Culture Club were pretty brave putting Berlin on before them on for the current Australian tour. Berlin proved to be a hard act to follow.
Where Berlin won bonus points over Culture Club for the quality of powerful performance, Culture Club won on the quantity of hits. Considering how many of their own hits they have, it was surprising to hear them open with a Stones cover ‘Sympathy for the Devil’. Boy George said on Australian television last week that he is a massive Stones fan and as a kid wanted to be Mick. Well, this show lets him do just that.
George also got to be that other George, George Michael, with Wham’s ‘I’m Your Man’ extending out ‘Church of the Poison Mind’ and in the encore he got it on with ‘Get It On’, the T. Rex classic. (There was also the Bread cover ‘Everything I Own’ but George managed to make that his own as a solo hit in 1987).
The mid section of this show could have done with a better balance. Four new songs and a lesser known album track derailed the momentum. The classic ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me came between the new songs ‘Eyeliner Voodoo’ and ‘Melodrama’.
‘Melodrama’ features George protégé Vangelis Polydorou who George discovered on The Voice UK. Polydorou was the product placement piece of the show. He is touring with Culture Club as a backing singer and was given the spot to showcase his song with George. This song, and the three other new songs tested the patience of the audience coming as a cluster, especially as better known songs like ‘Black Money’, ‘Mistake No 3’ and ‘The War Song’ or George’s solo hit ‘The Crying Game’ were left out.
It was definitely a Culture Club crowd which was obvious when the big ones like ‘Karma Chameleon’ and ‘Miss Me Blind’ rolled out.
Culture Club certainly has the goods in Australia but the fan base is dwindling and despite just one show in Melbourne, the curtains were drawn to cover the unsold section.
This was certainly an older demographic and by the look of the audience, many of the original fans were back for this show. The good news is they left with smiles on their faces.
For me personally, it was a good show, not a great show but I think I may have been spoiled by how good Berlin were. For me, Berlin stole the night.
Culture Club setlist, 9 September 2023
Sympathy for the Devil (Rolling Stones cover)
It’s a Miracle (from Colour By Numbers, 1983)
I’ll Tumble 4 Ya (from Kissing To Be Clever, 1982)
Move Away (from From Luxury To Heartache, 1986)
Everything I Own (from Boy George, Sold, 1987)
Eyeliner Voodoo (Boy George single, 2022)
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me (from Kissing To Be Clever, 1982)
Angel of Mercy (from Confident Informant soundtrack, 2023)
Let Things Go (Boy George, 2023)
That’s The Way (from Colour By Numbers, 1983)
Melodrama (Boy George and Vangelis Polydorou, single, 2023)
Church of the Poison Mind / I’m Your Man (from Colour By Numbers, 1983 / George Michael cover)
Time (Clock of My Heart) (from Colour By Numbers, 1983)
Miss Me Blind (from Colour By Numbers, 1983)
Get It On (T. Rex cover)
Victims (from Colour By Numbers, 1983)
Karma Chameleon (from Colour By Numbers, 1983)
AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES 2023
Tuesday 5th September
RAC Arena, Perth
Friday 8th September
Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Saturday 9th September
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Monday 11th September
Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Thursday 14th September
Brisbane Entertainment Centre
