George Michael - 25Live 2007

2009-02-06T03:07:00.000-08:00

12 May 2007 Est.Cidade de Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
18 May 2007 NRGI Park Aarhus Denmark
19 May 2007 NRGI Park Aarhus Denmark
23 May 2007 Népstadion Budapest Hungary
25 May 2007 Štadión Pasienky Bratislava Slovakia
28 May 2007 Stadium Lokomotiv Sofia Bulgaria
31 May 2007 National Stadium Bucharest Romania

02 June 2007 T-Mobile Arena Prague Czech Republic
06 June 2007 RDS Arena Dublin Ireland
07 June 2007 RDS Arena Dublin Ireland
09 June 2007 Wembley Stadium London England
10 June 2007 Wembley Stadium London England
12 June 2007 Carrow Road Norwich England
15 June 2007 Manchester Stadium Manchester England
17 June 2007 Hampden Park Glasgow Scotland
19 June 2007 Home Park Plymouth England
22 June 2007 Stade De France Paris France
23 June 2007 Sportpaleis Antwerp Belgium
26 June 2007 Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam Holland
29 June 2007 Globen Stockholm Sweden

01 July 2007 Hartwall Areena Helsinki Finland
05 July 2007 Olympisky Stadium Moscow Russia
06 July 2007 Olympisky Stadium Moscow Russia
09 July 2007 Olympic Stadium Kiev Ukraine
11 July 2007 Sluzewiec Racetrack Warsaw Poland
13 July 2007 Wiener Stadthalle Vienna Austria
15 July 2007 easyCredit-Stadion Nurnberg Germany
17 July 2007 Stadio Plebiscito Padova Italy
19 July 2007 Stadio Porta Elisa Lucca Italy
21 July 2007 Stadio Olimpico Rome Italy
26 July 2007 OAKA Stadium Athens Greece

01 August 2007 The Point Dublin Ireland
02 August 2007 The Point Dublin Ireland
04 August 2007 Odyssey Arena Belfast Northern Ireland

George Michael's first ever live show in Belfast on the 4th of August marked the end of the 25Live Stadium Tour 2007 in Europe. In 2007, George as always sounded sublime, ocassionally forgot a lyric, wowd his audience dancing around in jeans, and was being experienced as highly outgoing and talkative. The audience got to see stunning new graphics on the video wall and screens. Not only the show had been enhanced visually - George updated video imagery and lighting - but musically as well with some fantastic feel good beats introducing several famous George Michael songs. The stage was better and bigger, also a runway was created. Fans were extremely enthousiastic and called the second European leg of the tour even better than the first leg in 2006.

You can watch George rehearsing a bit of 'Understand' in Denmark here. Clip opens in windows media player.

Watch 2007 media news videos here.

George Michael was the first pop artist to play a concert at the new Wembley Stadium!. "To reopen the stadium," said Jim Frayling, head of music and new events at venue operator Wembley National Stadium, "we were keen to work with an act who was emotionally close to it. George Michael has a special history and affinity with the stadium."

Pictures from www.georgemichael.com - photos courtesy of Jason Fraser

George Michael to rock new Wembley
George Michael makes history at Wembley

You can watch, re-live George re-opening the historic Wembley Stadium, by clicking here.

Other Tour News:

Accident forces George Michael to cancel Prague gig
George Michael Sings "Freedom" for Bulgaria's Nurses in Libya
Bulgarian Nurses Freed!
George Michael to give concert receipts to kids with leukemia

It has been a long wait for the US fans, but George Michael announced his North America summer 2008 tour! Check out dates for United States and Canada here, which also has a link to the 25Live 2008 blog (in media section).

25Live Stage Design

The stage design of George Michael’s 25Live tour, is centered around a ‘ski slope’ LED video screen which flows onto the stage and beyond. So who paid a visit to one of George Michael’s concerts was not only treated to a fantastic performance by George himself, but could also behold this magnificent and with care designed award winning stage element. This stage element has come about as a result of a concept by show and light designer Willie Williams and was devised and developed by Belgian company XL Video in conjunction with, among others, Barco.

XL Video has worked with specialists of Barco, a company that provides LED modules for the 25Live tour, designing and engineering the video screen of which the concept came from Willie Williams.

This unique screen is made up from over 3000 ' MiStrip ' LED modules, a quantity which is necessary to obtain such high resolution, needed for a spectacular visual impact when playing videos and graphical effects.

The MiStrip is a linear LED screen element, a strip of pixels, that can be combined in any shape and quantity to make up any size and form of LED screens. With 25Live the elements have been combined as such that they form a screen that flows down onto the stage and beyond via concave and convex curves, which creates a stunning visual element. Also the screen is so strong that George can simply stand and even dance on it.

Another stage element in the 25Live stage setting is the three-tier platform on either side of the video screen. It accommodates the musicians.

About Willie Williams
Designer Willie Williams (video staging design/direction), had been initially approached to oversee the whole design of the 25Live show, but due to his intensive involvement with U2’s tour, Willie restricted himself to the overall design concept and video content creation. He left lighting and set details to other people. More about the co-operation between George and Willie, Willie’s work, and an equipment and crew/designers list, is to be read here.

About XL Video
Belgian XL Video was formed in the year 1996 and has quickly established itself as the international market leader in the field of video production for trade shows, outdoor events, indoor events, concert touring and television shows. This international organisation is the worlds leading rental supplier of video display systems with indoor and outdoor LED screens as well as having one of the largest fleets of high-brightness projectors and camera systems.

Pictures from Digital Antics

Links
XL Video
Willie Williams
Digital Antics
Barco
Digico

Links to articles
Productionprofile with pictures by Professional Digital Console - Thanks to Olivier from France!
Mic me up before you go go
Willie Williams Wins Creative Review Award Using Barco Creative LED Modules
Mojo Barriers with George Michael for First Wembley Stadium Concert
Willie Williams wins Creative Review award for outstanding design using Barco creative LED modules
Barco’s Creative LED Modules Set Stage for George Michael
XL gets Live 25 with George Michael
George Michael on Tour with Sennheiser
Three D5s for 25 Live
Wigwam Acoustics Stocks Up with Van Damme Cable for George Michael Tour
Total Solutions Group Hog the Stage
XL Video wins TPi Award
DiGiCo D5 Makes George Michael’s Live Broadcast Straightforward

25Live Tour Band

Chris Cameron - Musical Director & Arranger
Danny Cummings - Percussion
Phil Palmer - Guitars
Andy Hamilton - Sax
Steve Walters - Bass
Mike Brown - Guitars
Carlos Hercules - Drums
Graham Kearns - Guitars
Luke Smith - Keyboards
Lincoln Jean-Marie - Backing Vocals
Jay Henry - Backing Vocals
Shirley Lewis - Backing Vocals
Lori Perry - Backing Vocals
Sharon Perry - Backing Vocals
Lucy Jules - Backing Vocals

This is the 25Live Tour Band. According to George the best band in the whole world! You can get to know a little more about each of them and/or their work by clicking on their names.

Links to articles:
Romanian News Article
Romanian News Article
Italian Article

Above pictures from www.georgemichael.com
and www.carloshercules.com

Portugal

2009-02-06T03:06:00.001-08:00

12 May 2007 - Coimbra

Stadium: Estadio Cidade de Coimbra

Support Act: The Fingertips

Main Set: Waiting, Flawless, Fastlove, Precious Box, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Ticking, Praying For Time, Too Funky, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Faith, Spinning The Wheel, An Easier Affair, Jesus to a Child, Amazing, I’m Your Man, Outside

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comments: George dedicates 'Freedom' to his father's partner who has her birthday.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
George Michael comemorou 25 anos de carreira em Coimbra
George Michael em Coimbra: Um mundo pop e visual
George Michael em Coimbra
News - video

Fan Videos:

Praying For Time - Live in Portugal

Ticking - Live in Portugal

Fastlove - Live in Portugal

More videos from Portugal

Denmark

2009-02-06T03:05:00.002-08:00

18 May 2007 - Aarhus

Stadium: NRGi Park

Opening Act: Grand Avenue

Support Act: Sandi Thom

Main Set: Waiting, Flawless, Fastlove, Precious Box, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Ticking, Praying For Time, Too Funky, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Faith, Spinning The Wheel, An Easier Affair, Jesus to a Child, Amazing, I’m Your Man, Outside

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: George wears dark jeans during the show with a black, and after the break, purple blazer. He talks a lot to his audience which is very appreciated by his fans. George introduces the Elton John cover 'Ticking' with a rather harsh 'speech' about Virginia Tech.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
George Michael væltede Århus
George Michael leverede luksus uden lir
George Michael med Grand Avenue og Sandi Thom
'Here I Am'
"George Michael er Gud"
Gorgeous George gets it on outside

Rehearsing 'Understand' - media player item
George Arriving at Hotel - media player item

Soundcheck - Denmark 2007

Fan Videos:

Waiting & Flawless - Live in Denmark

Star People - Live in Denmark

Too Funky - Live in Denmark

Concert Fragments - Live in Denmark

More videos from Denmark

19 May 2007 - Aarhus

Stadium: NRGi Park

Opening Act: Grand Avenue

Support Act: Sandi Thom

Main Set: Waiting, Flawless, Fastlove, Precious Box, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Ticking, Praying For Time, Too Funky, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Faith, Spinning The Wheel, An Easier Affair, Jesus to a Child, Amazing, Outside

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: George does not play 'I'm Your Man' tonight.

Media Reviews:
Soloshow i king-size

Fan Videos:

Fastlove - Live in Denmark

Freedom - Live in Denmark

Hungary

2009-02-06T03:05:00.001-08:00

23 May 2007 - Budapest

Stadium: Népstadion (Puskás Ferenc-stadion)

Support Act: Club 54

Main Set: Waiting, Flawless, Fastlove, Precious Box, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Ticking, Praying For Time, Too Funky, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Faith, Spinning The Wheel, An Easier Affair, Jesus to a Child, Amazing, I’m Your Man, Outside

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Media Reviews:
Diszkó slágerek és balladák George Michael előadásában
George Michael zeigt sich in Bestform

Fan Videos:

Freedom 90 - Live in Budapest

Waiting (reprise) - Live in Budapest

Precious Box - Live in Budapest

Faith - Live in Budapest

Outside - Live in Hungary

More videos from Hungary

Slovakia

2009-02-06T02:10:00.001-08:00

25 May 2007 - Bratislava

Stadium: Štadión Pasienky (Inter Football Stadium)

Main Set: Waiting, Flawless, Fastlove, Precious Box, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Ticking, Praying For Time, Too Funky, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Faith, Spinning The Wheel, An Easier Affair, Jesus to a Child, Amazing, I’m Your Man, Outside

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Media Reviews: (if still available)
George Michael prvýkrát na Slovensku
Bratislavský Inter roztancoval George Michael
Na Georgea Michaela čakal aj George Michael
Bratislavský Inter roztancoval George Michael
Michaelova šou bola ako z cédečka
Bratislavský Inter roztancoval George Michael
TV News - George Michael prvýkrát koncertoval na Slovensku - video
TV News item - George Michael vypredal futbalový štadión - video
News Item - video
George arriving in Slovakia - video

Fan Videos:

Flawless - Live in Slovakia

I'm Your Man - Live in Slovakia

Careless Whisper - Live in Slovakia

More videos from Slovakia

Bulgaria

2009-02-06T01:54:00.000-08:00

28 May 2007 - Sofia

Stadium: Lokomotiv Stadium

Support Act: Grafa and Maria Ilieva

Main Set: Waiting, Flawless, Fastlove, Precious Box, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Ticking, Praying For Time, Too Funky, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Faith, Spinning The Wheel, An Easier Affair, Jesus to a Child, Amazing, Outside

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: This concert is part of the campaign 'You Are Not Alone'. George Michael wears a red, white and green ribbon - the country's national colours and a symbol of the initiative. 'Freedom' is dedicated to the jailed medics. George does not play 'I'm Your Man'.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
George Michael Stops the Rain in Sofia
George Michael joins international campaign to free Bulgarian nurses in Libya
Джордж Майкъл пя в София с лентичка „Не сте сами”
20 000 пяха с Джордж Майкъл на стадион “Локомотив”
Голямото турне на George Michael мина през София
Джордж Майкъл посвети "Freedom" на българските медици в Либия
Freedom за сестрите!
Джордж. Оргазъм на стадиона
Freedom за сестрите!
George Michael: Free the Bulgarian Nurses Now

Fan Videos:

Jesus To A Child - Live in Bulgaria

Freedom - Live in Bulgaria

Careless Whisper - Live in Bulgaria

Too Funky - Live in Bulgaria

More videos from Bulgaria

Romania

2009-02-06T01:47:00.000-08:00

31 May 2007 - Bucharest

Stadium: Stadionul Lia Manoliu (National Stadium)

Support Act: Loredana Groza and Trupa SIMPLU

Main Set: Waiting, Flawless, Fastlove, Precious Box, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Praying For Time, Too Funky, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Faith, Spinning The Wheel, An Easier Affair, You Have Been Loved, Amazing, I’m Your Man, Outside

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: This night George sings 'You Have Been Loved' which he dedicates to David Austin, best friend and co-writer of the song. 'Ticking' and 'Jesus To A Child' are not on the setlist tonight.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
George Michael a facut show de zile mari
Incendiar - George Michael la Bucuresti

Romania a cantat "Freedom" alaturi de George Michael
30.000 de romani, vrajiti de show-ul lui George Michael

Fan Videos:

Father Figure - Live in Romania

More videos from Romania

Czech Republic

2009-02-06T01:46:00.003-08:00

02 June 2007 - Prague

CANCELLED

"George Michael is profoundly saddened and apologises to all his fans"

The Concert, scheduled for today, June 2nd 2007 for Prague T-Mobile Arena has been cancelled, due a serious accident of a lorry with equipment on the road from Bucharest to Prague.

Most of the technical equipment had arrived at the venue and was ready for use. Unfortunately, a big part of the special stage was stuck at the broken truck and even with the best effort it was not possible to replace it in time.

George Michael, who already arrived with his team in Prague last night, is very unhappy and apologies to all his fans.

Accident forces George Michael to cancel Prague gig

Ireland

2009-02-06T01:46:00.001-08:00

06 June 2007 - Dublin

Stadium: RDS Arena

Support Act: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Main Set: Waiting, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Flawless, My Mother Had A Brother, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Freedom 90, Idol, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: George dresses up as a police officer and sings 'Outside' straight after the interval. Tonight a few changes in the setlist. 'The Edge Of Heaven' is on the setlist, as well as the Elton John cover 'Idol' and the beautiful personal 'My Mother Had A Brother'. In contrary to previous shows, George does not sing 'An Easier Affair' and 'Precious Box'.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
Charismatic star stirs feet and memories
George Michael live at the RDS, Dublin

Picture by Mollie

Fan Videos:

Officer George - Live in Ireland

More videos from Ireland

07 June 2007 - Dublin

CANCELLED

One of George Michael’s trucks had a major crash whilst driving from Bucharest to Prague, resulting in the Prague show having to be cancelled last Saturday.The very experienced technical crew have achieved temporary repairs so that tonight’s show in Dublin may go ahead. However, in order not to jeopardise the rest of the tour dates, a measured decision has been taken to postpone tomorrow night’s show, in order that full repairs may be completed whilst the equipment is in the UK – where it was built, and therefore where all components are available to achieve the re-build.

It is with great regret that George has accepted this decision, as the fans in Ireland have given him such wonderful support and incredible receptions during his recent visits – Their singing is something he will never forget. Therefore, it is planned to replace tomorrow night’s show later in the tour. Show is rescheduled: August 1st and 2nd 2007, The Point, Dublin.

01 August 2007 - Dublin

Arena: The Point

Main Set: Song To The Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, An Easier Affair, My Mother Had A Brother, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, Amazing, I'm Your Man, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: The show starts with a technical hitch. After 5 minutes the problems are resolved and George starts his fantastic show. 'My Mother Had A Brother' is on the setlist tonight.

Videos from Ireland

02 August 2007 - Dublin

Arena: The Point

Main Set: Song To The Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, An Easier Affair, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, Amazing, I'm Your Man, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Fan Videos:

Amazing - Live in Ireland

Father Figure - Live in Ireland

England

2009-02-06T01:45:00.000-08:00

09 June 2007 - London

Stadium: Wembley Stadium

Support Act: Guilty Pleasures

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Flawless, You Have Been Loved, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Freedom 90, Idol, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: George is the first pop artist to play a concert at the new Wembley Stadium. Channel 4 is broadcasting parts of the concert on national tv. George takes the opportunity to express his feelings (in about 5 words) about the recent media coverage of his person, but it appears to be cut out of the broadcast. He had enough fans in the 90,000 seater stadium who did get his message though. 'Freedom 90' is being played twice this night just like in Dublin. George opens the second half of the show in police outfit singing 'Outside'. Tonight both 'You Have Been Loved' and 'Jesus To A Child' are on the setlist.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
Michael makes history at Wembley
George Is First To Play At New Wembley
George Is First To Play At New Wembley
George Michael kicks off London's new Wembley Stadium
Wembley gig an honour, says George
Wembley deserves headline billing
George Michael kicks off London's new Wembley Stadium
George Michael rocks Wembley - video
George Michael rocks Wembley - video
George wows 'em - video
MICHAEL THANKS FANS FOR UNWAVERING SUPPORT
George Michael bringt Wembley zum Kochen
George Michael lässt Wembley rocken
Sein kleiner Moment
Ofrece concierto George Michael en nuevo estadio de Wembley
George Michael bjöd på en historisk konsert
George Michael wijdt vernieuwde Wembley in
George Michael wijdt vernieuwde Wembley in
George Michael wows fans at Wembley
George Michael - Wembley Stadium, London
George Michael
Wembley kicks off with a Wham!
George Michael at Wembley Stadium, June 9
Upstaged by a superstar stadium
George hosts a media love-in
Watch George Michael rock London - video

Fan Videos:

Idol - Live in London

Outside - Live in London

Spinning The Wheel- Live in London

Freedom 90 - Live in London

More videos from London England

10 June 2007 - London

Stadium: Wembley Stadium

Support Act: Guilty Pleasures

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Flawless, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge Of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: Just like the first night, the 25Live show opens tonight at Wembley Stadium with 'Song to the Siren', a song written by Tim Buckley. George tells his fans he forgot to mention the night before the 11th anniversary of meeting his partner Kenny, but reveales June the 10th would do as an anniversary as well. He dedicates 'Amazing' to the man he loves, Kenny Goss.

Fan Videos:

I'm Your Man - Live in London

Praying For Time - Live in London

Jesus To A Child - Live in London

12 June 2007 - Norwich

Stadium: Carrow Road

Support Act: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Another Star, You Have Been Loved, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: Tonights show experiences several technical problems. Even so George being the professional he is, works very hard to give the fans a good show. On the setlist tonight a Stevie Wonder song called 'Another Star'. 'Jesus To A Child' is not on the setlist.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
George Michael: Why he's so Fan-tastic!
By George! Pop star rocks Carrow Road
George Michael: The review, the pictures

Fan Videos:

Too Funky - Live in Norwich

Freedom 90 - Live in Norwich

I'm Your Man - Live in Norwich

Support Act: Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Live in Norwich

More videos from Norwich England

15 June 2007 - Manchester

Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium

Support Act: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Another Star, You Have Been Loved, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: It's raining all evening. Everybody gets wet including George, despite that the atmospere is fantastic. George comments on the very wet conditions by saying how it all looks like a wet t-shirt contest in the City of Manchester Stadium. Another great concert.

Fan Videos:

Song to the Siren - Live in Manchester

Another Star - Live in Manchester

Outside - Live in Manchester

More videos from Manchester England

19 June 2007 - Plymouth

Stadium: Home Park

Support Act: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Another Star, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: Due to technical problems the concert is running late. Nonetheless George Michael grants his fans again a spectaculair show.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
Wham! George wows Plymouth crowd

Fan videos:

Concert Opening - Live in Plymouth

More videos from Plymouth England

Scotland

2009-02-06T01:16:00.003-08:00

17 June 2007 - Glasgow

Stadium: Hampden Park

Support Act: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Another Star, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: George again dedicates 'Amazing' tonight to Kenny Goss adding that if it wasn't for him he wouldn't be standing here today. Also, like other nights, 'Jesus To A Child' is dedicated to Anselmo Feleppa. 'Another Star' by Stevie Wonder is still on the setlist, working very well for George and the audience. Main Set closer 'The Edge of Heaven' has great audience participation.

Media Reviews:
George Michael, Hampden Stadium, Glasgow
Keeping the faith in a pop icon pays off
Live music? Pass the pink Stetson

Fan Videos:

Outside- Live in Scotland

The Edge of Heaven - Live in Scotland

Too Funky - Live in Scotland

More videos from Scotland

France

2009-02-06T01:16:00.001-08:00

22 June 2007 - Paris

Stadium: Stade De France

Support Act: David Guetta

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Another Star, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Fan Videos:

Jesus To A Child - Live in France

Flawless - Live in France

Outside - Live in France

More videos from France

Belgium

2009-02-06T01:15:00.002-08:00

23 June 2007 - Antwerp

Arena: Sportpaleis

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Another Star, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: George sounds very good tonight. The setlist is the same as the last few shows. George finishes his show with 'Freedom 90' saying it is the last song for a long time.

Fan Videos:

Song To The Siren - Live in Belgium

Another Star - Live in Belgium

Spinning The Wheel - Live in Belgium

Praying For Time - Live in Belgium

George has got to say Hi to PlanetGeorge.org

Videos from Alice The Malice
More videos from Belgium

The Netherlands

2009-02-06T01:15:00.001-08:00

26 June 2007 - Amsterdam

Stadium: Amsterdam ArenA

Support Act: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Precious Box, Another Star, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot the Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning the Wheel, Flawless, Jesus to a Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: Party time - that's right! The concert comes one day after George's 44th birthday. The audience and the 25Live tour band suprise George with a little Happy Birthday Medley! George is in top form tonight, and his vocals are purely outstanding! 'Precious Box' is on the setlist. Fans say that tonight is one of the best shows they have ever seen.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
25 jaar George Michael: ENTERTAINER 1 – ARTIEST 0
George Michael is nu beter bij stem dan ooit

Fan Videos:

Live in Amsterdam - Happy Birthday Dear George

Freedom 90- Live in Amsterdam

Fastlove - Live in Amsterdam

Everything She Wants - Live in Amsterdam

George Michael Live in Amsterdam

More videos from Amsterdam

Sweden

2009-02-06T01:14:00.002-08:00

29 June 2007 - Stockholm

Arena: Globen

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Precious Box, Everything She Wants, Another Star, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot the Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning the Wheel, Flawless, Jesus to a Child, An Easier Affair, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: For the first time in this Stadium Tour, 'Father Figure' is not on the setlist. 'Precious Box' and 'An Easier Affair' are both on the setlist tonight. George continues to knock his audience off their feet, with brilliant vocals and a relaxed appearance.

Media Reviews:
Stark show under diskobollen
Räddas av finalen
Kladdiga ballader i snygg kostym

Fan Videos:

Star People - Live in Sweden

Precious Box - Live in Sweden

More videos from Sweden

Finland

2009-02-06T01:14:00.001-08:00

01 July 2007 - Helsinki

Arena: Hartwall Areena

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, Another Star, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot the Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning the Wheel, Flawless, Jesus to a Child, An Easier Affair, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: 'Father Figure' is back again on the setlist.

Media Reviews:
George Michael pisti Areenan liikkeeseen
George Michael poikaystävänsä kanssa Helsingissä
George Michael hurmasi Areenan
Glitter, extas och en hund
Keikka-arvio: ”Siistii nähdä George Michael livenä”
George Michael käis soomlasi hullutamas

Fan Videos:

Father Figure - Live in Finland

More videos from Finland

Russia

2009-02-06T01:13:00.002-08:00

05 July 2007 - Moscow

Stadium: Olympisky Stadium

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, An Easier Affair, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: 'Another Star' is not on the setlist tonight.

Media Reviews: (if still available)

Translation Site!
Московский концерт Джорджа Майкла собрал 20 тысяч зрителей
Джордж Майкл показал в Москве двухчасовое шоу своего уровня
Джордж Майкл дал концерт в Москве
Концерт Джорджа Майкла в Москве собрал более 20 тысяч человек
На московский концент Джорджа Майкла пришли 20 тысяч человек
Фееричное шоу Джорджа Майкла
На московский концерт Джордж Майкл пригласил онкологов
Белые против красных
Джордж Майкл в Москве
Ой, держите меня, мамочки!
«Король Джордж» на сцене «Олимпийского»
Джордж Майкл привез в Москву Буша

Fan Videos:

Faith - Live in Moscow

More videos from Moscow

06 July 2007 - Moscow

Stadium: Olympisky Stadium

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, An Easier Affair, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: Part of receipts from tonight's concert will be donated to a charity foundation helping children with leukemia.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
Джордж Майкл доказал свое звание «короля музыки»
В Украине нашелся родственник Джорджа Майкла
Аншлаг ему в руки
Море позитива
Король и Кирилл
По долгу любви

Fan Video:

Amazing - Live in Moscow

More videos from Moscow

Ukraine

2009-02-06T01:13:00.001-08:00

Poland

2009-02-06T01:12:00.002-08:00

11 July 2007 - Warsaw

Stadium: Sluzewiec Racetrack

Support Act: Kasia Cerekwicka and Novika

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, An Easier Affair, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Media Reviews:
Wczoraj na warszawskim Służewcu po raz pierwszy w Polsce wystąpił George Michael
George Michael porwał tłumy
40 tysięcy fanów z George'em Michaelem
Mr. Sex gra na Służewcu - video
George Michael: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah....

Fan Videos:

Jesus To A Child - Live in Poland

Outside - Live in Poland

More videos from Poland

Austria

2009-02-06T01:12:00.001-08:00

13 July 2007 - Vienna

Stadium: Wiener Stadthalle

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, An Easier Affair, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Media Reviews: (if still available)
George Michael gab Wien-Konzert
25live - George Michael at his best in Wien
Großmeister des Pop, Zeremonienmeister der Gefühle

Fan Videos:

Careless Whisper - Live in Austria

Faith - Live in Austria

More videos from Austria

Germany

2009-02-06T01:11:00.000-08:00

15 July 2007 - Nurnberg

CANCELLED

Unbeknownst to George Michael and the 25 Live tour, the local Nurnberg promoter has cancelled the concert scheduled for 15th July at Easy Credit Stadion in Nurnberg, Germany.

The promoter will be issuing refunds to customers who have their concert tickets for this show.

The George Michael Fanclub will issue refunds to fanclub members who purchased tickets for this cancelled event.

George Michael extends his regrets to his fans that he will not be bringing the 25 Live tour to Nurnberg.

www.georgemichael.com

Italy

2009-02-06T01:10:00.000-08:00

17 July 2007 - Padova

Stadium: Stadio Plebiscito

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, An Easier Affair, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Media Reviews: (if still available)
George Michael, l’ultimo of the divi
George Michael in trionfo a Padova
Partito il tour italiano di George Michael
25 Live

Videos from Padova Italy

19 July 2007 - Lucca

Stadium: Stadio Porta Elisa

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, You Have Been Loved, Faith, Amazing, I'm Your Man

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: Tonight 'An Easier Affair' and 'The Edge of Heaven' are not on the setlist. George sings 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' for the first time on this second leg of the tour.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
George Michael: I'm Your Man
Tredicimila per George Michael: cronaca di un successo annunciato

Fan Videos:

George Michael Live in Lucca

Outside - Live in Lucca

More videos from Lucca Italy

21 July 2007 - Rome

Stadium: Stadio Olimpico

Main Set: Song to the Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, An Easier Affair, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, I'm Your Man, Amazing, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Media Reviews: (if still available)
George Michael, ancora re del pop

Fan Videos:

Jesus To A Child - Live in Rome

Star People - Live in Rome

More videos from Rome Italy

Greece

2009-02-06T01:09:00.000-08:00

26 July 2007 - Athens

Stadium: OAKA Stadium (Athens Olympic Stadium)

Support Act: Mikael Delta

Main Set: Song To The Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, An Easier Affair, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, Amazing, I'm Your Man, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: Tonight 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' is on the setlist. It is apparent that George has Greek Cypriotic roots. George talks a bit in his best Greek, is thrilled to hear his Greek fans pronounce his name (Georgios) correctly, and also he puts his family in the spotlights, literally, and has a stadium full of fans waving at them. After Careless Whisper George appears back on stage carrying the Greek national flag around his shoulder. Carlos Hercules has his birthday today and George asks his audience to help him sing 'Happy Birthday' to the drummer of the 25live band.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
"Γλυκόπικρη γεύση" άφησε ο George Michael
Κόσμος και κοσμάκης στη συναυλία του George Michael
Thank you "Yorgos"!
George Michael at Ολυμπιακό Στάδιο
Áðïèåþèçêå ï George Michael!
Η πιο "Amazing" συναυλία...!
George Michael Live
George Michael Live

Fan Videos:

Flawless - Live in Greece

George Michael live in Greece

First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Live in Greece

More videos from Greece

Northern Ireland

2009-02-06T01:08:00.000-08:00

04 August 2007 - Belfast

Arena: Odyssey Arena

Main Set: Song To The Siren, Fastlove, Too Funky, Father Figure, Everything She Wants, An Easier Affair, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Praying For Time, Star People, Shoot The Dog - interval - Outside, Spinning The Wheel, Flawless, Jesus To A Child, Faith, Amazing, I'm Your Man, The Edge of Heaven

Encore: Careless Whisper, Freedom 90

Comment: Exactly one year after the start of the rehearsals for the tour, George ends his 80-date 25Live European tour here in Belfast. It is an emotional night, and a fantastic atmosphere in the Odyssey Arena. George finally gives credits to his full crew, people who have worked their asses off for the last year. Also every bandmember is thanked extensively.

Media Reviews: (if still available)
By George, what a show!

Fan Videos:

Amazing - Live in Northern Ireland

More videos from Belfast Northern Ireland

2009-02-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

Well it just goes to show, doesn’t it? Never say never, because hell freezes over on a regular basis. I truly believed that tonight would never happen, that I would never sing these songs to you again. But then, I’m a fool, which you have probably worked out by now. My apologies for being such a tease, but believe me, I am going to make it up to you tonight. By the time you leave tonight, you will have forgiven me for 15 years of silence.

Well, almost……

With all my love and thanks,

George Michael / x

The first time that I met George Michael, he was standing on the roof terrace of a record company office. We were five floors above South Molton Street, one of London’s most opulent shopping thoroughfares. As a cub reporter for New Musical Express, I was there to talk to George and his musical partner Andrew Ridgeley. It was May 1982, and the two teenagers were about to unleash their debut single as Wham!.

The record, ‘Wham! Rap (Enjoy what you do?)’, was driven along by a pulsating bass riff, and stressed the importance of keeping your soul intact in spite of the hardships of youth unemployment. It already sounded like a breath of fresh air in a stagnant music scene. Punk was, by this time, irrelevant and even the new romantic groups of the early Eighties were beginning to sound tired. If Britain was on the lookout for something new and invigorating, the two young guns on the roof of Innervision Records might just be the boys to provide it. As with many of the acts I interviewed for the paper then – ABC, Human League, Haircut 100, The Cure, Bananarama, Madness and The Specials – my page feature on Wham! wasn’t just the band’s first NME piece. It was almost certainly their first piece of press anywhere. Keen to grasp the nettle, they were quickly out of the starting blocks, with George telling me the importance of the duo’s tongue-in-cheek humour and Andrew emphasising how Wham! Rap had developed from a disco parody into a harder, more aggressive record ready to take on the world on its own terms.

‘Our first single was made around the time of the early Eighties Brit-funk movement,’ says George now, looking back. ‘We were trying to sound American and not quite managing it. But I listened back to the original Wham! Rap recently, and it’s really quite a heavy sounding record, especially the 12-inch version. When we made it, we were listening to ‘Tears Are Not Enough’ by ABC, which had a really heavy bottom end, their toughest record really, and I think that’s reflected in the sound we got.’

Those were heady days for George and Andrew. They were heady days for British pop in general. The bands who made it big at home were virtually guaranteed an Access All Areas pass to the American charts, too. And if Wham! Rap failed to make the British Top 40 the first time around – it peaked at a measly No. 45 – there could be no doubting the impact of its sequel, ‘Young Guns (Go For It!)’, which gave the duo their first Top Ten hit just three months later. As a committed champion of Wham! in those far-off days, I can remember making Young Guns my NME Single Of The Week – along with Musical Youth’s subsequent chart-top-per Pass The Dutchie! – writing that it was easily ‘the most contemporary record around’. Wham! undoubtedly had something going for them, as their explosive debut Top Of The Pops appearance a few weeks later would prove. Once things started to happen for them, they started to happen quickly. Just over a year previously, George and Andrew had been classmates at a comprehensive school in Bushey, Herts: now they were on a journey that was about to make them one of the biggest groups around the world.

‘We weren’t the first of the post-punk bands,’ says George of Wham!’s role in the era’s pop explosion. ‘I think Haircut 100 and ABC just preceded us. But we wanted to take it a stage further, because we wanted to be funny, too. It’s strange really. It shows just how much we underestimated ourselves as a duo that we thought we had to be funny to get anywhere. In 1982, there wasn’t much comedy in records. The whole new romantic thing was very aloof and cliquey. We were never cool enough for that.’

‘The early Eighties was the last era where you could flip from being one thing to being something else almost overnight. You could be a soul-boy one day and a mod the next. I remember Andrew as a soul-boy who walked into the Sixth Form common room wearing a parka with a target painted on the back. The trouble was he still had his long soul-boy hair! The naïveté of being able to do that just doesn’t exist anymore. It was the same with me. One day, I was a mod who listened to ska and wearing second-hand suits from the Sue Ryder shop. I used to get picked on by skinheads, and can remember when one of them rubbed chips into my jacket! Then within minutes, or so it seemed, I was wearing a ridiculous zoot suit that made me look three feet tall.´

George Michael is sitting opposite me in the conservatory of his London home. It is 24 years since our first meeting on that West End veranda. It is also one of the hottest days of the year. On the journey up through North London, the car radio had been playing ‘Club Tropicana’, one of Wham!’s early hits. Over two decades on from its original release, the song’s sunny, upbeat flavour resonated pretty much in the same way as it did back then. George Michael, on the other hand, is a changed man. The passing years have been good to him. He has sold 80 million records, written songs that have entranced millions, notched up a string of chart-topping singles and albums around the globe and played some of the most momentous concerts in pop history. Since leaving Wham! to embark on a solo career in 1986, he has inadvertently established the template for every Bryan, Ryan, Ronan and Gary who abandoned the security blanket of a bubblegum pop existence in search of a longer-term career and some appreciation as a serious singer-songwriter. The intervening years have also been tough, though. He has had wrangles with record companies and brushes with the law. He has had personal upheavals and suffered the trauma of losing loved ones. It has all helped to make him the man he is today.

And yet there are also ways in which this changed man is still the same as the 18-years-old who stood opposite me all those years ago. In his approach to music, there is the same scholarly dedication. In his eyes, there is the same uncompromising determination to go about things his way. And, in conversation, the old self-depracating humour is never far from the surface. And despite the efforts of those who would want us to think otherwise, George Michael is a regular guy who is pretty contented with his life.

‘People are led to believe that I’m reclusive,’ he says. ‘But I work all the time. I go to the studio every day, because I feel it’s important to be around people. I have a perfectly healthy, normal existence. It’s important to me that I’m not one of the Heat Generation celebrities. And I do that by staying out of Central London and not eating in the best restaurants. I’m one of the luckiest people I know. I’ve got a job I love after 25 years. I wrote songs that are still played on the radio. I have a wonderful partner, the house of my dreams and I’m healthy. Why should I worry if some people have the wrong impression of me? That doesn’t spill into my life. It’s taken me 25 years to get there, but my life is pleasurable in a way that it’s never been before.’

It wasn’t always this way: ‘So many truly dreadful things happened during the Nineties that I was a wreck by the end of that decade. It seemed that God had decided that my big learning curve was going to occur over those ten years, and it took a long time for me to convince myself that a really distressing part of my life was over. But, despite my fears, I worked through it.’

Having returned to the recording fray with 2004’s Patience – the most satisfying pop album of his solo career – George is now taking the plunge back into front-line live performance. 25Live is his first big international outing since 1991’s ‘Cover To Cover’ tour. That trek featured George singing his own hits alongside classics such as ‘Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone’ (originally by The Temptations), David Bowie’s ‘Fame’ and Soul II Soul’s ‘Back To Life (However Do You Want me)’. And we have to go even further back – to 1988’s Faith, his first solo tour – to find the last time he toured with a set comprising virtually all his own material.

‘It will be magical to stand in front of my own audience again,’ he says. ‘Every audience I’ve played to since 1991 has been a charity gathering made up of fans of various artists. So, for me, it will be very intense to have thousands of people who have all paid to see me. I’ve forgotten what that feels like, and I’m really excited. Having waited for so long, and having said for years that I wouldn’t tour, I know there are people who thought they’d never see this. That’s got to add something to the gig.’

George Michael’s music career since 1982 could be viewed as a series of quantum leaps. The first came in the period between the first two Wham! albums, 1983’s Fantastic and 1984’s Make It Big. With a legal wrangle resulting in an enforced lay-off, and the virtual guarantee that a progressive second album would get a favourable hearing both at home and abroad, George his heart and soul into developing his songwriting. In doing so, he came up with the dancefloor pop classics which would come to define the early Eighties, penning ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’, ‘Everything She Wants’ and ‘Freedom’ in a matter of months, and then capping it off, after the release of Make It Big, with the timeless ‘Last Christmas’. A second leap forward arrived a few years later with the first songs that he released as a solo performer. Suddenly, in addition to the pop craftsmanship of the Wham! period, there was a far greater emotional depth. The brilliant tunes were still present and correct. But, on his first solo album, 1987’s Faith, there was now a more mature, grown-up awareness, too. The dancing shoes could still be wheeled out for ‘Faith’, ‘One More Try’ and the gritty, funky ‘I Want Your Sex’. But, under that, there was evidence of a sometimes troubled, confused man ready to bear his soul in song.

‘I remember playing ‘A Different Corner’ to somebody and they said that it was beautiful – beautiful, but also pathetic,’ he laughs. ‘It was their way of saying: “My God! you do feel bad about something!” But, to be honest, one of the reasons that people have stuck with me is that they can hear that I am genuinely unhappy when I am singing a sad song. And they also like the fact that I can express unhappiness, but then go out and sing a happy song. I can celebrate the other side of life. The power is that both sides are real. You need joy in your heart to write ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’. And you need pain to write ‘A Different Corner’.

‘There is also a difference between a song like ‘Careless Whisper’ and some of the things written later. ‘Careless Whisper’ was really about an imagined sadness. The truth was that I’d been cheating on one girl with this other girl – but I wasn’t particularly sad about it! I was too young to understand how reckless I was. It was a precocious and imagined sadness. But, by the end of Wham!, I was genuinely sad. I had the creeping realisation that I was gay and had painted myself into a corner. And there was also the growing understanding that fame wasn’t going to make me happy in any way. I was very proud of what we’d done and massively grateful for the privileges that went with it. But I also realised that fame wasn’t going to fill the hole, and I was too young to realise what would fill it. So I just felt incredible loneliness. As much as anything, that was why Wham! split up.’

As George’s solo career unfurled, those big, ambitious leaps of faith and ability continued. His second solo disc, 1990’s Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, killed the Eighties stone dead, doing away with synthetic sounds in favour of a more organic, intimate feel on songs such as ‘Freedom’ and ‘Waiting For That Day’. The latter even harked back to the Sixties in referencing ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’, written by The Rolling Stones. Then, with 1996’s Older, particularly on ‘Jesus To A Child’ and ‘You have Been Loved’, George addressed the heartbreak of losing a loved one with an unparalleled power and poignancy.

‘There isn’t one song on Older that comes from a happy place,’ he says. ‘If I had written a happy song around that time, it would have been a pretence. So I achieved what I could in the state of mind I was in. Artistically, I did my absolute best there.

‘When I sing about loneliness, the words I use tend to apply equally to either sex. A lot of women say to me: “If only other men understood things like you”. I think that’s partly down to my own sexuality, but there’s more to it than that. Having had relationships with women in the past, and knowing some women pretty well because I have two sisters, I can probably write songs in a way that women can relate to. Guys can relate to me because I’m a man, but I think a lot of women do, too.’

George’s most recent album, 2004’s Patience, is the most wide-ranging record, musically and emotionally, of his solo career. Intimately sung but also cleverly constructed, its songs run from the grinding funk of ‘Freeek’ to the sophisticated soul and pop of the autobiographical ‘Round Here’. ‘Everything is there on that album,’ reflects George. ‘It has moments of real joy, because it reflects that I am with my current partner Kenny. But there were also songs which dealt with the fact that I was trying to come to terms with losing my mother. One was the best thing that has happened to me. The other was the absolute worst thing that’s happened to me.’

As he prepares to sing his own songs for his own fans for the first time in 18 years, George Michael pauses to reflect how far he has come since I first started charting his career back in 1982. We talk about some of the early Wham! shows, the ‘shuttlecock’ tour of 1983 and the magical farewell concert, The Final, in front of 72,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in 1986. George recalls that Wham! were caught so off-guard by the sudden success of the Fantastic album in 1983 that he and Andrew didn’t even have sufficient material to get them through a whole set: ‘We had to play three songs twice because we didn’t have enough stuff!’

The problem this time around, on 25Live, is slightly different. With seven studio albums, and countless singles, under his belt, George will be spoilt for choices as he puts this show together. Whichever songs he plumps for, however, his fans can rest assured that the man will be putting everything into his performance. After 25 years, he wouldn’t want it any other way.

‘Some of the Wham! songs wouldn’t sound right now,’ he says. ‘So I’m not going to be singing ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’. I don’t think I’d be able to get into the shorts, anyway. But I should be doing ‘Everything She Wants’. ‘I’m Your Man’ and ‘Edge Of Heaven’ might get a look-in, too. And, who knows, the audience at the Wembley shows around Christmas might get lucky!’

‘My voice, possibly because I haven’t been touring, is in really good shape. My speaking voice has got lower, but my overall range is still pretty much what it was. I’ve been smoking for ten years, but I’m still a tenor. Some of the falsetto may have gone, but my voice in general sounds pretty much the same as ever. Maybe that’s a product of not having trekked around the world.’

‘The visuals are going to blow people away, too. I want the shows to be more like theatre than rock ‘n’ roll, and the technology is finally available for me to realise some of the ideas that I’ve had for years. But, as much as I don’t want to disappoint those people who want to see more of my bottom, I’m going to be less of a showman and more of a singer. Madonna has made it difficult for the rest of us, but – even if I gave myself another five years – I’d never be able to fit into that bloody leotard!’

‘If I’m going to do this on a regular basis, I have to enjoy it. I’m not going to be running around like a lunatic onstage worrying whether people are excited or not. That way, it will be less stressful for me. My voice will stand up better. And people will get a much better vocal performance. As a 43-year-old, it’s not natural for me to be a showman. So I want to do what I’ve always dreamed of doing, and that’s just going out and singing. I really believe that’s what the majority of people want from me.’

By Adrian Thrills

Tour Credits

Michael Lippman - Artist Manager
Andy Stephens - Artist Manager

Ken Watts - Tour Director
Eric Barrett - Tour Manager
Mark Spring - Production Manager
Looloo Murphy - GM Tour Manager
Lisa Johnson - Assistant Tour Director
Diane Eichorst - Production Assistant
Stuart Ross - Tour Accountant
Ronnie Franklin - Security Consultant
Paul Dallanegra - Head of Security

Michelle May - G.M. Personal Assistant
Alex Georgiou - G.M. Touring Assistant

The Band
Chris Cameron - Musical Director & Arranger
Danny Cummings - Percussion
Phil Palmer - Guitars
Andy Hamilton - Sax/Keys/Ewi
Steve Walters - Bass Player
Mike Brown - Guitars
Carlos Hercules - Drums
Graham Kearns - Guitars
Luke Smith - Keyboards
Shirley Lewis - Backing Vocals
Jay Henry - Backing Vocals
Lincoln Jean-Marie - Backing Vocals
Lori Perry - Backing Vocals
Sharon Perry - Backing Vocals
Lucy Jules - Backing Vocals

Production
Willie Williams - Video Staging Design & Direction
Vince Foster - Set & Lighting Design & Operator

Scott Chase - Stage Manager
James Kelly - Show Manager
John Armitage - Backline Guitar Technician
Cyril Thomas - Backline Guitar Technician
Yard Gavrilovic - Drums & Percussion Technician
Kerry Hopwood - Pro Tools / Keyboard Technician
Ben Leach - Keyboard Technician
Bob Laverick - Assistant Show Manager

Andrew Robinson - GM Monitors
John Roden - Band Monitors
Gary Bradshaw - Front of House Sound
Don Parks - Sound Crew Chief
Simon Hall - Audio Stage Technician
Sid Rogerson - System Engineer
Johnny Sugden - Radio / RF Technician
John Shelly Smith - Lighting Crew Chief
Paul Kell - Lighting Technician
Eugene Benavidez - Motion Control
Stephane Hazebrouck - Lighting Technician
Dennis Gardner - Front Of House
Dan Wiseman - Metal Work
Jim Mills - Dimmer Man
Mike Farese - Head Rigger
Danny Machado - Rigger
Bill Macklin - Rigger
Jamie Cutler - Electrician

Andy Bramley - Video Director
Ed Jarman - Video Engineer / Crew Chief
Jean-Pierre VanLoo - Video – LED Technician
Koen Lavens - Video – LED Technician
Martin McAuley - Video – LED Technician
Rob Wick - Video – Camera Operator
Roger Nelson - Video – Camera Operator

Gregory Gish - Head Carpenter
Daniel Witmyer - Carpenter
Gino Cardelli - Carpenter
Albert Thorig - Carpenter

Michele Baylis - GM Hair / Make-up Europe
Carol Hart - GM Hair / Make-up UK
Aislinn Corcoran - Wardrobe
Amanda Bracebridge - Wardrobe Assistant
Simone Johnson - Dressing Rooms/Backstage
Rolant Jones - Trainer/Masseur
Simeon Asher - Osteopath

Simon Halfon - 25 Live Logo & Tour Book Design
George Michael - 25 Live Logo & Tour Book Design

Sarah Muir - Head Chef / Crew Chief
Rachel Franklin - Catering
Chris Clarke - Catering
Valerie Chalmers - Catering
Helen Bone - Catering
Pete Bailey - Catering

Tour Suppliers
Accountants – Stephen Marks / SRLV
Air Freight – Alan Durrant / Rock-it Cargo UK / Kevin Roach / Rock-it Cargo LA
Aircraft (GM) – Chris Chapman / Claudette Gharbi / Chapman Freeborn
Audio – Chris Hill / Wigwam Acoustics Ltd / John Fredericks / Technical Earth Ltd / James Gordon / Digico Ltd
Backstage Furniture – Graeme Dixon / GLD
Bussing – Joerg Phillip / Beat The Street
C A D Services – Peter Brungardt / Brungardt Enterprises L.L.C
Catering – Wendy Deans / Popcorn
Communication – Mike Weaver / Mike Weaver Communications
Inflatables – Robin Harries / Air Artists
Insurance – Paul Twomey / Robertson Taylor Insurance
Legal – Chris Organ / Russells & Co
Lighting – Dave Ridgeway / Neg Earth
Merchandise Design – Melanie Panayiotou
Merchandise – Jeremy Joseph / De-Lux Merchandise Ltd
Microphones/Radio In Ears – Mark Saunders / Sennheiser
Power – Anthony Hurlocker / Fourth Generation Ltd
Pre-Programming – Niall Flynn / Rupert Coulson / Pete Gleadall
Publicist – Connie Filipello
Rehearsal Spaces – Lou Hall / Lite Structures / Nunu Whiting / Music Bank / Alison Burton / Air Recording Studios / Audrey Kane / Wembley Arena
Rigging – Gavin Weatherall / Andy Bailey / The Rigging Partnership
Set Construction – Chris Cronin / Merv Thomas / Total Solutions Group
Soft Goods – Colin Hannah / Acre Jean Ltd
Stage Engineering – Neil Darrocott / Xolve Ltd
Stylist – Sumaira Lateef / SLR
Tour Passes – Mandy Cox / Publicity & Display
Tour Ticketing – Shelley Lazar / Slo Limited
Travel (G.M.) – Fran Green / Media Travel
Travel (Band and Crew) – Gary Pennicott / Media Travel
Trucking – Robert Hewett / Will Johns / Stage Trucks
Video Screens – Chris Mounsor / Phil Mercer / XL Video UK Ltd
Video Design – Frederick Opsomer / Marc Fichefet / Olivier Clybouw / Innovative Designs
Video Content – Sam Pattinson / Onedotzero
Video Content Creative – Luke Halls / Damian Hale
Video Animation – Shiv Pandya
‘Freedom ‘90’ Animation – Matt Pyke – Universal Everything
‘Outside’ Animation – Alex Rutterford / concept by Willie Williams
‘A Different Corner’ & ‘Careless Whisper’ Animation – Richard Cullen
Video Archive Consultant – Nick Bradbury
Video Design – Jason Bruges / Zena Bruges / Jon Hodges / Anna Graves / Jason Bruges Studios
Programming – Sebastian Oschatz / David Dessens / Meso
System Development – Digital Antics Ltd
Programmers – Quintin Willison and Craig Edwards
Video Archive Footage – Jonathon Ryan / Getty Images Ltd
Video Production Support – Sebastian Davey

Agent - Barrie Marshall / Doris Dixon / Marshall Arts

Promoters
Belgium – Herman Schueremans / Live Nation
Denmark – Steen Mariboe / Flemming Schmidt / DKB & Motor
France – Jackie Lombard / Interconcerts
Germany – Peter Rieger / Peter Rieger Konzertagentur
Holland – Leon Ramakers / Alison Torrance / Mojo Concerts
Ireland – Jim / Peter Aiken / Aiken Promotions
Italy – Adolfo Galli / D’Alessandro E Galli
Norway – Rune Lem / Gunnar Eide
Spain – Pino Sagliocco / Sagliocco Group
Sweden – Thomas Johansson / Ema Telstar
Switzerland – Andy Bechir / Good News
UK – Barrie Marshall / Marshall Arts

Tourbook printed in England by Hill Shorter Limited

(Note: This small collection of pictures (photos of photos) posted here doesn't do the book justice, but they are merely here to give you an impression. In the book they look far more glamorous.)

2009-02-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Everyone,

The welcome I received on the first leg of this tour totally overwhelmed me. I didn’t know that kind of experience was still possible in my life, I had become so used to my ridiculous relationship with the media. To say that the evenings spent with you changed all that would be an understatement. Thank you all so much, whether you have already seen the show or are seeing it for the first time tonight. Thank you for reminding me just how blessed I am, and have always been.

George Michael /x

When George Michael walked onstage last year at the Palau Sant Jordi, he wasn’t just embarking on the opening night of a three-month European tour. In a venue perched high on a hill above the bustling streets of Barcelona, he was also reconnecting with a devoted, expectant audience who had waited 15 years to hear him sing live again – and 18 to hear him play a show made up almost entirely of his own songs. Sporting his trademark shades, a touch of stubble and a dark, elegant two-piece suit, he walked slowly to the lip of a high-tech stage before he had even sung a note. Blowing kisses to 16,000 adoring Spanish admirers, he milked the adulation for all it was worth. It was 23rd September 2006 and the first of 49 sold-out dates on the 25Live Tour. There could be no mistaking the message: George Michael was back. A few seconds later, when he finally started to sing, the effect was even more dramatic. As the closing chords of Waiting, an appropriate introductory fanfare, faded away into the cool Catalan night and the opening beats of Flawless began, there were gasps of astonishment accompanied by the electronic flicker of a thousand mobile phones. The combination of the spectacular staging – a curved, electronically-illuminated walkway that stretched out into the crowd – and the rich, emotive tone of George’s voice left many in the venue wonder-struck. It was a moment to capture and savour. And it was just one of many such moments in a show, and a tour, which went on to entrance hundreds of thousands of fans, break attendance records and produce scenes of mutual warmth and intimacy unprecedented in Europe’s biggest arenas.

‘That first night was electrifying,’ says George, looking back. ‘It was the first purely George Michael audience I’d played in front of for a long time. And the fact that it was a Spanish crowd meant that they were particularly demonstrative. It was a remarkable experience. The most nerve-racking thing, for me, was wondering how I was going to work the stage. It all came back naturally after a while. Just as I always have a musical conversation going on in my head while I’m onstage, I have a geographical one, too. Nothing is choreographed. It just develops over a period of time. A voice in my head tells me that I haven’t been over to a certain part of the stage for a while.’

‘In terms of singing, I was also helped by the technology, I can hear myself much better onstage now. As the tour went on, I was quite surprised at how much of my old vocal range came back. My voice still has certain qualities that I thought had gone. But they were still there, just a bit rusty. Once I had been touring for three or four weeks, I was surprised at how well I could sing the older songs. Having been off the road for so long, my voice hasn’t suffered too much wear and tear.’

The 25Live set-list encompassed George’s entire career: there were songs from the Wham! Era, with ‘Everything She Wants’ and ‘I’m Your Man’ harking back to the duo he launched with old school buddy Andrew Ridgeley in 1982; there were the gentle ballads, such as ‘Jesus To A Child’ and ‘A Different Corner’, which first earmarked him as a solo artist of real substance; there was the political satire of ‘Shoot The Dog’; a wonderfully raw, soulful cover of Ewan MacColl’s ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’; and high-octane party workouts like ‘Too Funky’ and ‘Amazing’. Moreover, on tracks such as ‘Father Figure’, ‘An Easier Affair’ and ‘Outside’, there were times when George sang poignantly, honestly and self-deprecatingly about his own life and experiences. Reborn as a live performer, he was also being true to himself.

‘There was no pretence to the shows,’ he recalls. ’That’s the way I like it. I think the audiences could see me enjoying myself in a way that I hadn’t done in the past. There was something magical going on. People had waited a long time to see me, and the atmosphere everywhere was so overwhelmingly welcoming that I felt humbled by it. Even though I hadn’t toured for ages, I knew I was going to be better that I was at 25. I’m more in touch with what’s important to me.’

As the tour moved on from Mediterranean Europe to chillier northern realms –climaxing with 17 tumultuous UK concerts – the 25Live show took on a life of its own. As he reacquainted himself with the ebb and flow of live performance, George changed the set, dropping some songs and adding others in response to the reaction he got each night, feeding off the needs of his fans. ‘We ended up taking four ballads out of the show,’ he says. ‘The strongest pull became the demands of the audience. A lot of my fans might be in their late thirties and early forties, but they still want to party. I understand the value of having a party, so I started removing songs that were there for me rather than the audience. It ended up being a different show to the one I’d originally planned, but I actually enjoyed it more. By the end of the tour, the crowd were really involved, right to the back of the hall, every night. I knew that people were having the best night they’d had in a long time. These are worrying times for a lot of people. I understand what a lot of straight people experience when they get to my age. They have young children, ailing parents, and a lot of worries that I don’t have to deal with. So, to stand in a room of my peers and take them away from those worries for a couple of hours was a humbling experience. I did the last two weeks of the tour with a heavy cold, because I couldn’t bear the thought of cancelling on people who wanted to see me the week before Christmas. I didn’t miss one show. I didn’t even miss a soundcheck.’

‘There were changes in my audience since I’d last toured, too. The sea of waving mobile phones was a new one for me, and the audiences differed from country to country. There were more young fans than before, and a surprising number of gay men, especially in the Latin countries. For the first time that I can remember, there was this sea of handsome men in front of the stage. The more repressed you feel by your society, the more support you are going to give a gay artist and that was definitely the case in the Latin countries. But the crowds were great everywhere. People told me that the Swiss were going to be reserved. I was told that they were a listening crowd. But they partied just as much as everyone else.’

In its staging, 25Live was hardly a humble, low-budget affair. With George’s nine-piece band and six backing vocalists sprinkled across a series of large gantries either side of a central video screen, the special effects were never less than stunning, complementing the music perfectly. The curved, armchair-shaped screen, which ultimately stretched forward to become the floor of the stage, contained 3,000 MiStrip LED modules. Built to withstand the weight of any band members who walked across it, this metallic LED grid relayed a bewildering array of video effects and graphic displays; a sunset here; a cartoon graphic there; the flashing lights of a disco if the song demanded them.

‘Because I was so close to the effects, I couldn’t actually see them,’ says George. ‘All I could see were loose shapes moving around on the floor beneath me. I wanted the shows to be more like theatre than rock ‘n’ roll, and the technology was finally available for me to do that. We had some real geniuses working on it behind the scenes. But if you can command a room full of people without the visuals, then the special effects are a fantastic bonus. There were only a couple of nights when I wasn’t feeling on absolute top form – and then the combination of the visuals and the goodwill of the crowd were enough to stop me from falling.’

Many of 25Live’s most emotional evenings occurred when the party hit UK shores in November and December. With some of the shows also featuring guest vocalist Mutya Buena – who duetted beautifully with George on the sultry ballad This Is Not Real Love – these nights were notable for a series of ecstatic, rapturous receptions and plenty of warm onstage banter, the singer taking advantage of the first English-speaking crowds of the tour to chat more between songs.

‘After all the Latin emotion, I was worried that the British shows might be a bit cooler,’ says George. ‘But even London – Earls Court and Wembley – was simply fantastic. British audiences have changed while I’ve been away. As a nation, we are not quite as reserved as we used to be. I didn’t speak to the crowd as much during the European dates. I’m quite old-fashioned in that respect. If I had a foreign idol, I wouldn’t want to hear him speaking to me in pidgin English.’

As the tour drew towards its December climax at the revamped Wembley Arena, with Wham’s Last Christmas making the occasional appearance in the set-list, 2006’s most emphatic, heart-warming and (some would say) unlikely comeback was confirmed in style when George’s career-spanning TwentyFive album topped the British charts. But while the singer would also receive a well-deserved Brits nomination (for Best British Live act), there was one more date that he felt compelled to keep before the first instalment of his return to the stage was complete.

Prompted by the care that the nurses of the NHS had given to his mother, Lesley, during her battle against cancer in 1997, George and the 25Live team slotted in one more show, a pre-Christmas benefit concert at North London’s 2000-capacity Roundhouse. ‘There are certain promises that you make to yourself and know that you just have to keep,’ says George. ‘My mother’s death was a horrific, minute-by-minute experience. But, in the middle of all that terror, there were also these wonderful, calm people who I knew were genuinely feeling for us. I was struck by how ridiculous it was that a nurse is seen simply as another civil servant by the government, so I was really determined to do something, just to say thank you to them in general. I’ll do it again, too. Nurses are people to admire, and there are not many of those in modern life. We use their vocation as an excuse not to pay them properly. The weirdest thing about the show was that the nurses who came to The Roundhouse weren’t my usual audience. But they knew the songs, so it was a lovely way to finish the tour. I was introduced by Catherine Tate. She came onstage in character, as the nurse Bernie, and said: “the lazy feck isn’t even ready yet!”. The crowd loved that, and the whole gig had a real end of term feel to it.’

‘A lot of people on the tour were due to go back to America for Christmas, but they stayed for that show. It was a really fantastic way to wrap it all up. Ricky Gervais came along, too, and he was so impressed that he now wants to do something similar. My biggest regret about the whole tour was that it was too late for my mum to have seen it. She would have loved it. In a strange way, the Roundhouse gig was my way of involving her.’

Now, just five months after the Roundhouse show, George is doing it all again. Buoyed by the band he has now re-established with his fans, he is taking 25Live into some of Europe’s biggest stadiums. The first leg of the tour featured one stadium-sized show, in Copenhagen’s Parken Arena, where George broke the attendance record previously held by U2 and got together with 50,000 Danish fans to deliver what he describes as ‘one of the best shows of the entire tour’.

(click to enlarge)

‘Not everyone got to see me last time,’ he adds. ‘So this time we’re doing bigger places. Believe it or not, I’ve spent even more money on this one. The visuals worked brilliantly on the first tour, but now we’ve had time to work on them even more. The whole thing will be larger. There will be a walkway that will take me out to a second stage. Last time around I was excited and scared. This time I’m just excited. I just hope I can take the heat – some of the venues are going to be boiling.’

As well as open-air concerts in many of Europe’s major cities, the 25Live stadium tour will take George back to one famous venue he has visited many times before. In becoming the first act to play the new Wembley Stadium on 9th June, he will be returning to the site not only of the last Wham! gig (The Final) in 1986, but also a stage he graced at 1985’s Live Aid, 1988’s Nelson Mandela Freedom Concert, 1992’s Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert and 1999’s NetAid.

‘With the exception of The Final, my experience of playing in stadiums is largely restricted to those big benefit shows. Looking back, I can’t remember very much about The Final. I can remember Elton John coming on, but that’s about it. It’s going to be the first night at the new Wembley, so I’m sure it will be a great day. I don’t think it will be a Wham! reunion gig, though. That would create the kind of exposure that Andrew wouldn’t want. It might have worked in December, when we could have sung Last Christmas. But I asked him if he wanted to do that, and I completely understand why he didn’t want to. But at Wembley Stadium, the emphasis would be wrong. People are getting so much Eighties nostalgia anyway that they don’t need a Wham! reunion as well. That would be sad.’

There is a concert in Athens, too, the first time that George has played in Greece. ‘We’re also trying to put together a gig in Cyprus,’ he says. ‘That’s were my dad is from, and he would love to get up onstage and introduce me. He saw a lot of shows on the last tour, far more than he did on any earlier tours, and he had a great time. He loved it. I’ve always identified my Greek ancestry as one of the reasons that I don’t feel particularly English. Even though my mother was English and I talk with a lower middle-class English accent, a lot of the stronger aspects of my character came from my Greek rather than my English blood.’

Whatever the venue, though, fans can rest assured that George will again put everything into his performance. Having whetted his appetite with a triumphant arena tour, he has truly got the taste for playing live once more. For those who waited so patiently for him to return, George Michael is determined to make up for lost time.

‘Compared to previous tours, I was a different person during 25Live,’ he says. ‘There were a lot of great people on the road with me and I was more relaxed. The whole thing was very chilled, but everyone was also very professional and proud of what we were doing. It was a joint achievement. Whenever we talked about the shows afterwards, it was always a case of “we” and not “me”. Even when things went wrong, which only happened on a couple of occasions, I didn’t get too upset. In the old days, I would have gone into a strop. Nowadays, I’m nowhere near as neurotic about perfection. There was one gig when the video screens went down for the last 20 minutes, but the show still ended on a high note. If you’re communicating well enough, you can make an arena show work without the effects. That’s why I don’t have my image on the screens too much. I like the crowd to be focussed on the tiny figure in the middle of the stage. That tiny figure is the real thing.’

‘I don’t think I’ll ever do this kind of show again. I’m 43 now. The next time, I could be 46 or 47. I wouldn’t want to feel that I’m just about getting away with it. I would never want to be “good for 47”. At 43, I can still do it, but future tours will probably be less about having a party. Otherwise, I might turn into something I wouldn’t want to turn into. I wouldn’t like to be singing my greatest hits when most of my songs are about youth. That would be incongruous. So, I would imagine that the next tour will be different.’

‘But this year is all about enjoyment. This is the show my fans want. It’s my way of thanking them, and I hope they feel satisfied with it.’

By Adrian Thrills

Tour Credits

Chris Cameron - Musical Director & Arranger
Danny Cummings - Percussion
Phil Palmer - Guitars
Andy Hamilton - Sax/Keys/Ewi
Steve Walters - Bass Player
Mike Brown - Guitars
Carlos Hercules - Drums
Graham Kearns - Guitars
Luke Smith - Keyboards
Shirley Lewis - Backing Vocals
Jay Henry - Backing Vocals
Lincoln Jean-Marie - Backing Vocals
Lori Perry - Backing Vocals
Sharon Perry - Backing Vocals
Lucy Jules - Backing Vocals

Michael Lippman - Artist Manager
Andy Stephens - Artist Manager

Ken Watts - Tour Director
Mark Spring - Production Manager
Looloo Murphy - GM Tour Manager
Lisa Johnson - Assistant Tour Director
Sharon Ashley – Band Tour Manager
Thierry Pouchain – Tour Fiancial Director
Kim McCarthy – Financial Controller
Diane Eichorst - Production Coordinator
Kevin Mann – Production Assistant
Ronnie Franklin - Security Consultant
Paul Dallanegra - Head of Security
Andy Frost – Security
Alex Georgiou - G.M. Touring Assistant
Tina Shoemaker – VIP Ticketing
Roy Jurgens – VIP Ticketing Assistant
Yvonne Ryan – VIP Hospitality
Dina van der Elst – VIP / Charity Lieison

Simon Halfon - 25 Live Logo & Tour Book Design
George Michael - 25 Live Logo & Tour Book Design

Bill Leabody - Site Coordinator
Robert Cooper - Site Coordinator
Jay Schmit - Site Coordinator
Phay MacMahan - Site Coordinator

Mike Farese - Head Rigger
Danny Machado - Rigger
Bill Macklin - Rigger
Rick Wilmot – Rigger
Andi Flack – Rigger

Andy Bramley - Video Director
Ed Jarman - Video Engineer / Crew Chief
Koen Lavens - Video – LED Technician
Martin McAuley - Video – LED Technician
Richard Ellis - Video – Camera Operator
Alistair Wright - Video – LED Technician
Abel Berlage - Video – LED Technician
Rickie Jewell - Video – LED Technician
Niall Olgilvy - Assistant Floor Manager

Gregory Gish - Head Carpenter
Gino Cardelli - Carpenter
Albert Thorig - Carpenter
Tim Shanahan - Carpenter
Michael McGuire - Carpenter
Bob Madison - Carpenter
Randy Wilson - Carpenter

Sam Kitchens - Cable
Thomas Tryon - Cable
Gerry Gaffney - Cable
Gerard McNally - Cable
James Gould - Generator
Mark Rennocks - Generator

Michele Baylis - GM Hair / Make-up Europe
Aislinn Corcoran - Wardrobe
Sally O’Mara - Wardrobe Assistant
Simone Johnson - Dressing Rooms/Backstage
Rolant Jones - Trainer/Masseur
Simeon Asher - Osteopath

Dean Freeman - Tour Photographer

Sarah Muir - Head Chef / Crew Chief
Jenny Burn - Catering
Chris Clarke - Catering
Dagmar Hewell - Catering
Sara Battina - Catering
Rachel Carmody – Catering
Steffy Head - Catering
Helen Whittaker - Catering
Liam Brash - Catering
Jessie Collins - Catering
Penny Davies - Catering
Helen Charles - Catering
Jojo Gill - Catering
Karl Bullock - Catering

Walter Melissen - Mojo Barricade And Bridges
Ricardo Dijkstra - Mojo Barricade And Bridges
Jan Aike Luchtenberg - Mojo Barricade And Bridges

Tommy Whitelaw - Merchandise
Jon Ellis - Merchandise

Robert Keller - G.M. Party Driver
Dirk Mannebach - G.M. Party Driver
Matthias Uehr - G.M. Party Driver

Jerry Boyes-Korkis - Head Truck Driver
Nigel Webber - Truck Driver
Andrew Mellor - Truck Driver
Dave Ballantyne - Truck Driver
Cliff Vandome - Truck Driver
Brian Devereaux - Truck Driver
Jon Wood - Truck Driver
Adrian Green - Truck Driver
Andy Maclean - Truck Driver
Steve Spillman - Truck Driver
Paul Lawn - Truck Driver
Mark Poole - Truck Driver
Shaun Bradley - Truck Driver
Graham Briggs - Truck Driver
Alan Clements - Truck Driver
Peter Ham - Truck Driver
Robbie Jones - Truck Driver
Daniel Dupersyn - Truck Driver
Stefan Court - Truck Driver
Gary Workman - Truck Driver
Alan Keegan - Truck Driver
Matthew Kenward - Truck Driver
Stuart Luck - Truck Driver
Petrus Mulders - Truck Driver
Bob Gunter - Truck Driver
Michael Potar - Truck Driver
Thomas Nicholson - Truck Driver

Tour Suppliers
Accountants – Stephen Marks / SRLV
Air Freight – Alan Durrant / Rock-it Cargo UK / Kevin Roach / Rock-it Cargo LA
Aircraft (GM) – Chris Chapman / Claudette Gharbi / Cecile Moncharte / Chapman Freeborn
Audio – Chris Hill / Wigwam Acoustics Ltd
Backstage Furniture – Graeme Dixon / GLD
Bussing – Joerg Phillip / Tim Fortnam-King / Beat The Street
C A D Services – Peter Brungardt / Brungardt Enterprises L.L.C
Catering – Wendy Deans / Popcorn
Communication – Jim McNally / Music Bank
Fan Club Coordinator - Nick Lippman
Inflatables – Robin Harries / Air Artists
Insurance – Paul Twomey / Robertson Taylor Insurance
Legal – Chris Organ / Simon Esplen / Russells
Lighting – Dave Ridgeway / Neg Earth
Merchandise Design – Melanie Panayiotou
Merchandise – Jeremy Joseph / De-Lux Merchandise Ltd / Robin Stevens / Arman Austria / Signatures
Microphones/Radio In Ears – Mark Saunders / Sennheiser
Power – Henry Wetach / John Zajonc / Legacy Power
Pre-Programming – Niall Flynn / James Jackman
Publicist – Connie Filippello / Ross Morgan / Connie Filippello
Rehearsal Spaces – Brent Woods / Ben Brooks / Lite Structures / Pauline Fenner / Dukes Island Studios
Rigging – Gavin Weatherall / Andy Bailey / The Rigging Partnership
Soft Goods – Colin Hannah / Acre Jean Ltd
Stage Engineering – Neil Darrocott / Andy Prescott / Xolve Ltd
Stylist – Sumaira Lateef / SLR
Tour Passes – Mandy Cox / Tim Cox / Publicity & Display
Tour Vip Ticketing – Shelley Lazar / Slo Limited
Travel (G.M.) – Fran Green / Media Travel
Travel (Band and Crew) – Kellie Rayner / Rebecca Ryan / Media Travel
Trucking – Robert Hewett / Will Johns / Stage Trucks
Video Supplier – Chris Mounsor / Phil Mercer / XL Video UK Ltd
Video Screen Technical Design – Frederick Opsomer / Marc Fichefet / Olivier Clybouw / Innovative Designs
Video Content – Sam Pattinson / Onedotzero
Video Content Creative – Luke Halls / Damian Hale / Jan Urbanowski / Shiv Pandya
'Easier Affair’ - Elliot Chaffer
'Edge Of Heaven' - This Is
‘Freedom ‘90’ Animation – Matt Pyke – Universal Everything
‘Outside’ Animation – Alex Rutterford / concept by Willie Williams
‘A Different Corner’ & ‘Careless Whisper’ Animation – Richard Cullen
‘Shoot The Dog’ Animation – 2DTV / Damien Hale / This Is
Video Archive Consultant – Nick Bradbury
Video Interactive Design –Jason Bruges Studios
Video Interactive Programming – Sebastian Oschatz / David Dessens / Meso
System Development – Digital Antics Ltd
Programmers – Quintin Willison and Craig Edwards
Video Archive Footage – Jonathon Ryan / Getty Images Ltd
Video Production Support – Sebastian Davey

Agent - Barrie Marshall / Doris Dixon / Marshall Arts

Promoters
Austria – Richard Hoermann / Concerts At Event Service GMBH
Belgium – Herman Schueremans / Live Nation
Bulgaria – David Lieberberg / Rock & More / Martin Stoyanov / Joker Media Ltd
Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia – Tim Dowdall / Multi Media International
Denmark – Arne Worsoe / Kim Worsoe / ICO Concert Promotion IPS
Finland – Risto Juvonen / Tumppi Haaranen / Well Done Agency
France – Jackie Lombard / Interconcerts
Germany – Gerd Ludwigs / Uwe Dannbacher / Dap New Star GMBH
Greece – Nick Hobbs / Noula Gkioumousgkiertani / Charmenko / Marilou Zacharopoulou / Le Spot Productions
Holland – Leon Ramakers / Mojo Concerts
Ireland – Peter Aiken / Aiken Promotions
Italy – Adolfo Galli / Mimmo D’Alessandro / D’Alessandro E Galli
Poland – Nick Hobbs / Noula Gkioumousgkiertani / Charmenko / Mikolaj Ziolkowski / Alter Art
Portugal – Nuno Braamcamp / Alvaro Ramos / Ritmos E Blues
Romania – Lasse Olsson / Ray Edwards / Viva Art Europe / Stefan Morosanu / Modus Production
Russia, Ukraine – Peter Brightman / David Fowler / Creative Entertainment group
Sweden – Thomas Johansson / Tor Nielsen / Ema Telstar
UK – Barrie Marshall – Marshall Arts

Tourbook printed in England by Hill Shorter Limited

(Note: This small collection of pictures (photos of photos) posted here doesn't do the book justice, but they are merely here to give you an impression. In the book they look far more glamorous.)

2007-03-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

George Michael's first ever live show in Belfast on the 4th of August marked the end of the 25Live Stadium Tour 2007 in Europe. In 2007, George as always sounded sublime, ocassionally forgot a lyric, wowd his audience dancing around in jeans, and was being experienced as highly outgoing and talkative. The audience got to see stunning new graphics on the video wall and screens. Not only the show had been enhanced visually - George updated video imagery and lighting - but musically as well with some fantastic feel good beats introducing several famous George Michael songs. The stage was better and bigger, also a runway was created. Fans were extremely enthousiastic and called the second European leg of the tour even better than the first leg in 2006.

You can watch George rehearsing a bit of 'Understand' in Denmark here. Clip opens in windows media player.

Watch 2007 media news videos here.

George Michael was the first pop artist to play a concert at the new Wembley Stadium!. "To reopen the stadium," said Jim Frayling, head of music and new events at venue operator Wembley National Stadium, "we were keen to work with an act who was emotionally close to it. George Michael has a special history and affinity with the stadium."

Picture from www.georgemichael.com - photo courtesy of Jason Fraser

George Michael to rock new Wembley
George Michael makes history at Wembley

You can watch, re-live George re-opening the historic Wembley Stadium, by clicking here.

Other Tour News:

Accident forces George Michael to cancel Prague gig
George Michael Sings "Freedom" for Bulgaria's Nurses in Libya
Bulgarian Nurses Freed!
George Michael to give concert receipts to kids with leukemia

It has been a long wait for the US fans, but George Michael announced his North America summer 2008 tour! Check out dates for United States and Canada here, which also has a link to the 25Live 2008 blog (in media section).

2007-03-25T12:21:00.001-07:00

XL Video has worked with specialists of Barco, a company that provides LED modules for the 25Live tour, designing and engineering the video screen of which the concept came from Willie Williams.

Pictures from Digital Antics

2007-03-03T01:52:00.000-08:00