The CO-OP Live played host to classic 80’s legends Culture Club earlier this week, The venue has seen some icons of late, and seems to be getting all the big names in, and a diverse mix too!
The venue is the largest capacity arena in Europe, but until this evening I did not realise the top half can be closed off making it slightly more intimate and perhaps a little less daunting. Culture Club are currently in the midst of a UK tour and their stop off tonight has clearly delighted fans who are dressed in very bold statement outfits, fitting for such an icon as Boy George.
Tensions were raised as classic 80’s hits warmed up the crowd with ‘Come on Eileen’ played just before Culture Club entered the stage, sans Boy George who of course decided to arrive in a classic red telephone box which rose from the back of the stage, very British, which seemed to be a theme this evening as Maggie herself was bizarrely featured in the introductory video.
The set list was incredibly generous with the band playing their most well known tracks from the last forty years. They kicked off with ‘White Boy’ and I was suitably impressed with Boy George’s dance moves, appearing to defy ageing and keeping up with the backing dancers to present a rather impressive display of agility.
Fan favourite garnered a huge audience reaction with ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me’ which came mid-set, followed by a T-Rex cover of ‘Get it On’ and then of course ‘Karma Chameleon’ which finished off the evening superbly. The sound was not as sharp as usual, perhaps as we were stood right at the back, but it seemed patchy in comparison to other gigs I have seen here recently. The crowd certainly did not seem to notice, and despite the event being seated, as soon as Boy George entered the stage the whole of the stalls were on their feet.
Culture club continue their tour of the UK with dates in Edinburgh and London coming up – further information can be found below.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CULTURE CLUB HEAD HERE!
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