Night to remember for all who kept the Faith
Even for those of us who had to work the next day, George Michael's first – and quite likely last – gig in the UAE was worth driving to Abu Dhabi, waiting interminably for Alicia Keys to finish her set and worth the jibes from co-workers on Tuesday.
To be fair, though, Keys served up a high-energy, jazz-and-soul-filled 100-minute set that brilliantly showcased her vocal range and piano-playing abilities, but those who weren't fans may well have been wishing they'd come in after she had finished.
Eighteen years in age and 70 million in album sales separate the two performers.
And while comparisons may be odious, it was a difference that was apparent from the go at their National Day concert this Monday: he had three costume changes to her one, 15 back-up musicians to her seven, her set was blown up onto two big screens flanking the stage while his was performed against five screens with lots of graphics.
It is a show that the concert-starved UAE will talk about for years to come; already, it's being rated among the top gigs we have seen.
The singer set the mood before even making an appearance on stage with his opening track, Waiting, which he sang almost entirely backstage before breaking into the spotlight on the lyric, "So here I am", as the audience of baby boomers and people old enough to know what the word yuppie means exploded in paroxysms of uncontrollable emotion.
For the next two hours – with a break of 20 minutes midway, when he mysteriously left the venue in his five-car convoy – zipped through the years, belting out hit after hit, varying the tempo with his own material and the occasional dip into his Wham! repertoire. From Fastlove, he segued into I'm Your Man (delighting professionals Amanda and Sonia Henderson who'd travelled from Dubai with a sign saying, "Ur R Man"), before moving on to a very appropriate Father Figure. Twenty-five years into his career, Georgios Panayiotou's Greek heritage is physically more evident than ever, but the voice is oh-so intact. Faith, Spinning The Wheel, Amazing, every track was on form and beautifully rendered.
One of the highlights was the moment Michael moved his band to the top of the ramp-style stage and tossed off several covers, including Nina Simone's Feeling Good, a jazzy Roxanne and a very emotive version of The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face.
Through it all, the graphics delighted, travelling from one screen to another and featuring some of the legends Michael seems to be want to be remembered alongside: Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Maria Callas, John F Kennedy. And the moment diamonds and dollar signs flashed onto the screen surely had the region's professionals thanking their lucky stars they weren't as badly affected by the financial crisis as the rest of the world.
Michael was reportedly paid £1m to emerge from retirement for the show – and at the end of the night, when he came back on for a second encore after we had shouted ourselves hoarse asking for Freedom (complete with its video of that rare 90s' commodity, supermodels), it was all worth it.
Keys returns with superb show
Not everyone headed to Abu Dhabi's Zayed Sports City Stadium to attend George Michael's final live performance; many R&B and soul fans were there to catch the immensly talented Alicia Keys.
The gorgeous superstar – dressed in skin tight jeans, a white top and fabulous black heels – sang for an hour-and-a-half, performing her hits, including Fallin', Superwoman, A Woman's Worth, and My Boo. She ended her show with a powerful rendition of megahit No One.
Absolutely wonderful. ( Rachel McArthur)
To be fair, though, Keys served up a high-energy, jazz-and-soul-filled 100-minute set that brilliantly showcased her vocal range and piano-playing abilities, but those who weren't fans may well have been wishing they'd come in after she had finished.
Eighteen years in age and 70 million in album sales separate the two performers.
And while comparisons may be odious, it was a difference that was apparent from the go at their National Day concert this Monday: he had three costume changes to her one, 15 back-up musicians to her seven, her set was blown up onto two big screens flanking the stage while his was performed against five screens with lots of graphics.
It is a show that the concert-starved UAE will talk about for years to come; already, it's being rated among the top gigs we have seen.
The singer set the mood before even making an appearance on stage with his opening track, Waiting, which he sang almost entirely backstage before breaking into the spotlight on the lyric, "So here I am", as the audience of baby boomers and people old enough to know what the word yuppie means exploded in paroxysms of uncontrollable emotion.
For the next two hours – with a break of 20 minutes midway, when he mysteriously left the venue in his five-car convoy – zipped through the years, belting out hit after hit, varying the tempo with his own material and the occasional dip into his Wham! repertoire. From Fastlove, he segued into I'm Your Man (delighting professionals Amanda and Sonia Henderson who'd travelled from Dubai with a sign saying, "Ur R Man"), before moving on to a very appropriate Father Figure. Twenty-five years into his career, Georgios Panayiotou's Greek heritage is physically more evident than ever, but the voice is oh-so intact. Faith, Spinning The Wheel, Amazing, every track was on form and beautifully rendered.
One of the highlights was the moment Michael moved his band to the top of the ramp-style stage and tossed off several covers, including Nina Simone's Feeling Good, a jazzy Roxanne and a very emotive version of The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face.
Through it all, the graphics delighted, travelling from one screen to another and featuring some of the legends Michael seems to be want to be remembered alongside: Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Maria Callas, John F Kennedy. And the moment diamonds and dollar signs flashed onto the screen surely had the region's professionals thanking their lucky stars they weren't as badly affected by the financial crisis as the rest of the world.
Michael was reportedly paid £1m to emerge from retirement for the show – and at the end of the night, when he came back on for a second encore after we had shouted ourselves hoarse asking for Freedom (complete with its video of that rare 90s' commodity, supermodels), it was all worth it.
Keys returns with superb show
Not everyone headed to Abu Dhabi's Zayed Sports City Stadium to attend George Michael's final live performance; many R&B and soul fans were there to catch the immensly talented Alicia Keys.
The gorgeous superstar – dressed in skin tight jeans, a white top and fabulous black heels – sang for an hour-and-a-half, performing her hits, including Fallin', Superwoman, A Woman's Worth, and My Boo. She ended her show with a powerful rendition of megahit No One.
Absolutely wonderful. ( Rachel McArthur)
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