club fantastic tour wham

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"

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Fantastic Day (and Night): Wham!’s First Tour (1983)

February 9, 2020

This interview about Wham!’s first concert tour was written by Paul Simper and published in the No.1 magazine on October 22, 1983.

Wham!’s first tour was billed as “Club Fantastic Tour” (also advertised as Club Fantastic ‘83 Tour) to support their first studio album Fantastic (1983). The tour, held from October 5 to November 26, 1983, was sponsored by Fila sportswear. Gary Crowley (of Capital Radio) was the opening DJ act.

Wham are one of Britain’s biggest pop groups but until now they’ve never played live. Ever.

So how will their fans react to seeing them in the flesh, in shorts?! Will they scream or scram?

And what of George and Andrew themselves? How are they enjoying their early days under the bright lights? Have they done what they set out to?

And who are all these other people working in the Club Fantastic …

A NATION WAITS

From recording a demo in their front room with a broom handle as a mikestand, through four hits on Top Of The Pops , and onto a ‘Fantastic’ best-selling debut album, Wham have moved mighty fast. And they’ve done it with style.

Now they’re facing their public for the first time.

They’ve packed their bags and hit the road to blustery Aberdeen for the opening night of their 30-date tour.

It seems as though the whole world’s come along to see how they fare. All of Fleet Street’s prowling the band’s hotel, hoping for a quick exclusive. There’s cousins, sisters, mums and dads, record company execs.

And somewhere amongst all the excitement are George and Andrew — nervous, but thrilled to bits.

They needn’t worry. When they leap on stage at about a quarter to nine, after Capital DJ Gary Crowley has warmed everyone up with boisterous song and dance, the crowd go bananas.

And Wham deserve it.

They’ve put a lot into this live show, bursting with palm trees, badminton racquets, cowboy outfits, dancing … and even home movies (an At Home And Through The Ages special with Andrew and George which comes in the middle of the set).

They finish with Chic’s ‘Good Times’ and it’s a wholly appropriate ending to the evening. The bad boys have taken a deep breath, a giant step and tonight they’ll sleep safe in their beds.

And after a good night’s sleep they’re ready to talk …

THE BlG NIGHT

George: “The band were great the first night and I was just glad that my voice didn’t break up.

“I was really nervous before I went on. I wasn’t expecting to be, but we came back to the hotel about three quarters of an hour before the gig and …”

A ndrew: I thought I’d be incredibly nervous — almost sick …”

George: “But it was me! Andrew was just jumping up and down, running round the bedroom, doing the dance routines and getting really worked up while I just sat there trying to relax.

“I got my sister to massage my neck. I was so worked up!

“The minute we walked on though we were OK. The audience reaction was really good. I thought it might be quite hard in Aberdeen but they were great.

“There’s no feeling in the world like playing live. We were sitting in our bedroom yesterday after the show thinking what on earth could we be doing now that could make us this excited.”

A ndrew: “We didn’t do much physical preparation before the tour. We played badminton for a couple of weeks (as they demonstrate by wacking the odd shuttlecock into the audience during the show) but then we were too busy.”

George : “The rehearsals in themselves were quite hard work, but I think we’re both fairly fit anyway.

“The choreography for the show was done really late because we already had most of the routines from Top Of The Pops .

“We had to show Pepsi (the new girl) the routines but we didn’t have time until the day before the tour started.”

THE PROGRAMME

Andrew: “We’re really pleased with the programme. We spent three nights working it all out ourselves.

“We’ve seen a bootleg programme selling for the same price though which is disgusting. Ours is the white one—don’t buy the other one because it’s really bad quality.”

THE SHOW WITH A DIFFERENCE

George: “One of the main points of this show is to let people know that we don’t intend to just go around doing the average old rock routine for the next ten years.

“Maybe showing home videos is doing too much but we want to keep doing things that are different.

“This show is the climax of all we’ve been working on before. Anything like America will just be doing it again in another country. This is really exciting.”

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

George: ” I stopped going to shows when I was about 15 but when I was younger I went to see Elton John at Earls Court who was really good

“And I saw Queen. Freddie Mercury’s a very very good showman.

The only band I’ve seen in the last two years that I’ve really enjoyed is Shalamar “

SHOW NO-NOS!

George : “One thing we thought would be a complete waste of time was a support band. It’s cruel to the audience and to the support band

“Getting Gary Crowley to do the records is a much better idea. If he can get the audience singing along in Aberdeen, as he did, he’ll be brilliant anywhere”

HOME MOVIES

George: “The idea of the home movies in the middle of the show is to get away from the image of us being untouchable. Hopefully a lot of the kids will go home feeling they know us a little bit better.

“I couldn’t believe it though when the girls started screaming at the video.

“The only bit that wasn’t realistic was us getting out of bed in the morning in pajamas. We couldn’t have done it how we normally sleep—in the nude.

“Anyway, it was very cold that morning!”

FILA THE NEED!

George: “The idea of wearing sports gear (sponsored by Fila) onstage just carried over from what we’d been wearing in Ibiza in the ‘Club Tropicana’ video.

“I guess it’s a bit out of place now, being winter. We’ll probably get loads of parents suing us cos their children have caught pneumonia!

George: “We picked ‘Good Times’ by Chic because firstly it’s one of our favourite records, and secondly the whole mood of it and the lyrics are very representative of what we do.

“Like ‘Love Machine’, it’s pretty faithful to the original and obviously there is a fault in not doing something new to an old record. But both were always intended to be played live and in that context they work really well.”

DEAR MUMMY, DEAR DADDY . . .

Andrew: My dad was a bit ‘iffy’ about coming up for the first date but I think all our parents still haven’t really grasped what it’s all about

“It was only when we did Capital Radio’s Junior Best Disco at the Lyceum that they saw— and we saw — the hysteria. Before that they’d just seen us on Top Of The Pops

“I think they’re quite shocked by it all.”

George : “It was my idea to get Andrew to introduce my solo single ‘Careless Whisper’. We want to get rid of all this rubbish about us splitting for good .

The fact that Andrew went out on the first night and openly denied that we were splitting probably helps to strengthen our resolve.”

I DON’T NEED THIS PRESSURE ON

George : “I don’t know yet how I’m going to cope with all the attention and exposure that this tour obviously gives us. All I know is this tour is the most important thing at the moment — more than my solo single or anything

“We decided there was no point having a George Michael single out in the middle’ of a Wham tour.

“We like to devote all our energies to one thing at a time otherwise you start to not give your best.”

Andrew: Oh for a quiet life'”

GARY CROWLEY

Gary, who has two weekend shows of his own on Capital Radio, is the Club Fantastic DJ. Playing records like ‘Burn Rubber On Me’ by The Gap Band and ‘(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew’, it’s his job to get the joint jumping before Wham come on.

“I was really nervous the night before the first show because I’ve never done anything like this before but the kids are really enthusiastic. They’re brilliant.

“They were even singing along to records like Sylvester’s You Make Me Feel which they’re probably too young to remember.”

Wham on Gary : ‘You can’t help but be affected by his exuberance. You can see and hear how genuine he is and you just react to that.”

Deon is Wham’s bass player and it is his band Dream Merchant who are backing the boys on the tour.

“I did a bit of the singing on Bad Boys’ and I’ve worked with them and producer Steve Brown since then as well as with people like Blancmange, Steve Walsh and Blue Rondo. In fact, I’ve worked with pretty well every young British band since I moved over from America.

“Wham are nice boys but they need to get in shape because it’s a long tour. I get up and go running at about 5.30 every morning and so in the evening you’re really buzzing.”

Wham on Deon : “He’s great. We were really impressed from the first time we saw him. His bass playing and Trevor Morrell’s drums are just so tight.’

Shirlie Holliman’s been with Wham since the beginning and does a lot of the band’s choreography.

“The show’s not as hectic as I thought it would be. We have five costume changes but there’s plenty of time for us to get our breath back.

“The dates I’m really looking forward to are the London ones. The crowd have been alright so far but they’re a bit older than I thought they’d be.

“One strange thing is that this is the first time I’ve met any of the band, because I don’t spend much time in the studio.

“In fact me and Pepsi hardly saw the boys during rehearsals because Yog (George) has lo be with the band and there’s no mirrors in the studio to practice our dancing in front of.

“Luckily Pepsi dances quite like me so she’s fitted in well.”

Pepsi replaced Dee when she left Wham. Like Dee she was formerly a session singer.

“I always thought the tour would be very energetic so it’s very much how I expected it. I’m totally enjoying myself!

“This is so different from session singing. It’s more exciting and thankfully everyone’s been really nice.

“I love it on stage .. touching all the hands, everyone going crazy. I just get on such a high!

“I never ever imagined I’d end up dancing on a stage as well as singing.”

Wham on Pepsi : “The name automatically attracted us to her and she’s fitted in very well She’s got a good positive attitude to everything and she’s quite easy-going, which helps.”

MELANIE MICHAEL

Melanie is one of George’s two sisters (the other is Yioda). and she’s in charge of make-up on the tour. Apparently presentation hasn’t always been her brother’s best feature…

“The worst thing George ever did to himself was to dye his hair black. I told him if he wanted it black the darkest he should dye it was dark brown but he wouldn’t believe me.

“He got a real shock when he saw himself. Our dad wouldn’t sit at the same table as him’

Andros is the godson of George’s dad, Jack. The boys’ fathers grew up together in Cyprus. For his 21st birthday present George paid for Andros to come up to the first shows.

“I wasn’t surprised by George doing this and doing it well. He was always music mad.

“I didn’t think he’d do it with Andrew though because Andrew didn’t come on the scene til senior school when he was about 13

“If anything I thought he’d do it with David (Mortimer) who lived down the road.”

DAVID MORTIMER

Formerly guitarist with Wham, Dave now has his own band called Great (originally Fantastic before George made him change it!). George has written a couple of songs for him. one called ‘Golden Soul’, and Great will be using Deon’s band. Dream Merchant.

Similar Posts:

• George Michael Interview with Capital FM Radio with Dr. Fox (Dec 1998)
• An Audience with George Michael: Interview with Chris Evans (1996)
• Last Wham! Interview: No. 1 Magazine (1986)
• Wham! Teen Dreams Come True (NME, 1983)
• Andrew Ridgeley on Life With and After Wham! (Hello!, 1997)

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Club Fantastic Tour Explained

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. [1] [2]

Wham! announced a tour in August 1983. 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 begin performing with a 30-date tour of the UK. Napier-Bell secured 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. [3]

Halfway through the tour, Michael lost his voice and had to cancel ten consecutive shows; concerts were pushed back and rescheduled. [4]

Concert synopsis

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 & Shirlie, backing singers and dancers, ran on stage for " Club Tropicana ". [5]

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. [6] 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 video s was played. [7]

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. [8]

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 ". [9]

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. [10]

The first set saw the band play most of the hits from the Fantastic album before George Michael was on stage alone singing tracks like "Careless Whisper", a then-unreleased track. [11]

The average set list was as follows: [12]

• " Young Guns (Go for It) "
• " Club Tropicana "
• " 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"
• "Young Guns (Go for It)"
• "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)"
• " Good Times "
• Andrew Ridgeley
• Shirlie Holliman Pepsi DeMacque
• Tommy Eyre — keyboards
• Deon Estus — bass guitar
• Trevor Morrell — drums
• Robert Ahwai — guitar
• David "Babs" Baptiste — saxophone
• Paul Spong — trumpet
• Colin Graham — trumpet
• Janey Hallet — backing vocals
• Gee — backing vocals
• Jenny — backing vocals
• Danny Cummings — percussion
• Mike Brady — recorder
• Barry Mead — tour manager
• Ken — production manager
• Glenn — guitar tech
• Wendy — assistant tour manager
• Lesley Morrall — wardrobe
• Mel — hair & makeup
• Promoter — Harvey Goldsmith Entertainments
• Management — Simon Napier Bell & Jazz Summers
• Personal security — Dave Moulder
• Concert Publishing Co. — programme & merchandising
• Fila — sportswear

Gary Crowley described the tour as "some of my bestest bestest memories ... The nearest I'll ever get to being in the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night ." [14]

Notes and References

• Book: Steele, Robert . Careless Whispers: The Life & Career of George Michael . 4 September 2017 . 9781783239689 . 1 February 2023.
• Book: Jovanovic, Rob. George Michael: The biography . 3 December 2015 . 9780349411248 . 1 February 2023.
• Book: Steele, Robert. Careless Whispers: The Life & Career of George Michael Revised & Updated . 4 September 2017 . 9781783239689 . 29 August 2022.
• Disco 45 Hot Pop Special, Wham! From Wham Rap to Wembley 86, – Magazine published in summer 1986
• Reid . Jim . 22 October 1983. Record Mirror . United Newspapers. United Kingdom.
• Simper . Paul . 22 October 1983. Wham! On Tour, Fantastic Day (and Night). Number One . United Kingdom.
• Tennant . Neil. 24 May – 6 June 1984. The Beach Boys: Sea, sand, shorts, shuttlecocks and snogging: Yes, Wham! are back. Your travel guide in Miami . Smash Hits . United Kingdom. EMAP Metro.
• Reid . Jim . 22 October 1983. Record Mirror . United Newspapers . United Kingdom.
• Book: Jovanovic, Rob. George Michael: The biography . 3 December 2015 . 9780349411248 . 8 February 2023.
• https://books.google.com/books?id=4FUNCgAAQBAJ&dq=fila+wham+club+fantastic+tour&pg=PT43 George Michael: The biography
• https://www.setlist.fm/stats/average-setlist/wham-1bd6bd4c.html?tour=Club+Fantastic+Tour Average setlist for tour:
• Web site: Gary Crowley remembers being the warm up man for Wham in the 80's . BBC . 26 December 2016. 8 February 2023.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License . It uses material from the Wikipedia article " Club Fantastic Tour ".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy .

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Wham! Setlist at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England

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• Oct 23 1983 The Studio Bristol, England Add time Add time
• Oct 24 1983 Top Rank Suite Swansea, Wales Add time Add time
• Oct 27 1983 Hammersmith Odeon This Setlist London, England Add time Add time
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Sunday 10 January 2010

Club fantastic tour.

Very nice article, I enjoyed reading your post, very nice share, I want to twit this to my followers. Thanks!. Akanthus Σχοινας

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THE ARCHIVES

• ALBUM : FANTASTIC (1)
• ALBUM : MAKE IT BIG (1)
• ALBUM : THE FINAL (1)
• PRESS : N°1 1985 (1)
• PRESS : NME 1982 (1)
• PRESS : Record Mirror 1983 (1)
• PRESS : Smash Hits 1983 (1)
• PRESS : Smash Hits 1984 (1)
• PRESS : Smash Hits 1985 (1)
• PROMO : Bad Boys (1)
• PROMO : Careless Whisper (1)
• PROMO : Everything She Wants (1)
• PROMO : Fantastic (2)
• PROMO : Last Christmas (2)
• PROMO : Make It Big (1)
• PROMO : Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (2)
• SINGLE : Bad Boys (1)
• SINGLE : Careless Whisper (1)
• SINGLE : Club Fantastic Megamix (1)
• SINGLE : Club Tropicana (1)
• SINGLE : Everything She Wants (1)
• SINGLE : Freedom (1)
• SINGLE : I'm Your Man (1)
• SINGLE : Last Christmas (1)
• SINGLE : Last Christmas 86 (1)
• SINGLE : The Edge Of Heaven (1)
• SINGLE : Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (1)
• SINGLE : Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do) (1)
• SINGLE : Where Did Your Heart Go ? (1)
• SINGLE : Young Guns (Go For It) (1)
• TOUR : Club Fantastic Tour 1983 (1)
• TOUR : The Big Tour (2)

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About wham.

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.

Related stories

"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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Through archival interviews and footage, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley relive the arc of their Wham career, from '70s best buds to '80s pop icons. Through archival interviews and footage, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley relive the arc of their Wham career, from '70s best buds to '80s pop icons. Through archival interviews and footage, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley relive the arc of their Wham career, from '70s best buds to '80s pop icons.

• Chris Smith
• David Bowie
• 50 User reviews
• 40 Critic reviews
• 73 Metascore
• 2 nominations total

• (archive footage)

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• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia In a 2023 interview with Smooth Radio, Chris Smith spoke about the unexpected way archive material was found and how it shaped the film: "The biggest surprise during the process was realizing that Andrew Ridgeley 's mother had these scrapbooks. Those ended up, I think there were 50 in total and were this incredible document that sort of charted the rise and the ultimate conclusion of Wham! . To have those as a guide that we were able to come back to time and time and time again as a narrative device was such an incredible break. And then in terms of the actual archive, the process, it wasn't like we collected everything and then we cut the movie. It was ongoing throughout the entire process. And we had heard that there was this fabled footage that existed from the Club Fantastic tour. And I don't think we found that until like a couple of weeks before we finished. It was something that somebody knew someone who knew someone who had a copy of VHS tape on their shelf. It's much more happenstance than I think people would assume. I think that people would assume that this all exists in one centralized location in George Michael 's estate. Andrew had a lot of it, but there were a lot of things that were just sort of floating out there that we were fortunately able to find and pull in."

George Michael : I always get really shy when there's loads and loads of other pop stars about. I just tend to clam up a bit.

• Connections Featured in 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards (2024)

User reviews 50

• Jul 6, 2023
• How long is Wham!? Powered by Alexa
• July 5, 2023 (United States)
• United Kingdom
• Official Netflix
• Ventureland
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 1 hour 32 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Sydney Vivid Lights Festival 2024

Discover illuminating installations and see 3D light projections transform Sydney’s iconic architecture as we celebrate Vivid Sydney – the city’s annual festival of light. Take a fabulous cruise on Sydney Harbour and experience Lightscape in the Botanic Gardens.

Friday 24 May - Wednesday 29 May 2024

Tour cost (gst inclusive): $2,580 per person twin share $660 single supplement.

• Luxury Coach Travel in our Business Class Coach
• Sydney Clearview Glass Boat Dinner Cruise featuring Vivid Sydney Light Festival
• Entry to Lightscape*, Sydney Botanic Gardens
• Entry to Sydney Eye
• Guided tour of Ken Duncan Gallery – Central Coast
• Wine and chocolate pairing experience at Firescreek Botanical Winery
• Lunch cruise with Free Spirit Cruises, Forster
• Entry to Evans Head Heritage Aviation Museum
• 5 nights motel accommodation
• 5 cooked breakfasts, 5 two-course dinners, 3 lunches

Tour Itinerary

Brisbane to port macquarie, fri 24 may 24.

Welcome to our fantastic tour to Sydney for the incredible Vivid Lights Festival , an annual creative festival that fuses art, innovation and technology. Vivid is known for its spectacular light projects and art installations which create a vibrant kaleidoscope of colour across the city. We have a travel day ahead as we make our way to Port Macquarie , stopping for convenience breaks and to purchase lunch. We have time to freshen up in our motel before dinner in the onsite restaurant beside the Hastings River.

Day 2: (BLD)

Port macquarie to sydney, sat 25 may 24.

After breakfast we continue down the coast, stopping at Ourimbah-Lisarow RSL Club for lunch before continuing to Sydney. Tonight, we visit the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney for Lightscape* , an internationally acclaimed multi-sensory experience of light, colour and sound . Begin under glowing tree canopies filled with colour, stroll beneath larger than life flowers and alongside neon roots busting from undergrowth, where shards of light fizz through trees like fireworks. Soak in the soundscape and breathtaking lightworks created by local and international artists. 

Day 3: (BD)

Sydney vivid lights, sun 26 may 24.

Today we enjoy some local Sydney sights, starting at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair . Carved out of sandstone by convicts for Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s wife to watch the activity on the Harbour, it offers great views of the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Fort Denison . From here we make our way through the exclusive suburbs of Double Bay and Vaucluse to the Gap on the southern side of the Sydney Harbour Heads. Onto famous Bondi Beach where we have time to take a stroll along the promenade and purchase a cuppa (own expense). Returning to Sydney, we visit the Sydney Tower Eye . Located 250 metres above Sydney streets, we enjoy unrivalled 360-degree views of the city and beyond. Spot iconic landmarks, hidden gems and on a clear day, you can even see the Blue Mountains which are located 80km away! We have time at leisure this afternoon before travelling to Sydney Harbour for a fabulous cruise . Tonight, experience the astonishing light installations and interesting projections that come alive at the amazing Vivid Festival . We board our luxury cruise and enjoy a delicious dinner while taking in the stunning views of Sydney and the harbour illuminated. What a fantastic evening!

Day 4: (BD)

Sydney to central coast, mon 27 may 24.

After our late night, we have a leisurely morning before departing Sydney for the Central Coast . We visit Ken Duncan Gallery where we spend time wandering through the spacious viewing rooms and enjoy a spectacular audio-visual presentation. Set on a lush farm and garden is Firescreek Botanical Winery who make award winning wines from a variety of fruits and botanicals. Here we enjoy a wine tasting with a twist as we try four Firescreek Botanic Wines paired perfectly with four exquisite handmade chocolates . After a fantastic experience, we have time to wander the beautiful property. We make our way to our accommodation, located in the lovely seaside suburb, Forresters Beach .

Day 5: (BLD)

Central coast to coffs harbour, tue 28 may 24.

Today we head to Forster – Tuncurry where we will see one of Australia’s most pristine lakes on a lunch cruise . Wallis Lake is the sparkling jewel in the crown that consists of the Great Lakes region in the Barrington Coast . The lake stretches for 25 kilometres between Wallingat National Park and a sliver of land separating the lake from the sea. Our cruise offers a front row seat to the turquoise clear waters which a diverse array of bird species call home and, if we are lucky – we may even encounter the local dolphins. Back on dry land, we continue to Coffs Harbour, for our overnight accommodation.

Day 6: (BL)

Coffs harbour to brisbane, wed 29 may 24.

We travel to Evans Head to discover the Heritage Aviation Museum , which thousands of men and women called home while undergoing bombing training during World War II. The museum features military and civilian aircraft and artefacts collected from across Australia. The major attraction to the museum is a RAAF Canberra A84-203 and takes pride of place next to the F-111 fighter bomber. After an interesting morning we enjoy lunch at the Club Evans before returning home from a wonderful tour.

*The Vivid Lights Program including Lightscape is yet to be released and subject to change.

The Legacy of Ohio's Clearview Golf Club

William Powell’s club is the first and only golf course designed, built, owned and operated by an African American. His kids now bring their father’s message to a new generation.

August 2019 BY Vince Guerrieri | Photo by Ken Blaze

William worked a full shift at Timken in the daytime before returning to the golf club property to bring his plans to fruition. (photo by Ken Blaze)

Renee Powell poses with the Clearview Golf Club's Ohio Historical Marker. (photo by Ken Blaze)

William Powell began work on Clearview Golf Club in 1946. It has garnered the nickname “America's Course.” (photo by Ken Blaze)

Clearview Golf Club was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, and it has acquired the nickname “America’s Course,” which leads to an incongruity: People far and wide have heard of it, but people nearby might not have any idea of the course’s historical significance.

“Some people come to play just because of its significance,” Renee says. “There are a lot of people who don’t know the story.” But those who do treat it almost like a pilgrimage. A college in Pennsylvania did a civil rights tour and their last stop was Clearview Golf Club. Minnijean Brown-Trickey, a trailblazer in her own right as one of the Little Rock Nine who integrated Central High School in the Arkansas capital in 1958, made a recent visit as well. Golf has always carried a reputation as an exclusive game, something William Powell combatted his entire life. It’s an effort Renee is honored to carry on.  “My parents created various programs to welcome everyone into the game,” she says. “I’m trying to learn and follow in the footsteps of my parents and perpetuating the legacy that they created.”  Clearview Golf Club is at 8410 Lincoln St. SE, East Canton 44730. For more information, call 330/488-0404 or visit clearviewgolfclub.com .

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