Callea’s ‘George Michael moment’
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By George he’s done it … Anthony Callea on stage. Picture: Anthony Licuria
Source: Supplied
JUST minutes before they were about to walk on stage, Anthony Callea turned to his band mates and had an epic diva moment.
“If you f … this up, I am going to kill you,” he told them.
Now they can all laugh. But then, Callea and the band had three days of rehearsal after returning from a long-planned holiday with partner Tim Campbell before staging his dream gig.
What had started as a dream to stage a one-off show of George Michael songs had turned into not only his next record but his first concert film.
The gifted singer had just come off starring in Grease when he decided the time was right to take a risk and stage the show that would become Ladies and Gentlemen: The Songs Of George Michael.
“I was doing some research for something and read that it was coming up to the 30th anniversary of his first solo single which was Careless Whisper so I thought it was a good time to sing his songs,” he says.
Callea has described the British pop star as a “faultless” singer with a signature sound that he wanted to celebrate rather than replicate.
The experience and subsequent confidence which he has built in the past five years gave him the courage to do it, even knowing how some cynics would roll their eyes at him doing “another covers” project.
But the Ladies and Gentlemen show was never intended to be his next record. Until the record label heard about it.
When the show sold out proving the concept resonated with his fans, Callea agreed to film the concert for a CD and DVD package.
“Give me live any way, I love it. I just can’t stand spending too much time in a studio, I would always prefer a live vocal,” he says.
Somebody to love … Anthony Callea performs with partner Tim Campbell. Picture: Anthony Licuria
Source: Supplied
Callea has always prided himself on being a singer rather than a pop star.
He won thousands of fans when he contested the second season of Australian Idol in 2004, finishing as the runner-up to Casey Donovan.
The Melbourne singing teacher went on to become the fastest selling Australian artist with his version of The Prayer, which remains his signature song.
He cites his tour with Tina Arena in 2012 as being a defining moment in how he wanted to continue his entertainment career in Australia.
Arena has maintained her audience in Australia doing exactly what she wants when she wants rather than staying on the industry release/tour treadmill.
“We’re both headstrong wogs from Melbourne whose mouths sometimes get them into trouble,” he says, laughing.
Career reinvention … Anthony Callea says he has learned from the likes of Tina Arena.
Source: News Corp Australia
“You learn a lot when someone like Tina is sitting next to you, how to not be arrogant but confident and know you can do it.
“You look at Tina and John Farnham, both still going strong, and the one thing they have in common and that people love about them is they are great singers.
“You just can’t beat that.”
Like all singers, he hates autotune and would rather not do a performance if it involves miming for “logistics”.
“I pulled out of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne because they asked me to ‘record’ a live vocal. Everyone else was miming but I just can’t do it. Even my mum told me I should just do it,” he says, laughing.
The concert captured for the Ladies And Gentlemen release also featured some very special guests.
His partner Campbell joins him on Somebody To Love, old mate Susie Ahern duets on As and respected musical director John Foreman — who he worked with on Idol — was roped into Kissing A Fool.
Reunited … Anthony Callea and Casey Donovan sing I Knew You Were Waiting For Me. Picture: Anthony Licuria
Source: Supplied
But the night’s surprise guest was the woman who won the 2004 Australian Idol crown, Casey Donovan.
Her appearance on stage to sing I Knew You Were Waiting For Me scored a roar of appreciation from the crowd and marked the first time the pair had sung together since the Idol finale.
Callea calls it a “beautiful moment”.
“I had to hide her away in a hotel room and not let her come to soundcheck because I wanted it to be a big surprise. I got goosebumps when she walked on stage,” she says.
He will now extend the life of that one-off show with not only a theatre performance in each capital city but also a screening of the concert DVD on Foxtel’s STUDIO channel in late September as part of an Anthony Callea Presents: Music Legends series.
The Ladies and Gentlemen concert:
Astor Theatre, Perth: September 19
Her Majesty’s, Adelaide: September 20
Enmore theatre, Sydney: October 3
The Palms At Crown, Melbourne: October 4
Convention Centre, Brisbane: October 11
