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First Review: George Michael: Road to Wembley.

I can’t figure out if it’s his birthday, or the 10th anniversary since he was bust in an LA toilet, but for some reason this Saturday afternoon there is more George Michael on the telly than a visit to Hampstead Heath. Sorry, somebody had to say it.

The MAX Channel marathon is built around one enticing feature, George Michael: The Road to Wembley.

Playing to 90,000 Brits in June of this year, the Wembley gigs were part of 25 Live, his first concerts in 15 years. Michael was the first artist to perform at the newly-refurbished Wembley, an honour he pitched to win. In hindsight, he admits his fear of live performances had lingered far too long. But it was all he could deal with. As we well know, Michael’s recent life has had plenty to contend with: the LA arrest, a public outing, the death of a lover, legal fights with Sony, the wholesale rejection of his anti-Bush “Shoot the Dog”, driving offences, drug abuse and that walk in the park…

Despite these, his audience has rarely wavered.

The sell-out tour proved the boy still had that magic from which Wham! was born. You can easily spot those same, euphoric teenyboppers, still brandishing ‘Choose Life’ t-shirts, if perhaps a slightly larger size.

Sporting his trademark 5:00 shadow, and the odd grey hair, Michael chats about Live Aid, the Freddie Mercury Tribute and Andrew Ridgeley. Hilariously, one of the security guards refuses to allow his limousine in, because Michael has no ID pass. “I know what George Michael looks like and that’s not George Michael!” he insists. George just laughs.

Only 4 songs feature in this 60 minute doco: “Outside” (oh dear, 25 years on and he still tries to dance?), “Spinning The Wheel”, “Freedom ‘90” (complete with a blow up Statue of Liberty fellated by a British Bulldog) and Elton John’s “Idol” –when those pure, velvet vocals really come to the fore.

A mammoth “video scroll” serves as both stage and live backdrop, and a circular catwalk jutting into the audience allows the popstar to float on a sea of hands. This is but a mere appetiser of a concert any George Michael fan will demand to see in full –preferably at a stadium near us soon!

The Road to Wembley airs 1:30pm Saturday Oct 6 on MAX Channel along with ‘Style Icons’, ‘In and Out’ and ‘I’m Your Man’ specials.

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