'm the best functioning drug addict you'll ever meet."
Back on his last visit 22 years ago, George Michael was a sex symbol wooing women and enjoying the peak of his fame with the million-selling Faith album. In 2010 the women realise they're no longer in with a chance. So does Michael - in the Wham! classic Everything She Wants (one of the few tracks from his hetero period) the superstar laughs "yeah right" after singing "I guess I must have loved you because I said you were the perfect girl for me."
Michael's songs have endured - and endeared - for over 25 years. This lengthy concert saw Michael move from classy ballads (Father Figure, One More Try) to the dance anthems Flawless, Too Funky and Outside and even Wham!'s pop gem I'm Your Man. The man sweats classic songs (Careless Whisper, Fastlove, Freedom 90, Faith, Amazing) and even joked about the weather that left Etihad's roof open: "For an Englishman this is hot."
The star even finds time for other people's songs - a jazzy take on the Police's Roxanne and the vocal showcase of Nina Simone's Feeling Good - when fans could instantly name 15 of his own songs he could have played instead.
If the rumours are true and Michael will no longer tour at stadium level, Melbourne was left with an example of how it should be done.
George Michael wows Melbourne in concert at Etihad Stadium
47,000 have faith for George's final world tour
George Michael, Etihad Stadium
It was worth the wait. That seemed the audible verdict of the sold-out crowd of 47,000 that filled Etihad Stadium last night for the return of pop superstar George Michael. He has only toured Australia once as a solo artist, in 1988, and in 1985 as part of Wham! with Andrew Ridgely.
In an energetic, hit-laden show, Michael worked his way through his extraordinary back catalogue. At 46, his voice remains distinctive and powerful, evoking hedonistic clubs, teenage discos and rollerskating rinks for the nostalgic crowd.
During the excellent opening, Fastlove, Michael made the most dreaded faux pas an international musician can make - imploring "Sydney" to sing along with him.
The crowd quickly shrugged it off as he launched into the 1980s classics I'm Your Man and Father Figure. When he again called for Sydney's help, twice, the crowd almost turned. A parochial chant for Melbourne went up, but he was able to placate them. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting," he said.
"But after 114 shows you definitely have the last show [of the world tour]. I can't think of a better place to do this."
An elongated catwalk that snaked through half the arena on the stadium floor ensured the energetic Michael worked all angles of the crowd.
Bizarrely, midway through the show, he launched a scathing, vitriolic attack on media baron Rupert Murdoch. He also insisted he did not need to get on television and defend himself every time there was a negative tabloid report written about him. "I haven't missed one performance and haven't had one bad review," he said. "Not bad for a functioning drug addict!"
After brilliant performances of One More Try and Too Funky, the show had a 20-minute interval. This break was concluded in the most emphatic fashion, with the evocative, organ-led opening strains of Faith. Soon after, he played up his 1998 arrest in Los Angeles, wearing a police uniform for Outside.
Yet perhaps the highlight of the night was his most celebrated ballad, Careless Whisper. It was, like most of the show, stadium pop done right.
47,000 have faith for George's final world tour
George Michael, Etihad Stadium, Melbourne (March 3rd, 2010)
George Michael played the final show of his three year '25 Live' tour last night at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia in front of thousands of adoring fans.
The stage, fitting to his public image, was larger than life. Enormous screens lit up the open-air stadium with colourful animations, vintage George, supermodels and generally glamorous imagery, flanked on each side by two storey scaffolding over which the rather large band was scattered.
The show had a strong opening, with the acoustic ballad 'Waiting (Reprise)' being sung from the side of stage. Michael entered with the line "here I am" to rapturous applause before launching into the 1996 megamix of 'Fastlove' and Wham!'s 'I'm Your Man'. "I’m not a cruel man," Michael claims before playing the Wham! original. "I know this is what you want to hear."
The gig bounced between pumping club hits to ballads that saw the crowd remarkably attentive, but like Michael's recorded career, he is in his prime when he is playing pop anthems.
It’s striking to hear pop classics such as 'Faith' or Wham!'s 'Everything She Wants' (the latter being a definite highlight) in the same concert as Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good' or The Police's 'Roxanne' (which were undoubtedly the lowlights of the concert). The diversity sometimes meant ballads would come in the middle of an audience high, but as a whole it was well balanced.
The second set was much more club focused, with 2004's 'Amazing', 'Flawless (Go To The City)' and 2008's 'Outside' temporarily turning Etihad Stadium into a gigantic nightclub.
The two sets ended with thumping bang, leaving room for two encores of one song each. The epitome of 1980s saxophone, 'Careless Whisper', followed by the epic 1990 hit 'Freedom 90' sent thousands of adoring fans leaving the stadium with one of the two songs stuck in their head.
Sure, the band didn't seem to be doing much (particularly during the club set), and Michael referred to us Melbournians as "Sydney" not once, not twice but THREE TIMES (he later joked that "Sydney is my monitor engineer, I was saying 'turn it up, Sydney, I can't hear!'") and sometimes there might have been one ballad too many for my attention-span-challenged generation but Michael's larger than life stage and constant flurry of hits made the final night of the three year tour a night to remember.
George Michael, Etihad Stadium, Melbourne (March 3rd, 2010)
George Michael will perform three 'exclusive, one-off shows' in Australia in February and March 2010. The first one in Perth at Burswood Dome on Saturday 20 February, before heading to Sydney to perform at the Sydney Football Stadium on Friday 26 February. Next, George Michael will perform at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on Wednesday, March 3, 2010.
