‘George Michael: The Faith Tour’ review: An extraordinary reminder of his talent

Never got to see George Michael perform live? This new big-screen concert film might be the closest you can get. Recorded at two gigs in Paris, 1988, it’s an impressive showcase of the late musician’s singing, showmanship and stamina as he toured with his debut solo album, Faith. 

The film opens with Finding Faith, a new short from Mary McCartney, featuring interview audio over behind the scenes footage and photographs by Herb Ritts. It’s an intimate way to set the scene, especially if you’re not familiar with his book Bare, which these interviews were for. Then it’s time to join the 20,000 strong crowd in the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, where the former member of Wham! bounces around the stage with vigour and vocal prowess of a man at the top of his game. What’s also impressive is that this was never intended to be a full concert film: footage was being shot for the promo for the single Monkey. But Michael and his team didn’t hold back, hiring 14 camera people to shoot on 35mm (his personal preference, over the video that record companies used as standard). They shot over two nights, all over the auditorium, and – as luck would have it – the entire audio was captured by a radio station.

The shoot’s original director was Andy Morahan, George Michael’s frequent collaborator. Having rediscovered the footage, Morahan teamed up with Michael’s friend and manager David Austin to co-direct this restored and remastered version. By the time he’d reached Paris, 24-year-old George had performed the show many times and his choreography was well practised. This helped with the edit, and it’s also tangible as an audience member as he and his backing band move seamlessly between arrangements of one banger after another. ‘Father Figure’; ‘Everything She Wants’; ‘I’m Your Man’; ‘Faith’; ‘Monkey’… the hits keep coming. No matter how much he dances and races around, Michael’s voice never wavers: his breath control is staggering. 

It’s a reminder of how extraordinary that voice was: so pure and clear, however suggestive the lyrics were – though physically, this is a very sexual performance. Dressed in those trademark tight jeans, he bumps, grinds and thrusts like a world-class stripper who doesn’t need to hustle for tips anymore. This is a full decade before Michael publicly came out, and it’s fascinating retrospective viewing. His performative flirting with Lynn Mabry during ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)’ might now raise an amused smile, but it’s a barnstorming rendition.

Whatever he does, the audience is riveted in rapture. They want his sex. And when he invites them to sing along, this is also a reminder of how much George Michael appreciated his fans. Nearly 10 years after his passing, this might win him a few new ones. 

George Michael: The Faith Tour is in cinemas November 6 2026