By George- He's back!

To paraphrase that old cricket term, one sentence that just might sum up George Michael at this stage in his career would have to be ‘30 and not out’. The world-famous singer-songwriter, who started out as a boyband pin-up in Wham! before blossoming into an acclaimed solo artist and celebrated global icon, still retains his widespread appeal and ability to capture the public imagination after three decades in the game.

His debut solo album, 1987’s Faith, almost single-handedly redefined popular music for a generation. Rightly regarded as one of the most gifted pop writers around, he is well-known for crafting songs of extraordinary lyrical beauty and great emotional depth. Today, Michael remains a relevant force, thanks in part to his musical peers, who continue to revisit his body of work for inspiration. Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z have all payed homage to him, while he recently teamed up to duet with Beyoncé and then Alicia Keys at New York’s Black Tie Ball.
And yet, whilst George Michael may have sold over 100 million albums and picked up countless awards, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for the pop star, particularly with regards to his tumultuous personal life. From his arrest in a Californian public toilet in 1998 to his imprisonment in 2010 for driving under the influence of drugs, the intrigue and furore surrounding his troubles have made Michael something of a fixture in tabloid newspapers.

None of which detracts from his genius way with song and fantastic showmanship on stage. Now, having well and truly bounced back in 2011, George Michael is about to undertake an extensive tour of Europe and hopefully re-establish himself at the top of the pop pyramid. So what has he got up his sleeve for the upcoming Symphonica dates?
“I think people will be quite surprised,” reckons George. “I’ll be doing a lot of songs that I haven’t sung live before. Some will be the sort of compositions that only really lend themselves to the sort of intimate venues that I’ll be playing in, and some will be from artists who have influenced me over the years. And of course I’ll be doing a few numbers from my Songs From The Last Century album. I’ve found some really nice ways to cover these beautiful songs, so I don’t think my fans will be disappointed at all. Far from it, I hope.”
What sets this tour apart is the slightly more classical bent he hopes to bring to it. That means all his classics, re-worked for the orchestra that will travel with him. The inspiration behind it? An ageless Italian-American crooner.

As George explains: “I was actually inspired when I heard that Tony Bennett had done a tour like that. I’ve always wanted to sing with this sort of backing so that I can really, really use my voice. There are two elements in my music that I want to explore further. One being the use of my voice and the other is dance music. I think my fans would like to both explore these things too.”

A nod in the right direction from a man that Michael knows well – George even recorded a duet with Bennett, the song ‘How Do You Keep The Music Playing?’. Of course, he has a long history of collaborating with his fellow artists. Which begs the question, who have been the stand-out performers that he’s come face-to-face with?
“It would be hard to single anyone out, because so many were really amazing,” he proffers. “But I’d have to admit that my duet with Aretha Franklin was a dream come true. I was only 24, and she’d actually asked me to write and produce for her a few years before that. I bottled out though, it just seemed too scary at 21!”
Fast forward nearly a quarter of a century and, while the music remains at the forefront, a lot has changed. Away from the stage, George has opted for a more low-key, mature existence. He confesses that even his backstage rider is modest at best.
“Oh my God, if it was boring before… Actually all I tend to have is stuff that my friends and family can wander in and eat backstage if they’re bored. That’s it really. Oh, and I quite like flowers in my dressing-room, but I don’t stipulate any particular kind. So I have quite a cheap rider really.”

For now, it’s all quiet backstage areas, flowers and ornate orchestral pieces. However, if you know anything about George Michael, you know that won’t last for too long. Sure enough, as we move forward, he promises that his next album will be a real stomper. Looking around and finding today’s pop stars adopting the dance music that he has always loved and bringing it to a mass audience, George sees an opportunity to really celebrate homosexual culture and the party music that arose from it.
“I love the fact that house and dance music – which have basically been the staple of the gay community since they emerged – has now been brought into the mainstream by people like Lady Gaga and Rihanna,” he enthuses. “It makes for some really exciting pop music.”
Sure enough, that will all feed into his future work.

“For this album,” George continues. “I’m going to be working with either gay or gay friendly artists, and it’ll be a mixture of tracks sung by me and others by young gay artists – possibly unknown ones. And I’ve lined up some really great dance producers to work on it too, so it’ll be a pretty stunning record, I hope. I know I’ll be 48 when the album comes out, but I have to say that gay men’s relationship with dance music probably doesn’t end at the same time as straight people’s does!”

George Michael plays the O2, Dublin on November 1 and 3.