WHAM ! (Enjoy What You Do): Club Fantastic Tour

OCT/NOV 1983

The contractual problems with Innervision were to take a long time to resolve (see the Fantastic post), but August saw the announcement of Wham!'s first tour, scheduled for October.

LONDON LYCEUM TICKET

Simon Napier-Bell, the band's new manager, had persuaded a clothing manufacturer, Fila Sportswear, to sponsor the tour, provided that George and Andrew modelled their garments on stage. The "Club Fantastic Tour" would be augmented by two dancers, Shirlie and Pepsi (Dee had departed to the Style Council after the release of Club Tropicana), a rhythm section, a three-piece brass section and three backing singers.

The whole show would be preceded by an hour's-worth of dance records spun by the tour's resident dee-jay, Gary Crowley.

The tour would stretch into November, and the venues quickly sold out, with several new dates having to be announced, including a show at London's Lyceum to supplement the two concerts at the Hammersmith Odeon.

Prior to the tour, George headed for Alabama to record his first solo single with producer Jerry Wexler and the Muscle Shoals Horns - see the Careless Whisper post. George found Wexler's way of working unsuitable and after £100,000-worth of sessions, returned to London. At around this time, Wham! hit another legal snag, when an American group of the same name sued for infringement of copyright, suggesting half a million dollars as a suitable out-of-court settlement. In the end the American Wham! parted with the name in exchange for £50,000.

George's solo recordings prompted talk of Andrew's subordinate role in the group, as well as rumours of a split, but these were scotched when the "Club Fantastic Tour" swung into action in October.

A typical concert was comprised of two sets (featuring costume changes, naturally), separated by a home video featuring snaps of the two stars, a solo spot for George singing Careless Whisper over a taped backing track, and several encores including a version of Chic's Good Times, perfectly summing up the group's message. Many of the dates were rescheduled after George succumbed to a throat infection.

TOUR DATES

OCTOBER

09/10 ABERDEEN Capitol Center
10/10 ABERDEEN Capitol Center

11/10 EDINBURGH Playhouse Theatre

13/10 GLASGOW Apollo Theatre

14/10 BLACKPOOL Opera House

15/10 NEWCASTLE City Hall

16/10 MANCHESTER Apollo Theatre

18/10 LIVERPOOL Royal Court Theatre

19/10 SHEFFIELD City Hall

21/10 LEICESTER De Montfort Hall

22/10 ST AUSTELL Coliseum

23/10 BRISTOL Studio

24/10 SWANSEA Top Rank

27/10 LONDON Hammersmith Odeon

28/10 LONDON Hammersmith Odeon

29/10 LONDON Hammersmith Odeon

30/10 BRIGHTON Centre

NOVEMBER
01/11 NOTTINGHAM Royal Centre
02/11 POOLE Arts Centre
03/11 CRAWLET Leisure Centre
04/11 LEEDS University
06/11 BIRMINGHAM Odeon Theatre
07/11 BIRMINGHAM Odeon Theatre
08/11 LONDON Lyceum Theatre
09/11 LONDON Lyceum Theatre
13/11 LONDON Lyceum Theatre
14/11 LONDON Lyceum Theatre
15/11 LONDON Lyceum Theatre
16/11 LONDON Lyceum Theatre
17/11 LONDON Lyceum Theatre
19/11 WHITLEY BAY Ice Rink
29/11 LONDON Hammersmith Odeon