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Wham Club Fantastic Tour

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Club Fantastic Tour (also advertised as Club Fantastic ‘83 Tour) was the debut concert tour by English musical duo Wham!, launched in support of their first studio album Fantastic (1983). It was sponsored by Fila sportswear and spanned two months from October to late November, comprising 30 sold out shows across England, Scotland and Wales.

Wham! announced a tour in August. Their co-manager Simon Napier-Bell had a plan to raise some revenue; if little money was to be made from records, then it was time for the duo to get on the road, with a 30-date tour of the UK. He managed to get a £50,000 sponsorship deal with the sportswear manufacturer Fila, with George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley wearing the company's clothing on stage throughout the tour.

Halfway through the tour Michael lost his voice and had to cancel ten consecutive shows with concerts pushed back and rescheduled.

The show started with Michael entering the stage right-side in yellow Fila sports gear, and Ridgeley entering the stage left-side in red Fila sports gear while the band played "Bad Boys". Pepsi and Shirlie, backing singers and dancers, ran on stage for "Club Tropicana".

Ridgeley then announced the next song, "Blue", a slow love ballad. He held a plectrum in his mouth and shook hands. They then sang "Wham Rap!", dancing as a foursome. They continued with "A Ray Of Sunshine", which ended the first part of the set.

During the break a screen appeared and the crowd were shown family photos such as Ridgeley in pyjamas, and a young Michael in glasses. A mixed compilation of the group's music videos was played.

Then Michael sang "Careless Whisper" to a backing track on his own. He and Ridgeley changed into white Wham! singlet T-shirts and sang "Bad Boys". "Love Machine" followed, then "Nothing Looks The Same In The Light". "Come On" ended the set, with the two playing a mock game of badminton, occasionally whacking a shuttlecock out to the crowd.

The encore was "Young Guns" with the duo wearing camp cowboy outfits, "Wham Rap!" with them wearing white, and finally Chic's 1979 disco hit "Good Times".

Opening acts:

The group decided to go back to their clubbing roots and had Gary Crowley (of Capital Radio) as the opening DJ act. Also included were some body poppers called Eklypse who did dance routines for over an hour before the show.

The average set list was as follows:

"Young Guns (Go for It)" "Club Tropicana" "Blue" "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" "A Ray of Sunshine"

"Careless Whisper" "Bad Boys" "Love Machine" (The Miracles cover) "Nothing Looks the Same in the Light" "Come On!" "Young Guns (Go for It!)" "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" "Good Times"

Andrew Ridgeley George Michael Shirlie Holliman Pepsi DeMacque

Tommy Eyre — keyboards Deon Estus — bass guitar Trevor Morrell — drums Robert Ahwaii — guitar David "Babs" Baptiste — saxophone Paul Spong — trumpet Colin Graham — trumpet Janey Hallet — backing vocals Gee — backing vocals Jenny — backing vocals

Danny Cummings — percussion Barry Mead — tour manager Ken — production manager Glenn — chaperone Wendy — wardrobe Lesley — wardrobe assistant Mel — hair & makeup Promoter — Harvey Goldsmith Entertainments Management — 'Simon Napier Bell & Jazz Summers Personal security — Dave Moulder Concert Publishing Co. — programme & merchandising

Sponsor: FILA — sportswear

Wham's notes in the booklet: "HELLO AND THANK YOU... Welcome to the Club Fantastic Tour of 1983. The next thirty days mean, to us, the climax of the last year and a half's work. This is the first real opportunity that we’ve had to say thanks and meet the people who have given us such a good year.

We’ve spent the last few months preparing, and we’ve done everything possible to make sure that the show is really entertaining. Gary Crowley's along for the ride, mainly because, like us, he's a born show-off, and also because he backed us up right from the beginning, with the release of ‘Wham Rap’ in May last year. Remember, if you are lucky enough to see us at a venue with special licensing laws, you’ll be able to catch him at the end of the show as well as before it. Anyway, that's about it for now. Just for those of you who haven’t read our entire life histories in the weeklies, we’ve included brief ones for you to browse through whilst savaging those steaming Hot Dogs. etc. Bye for now, and hope you enjoy the show. Lots of love, George and Andrew"

• 1 Jim Croce
• 2 Kraftwerk
• 3 Lollapalooza 1991

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George Michael Forever

Celebrating George Michael's music, life and legacy

Wham! Fantastic (1983)

October 21, 2017

Information about the Album

Fantastic is the debut studio album by British pop duo Wham! formed by members George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. The album was released on 9 July 1983, and it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.  

Official Charts (United Kingdom) :

• Number of weeks in chart: 116 weeks
• Peak Position: #1 (for 2 weeks)

Billboard 100 (United States):

• Number of weeks in chart: 44
• Peak Position: 83

Track List:

The songs on the album Wham! Fantastic are as follows:

A Ray of Sunshine

Love Machine

Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)

Club Tropicana

Nothing Looks the Same in the Light

Young Guns (Go for It)

First ever appearance of Wham! on Top of the Pops, 1982

Similar Posts:

• George Michael: Artist or Airhead? (Musician, 1988)
• A Year in the Life of Wham! as Told by George Michael (Smash Hits Yearbook, 1986)
• Wham!’s Last Week, Smash Hit Magazine (July 1986)
• ‘George Michael, Seriously’ from Rolling Stone Magazine (1988)
• Wham! Teen Dreams Come True (NME, 1983)

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Wham! (formed in 1981) is a British, unabashedly pop duo comprised of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, who rose to worldwide fame with their single “Wake Me up Before You Go Go” in 1984, hailing from Bushey, Hertfordshire, England.

Bushey, Hertfordshire-natives George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley first met at Bushey Meads School and with shared interests performed with the ska group, the Executive together. Upon the band’s dissolution Michael and Ridgeley were determined the continue performing and dove into a recording contract with the independent label Innervision. Ahead of their debut album the pair released the single “Wham Rap!”, which failing to enter the charts led the group to appear on “Top of the Pops” in 1982, where they performed the single “Young Guns (Go for It!)”. The live show caused an upsurge in popularity and led to the single ultimately rising to No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart.

The singles “Bad Boys” and “Club Tropicana” followed by the end of 1983 turning Wham! into pop royalty alongside Duran Duran and Culture Club. The band subsequently released their debut LP “Fantastic” which was help aloft the UK Albums Chart for two weeks. Legal battles ensued with their label Innervision, which ultimately transpired in Wham! signing with Sony’s Epic Records and Innervision filing for bankruptcy. With major-label backing, the duo’s subsequent single “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” topped the charts in the UK and the U.S., proving their first huge success.

As a result Michael was already planning his solo career, and the duo’s next single “Careless Whisper” was credited at Wham! featuring George Michael in the U.S. In 1984 the pair retuned to release the chart-topping single “Freedom”, followed by the No. 1 full-length “Make It Big”. The christmas single “Last Christmas/Everything She Wants” followed the same year, proving the be the highest-selling No. 2 single of all time. In support of their full-length record Wham! embarked on a UK arena tour and became the first UK band to play a show in China. Annocuning their breakup in 1986, Wham! released the farewell single “Where Did Your Heart Go?”, and the North American full-length “Music from the Edge of Heaven”.

Live reviews

was watching MTV one day and bad boys came on from that minute i was hooked and a fan. i lived in Wyoming in 80's i went to Vegas to meet my mom and was make it big was my second concert ever. i always had hair parted on side before George but when came back from Vegas to po dunk Gillette i had blonde highlights and was first male to have one let alone both ears pierced in northern Wyoming. i woulda got some real shit if wasn't friends with the whole different packs in town. played football and was starter so jocks didn't mess me too much my bestest friends were a nerd and a i guess call them stoners so i was ok there, it was the triple attention from girls that got me and i was already kinda a player but i got so many girls the 3 years of high school i was such a slut and stayed that way until first monogamous relation shit which met her at wham concert. i won 6 of 8 George Michael look alike contest while living in Vegas over the years but the best was the one held by John Casablanca and had George n Andrew as final judges and when he picked me i was almost a freaking puddle and when i told him we were brothers from different mothers except he got all the gay genes and i got all the asshole ones cause i was like said a slut i didn't have one girl ever and very few more than 3 times. told he got the sensitive caring part and i got all the bad boy genes and there was a dinner with just wham the bands manager and certain guests George's sister was on who arriving late saw me n Andrew talking and she totally thought i was him until Andy said sis that's not George its winner and she looked at me closer and was wow gotta ask mom if she had twins and gave one up. i saw wham 5 times and George like 4 once in England but wham had 2 members and even tho Andrew only put out one album and it was a rock album (Shake You only release find it and listen ya like it) he was still good enough if had right management to be good not like George but he woulda had longer career in music than he had and he was robbed but hey he can drive better than George . Wham came and went too fast and it wasn't fair losing my brother on Christmas (my kids hugged me almost all day and didn't even open presents till 26th. but we loved Prince and losing my idol and my brother same year and on my birthday and Christmas they were worried old man have heart attack. but i will tell everyone that the entertainer who does George at Vegas world is as close to his voice (i still look more like George than anyone ever will )but I think George would give seal of approval if ya never got to see or just miss him like me go see the stars at Vegas world their Cher and Beatles are also the best i ever seen. LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU MY BROTHER AND THO ONLY GOT TO MEET AND TALK TO YOU 2 TIMES YOU ARE MY BROTHER THE BETTER HALF OF ME AND WISH IT WAS ME GONE CAUSE YOU HAD MORE TO GIVE YOUR FANS AND YOU WERE WAY BETTER THAN I WAS. TAKE CARE OF PRINCE AND A GOOD BUDDY TROY GENTRY (HE LIKES CALLED T-roy HE WAS A FAN OF YOURS AND YA WILL LIKE SINGING WITH HIM. SEE YA SOON UNFORTUNATELY MY OLD ASS ISN'T FIGHTING THE MEDICAL CRAP BUT I AIN'T SCARED I AM EXCITED TO BE WERE MY IDOL AND BROTHER N 3 BEST FRIENDS ARE PARTYING WAITING FOR ME.

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Wham! was around for too short of a time, but their mark on pop history is indelible. It does not seem possible to stand still at a Wham! show or a George Michael concert for that matter.The synth leads are off the chart catchy and the beats are absolutely irresistible.

These performances feature a great line-up of musicians often including a large group of backing soul singers. This works particularly well for R&B flavored songs such as "Freedom" in which the backing vocalist belt out the lyrics like a baptist church choir. The crowd goes absolutely nuts for this one and more than willingly chime in. George Michael is as charismatic and uninhibited as ever! You can often find him prancing around the stage and getting up in the audiences faces, reaching out for their hands.

While Wham! often uses a large backing band to fully maximize the breadth of their sound, they are also known to perform some songs like "Wham! rap" with very minimal accompaniment. Sometimes George Michael will perform this just behind a prerecorded backing track, other times behind a full band. This track shows the versatility of Wham!'s music and is one of the first instances of rap music integrating into the sound of mainstream pop. The song features heavily non-syncopated funk chords, air-tight drum beats and huge bursts of brass all underscoring the rhyme of George Michael's lyrics.

The light show in and of itself is considered a highlight of the performance. The sparkling display of projections and contorting computer graphics displayed behind George Michael and his band perfectly match the elaborate glam style of their sound. George Michael still keeps the sound of Wham! alive performing classics such as "I'm Your Man" and "Everything She Wants". He is also praised for his diverse range of covers. You can hear anything form a Police hit single to a more obscure cover of a Rufus Wainwright composition.

Wham! spent the 80’s battling it out with the likes of Duran Duran and Culture Club for the crown of best ‘pop act’ and in many people opinion they were considered the winner! Formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridley, the duo dominated the top of the charts and achieved a great deal of critical success. After they broke up, George went on to have an amazing solo career spanning many decades.

They were considered an amazing live act! George Michael has a voice to rival any and has since gone on to fill in for Freddie Mercury on Queen tours. They were always upbeat, energetic and bags of fun. They owned the stage and did all they could to get the atmosphere vibrant, with people dancing, singing and generally having the time of their life. With songs like Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Club Tropicana, Freedom and Careless Whisper among a host of other chart toppers they are never going to struggling getting people in a good mood, are they? Wham! made wonderfully crafted and catchy pop songs, it’s almost impossible to hear their songs and not get them stuck in your head. To put it simply! They are one of the best pop bands to come out of the U.K

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Classic Album: Wham! – Fantastic

By Classic Pop | March 18, 2015

Speedos, shuttlecocks and exuberant, life-affirming tunes – when George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley exploded onto the scene with their debut album, Fantastic, the pop world didn’t quite know what had hit it.

With their clean-cut looks, catchy hooks and irresistible sense of fun, that watershed performance catapulted them into the homes – and hearts – of teenage girls nationwide, firmly establishing them as (shuttlecock jokes aside) the perfect pop package. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s ascent from the DHSS to TOTP had been a rapid one.

After leaving school, they’d played in a couple of different bands, including a ska-pop five-piece called The Executive, but had decided to continue as a duo. They were signed up by Innervision Records soon after, and appeared on the TV pop show less than a year later.

In their early days, the pair would divide their time between songwriting and signing on, and it was around this time that they were joined by Shirlie Holliman – Ridgeley’s then-girlfriend. The three of them would choreograph dance routines, which they’d perform at local nightclubs.

“It was so much fun,” recalls Holliman. “The three of us got on brilliantly – they became my world. We’d all go dancing together and Wham! started out as an extension of that. They were great times but I sometimes felt like a spare part next to George – his talent overawed me. He was the organiser and Andrew had the charisma.”

An obviously gifted musician, Michael took on the bulk of the songwriting duties. The duo wanted to be as big as possible in as short a time as possible, and Ridgeley reasoned that allowing Michael to write the material was the way to achieve that.

While Ridgeley’s role in Wham! has been endlessly debated over the years, Simon Napier-Bell,who managed the band from 1983-86, insists that he was integral to their success.

• Read more: Pepsi & Shirlie interview

“Andrew was the image,” he explains. “Wham! was two lads around town – heterosexual and having fun. George invented the image of the band from observing Andrew. He then chose to act out the role of the second of the two lads around town.

“Sure, George wrote the songs, but songwriters can be hired or recruited – the one essential of any group is its personality; its image. And that was pure Andrew. Without him, Wham! could never have existed.”

Inspired by the music they were hearing at clubs such as London’s Le Beat Route – the likes of Chic, The Bee Gees and Earth, Wind & Fire – the pair decided to record a demo tape to approach record labels with.

They hired a Portastudio for £20 and recorded four of the tracks they’d written in Ridgeley’s parents’ living room.

The tape, which contained Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?), Club Tropicana, Come On! and Careless Whisper, was rejected by all of the major labels, but a chance meeting with an old friend in London’s Three Crowns pub gave them their big break.

Mark Dean, a local music executive, had made a name for himself in A&R, having discovered two bands responsible for some of 1982’s biggest hits – Soft Cell and ABC .

Now, having set up Innervision, he offered Wham! a deal, which Michael and Ridgeley – anxious that this would be their one chance at fame – accepted.

They went straight into the studio to professionally lay down the four tracks from their demo, as well as a solo composition from Michael called Young Guns (Go For It!).

At this point, Michael, Ridgeley and Holliman were joined by a new backing singer/dancer, Dee C Lee. “I was working as an in-house session singer at EMI Publishing, recording maybe three or four tracks a day for the songwriters signed,” she tells Classic Pop.

“Someone from Innervsion contacted EMI about a new boyband that wanted two female singers – one black and one white. I met them and we just clicked. They were really young and innocent, very sweet and great fun.

“Recording Fantastic was great – although I’d worked in studios before, this was a new experience for us all and so exciting. George particularly had driving passion and ambition – and, of course, the songs were brilliant. I knew they were going to be huge.”

Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) was released as Wham!’s debut single in June 1982. A fusion of white pop and black soul music, and incorporating rap – at that time a new concept in music – the song became a big club hit. Many DJs believed the track to be the work of a hot new act from New York, until Wham! turned up to perform it.

• Read more: Making Wham!: Make It Big

Having built up a following from their days performing their dance routines in clubs, the band embarked on a gruelling PA tour of those clubs to promote Wham Rap!.

The image of two pretty, bare-chested white boys in leather jackets and skin-tight jeans indulging in flirty dancing with Lee and Holliman went down a storm.

“Those club tours were extremely hard work –sometimes, five or six shows a night – but we enjoyed all of it,” Lee recalls. “As it was a new and fresh experience, it didn’t really feel like work. We were always surprised by the fantastic reaction from the audiences, and became more confident with every show.”

“Those PAs were the best practice in the world,” Michael later said. “They were awful and amateur but we had to do them; there was no way we could make those dance routines up in my mum’s living room and expect them to translate straight away onto live television.”

Although they prepared the band for performing in front of live audiences, the PAs failed to translate into sales and Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) peaked at number 105 in the UK.

Wham! were still perceived as a club act and needed to transcend that. Ironically, it was while performing their second single, Young Guns (Go For It!), at one of London’s most celebrated clubs that they got the opportunity to do that.

Wham! were to find themselves back at the BBC sooner rather than later, after a proposed act pulled out of Top Of The Pops at the last minute.

Despite Young Guns languishing outside the UK Top 40, they were booked on the basis of the positive reaction to their Saturday Superstore performance.

Their Top Of The Pops appearance proved to be a career- defining moment and within weeks, Young Guns, a joyous ode to single life, was in the UK Top Five – their first hit.

A hasty re-release of Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?) followed it into the Top 10, peaking at number eight in February 1983.

With the pressure on for another hit, Michael wrote Bad Boys, a tale of teen rebellion that appealed to the group’s rapidly expanding legions of young fans.

The single hit number two in the UK, though Michael admits it was his creative nadir. “I wrote to a formula for Bad Boys, trying to replicate something else,” he sighs. “That’s something I’d never done before and have never done since.”

His disappointment with Bad Boys was only compounded by the frustration he was experiencing with the band’s record company.

Despite their success, Wham! were still relying on handouts of £40 a week from Innervision. They enlisted the services of Nomis Management, a company set up by newcomer Jazz Summers and industry veteran Simon Napier-Bell (who’d previously managed Marc Bolan and Japan , among others), to help release them from their contract.

“I was confident that we could get them out of it,” says Napier-Bell. “Contracts as bad as that can’t stand up in British courts. But it wasn’t easy – for one thing, money was needed to fight it and they didn’t have any. And secondly, we were up against CBS, who had more money than any other record company in the world.”

Wham!’s next single, Club Tropicana, marked a number of departures for the group. The angsty social commentary of the first three singles was replaced with a fun, breezy tale of sun, sea, sand and cocktails, with its now-iconic video – casting the duo as airline pilots living it up in Ibiza – marking the end of their “baby biker” image.

Another departure was Dee C Lee, who left the group for pastures new. “I didn’t want to just dance and look good, and I had all these ideas in my head,” she tells us.

• Read more: The story of 1983 in music

“I was offered a solo deal by CBS and I’d already been working with The Style Council, who encouraged me to be creative and experiment with my voice. So I made solo records and joined The Style Council full-time.” Pepsi DeMacque joined Wham! as her replacement.

With four UK Top 10 singles to their name – Club Tropicana having hit number four – Wham! were now a pop phenomenon and released the Fantastic album on 9 July 1983.

A cohesive collection of feelgood, frothy funk, it received mixed reviews but was a commercial smash, going straight to number one in the UK and spending 113 weeks in the Top 100.

The album consisted of the singles, a reprise of Come On! from their original demo, two new songs (A Ray Of Sunshine and Nothing Looks The Same In The Light) and a cover of The Miracles’ Love Machine. Careless Whisper failed to make the cut.

“It didn’t fit in, either song-wise or image-wise,” explains Napier-Bell. “And I think George thought it might be something he’d use later to launch a solo career.”

Due to the wrangles with their record label, Wham! now found themselves in limbo, unable to record or release any new material. Napier-Bell booked the band on a UK tour to retain their profile and raise the funds to fight their impending court battle with Innervision.

The 32-date Club Fantastic tour was a huge success on all counts. Every show was a sell-out and “Whamania” hit the headlines, with thousands of fans besieging the group’s every move, from venues to hotels.

Michael and Ridgeley’s faces (and bodies) began to appear in teen mags and tabloids, thanks in no small part to their decision to stuff shuttlecocks down their shorts.

“The tour was chaos,” remembers Holliman. “All these screaming fans wanting to get in with George and Andrew. They’d ask Pepsi and I to pass on messages for them with their phone numbers and underwear attached. But it didn’t work.”

With a number-one album, a string of Top 10 singles and a sold-out UK tour behind them, Wham! fought – and won – their battle to release themselves from Innervision. The cessation of legal wranglings finally granted them the freedom to begin work on their sophomore record, Make It Big. And make it big, they did.

Like its predecessor, the album went to number one in the UK, as did every single they released from this point onwards (with the exception of Last Christmas, which was kept off the top spot by Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?).

However, longevity isn’t something boybands are renowned for and, in June 1986, after a farewell concert at Wembley Stadium, George Michael went off to pursue his much predicted solo venture.

Wham!’s career had been short-lived, but in four years they’d managed to establish themselves as the Eighties’ definitive poster boys – as well as leaving us with a legacy of perfect pop hits.

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Andrew Ridgeley says he and George Michael had 'zero money' after their first Wham! tour — so they went home to live with their parents

• The new Netflix documentary "Wham!" follows the British duo's rise to stardom in the '80s.
• Andrew Ridgeley said he and George Michael had "zero money," even after their successful first tour.
• "Andrew and I both came home off tour and would go home to mom and dad," Michael said.

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley were still broke as their band was becoming a sensation, according to the new Netflix documentary "Wham!".

Using archival footage and audio from interviews, the film tracks the British pop duo's rise to stardom in the early '80s. Michael and Ridgeley embarked on their first major tour in 1983 to support their debut album, "Fantastic," which topped the UK Albums Chart.

"We had a No. 1 album. The tour was an absolute triumph. The press interest was off the scale. We had a string of hit singles. And we had zero money," Ridgeley recalled.

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"Andrew and I both came home off tour and would go home to mom and dad. It was literally, literally that bad," Michael said in a voiceover, adding: "It was absolutely ludicrous."

The duo had signed a record deal with Innervision when they were still teenagers. Apparently, the contract did not grant them large cuts of their own profits.

Michael and Ridgeley recieved just 4% apiece from the revenue brought by single sales in the UK and 2% in the rest of the world, Ridgeley explained in the doc.

They didn't receive any money from sales of their 12-inch records, according to Michael, who called these terms "laughable."

"The issue is, was it fair on the day it was signed?" Michael said. "How can you call, being told that they're not gonna have their big chance at stardom if they don't sign this piece of paper — how is that fair?"

After returning home from the Club Fantastic Tour, Wham! hired Simon Napier-Bell as their manager and signed a new contract with Columbia.

Wham! quickly became one of the best-selling groups of the decade. Their second album, "Make It Big," also topped the UK chart and spawned global hits like "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Careless Whisper."

The duo split ambicably in 1986 after Michael began to feel "trapped" by the heartthrob persona he created for Wham! and the fact that he'd stayed closeted while the band took off. Ridgeley also said he had lost interest in stardom after achieving so much success.

"It had to end at some point. We both knew that," Ridgeley said in the doc. "Wham! was never gonna be middle-aged, or be anything other than that essential and pure representation of us as youths. We all wake up in the middle of our dreams. Suddenly it's not there. Wham! as us, as what we were together, was at an end."

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

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Pat Benatar and her husband Neil Giraldo take it a step further.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees announced they’re hitting the road once again to deliver their hits like “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Love Is A Battlefield” and “Heartbreaker” at venues all over North America from May through August as part of their ‘Fantastic 2024 Tour.’

Along the way, the lovebirds will make five (!) New York and New Jersey stops.

First, they’re slated to drop into Atlantic City’s Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort on Saturday, July 6.

After that, the pair swings into Red Bank, NJ’s Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre on July 7, Bethel, NY’s Bethel Woods Center For The Arts on July 21, and New York City’s Beacon Theatre on July 23.

Finally, Benatar and Giraldo close their NY/NJ run at Lewiston, NY’s Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater on July 24.

For those who can’t wait to sing along with the ’80s icons live, tickets can be secured as soon as today.

Although inventory isn’t available on Ticketmaster until Friday, March 29, fans who want to ensure they have tickets ahead of time can purchase on sites like Vivid Seats before tickets are officially on sale.

Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.

Pat Benatar tickets 2024

A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.

Pat Benatar set list

Benatar and Giraldo wrapped their 2023 headlining ‘De Novo Tour’ — before serving as a special guest on P!nk’s ‘Funtastic Tour’ — in Las Vegas.

Here’s what they performed at their final show on the run in Las Vegas, according to Set List FM .

01.) “All Fired Up” (Rattling Sabres cover) 02.) “Sex as a Weapon” 03.) “We Live for Love” 04.) “We Belong” (Lowen & Navarro cover) 05.) “Promises in the Dark” 06.) “River of Love” 07.) “Invincible” 08.) “Shadows of the Night” (Helen Schneider cover) 09.) “You Better Run” (The Rascals cover) 10.) “Love Is a Battlefield” 11.) “Everybody Lay Down” 12.) “Heartbreaker / Ring of Fire”

Pat Benatar new music

While the 71-year-old New York City native has stayed fairly active post-pandemic and toured in 2022, she and Giraldo haven’t put out any new songs since their 2020 single  “Together.”

The mournful, four-minute piano ballad is clearly a reflection on the COVID-19 lockdowns as evidenced by the refrain “Distance will keep us together.”

You can browse through Benatar’s legendary catalog and re-live the ’80s with her here .

Pat Benatar 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

On Nov. 5, 2022, Benatar and Giraldo cemented their place in Rock and Roll History when they were officially inducted alongside Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, and Carly Simon.

At the raucous ceremony, Benatar sang “Love Is A Battlefield” live; a one-minute snippet of the performance can be seen below.

Neil Giraldo

Giraldo, 68, began playing with Benatar in 1979; the two were wed in 1982.

His contributions haven’t been minimal either — Giraldo produced both “Love Is a Battlefield” and “We Belong” and has performed on every single Benatar album.

In addition to collaborating with his wife, the guitarist/producer worked with Rick Springfield on the iconic 80s anthem “Jesse’s Girl.”

’80s stars on tour in 2024

Were the ’80s really over 30 years ago?

Time flies.

Somehow, the biggest stars from the big hair era are still truckin’ along and touring all over North America in 2024.

Here are just five of our favorite ’80s stars you won’t want to miss when they come to a city near you this year.

•  Heart with Cheap Trick

•  Foreigner with Styx

•  Journey with Def Leppard

•  REO Speedwagon with Train

•  Rick Springfield with Richard Marx

Some might be saying, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Benatar isn’t an ’80s star! She’s a classic rocker!”

If that’s how you feel, we’ve got music options for you too — check out our list of the 52 biggest classic rockers on tour in 2024 here .

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WHAM! Releases Collectible Greatest Hits Vinyl Boxset, ‘The Singles’

The boxset comes with a dozen 7″ records in a special carrying case — a must-have for fans.

Britain’s beloved pop duo WHAM! is celebrating their 40th anniversary with a special boxset titled WHAM! The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven.

Hear WHAM!’s biggest hits and more ’80s chart-toppers on 80s on 8 (Ch. 8)

The limited-edition boxset — contained within a purple carrying case — includes:

• 12 x 7″ Vinyl (11 singles plus Christmas)
• Cassette of bonus mixes
• Book with liner notes on each single plus photos
• Solid metal keyring with etched signatures
• Numbered certificate
• Membership card
• Christmas card

WHAM! The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven is also available in multiple additional formats: 10CD box set, 2LP coloured vinyl, 2LP black vinyl, CD and digital. Order your copy here.

Lifelong friends who met at secondary school in the small town of Bushey, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley formed WHAM! in 1981, becoming one of the most globally successful pop acts of the 1980s. WHAM! sold more than 30 million records worldwide, with five of their 11 singles becoming British No. 1s.

In the United States, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” “Careless Whisper,” and “Everything She Wants” — all from the same album,  Make It Big — topped the charts. In the summer of 1985, their WHAMAMERICA! stadium tour played to hundreds of thousands of WHAM! fans across the States.

Although WHAM! disbanded in 1986, George and Andrew’s friendship was as strong at the end as it was in the beginning.

WHAM! The Singles Tracklist

Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do) Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do) [Club Mix]

Young Guns (Go For It) Going For It!

Bad Boys Bad Boys (Instrumental)

Club Tropicana Blue (Armed With Love)

Club Fantastic Megamix A Ray Of Sunshine

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Instrumental)

Freedom Freedom (Instrumental)

Last Christmas Everything She Wants

I’m Your Man Do It Right (Instrumental)

Edge Of Heaven Wham! Rap ’86 Battlestations Where Did Your Heart Go?

Interviews – fan club gift from Wham

On July 5, 2023, Netflix released  WHAM! , a feature-length documentary that captures WHAM!’s incredible four-year run from 1982-1986, from director Chris Smith and producers John Battsek and Simon Halfon. The documentary includes unprecedented access to both George and Andrew’s personal archives, including remarkable and never-before-seen footage, alongside rare, candid, and previously unheard interviews. WHAM! follows their incredible journey from school friends to superstars.

The Black Crowes Are Back on ‘The Howard Stern Show’: Stream

Bruce springsteen calls into e street radio to discuss 2024 world tour, carrie underwood shares faith-based country and gospel music on her newest channel, listen to u2’s final sphere concert on their siriusxm channel, music, sports, news and more.

All in one place on the SiriusXM app

Tour Details

Moscow metro tour: architectural styles of the subway.

Duration: 2 hours

Categories: Culture & History, Sightseeing

This metro tour of Russia’s capital and most populous city, Moscow, is your chance to get a unique insight into the beautiful and impressive architecture of the city's underground stations. Admire their marble walls and high ceilings representing Stalin's desire for glory after World War 2, and see first-hand how the interiors change with the rise of new political eras. Your guide will lead you through the complex network, which is one of the most heavily used rapid transit systems worldwide, with over two billion travelers in 2011.

Opened in 1935, Moscow’s underground system, now 190 miles (305 km) long with 185 stations, is today one the largest and most heavily used rapid transit systems in the world. On this Moscow metro tour, discover the impressive architecture of Moscow’s underground stations and learn how they reflect the Soviet era.

Getting around by metro, your local guide will take you through parts of Moscow’s infamous history. Stop at stations built during the time of the USSR (Soviet Union) that are praised as one of the most extravagant architectural projects from Stalin’s time. After World War 2, he was keen on establishing Stalinist architecture to represent his rising regime and a recognized empire. Learn how when his successor started the de-Stalinization of the former Soviet Union in 1953, the extravagancy of the architecture was toned down.

Discover how the unique character of each station reflected several different eras. While stations like Kievskaya and Slavyansky Bulvar have pompous halls and high stucco ceilings brimming with extravagant decorations, those built later, like Volzhskaya, are lightly adorned with sparse furnishings. Architect Alexey Dushkin and painter Alexander Deyneka were just two of the many artists who made these magnificent landmarks possible.

Revel in Moscow's glory days, as well as the years of scarcity, on this fascinating Moscow metro experience. Conclude your tour at one of the central stations in Moscow. If you're lucky, you may even find the secret entrance to the unconfirmed Metro-2, a parallel underground system used by the government -- a mystery which has neither been denied nor confirmed today.

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Culture Shock Rating

We have a wide range of tours designed to give you an insight into the destination you're travelling in and there is something for everybody. The culture shock ratings considers the destination visited, transport used, activities undertaken and that "Wow, I'm really not at home now!" factor. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

This is the least confronting of our tour range. Transport used on the trip is either private or a very comfortable public option, the activities included are usually iconic sites and locations that are not all too confronting.

The tour can include a mix of private and public transport providing a level of comfort that is slightly below what you would experience at home. Sites visited are usually iconic sites, tours can also include market visits, visits to communities etc that provide the traveller with a fantastic insight into destination.

Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether it's a packed public bus where you are forced to stand, a visit to a local market, a local community, you are sure to have an experience that is very different from what you're used to at home.

The comforts of your home town and the environment you are used to are more of a rarity. Expect some challenging transport options, visits to local sites and areas that don't resemble anything at home.

You're out there in the global community! You are likely to be exposed to the elements, travel in whatever means of transport is available and basically take it as it comes, whatever comes! It can be tough.

Physical Rating

Our physical rating gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

These tours have very limited physical activity. Usually climbing in and out of the transport provided, walking through sites, markets etc included in the itinerary.

These tours have a bit of physical activity but nothing that should challenge you too much. This could be climbing on and off public transport through to a walk through the destination you're travelling in, they can include walking only tours or a combination of walking and transport.

These tours involve a bit of physical activity from walking up and down hills in the destination you're travelling in or the surrounding areas. Climbing on and off local transport or riding a bike up to 30 kms along predominantly flat terrain or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.

These Tours will provide you with some solid physical activity. Whether its bike riding, walking, trekking, kayaking or riding on public transport you will need to have a good level of fitness to enjoy this tour.

Be prepared for some serious physical activity. These tours are our most challenging and involve some serious walking, hiking or bike riding. Can involve step climbs by foot or pedal and some challenging public transport options in the destination you are travelling.

Luxury Rating

Some trips are like a stroll on the beach, while others have you trekking alpine passes. Some of you thrive on camping out on the savannah, while others may prefer a hot shower and a comfortable bed in a lodge. Follow the grading systems below to find the right trip for you.

To help you choose the trip that's right for you, we've broken all of our trips down into four service levels. Measuring the comfort level of the accommodation and transport. So whether you're travelling on a budget and want to save money by using public transport, or prefer upgraded accommodation and are happy to pay a little more, then we have a level for you.

This is grassroots travel at its most interesting

Authentic experiences with some of the comforts of home

For those who like to travel in comfort

All the unique experiences wrapped up with a gold ribbon

Moscow Metro Tour

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

Write your review

• Preplanned tours
• Daytrips out of Moscow
• Themed tours
• Customized tours
• St. Petersburg

Moscow Metro 2019

Will it be easy to find my way in the Moscow Metro? It is a question many visitors ask themselves before hitting the streets of the Russian capital. As metro is the main means of transport in Moscow – fast, reliable and safe – having some skills in using it will help make your visit more successful and smooth. On top of this, it is the most beautiful metro in the world !

. There are over 220 stations and 15 lines in the Moscow Metro. It is open from 6 am to 1 am. Trains come very frequently: during the rush hour you won't wait for more than 90 seconds! Distances between stations are quite long – 1,5 to 2 or even 3 kilometers. Metro runs inside the city borders only. To get to the airport you will need to take an onground train - Aeroexpress.

RATES AND TICKETS

Paper ticket A fee is fixed and does not depend on how far you go. There are tickets for a number of trips: 1, 2 or 60 trips; or for a number of days: 1, 3 days or a month. Your trips are recorded on a paper ticket. Ifyou buy a ticket for several trips you can share it with your traveling partner passing it from one to the other at the turnstile.

On every station there is cashier and machines (you can switch it to English). Cards and cash are accepted. 1 trip - 55 RUB 2 trips - 110 RUB

Tickets for 60 trips and day passes are available only at the cashier's.

60 rides - 1900 RUB

1 day - 230 RUB 3 days - 438 RUB 30 days - 2170 RUB.

The cheapest way to travel is buying Troyka card . It is a plastic card you can top up for any amount at the machine or at the ticket office. With it every trip costs 38 RUB in the metro and 21 RUB in a bus. You can get the card in any ticket office. Be prepared to leave a deposit of 50 RUB. You can get it back returning the card to the cashier.

SamsungPay, ApplePay and PayPass cards.

One turnstile at every station accept PayPass and payments with phones. It has a sticker with the logos and located next to the security's cabin.

GETTING ORIENTED

At the platfrom you will see one of these signs.

It indicates the line you are at now (line 6), shows the direction train run and the final stations. Numbers below there are of those lines you can change from this line.

In trains, stations are announced in Russian and English. In newer trains there are also visual indication of there you are on the line.

To change lines look for these signs. This one shows the way to line 2.

There are also signs on the platfrom. They will help you to havigate yourself. (To the lines 3 and 5 in this case).