‘YOU’VE GIVEN us many incredible and stunning songs over the years,” began the first question at the George Michael press conference yesterday and it just went uphill in terms of obsequiousness from there.
One hundred and forty journalists, 40 photographers and 15 camera crews had assembled in the Dining Room of London’s Royal Opera House to hear something the singer had already tweeted about last week anyway – that he was going to tour again this year.
Symphonica: The Orchestral Tourwill see Michael do "orchestral re-works" of his greatest hits, with the tour beginning in Prague this August and arriving in Dublin's 02 on November 1st.
But Twitter leaks weren’t going to spoil this “event”. Media had flown in from all around Europe and the Royal Opera House staff were in the finest livery as we were ushered from press accreditation queue to a waiting room (for a quiet moment’s reflection on the significance of the event, perhaps) and then into the Dining Room itself where Michael would appear.
He couldn’t play to a “cold” audience, though, so a warm-up man, his good friend and uber-fan, DJ Paul Gambaccini, descended among us for some background and context.
“Who was the only British artist to have three US number one singles in the 1980s?” Gambaccini asked us – and not rhetorically – as if we were all assembled to play a game of George Michael Trivial Pursuit.
And then the money shot: the now 48-year-old Michael bounded into the room looking like a trendy bank manager in his tailored suit, cropped hair and National Health-style glasses.
Whippet thin – "that's the Wormwood Scrubs diet for you," whispered some naughty members of the press pack down the back – Michael made a vague reference to his "difficulties being behind him" and then spoke about how he was busy with two different projects: this upcoming Symphonicatour and a new dance music album.
Gambaccini wasn't letting that one go – he interjected with "isn't that so like when Stephen Spielberg was filming Schindler's Listby day and editing Jurassic Parkby night".
The showbiz journalists continued with their rigorous line of enquiry.
“I’m a huge fan, it’s so great to be here with you today . . . ”
“Some of the artists you have duetted with over the years have been as equally amazing as you . . .”
Michael’s replies soon all merged together: “loyalty . . . affection . . . gratitude . . . fans . . . love.”
Brave Lucy from Sky News tried to storm the citadel of the love-in by asking about the “lifestyle changes” he would need to make to undergo such an extensive five-month tour, which sees him flung from European pillar to post.
“The obvious lifestyle change I’ve had to make . . . ” Michael began to answer, before suddenly freezing up and saying: “Actually, I’m not going to go into this because it will only be in all the newspapers tomorrow.”
At this point we had to reach for our Journalist’s Dictionary and re-read the entry for “Press Conference” – maybe we’ve had it wrong all these years.
THIS WAS MICHAEL’S first major public appearance since being released from prison last October after being sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment for driving under the influence of drugs. When pushed again on “lifestyle changes” – last year he told a newspaper that he had cut back on his cannabis use and was down to “seven or eight spliffs” a day from his previous 25-a-day habit – he spoke cautiously about “his grief and self-abuse”, how he was now “on the straight and narrow” and “taking good care of myself”.
“Every time I’ve made a mistake in my life I felt like I was letting down young gay people because they could see the homophobic abuse being thrown at me,” he said. “I’ve inadvertently caused a lot of damage to gay people.”
Weirdly, one journalist started to clap when he said this and the ambiguity of the action left most of the room staring at their shoes.
All that was left at this stage was God.
“God gave me this voice and this stamina,” he said. “God wanted me to do this tour.”
We waited to see if he would go on to refer to himself in the third person (a sure sign of pop star madness) but he spared us. Wishing us all well, he made a bolt for the door and, as Paul Gambaccini reached for the microphone again, we did likewise.
Thirty years of highs and lows
1981:With Andrew Ridgeley he forms Wham!. They are chart-toppers on both sides of the Atlantic
1986:Michael goes solo, getting to number one with single A Different Corner
1987:Faith sells millions of copies
1987:His album Faith is released. First single, I Want Your Sex is banned by many radio stations
1990:
Listen Without Prejudice Vol1 is less successful, and its follow up scrapped due to a lawsuit with his record company Sony
1996:His album
Olderbrings critical and commercial success
1998:Arrested for "engaging in a lewd act" in a Los Angeles public toilet. Comes out as gay
2004:After a poorly received covers album, his fifth studio album
Patienceis something of a comeback
2006:Arrested for possession of drugs
2006:Goes on a world tour that is seen by 1.3 million people
2008:Arrested for possession of drugs again
2010:Crashes into a Snappy Snaps store. Pleads guilty to driving while on cannabis and spends four weeks in jail
2011:Announces a new European tour. It includes a Dublin visit in November
George Michael plays Dublin’s 02 on November 1st. Tickets go on sale next Monday
