‘I thought it didn’t stand a cat’s chance in hell’: Andrew Ridgeley on Wham’s surreal trip to China
Andrew Ridgeley reflects on the 1985 Wham! tour of China, which marked the first time a Western pop act performed in the country. A new documentary explores the cultural impact of the tour and the commercial motivations behind the historic trip.
Why it matters
The tour serves as a significant cultural milestone in the opening of China to Western influence and the history of global pop music.
‘I think it counts as a historical event’… Wham! visit Tiananmen Square, 7 April, 1985. ‘I think it counts as a historical event’… Wham! visit Tiananmen Square, 7 April, 1985. Documentary films ‘I thought it didn’t stand a cat’s chance in hell’: Andrew Ridgeley on Wham’s surreal trip to China Four decades after he and George Michael became the first western pop act to tour the country, Ridgeley recalls silent gigs, awkward embassy receptions – and the ‘bloody ludicrous’ hiring of Lindsay Anderson as director
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