I remember so vividly the punch to my gut that came on Boxing Day morning last year. My phone alerted me to a news report which told me George Michael had passed away. I can’t remember what I said, but I remember the way my knees buckled. I was still reeling from losing Prince in April and now another of the musical figures who had shaped me was gone.
George might be gone but his music lives on in the albums and live performances like George Michael: Praying for Time, a start-studded tribute night staged at the Sydney Opera House last week. On paper artists like David Campbell, Diesel, Sam Sparro, and Brendan Maclean are very different. But George Michael was one of those artists of such breadth that entrusting his music to such a wide range of artists was essential I think. These four musicians largely took the lead, supported ably by Gary Pinto, Jade McRae, Carmen Smith, Natasha Stuart, and the always incredible Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The supporting players were mostly relegated to back-up vocals, but each had time to shine. Aretha Franklin set a high bar, but Jade McRae filled her shoes admirably when she duetted on “Knew You Were Waiting For Me” with David Campbell. The three women showed they could become the next big female vocal group if they ever wanted to with super-tight renditions of “Fast Love” and “Too Funky.” Gary Pinto showed a side of him I never saw in CDB with a killer version of “Wham Rap.”
I’m a long-time David Campbell fan, and his takes on iconic tracks like “Kissing a Fool” and “Careless Whisper” was flawless. I wasn’t so sure how Diesel’s rougher rock vocals would sit on George’s smooth tracks, but listening to him cover songs like “Waiting for that Day” and “Praying for Time” made so much sense. Sam Sparro’s cover of “Spinning the Wheel” hit just the right emotional note. I was familiar with the work of all these artists, except Brendan Maclean who proved to be the biggest revelation for me. Fabulously camp and committed, he had in his diverse cover versions. Watching him sing into the mirror for “Older,” my heart broke. But soon enough he was there in ‘80s acid wash overalls delivering a high-energy rendition of “Monkey.” When he paired up with Sam Sparro for “Outside,” it was every bit as flamboyant and defiant as the song should be.
As a long-time fan, I loved that this show celebrated the breadth of George’s artistry. It went beyond the commercial hits that Anthony Callea’s tribute concert showcased a couple of years ago and brought us many of the album tracks fans like me and the artists on stage hold close to our hearts. My mum attended the show, standing in for my sick husband. Even though I blasted George’s music while I was growing up, it was something she never really absorbed. She leaned over to me at one point and asked “Did George Michael write all these songs?” She told me that for the first time, she realised he was much more than simply a pop singer.
I like to think the audience was made up of people who loved George and people who were fans of the artists on the bill who got the opportunity to truly discover George’s music for the first time. If it was, looking at all the people up on the feet during the encore, it seems both groups got what they came for. I know I did. I like to think that if George were looking down on our celebrations, he’d be happy with the way these Aussie artists honoured his legacy.
Image source: Stephen Katulka
Sadly the weather gods didn’t realise just what a perfect evening it was supposed to be. My husband and I were soggy in ponchos, umbrellas overhead as we waited on the zoo’s concert lawns. Support act Caterina Torres provided a pleasant enough distraction from the gloomy weather. She’s got a lovely voice, but this Voice graduate never really wowed me. Her originals showed some real promise, and I appreciated her decision to play with only the accompaniment of a bandmate on acoustic guitar. However, her predictable covers of top 40 hits were a bit bland. I suppose you’ve got to appeal to the masses at this sort of show, but it all never got to the next gear for me.
It was almost as if the weather gods understood that Anthony Callea was the main event and that we should be focusing on him rather than the rain when he took the stage. We were treated with clear skies for his set chockfull of George Michael hits. I had a ball when I went and saw George a few years back, and I wondered whether Anthony could do the songs justice. I knew he had the voice for them, but I had a question mark over the charisma. However, he charmed the pants off me. His connection to these songs is evident, so you feel them just as deeply as you did when George sang them originally.
Australia has seen its fair share of disappointing comeback tours of late. There was lip-synching, lacklustre Britney. There was Whitney, who probably should have used a backing track. But on Friday night, George Michael bucked the trend to deliver one of the most entertaining concerts I’ve seen.