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Review: Culture Club Begin Australian Tour In Adelaide

Finally, after a 35 year wait, the one and only Culture Club stopped by little old Adelaide to play their first Australian show of the tour show to a VERY receptive and appreciative crowd.

Finally, after a 35 year wait, the one and only Culture Club stopped by Adelaide to play their first Australian show of the tour show to a VERY receptive audience, many of whom would have been around for the groups initial foray into stardom during the 80’s.

New Wave act Kids In The Kitchen opened in what was truly a celebration of 80’s proportions. Scott Carne and co. were a good choice to open, and set the right mood for the show with hits from their legendary album Shine.

Original Culture Club members consisting of guitarist/keyboardist Roy Hay, bassist Mikey Craig, drummer Jon Moss, and the one and only Boy George, were greeted with a raucous welcome from adoring fans who were predominantly of the ‘over 40’s’ genre (or ‘discerning’ as I like to call it).

Culture Club were in great form as they delivered track after track of memorable hits, with a few new songs thrown in to mix it up a little. Opening with a montage of clips highlighting the band’s 30 plus year history, Boy George and the Culture Club hit the ground running with Church Of The Poison Mind, It’s A Miracle, I’ll Tumble For Ya, and Like I Used To from the upcoming album Tribes – their first release in 15 years.

Clearly greatful to finally be here in Adelaide, the flamboyant fashion icon we know as Boy George (born George O’Dowd) was splendid as he pours his heart and soul into the music he dearly loves. His voice may be slightly lower than it used to be, but he still managed to hit the right notes and deliver the intended inflection in his songs. His rendition of Victims was solemn, serene, and soulful as it traces the turbulent relationship that he and Jon Moss shared as the band were getting together. The divine trio of backing singers took the song to a dramatic crescendo and it seemed to have the ability to take us back to the more innocent times of when the song was first released in 1983. I saw quite a few punters wiping a teary eye, they obviously felt the emotion a little more than some.

But it certainly wasn’t all melancholy, with some upbeat reggae songs, more from Colour By Numbers, and tributes to both Sly Stone and Johnny Cash thrown in for good measure, thus highlighting the band’s diversity and appreciation of a variety of genres and sounds. When I say band, I include the fantastic backing band.

Other more familiar songs in the playlist included Time (Clock Of The Heart), Miss Me, The Crying Game, and of course the song that started it all, Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?, ending the band’s official set.

Culture Club were of course expected to come out for an encore, and that they certainly did with More Than Silence, Karma Chameleon and a cover of T-Rex’s Get It On. If that wasn’t enough, they gave Adelaide an impromptu version of David Bowie’s Starman, a special treat for the opening night and for skipping us previously before calling it a night.

All in all, Culture Club can still get a room moving with their catchy songs, moving ballads, and the presence of Boy George to make it a night to remember.

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If you’re a traveler, you can follow the tour around the country. Tickets and dates here.

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