They began their show with “Church of the Poison Mind,” where they had everybody clapping along, and it was followed by such tunes as “It’s a Miracle” and “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya,” where the crowd was waving their hands up in the air, as the stage was graced in orange lights. Boy George was dressed in his campy outfit.
“I used to be crazy. No, really. I didn’t realize I was crazy when I became sane,” Boy George said, in his eloquent British accent, prior to singing the fun tune “Like I Used To,” and the follow-ups “Move Away” and the soulful “Black Money.” “I don’t love like I used to, I love in a different way, I want passion and feeling,” Boy George added.
Equally noteworthy were such vocals as “Victims,” “Human Zoo” and “Different Man.” Boy George changed outfits and returned dressed in black. He delivered the bittersweet “Miss Me Blind,” prior to singing “I Just Wanna Be Loved” and their cover of “The Crying Game.”
“It’s a very different world that we are living in now, and I am loving it,” Boy George said, prior to introducing the song that started it all for them, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” and they closed with “More Than Silence.”
For their encore, Culture Club returned and performed “Runaway Train,” but they truly saved their best song for last, their signature hit “Karma Chameleon,” where every audience member was up on their feet, clapping and singing along with them.
The Verdict
Overall, Culture Club garnered 4 out of 5 stars for their Beacon Theatre show in The Big Apple. Boy George’s voice was still smooth as silk. Their music transported their fans to simpler times in the late 80s decade. There was a feeling with nostalgia in the venue, especially with all of the archive footage of the group over the years, which was displayed on the giant televised screen in the background.