Boy George & Culture Club with Berlin and Howard Jones

Seeing Boy George with Culture Club was always on my bucket list, and I recently got to check it off. Also on the tour (“The Letting It Go Show”), and checked off my concert list, were Berlin and Howard Jones. It was an all-star 80s line-up!

The start time of the show was pushed back for nearly an hour and a half due to extreme thunderstorms with lightning; sadly, Berlin felt the effects of the delay. Their set was cut extremely short, allowing them to perform only four songs. The songs they did perform, the crowd was extremely receptive. Terri Nunn, with her signature blonde and black locks, was enchanting in her little black dress—moving into the audience to sing “Take My Breath Away.” Cell phones were out and “rolling” as attendees got a chance to see her up close and personal. Their last song, “Sex (I’m A…)” was a fast-paced duet with John Crawford that thumped through the pavilion as they played up to the crowd and each other; the song also allowed Terri to introduce all the band members to the crowd before leaving the stage, including David Diamond (synths/guitar) who had joined the band in 1982 at age 17.

There was little time wasted in between acts—only enough to change any set positions and add in necessary instruments.

Howard Jones’ usual 50-minute performance in the tour was truncated to 30 minutes, but he made those minutes count. He came on with a full band in tow, lit up by flashing light tubes dispersed along the stage. Wearing a multi-colored jacket (in the heat of July, no less!) over a t-shirt with a jewel-encrusted emblem at the center of his chest, and a fun teal blue section in his blonde hair, Howard bounced between a seated keyboard set-up to a standing one. And, when not playing on the keys, he moved across the stage, trying to do his best to engage all sides of it to give equal face time to the fans lining front of the pavilion.

At one point of the show, Howard picked up two of the lighting tubes as he danced and moved them around like he was at a rave. I loved every moment of his set, as he was so upbeat when performing. He closed his set out with “Things Can Only Get Better”—and the entire pavilion couldn’t resist joining in to sing along to the chorus.

When Boy George and Culture Club made their entrance, it was with a cover of “Sympathy for the Devil” by The Rolling Stones. It wouldn’t be the only cover song they’d sing, as they would have songs by Bread and T.Rex in their setlist.

Their performance rolled seamlessly from one hit to another, punctuated by quips from Boy George.

At one point, he said, “Heat is the enemy of fashion.” Yet, he looked cool as a cucumber in what must have been an oppressive ensemble in the summer heat; but he wore it well and barely looked as if he was working up a sweat. I, among others, wondered aloud about what kind of products he was using to keep his make-up and sparkles from melting off in a pool of sweat. I was armed with a folding fan and still couldn’t shake the heat.

Nevertheless, he, the band (featuring original Culture Club members Mikey Craig [bass] and Roy Hay [guitar/keyboards]), and a pair of impressive backing vocalists powered through a set of nine songs, followed by two songs in the encore. A lot of the radio- and Mtv-popular songs were covered, but they also included the fan-favorite “Time (Clock of the Heart).”

The show ended with a cover of T.Rex’s “Bang a Gong (Get It On),” offering a chance to introduce all of the members onstage.

Though the show was much shorter than other tour dates, I think it gave the same punch as a full-length concert. Be sure to check them out at a tour date near you—it’s well worth it to see some legendary musicians!

Enjoy these pictures from the show at Jiffy Lube Live on Friday, July 28.