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In Defence: An Article on Michael Jackson’s HIStory Tour
In the crowd-immersing short film that cranks up the anticipation prior to Michael Jackson exploding onto the HIStory Tour stage in a rocket, the audience is taken on a ride through historic global events. Michael’s music and iconography is interspersed with video of the moon landings; images of Mother Teresa; and speeches from Martin Luther King Junior: events and people appropriate to the majesty of Michael and his achievements. The rollercoaster then takes us into the Sistine Chapel, where we float silently and gracefully, taking time to admire the exquisite beauty of the surrounding art – before being plunged into a dark-but-fiery nightmare, a depiction of bleak emptiness inspired by God-knows-what. Then, before gracing and scintillating a stadium for the umpteenth time – to entertain yet another hundred-thousand people piqued to see him – Michael makes a quick detour to go and sort out that minor irritation: war.
The HIStory Tour is much-maligned. The audacity with which Michael utilised lip-syncing was lambasted by many critics at the time. Lung damage was described in his autopsy. It had been a longstanding issue – likely a symptom of his being a victim of lupus. Michael, being a very private man, tried to keep his medical problems a secret (sometimes to the detriment of his public relations – Michael had been becoming noticeably paler for years before he revealed his vitiligo), but the breathing problems became evermore evidenced by the fact that his reliance on playback increased with subsequent tours. With hindsight, it stands to reason that this was due to his lung damage being a degenerative condition exacerbated by his being a professional singer.
It is unfortunate that the HIStory Tour ushered in an age of pop star lip-syncing (after all, if the King of Pop can do it, surely anyone can? But then – Michael was forever the trendsetter), as there now exists a frightening ubiquity of post-Disney puppets that flagrantly employ auto-tune and playback with the cynical sole intent of selling capitalist standards of sexual imagery to children. At least when Michael’s illness forced him to lip-sync, he was selling a message of peace and goodwill. (And dancing a fair bit, too – a very special spectacle itself worth the entrance fee). And all of this being done whilst suffering with various extreme physical pains acquired as a result of dedicating his life to entertaining and educating us through dance.
The fact that Michael toured at all is testament to his work ethic and dedication to his message. The reason Michael grew tired of touring was because of the Sword of Damocles that was the inevitable drug dependency that would occur in order to get through a gruelling two-year global schedule. With regards the intermittent screaming he began to utilise – it may well have been the subconscious, spontaneous vocal expression of a frustrated human being, universally renowned for his unique voice, having to contend with age-and-illness-related vocal deterioration. Let’s not forget that Michael had been touring the world and singing professionally for thirty years by this point. The HIStory Tour was the twilight of his career. And ultimately, attempting to live up to the unrealistic and selfish demands of an ungrateful public, became the midnight of his career – as it concluded with his death.
The rare examples of Michael singing live in the latter years (Smile, The Lost Children, I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough, Speechless and Human Nature) are just snippets – Michael could not sustain a vocal performance for any length of time. He certainly didn’t possess the physical capability to complete a fifty-night run at the O2. The Brunei Royal Concert gig of 1996 (a personal favourite) – just prior to the HIStory Tour – was the last time Michael sang the majority of a show live. But this was a standalone performance, not part of a tour. The 3D gimmickry, pyrotechnics and the like that became increasingly prevalent were all distractions from the fact that Michael Jackson as a live vocal performer was becoming a spent force. But he still endeavoured to give his fans a good show. There’s a reason I traversed Europe attending seven of the concerts. As Katharine Hepburn describes in The Legend Continues, “I think what makes him a star is, he can do it and you can’t help looking at him.”
And, sure enough, the HIStory Tour as a dance showcase and vehicle for Michael’s humanitarian efforts, was indeed spectacular. As the stage got bigger and bigger, it gave Michael the necessary increased space to bring his vision of philanthropic theatre to life – an untouchable catalogue of unique and iconic choreography. However, the expanding stage also made Michael look more and more alone up there. This being the only shame in the HIStory Tour. Anyway, show me a contemporary lip-syncing artist that can deliver a show even half as good. You can’t.
In the documentary Michael Jackson’s Private Home Movies, there is a much-loved segment in which he sarcastically claims, “I love to tour!” It was Jermaine Jackson that spoke of Michael’s apprehension before tours; an anxiety stirred by the known inevitability of his having to resort to medication to fulfil its obligations. The artificial stimulation of artists to meet such demands is a practice as old as the industry: Judy Garland was fed amphetamines to ‘help’ her keep to the Wizard Of Oz filming schedule.
Saying all this, it is quite evident that Michael is happy for much of the HIStory Tour – often to be seen smiling whilst performing – no doubt enjoying the knowledge of an appreciative and admiring crowd of up to one hundred-thousand people, gratefully immersed in their opportunity to see a legendary, historically-significant figure renowned for his dancing genius. Who is dancing. And all for £17.50.
As well, in much the same way Michael could inhabit the necessary emotion to so convincingly convey what he wanted to express in his songs – an innate trait evident in him since being eleven and singing I’ll Be There – he somehow manages to also do whilst lip-syncing. And when he lip-synced in the Jackson 5 – who berated him then? I’m sure Michael sincerely wished he could have sung live in the latter years, but it was beyond his – or anyone’s – physical capacity.
Lungs damaged after singing since the age of eleven in smoky venues, or not.
http://sylmortilla.com/2014/09/06/in-defence/
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