Rock star demands on tour: From beer to white roses and global cuisine
What do George Michael, Joe Cocker and Juliette Lewis have in common this summer? All three are performing in Greece and enjoying it. Take Lewis, for example: a well-known actress who recently appeared at the Scorpions Festival with her band, Juliette and the Licks. Her dressing room demands included four boxes of chewing gum, 36 bottles of beer (no cans) and humus with Arabic bread. The great – and now sober – Joe Cocker, who also appeared at the Scorpions Festival, required lots of ice (cubes, not crushed) followed by a selection of food including Japanese, Indian, Italian, French, Thai – Greek cuisine, it seems, is not his forte. In the case of George Michael, scheduled to appear here for the first time on July 26, things are quite different. Billed as a mega-scale production, the concert’s organizers are describing the event as the «greatest show to ever go on stage in Greece.» The figures speak for themselves: The current tour features 31 live concerts with 1,400,000 spectators, covering 20 countries. There are 180 production staffers, including musicians, technical support, chefs, hair stylists and makeup artists, while 34 lorries are carrying 75 tons of stage construction material all over Europe. All the members of the production will cover 24,000 kilometers in 10 weeks. More figures involving the Athens show are 1,400 towels and 6,276 meals, including George Michael’s dinner before he hits the stage, which the pop star has already ordered. On stage, he will be accompanied by 15 musicians and vocalists, while during the tour he will change costumes no fewer than 90 times. For his dressing rooms, Michael has asked for lilies and white roses as well as a separate and specially designed lounge for friends and relatives from Greece and Cyprus. His wardrobe will occupy an area of 100 square meters, while his private dressing room will cover the space used by the Liverpool and Milan soccer teams during the Champions League final. George Michael has already announced that he is planning to be in Athens from July 23 onward, in order to explore the city in a no-fuss, four-seat car. Athens is the last leg of the pop star’s European tour and he has already scheduled a two-hour rehearsal at the Olympic Stadium. Following 15 years of no touring whatsoever, the pop star deserves to change a few extra outfits don’t you think? George Michael at the Olympic Stadium. For tickets: Metropolis stores; online on www.ticketnet.gr, by phone at 211.1086060; Badminton Theater, Alsos Stratou, Goudi; Ticketnet, 46 Kifissias, Ambelokipi, 1st floor.
