Andrew Ridgeley recalls Wham!'s surreal China trip

Four decades after Wham! became the first Western pop act to tour China, Andrew Ridgeley remembers the surreal experience as a calculated risk that defied his expectations. "I thought it didn't stand a cat's chance in hell," Ridgeley says of the 1985 trip, which is now the subject of a documentary, Wham! 10 Days in China. The tour, masterminded by manager Simon Napier-Bell, aimed to catapult the duo to US stardom without a grueling 90-date arena tour that could strain George Michael's voice. It worked: Wham! landed on US national news and in newspapers, achieving their goal.

A surreal snapshot of a changing China

The documentary uses previously unseen footage and new interviews to capture the extraordinary impact of Wham!'s two concerts in Beijing and Guangzhou. Ridgeley and Michael, with their bouffant hair and flamboyant outfits, stood out starkly against the Mao jackets and drab uniforms of the Chinese people. The film shows the excitement and confusion among audiences, offering a snapshot of a country on the brink of great change. Ridgeley recalls feeling "slightly restricted" with chaperones in Beijing, but the trip was less about cultural exchange and more about hardheaded commercial logic.

Behind the scenes: pressure and diplomacy

The film also reveals the demands placed on the duo beyond performing. They had to make polite speeches at banquets with Chinese officials, and Michael struggled with a reception at the British embassy. "That was just not something that he cared for at all: the formality, the small talk, the artificial nature of the meeting," Ridgeley says. Michael later went missing after awkwardly chatting with fans at a shop. For his part, Ridgeley bridled at press demands, refusing to remove his sunglasses at a Great Wall photoshoot and showing disdain at a press conference. "There was a fair bit of pressure, which wouldn't have been there in usual circumstances," Ridgeley recalls. "We went there to achieve a goal, it was constructed to achieve a purpose, and so the context was very different."

A Hobson's choice that paid off

Ridgeley admits he was not initially a fan of the idea. "When the idea was originally proposed to George and myself, I thought it didn't stand a cat's chance in hell," he says. But Michael was immovable on not touring the US extensively, leaving China as the alternative. "It was a bit of a Hobson's choice—China or bust. Reluctantly, I agreed to it," Ridgeley says. The gambit succeeded, boosting their US profile without the strain of a long tour.

Legacy of a unique tour

The documentary, Wham! 10 Days in China, explores the full strangeness of the trip and its historical significance. Ridgeley, now 63, looks back with a mix of bemusement and pride. The tour not only achieved its commercial aim but also stands as a cultural milestone, documenting a moment when China was opening to the West. As Ridgeley notes, the trip was unlike any usual tour—a constructed event designed for a purpose, with lasting implications for both the band and the audiences they encountered.