Despite the 40-minute technical glitch, the Gammy-winning band Culture Club threw a party that transcended nostalgia at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City last Saturday night.
Garbed in an over-sized coat and hat, lead singer Boy George, now 55, still looked like he was having a blast in a showstopper that nearly dampened the spirits of fans who came to watch the band’s first gig in Manila.
Joining Boy George were the band’s members Roy Hay on keyboards, Mikey Craig and Jon Moss on drums.
The band opened the show with their Top 10 hit “Church of a Poison Mind.” It was followed by songs “It’s a Miracle and “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya”.
After he finished the song “Move Away,” the show suffered a technical glitch.
“I guess we’re out of power,” said Boy George who then left the stage.
Moss, the band’s drummer, jammed with the audience for few minutes while electricians fix the problem.
“With drums, you don’t need electricity,” he Mos as he was applauded by waiting audience.
Finally the band returned and performed “Time (A clock in my heart)”, their second Top 10 hit in the US. They followed it with “Miss Me Blind”.
“Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” described by Boy George as “the song that began our journey in music,” came next.
The song also earned them the Best New Artist trophy at the 26th Grammy Awards in 1984, beating high-profile artists in the same category namely Eurythmics, Big Country, Men Without Hats and Musical Youth.
Boy George was still having fun churning out tunes “Karma Chameleon,” their first No 1 song in the US; and The “War Song.” He also paid tribute to the late David Bowie with the song “Star Man.”
The band ended the concert with their own version of the 1970s T-Rex hit “Bang A Gong” which was later rehashed by Power Station in the 1990s.
Manila fans, however, were disappointed when the band did not oblige to an encore.
Fans said the only letdown of the show was skipping the band’s mellow tunes such as “Love is Love,” “Mistake No. 3,” and Boy George’s biggest solo hit “The Crying Game.”
Formed in 1981, the English band became a household name when their second CD “Color By Numbers” sold more than 10 million copies in 1983.
Five years later, the band broke up. Boy George then pursued a solo career which turned out to be unsuccessful as he struggled with drugs.
In 2014, the band announced that they were reuniting for a concert tour. It did not materialize when Boy George suffered throat problems.
Two years later, the band is back on tour. Apart from Manila, the group will hold shows in Japan and the US until August.
