There’s nothing quite like watching your younger self on a cinema screen – not in a fuzzy backstage photo, not in a VHS tape dug out of a drawer, but in a full‑blown documentary with surround sound, dramatic lighting, and your 1980s hair taking up half the frame.
I was invited to a private screening of WHAM! 10 Days in China, sitting alongside fellow backing singer Janet Mooney, and honestly… we were both a bit stunned. It’s one thing to remember those years. It’s another to see them restored, amplified, and projected larger than life.
The WHAM! Years: Pure Pop Magic
The film captures the WHAM! era exactly as it felt – glittering, loud, joyful, ridiculous, iconic. The clothes, the energy, the choreography, the hair (my God, the hair). It was a world where everything sparkled, everything moved fast, and everything felt possible.
Touring with WHAM! was like living inside a pop‑culture firework. One minute we were on stage in front of thousands, the next we were laughing in some dressing room corridor, the next we were on a plane heading somewhere new. It was fun, it was wild, and it was bigger than anything I could have imagined in my early twenties.
And Then… China
China was a completely different universe. The contrast was almost cinematic – WHAM!’s neon‑bright pop world suddenly dropped into a country that had barely opened its doors to Western music. The crowds, the curiosity, the innocence of it all… it was magical in a totally different way.
Watching the documentary now, the footage feels almost dreamlike. George and Andrew were charismatic, thoughtful, and so aware of the cultural significance of what they were doing. And there we were – Janet and I. tiny pieces of this huge moment in history.
Seeing Myself Again
Seeing myself at that age was surreal. Bold but brittle. Confident but unsure. Living the dream but with absolutely no grounding.
I remember the glamour – the travel, the music, the adrenaline. I also remember the quiet bits – the loneliness, the self‑doubt, the moments where the lights went off and I wasn’t quite sure who I was.
I even remember flying first class back from New York, then getting the tube home to my little flat in Elstree… where the only thing waiting for me was cold baked beans. Rock and roll indeed.
The One Thing I Wish I’d Known
I wasn’t into drugs, never my scene – but alcohol was already becoming the thing that softened the edges. The thing that made the chaos feel manageable. The thing that helped me keep up the “I’m fine” façade.
Watching the documentary now, with my kids beside me, I felt protective of that girl. She didn’t know how fragile she was. She didn’t know how much she was leaning on alcohol. She didn’t know how much brighter life could be without it.
If I could tell her one thing? I’d tell her to quit alcohol sooner. Not because she was out of control – she wasn’t – but because she deserved clarity, confidence, and calm that wasn’t borrowed.
Full Circle
All these years later – radio presenter, coach, mentor, creator of The Sober Club – I can see exactly how those WHAM! days shaped me.
She didn’t have a safety net. So now I help people build theirs.
She didn’t know how to regulate her nervous system. So now I teach it, I work as a coach and train others to be coaches.
She didn’t know alcohol was dimming her light. So now I help people reclaim theirs.
Watching WHAM! 10 Days in China reminded me that transformation isn’t one big moment – it’s a thousand tiny choices that eventually become a new life.
If You See the Film…
I’d love to know what stood out for you – the music (WHAM! were a fantastic band), the cultural moment, the behind‑the‑scenes energy, or maybe even spotting me in my oversized 80s outfits and ever‑changing hairdos.
Follow us on Instagram at @wham.toursingers – it’s a fun little time capsule.
WHAM! 10 Days In China – In Cinemas Worldwide July 28
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FAQ
Was Janey Lee Grace a backing singer for WHAM!?
Yes. Janey Lee Grace toured as a backing singer with WHAM! and was part of the group’s historic visit to China. In the documentary WHAM! 10 Days in China, she appears alongside fellow backing singer Janet Mooney.
What is WHAM! 10 Days in China about?
The documentary revisits WHAM!’s groundbreaking trip to China during the 1980s, capturing the band’s performances, cultural impact and experiences as Western pop music was introduced to a rapidly changing country.
What does Janey Lee Grace say about alcohol during her WHAM! years?
Janey says drugs were never her thing, but alcohol was already becoming something she used to soften the edges, manage the chaos and maintain the appearance that everything was fine.
What does Janey wish she could tell her younger self?
She would tell herself to quit alcohol sooner — not because her drinking was completely out of control, but because she believes she deserved clarity, confidence and calm that did not depend on alcohol.
How did sobriety change Janey Lee Grace’s life?
Janey connects her experiences as a young performer with the work she does today as a radio presenter, coach, mentor and creator of The Sober Club. She now helps others build tools for wellbeing, nervous system regulation and alcohol-free living.
