Live In London [DVD]

I was one of the lucky fans that attended (or experienced,witnessed,lived, etc.) the Final Two gig at Earls Court last August. George Michael was in top form, having fun throughout the evening and provided the ecstatic crowd with flawless performances from his huge catalog of hits. All eras of his 25-year long career were represented: From the Wham! days ("Everything She Wants" & "I'm Your Man") up to his latest offerings ("An Easier Affair" & "Feeling Good"). The technical setup was astonishing (sound, light, laser beams, the curving LCD Mega-Wall, etc.) but the performances he delivered were the real star of the night.

Don't seek out highlights of the show; the show in its entirety is the highlight of Mr. Michael's illustrative career. It may have taken too long for him to present a live DVD, but bearing in mind the kind of perfectionist he is, he did it the right way.

The only low point (if any) in my opinion is that two of the most distinctive performances of the show were not included in the DVD: "Praying for time" & "Star People". On the other hand we get a behind-the-scenes documentary!

I would definitely recommend!
5+ Stars.

George Michael live in London is a 2 disc set 23 tracks plus 3 bonus tracks all filmed at Earl's Court and including a documentary "I'd know him a mile off!" Filmed by his friend David Austin, who follows George around, getting in the way and providing an insight into George's sense of humour, in allowing this candid, yet also funny 'warts and all' unpretenious documentary to be made.

George performs on stage in front of and upon, a curving, rotating LCD wall which features old footage, video clips and close ups of George on stage.
The concert footage itself is nothing short of brilliant as George delivers a faultless performance of some of his best-known hits as well as a few surprises.
Beginning with the song 'Waiting' sung from behind the stage, George appears and kickstarts the concert with a blistering performance of 'FastLove' to get the crowd going, which it certainly does. Indeed, the crowd are brilliant throughout and George looks genuinely humbled at times by their enthusiasm and singing. He invites them to join in, but they need no invitation.
From singing along to the old favourites, to duetting with him on 'Careless Whisper', their enthusiasm never wavers. And neither does George, who is vocally as powerful and perfect as he always has been.

A particular stand-out moment for me is 'One More Try' which George delivers with such emotion, as he performs the gospel version which was available as a b-side a few years back. I would say that is my favourite moment, but overall I enjoyed the whole concert from start to finish, so it is hard to choose stand out moments when I loved it all so much! The whole show is a highlight in itself and covers all of his 25 year career.

George also delivers powerful, note-perfect performances of his big ballads and old favourites of mine such as 'A Different Corner', 'You Have Been Loved', 'Father Figure', 'Jesus To A Child' and the more recent ballads, the touching 'My Mother Had A Brother' which he wrote in memory of his mother and uncle and has a particularly moving backdrop, also 'John And Elvis Are Dead'.

A couple of surprises are thrown in: 'Roxanne' which he states is one of his favourites from his covers album he released a few years back and 'Feeling Good', as well as plenty of songs to dance along to. 'Amazing' is as the title suggets, as is 'Flawless'.
Humour comes by way of a blow up George Bush during 'Shoot The Dog', which was a controversial single when released in July 2002, due to it being highly critical of George W. Bush and Tony Blair in the leadup to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
George shows he is not afraid to laugh at himself with his performance of 'Outside'.
More recent tracks 'Precious Box' and 'An Easier Affair' blend well with the old favourites 'Too Funky', 'Spinning The Wheel' and 'Faith' before the concert ends with the brilliant 'Freedom'90'
The Wham years are not overlooked, as fans are treated to 'I'm Your Man' and 'Everything She Wants'.

The sound quality is superb throughout and George looks really happy and relaxed on stage, enjoying every moment of the 26 songs he performs.
Whatever you may think of George Michael, his talent is in my opinion unquestionable. This is a DVD that every fan should own.

We may have waited years for this, but the best things are always worth waiting for!

By far one of the best music concerts on dvd/blu ray i have seen.Those lucky enough to have a high end surround system and blu ray player will be truly blown away with the clarity of the music and the beautiful visuals.The impressive thing about George Michael live is that he sounds as good as he does on his records and this blu ray does him justice. This is a must have if your a fan.Simply Stunning.Well done to the production team who put this one together. A10/V10.