28 October 2011 (gig)
28 October 2011
There are many things that fit perfectly together; lamb and mint, red wine and cheese and Simon Cowell and the X Factor. George Michael at The Royal Albert Hall is another. Why one of Britain’s most successful male singers has not performed a set of shows here before is unclear. Perhaps it is because, as he himself points out during the evening, the venue is pretty intimate for its size. Michael we all know is a delicate person, not able to let our fixation with celebrity baiting wash over him.
But however intimate he may feel the venue is, he should feel safe. He is surrounded by people who have let him get away with a lot more than they might their partners or family members. Although he finally gave in and started touring a few years ago, the recorded output has been nothing more than a trickle of weak singles, since 2004’s appropriately titled Patience.
The opening Through contains a line about the audience being “so cruel”, but that could not be further from the truth as they greet Michael from behind the grand red curtain with a great warmth. That is displayed later too, when a loud unified “Awwee” is heard after Michael talks about his split from Kenny Goss. It is like one giant mental hug has been released from the crowd. In fact one woman near me confesses “I’d sort him out!”
Perhaps more frustrating than the slow output from George Michael, is his seeming insecurity, which you would understand if he sang like the X Factor stars who are in the audience to see him (Frankie, Craig and Marcus are all sat just left of stage). But Michael’s vocal and musical talents unquestionably put him amongst the best the country has produced in the last 25 years.
Tonight he displays exactly why he is loved by the people here, performing an excellent range of covers; from a breathless rendition of Rihanna’s Russian Roulette to the divine slowed down take on Roxanne and a kicking version of Nina Simone’s My Baby Just Cares For Me. Most poignant of all the covers though is Amy Winehouse’s Love Is A Losing Game. As he performs, pictures of the late singer appear behind him. That emotion is matched at the end of You Have Been Loved, where Michael is visibly moved by performing the song about his late mother.
Of the back catalogue dipped into, Cowboys & Angels is a welcome new edition to his set, while Kissing A Fool, Praying For Time and A Different Corner all sound superb given the extra musical dimension. The evening is just a little one paced at times and a rousing encore (featuring the singer’s vocal warm up routine) is needed.
Overall though, it is a hugely impressive performance. Even more so, when you learn 24 hours later that he cannot perform the second night as he has a throat problem. Thousands of fans would have been left disappointed to miss out. But like all his other discretions I can imagine they will forgive him. After all, he is George Michael.
