Live Review: George Michael - Listen To Your Heart

When the spotlight hit the solo saxophone to start, we knew. The stage was about to get Careless, it was about to get Whisper-y, it was about to reward the Faith(ful). In both this review, and this show, a tolerance for shameless George Michael lyric wordplay was of course required, but damn it was fun.

It was a celebration of an artist whose voice literally needed several men to emulate (Rob Mills, Hugh Sheridan, Andrew De Silva, Bobby Fox and Sheldon Riley for today's performance). There was another voice on stage too, the incredible Casey Donovan, and I take her out of this list because she "hit those highs" that the boys, combined, only dreamt of. Not a gender observation, but fact. She claimed to be "nervous as" when asked, but it didn't show at all. Her dominance was acknowledged by all in the finale, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, where the male singers all bowed down as she did her amazing diva thing. George, looking down from his dance club in the sky, was likely doing the same.

Led by band/orchestra leader John Foreman, the show covered the range of Michael's career and style, with a mixture of solo vocal and all-in performances to cover the great man. Highlights included a camp-as Hugh Sheridan in shirtless leather parading Outside the stage and into the stalls; Rob Mills skipping around for I'm Your Man, Andrew De Silva's croon-perfect Father Figure (with just enough sleaze) and the injured but-not-giving-up Bobby Fox singing Something To Save. Next to Donovan's exceptional vocals, the second stage stealer was late addition Sheldon Riley, added to backfill Fox (who, with a broken foot, was apparently not meant to be on stage at all but couldn't resist). Riley may have been an afterthought but he was magnificent — a huge voice and fab costumes, including a brilliant mirror-ball-like jacket that Foreman couldn't resist trying on as well. Organisers staging the show again would be mad not to include him as top billing. While the passing of George Michael is still hard for fans to get our heads around, part of the hideousness of that was left behind today, as the concert hall daggy-danced and sang along. Particular recognition is also due to the viola player front of stage who tapped, bounced and sang along both around and during her parts too. Baby, he was your man, too.