The George Michael Singers Live
Ten years on, the original backing singers who shared the stage with George Michael stepped into the spotlight at IXL Events Centre, for a night that had 240 guests on their feet.
A gala dinner and a concert, delivered as one
The Original George Michael Backing Singers Live brought together 240 guests for a gala dinner and full live concert at IXL Events Centre. What made it different from any tribute night was the performers themselves: Shirley Lewis, Jay Henry and Jo Garland are not impersonators, they are the real musicians who toured and recorded with George Michael throughout his career.
As the permanent in-house production partner at IXL, Kudos AV designed and delivered every technical element of the evening from first design meeting through to post-event de-rig. Sound, lighting, screens, scenic, the printed dancefloor, the circular bar surround and a full technical crew were all provided by a single team with one point of contact.
From Careless Whisper to Fast Love to Freedom, the entire room was singing and dancing. Delivering that moment technically, with no failures and no surprises, is the job.
Watch the night
The highlight film from The George Michael Singers Live: the stage, the atmosphere and the moments that made the room stop and sing.
On the night
A 42ft extended stage and a bespoke curved printed dancefloor at IXL Events Centre, gala dinner into full live concert.
IXL Events Centre, Dallas Burston Polo Club
Set across a 600-acre estate in Warwickshire, IXL Events Centre is one of the most technically capable event venues in the Midlands. The main hall holds up to 750 banquet-style and has been fitted by Kudos AV with permanent overhead lighting infrastructure, rigging points and a fixed Unilumin 2.6mm LED screen.
For this event the hall was configured for 240 guests across 24 tables of ten, with a 42 x 16ft extended band stage, a 12 x 12ft walkway into the room, a bespoke curved 34 x 24ft printed dancefloor and a circular bar as a central feature, the room plan drawn by James Ashford in pre-production for the best sightlines from every seat.
Concert quality within a gala dinner
The brief presented a specific challenge: the room needed to work as an elegant gala dinner for the first part of the evening, then shift into a full concert production for the live show without any awkward transition. Guests at dinner expect a certain lighting quality and a comfortable level; a live band and three professional vocalists demand something entirely different.
The solution was a rig designed from the outset to serve both modes. The d&b flown line array meant no floor-standing stacks blocking sightlines; the overhead moving-head rig could move from warm dinner wash to a full beam show in seconds; the LED screens carried GMS branding from arrival and ran live content during the performance. Every decision was made around the guest experience and the integrity of the show.
The performance
The original backing singers, a full eight-piece band, and the whole room on its feet.
Not a tribute act. The real thing.
Shirley Lewis, Jay Henry and Jo Garland backed George Michael across his biggest tours and studio sessions, the Faith tour, Listen Without Prejudice and the 25 Live world tour. When they sing his songs, they sing from memory, not from imitation.
That distinction matters for a production team. The technical demands of performing artists at this level, monitor requirements, stage positioning, microphone selection and sound balance, reflect decades of professional experience. The Kudos AV audio team worked directly with the band's musical director in advance to ensure the system would serve the performance, not just fill the room.
A huge thank you to Jon, Mandeep and Harry at Kudos AV for delivering exceptional production throughout the evening. The lighting, sound and overall production quality elevated the entire experience and helped bring the event to life.
d&b Flown Line Array
A d&b Audiotechnik line array flown from the overhead rig for even coverage across all 240 covers without floor stacks, tuned before doors and handling three close-harmony vocalists and an eight-piece band, with a separate DJ system for arrival and dinner.
Explore this service →Moving Head Lighting Rig
The permanent IXL overhead rig programmed for the night: warm gala wash for dinner transitioning to a full moving-head beam show in purple, gold and white, operated live throughout.
Explore this service →Unilumin LED Screens
The permanent Unilumin 2.6mm centre screen joined by two large portrait LED screens flanking the stage, with custom GMS-branded George Michael content and live switching during the performance.
Explore this service →Stage Build
A 42 x 16ft extended band stage for the eight-piece configuration, with a 12 x 12ft walkway extending from the stage front through the dancefloor so the vocalists could move into the room.
Explore this service →Scenic: Dancefloor & Walkway
A bespoke curved 34 x 24ft printed dancefloor as the room centrepiece and a printed walkway connecting the stage thrust to the circular bar, all custom printed to the GMS branding.
Explore this service →Pre-Production & Crew
Full pre-production before a cable was run: 3D room renders and a scaled CAD plan by James Ashford, with all technical staff on the night provided by Kudos AV, no subcontractors.
See how we work →Event gallery
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