GEORGE MICHAEL – “25 LIVE”

George Michael’s “25 Live” tour ended successfully in London after 3 years and 106 shows worldwide.

The tour was one of the most lucrative in Europe making over $200 million and was attended by 2 million fans in 46 countries. The final shows recorded at Earls Court in London, on the 24th and 25th August 2008 appear on the DVD, which was released the following year.

Fans who attended the gig experienced one of the best musical performances of the year. This was the first time Michael recorded a show in its entirety; the audience played a crucial part in turning this into a magnificent event.

The 24 song-set started with a couple of fast paced songs matched with impressive visual effects displayed on the gigantic screen that extended from the front of the stage to the back wall in a continuous curved platform. Four extra satellite mega-screens extended the visual experience to the sides of the main stage wall. The band played from elevated positions in the framework of the stage.

The visual effects and video displayed on the stage were perfectly synchronized with the songs. The sound quality on the video was simply outstanding.

George Michael engaged the audience from the very first minute, taking his fans through a roller-coaster of emotions, with happy and ecstatic songs and then moving ballads that brought many to tears. Those were the songs the fans grew up with, songs that bring back memories of special moments in the last two and a half decades of their lives.

By the fourth song, the mood changed from excitement to heart-wrenching melancholy, followed by a section of dance beats and yet another block of mostly vocal tunes.

Some of the all-time favourites were reserved for the end of the show and the encore, making sure to impact the audience turning the experience into yet more moments to remember.

The video is a Must-see for followers of George Michael, while new fans will understand why the singer and song-writer deserves a place in musical history as one of the most influential artists of modern times.

George Michael’s career started in the early 80s with the duo Wham! that defined the music of that decade, selling 25 million records across the globe. In the mid-80s, Michael began his solo career going from strength to strength, topping the charts in many occasions both in the UK and the US. Find out more about his life and career at GeorgeMichael.com.

His talent has been widely recognized, winning 17 awards and 45 nominations. Billboard magazine ranked him as number 40 among the 100 top all-time artists. The list of his awards can be found in Wikipedia.

The song appear in the video in the following order:

1. "Waiting (Reprise)"
2. "Fastlove"
3. "I'm Your Man"
4. "Father Figure"
5. "You Have Been Loved"
6. "Everything She Wants"
7. "Precious Box"
8. "One More Try"
9. "Jesus To A Child"
10. "An Easier Affair"
11. "Too Funky"
12. "Shoot The Dog"
Break
13. "Faith"
14. "Spinning the Wheel"
15. "Feeling Good"
16. "Roxanne"
17. "My Mother Had a Brother"
18. "Kissing a Fool"
19. "Amazing"
20. "Flawless (Go to the City)"
21. "Fantasy"
22. "Outside"
Encore
23. "Careless Whisper"
24. "Freedom 90"

DVD Credits

Director: Andy Moraha
Director of Photography: Daniel Pearl ASC
Editor: Brian McCue

Amazing (a sample from the video)

Current developments

George Michael released a cover of Stevie Wonder's 1972 song, "You and I" on 15 April 2011, as a gift to Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton on the occasion of their royal wedding on 29 April 2011.

You can download “You and I” for free clicking here.

His latest project is “The Orchestral Tour,” a series of shows in opera houses around Europe, covering from August to December 2011. You can book tickets at GeorgeMichael.com (Most London and Dublin shows are sold out).