When the news broke that Boy George would be performing with Culture Club, we were eager to purchase tickets, hoping to hear all their hit songs.
They would be performing a nearby gig at BP Pulse Arena in Birmingham. What we didn’t realise at the time of booking was that George would be singing the first two albums (Kissing to be clever and Colour by Numbers). In truth, this did concern us as we wanted more of a greatest hits tour. Should we have been worried?
As we had booked our tickets when the tour went on sale, we had booked for the Resorts World Arena, which has since been renamed to BP Pulse. It’s the same arena with a new name and branding for sponsorship purposes.
When the support was announced, we were pretty pleased to find out it was Heaven 17 and Tony Hadley. As a Human League and Spandau Ballet fan, both of these acts caught my eye. Heaven 17 as a spin-off/splinter group from the Human League and, of course, Tony Hadley as he was likely to be performing Spandau hits.
On arrival at the arena, a nice touch was a little stage in the food area showcasing young musicians. It attracted a ground and they were good.
Once in the arena, the stage setup looked good and we should have an okay view for an arena. And most importantly, video screens were up and running from the off. This should be promising for when viewing the support.
Heaven 17 were first up. In truth, I really only knew “Temptation,” which they closed with. The rest was new to me, but “Temptation” was popular and a strong close.
Tony Hadley was good as you would expect. All the hits like “Gold”, “True”, etc., my faves being “To cut a long story short” and “Chant No.1”. A popular set piece, and by now most of the audience was in and finally seated.
One minor annoyance was the seating arrangement. Our row was at the end of a row, labeled “Y.” We noticed a significant number of people walking down our row to find their seats, only to change their minds and move to a different row. We later discovered that there were rows “YC,” “YE,” and many others. Apparently, people simply saw the “Y” and mistakenly assumed our row was the correct one.
Thankfully, most of the audience was seated by the time Boy George took the stage. To some extent, I had low expectations. I had listened to the first two albums and wasn’t convinced that I would enjoy the entire show. Perhaps I was worried that the show would be more filler than hits. Would I be proven wrong?
The show began with a strong start, and Boy George’s reveal was impressive. The use of multiple video screens allowed for a clear view of the action. The camera work was excellent, capturing George, Culture Club, and other musicians. A video montage of 70’s and 80’s clips set the scene for the group’s origins and transported the audience back in time. George’s appearance from an old phone box was a memorable moment.
There’s a slight delay before hearing any of the actual hits, but I must say that the lesser-known album tracks were more entertaining than I had anticipated. Boy George was brilliant throughout the night, delivering good vocals and a series of costume changes. I also enjoyed his narration between each song, providing background information. Naturally, it was pleasing to hear the hits, which were played more frequently as the show progressed. The highlights were “Time,” “Victims,” and of course, “Karma Chameleon.”
Overall, I enjoyed the show. The unfamiliar material was more entertaining live than I expected.
Certainly, the audience enjoyed the show. My wife also enjoyed it, but our 14-year-old daughter was a bit bored. But to be fair, she is not the target audience.
Overall, an enjoyable evening and another 80’s artist ticked off the list to see live.
Set Lists
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