George Michael - 25 Live, the Final Two

Published Wednesday 27 August 2008 at 11:15 by Emma Harlen

Twenty months ago, George Michael set out on tour for the first time in 15 years. The culmination of this mammoth jaunt ended in London at a packed Earls Court.

Dressed casually in jeans and jacket, he has the audience hanging off his every note right from the opening number, nineties hit Fast Love.

It is rare to find a singer who is comfortable with different styles of music, but Michael switches genres effortlessly. His top ten dance hit, Flawless (Go to the City), is a limb-loosening treat, while a blues cover of The Police’s Roxanne relaxes the mood. And he easily slips into eighties pop mode for Wham! classics I’m Your Man and Everything She Wants.

Perched on a stool for the ballads, his emotional performances of My Mother Had a Brother and You Have Been Loved are sung with intense passion.

Earls Court dispenses with the traditional concert stage and in its place is a high-tech wall that sweeps down to the floor. Video footage and psychedelic graphics buzz away in the background as Michael performs on this futuristic set.

For the encore, he chooses Careless Whisper and the final song of the night is an uplifting version of Freedom ‘90.

Six talented backing singers complement the evening’s understated style as Michael proves why he has sold more than 80 million records in his 25-year career.