Back in the early eighties, a little band named Culture Club took the music world by storm with their unique blend of pop, reggae, and soul.
Their 1982 debut album “Kissing To be Clever” was a huge success and the band quickly rose to stardom led by their charismatic frontman Boy
George. Culture Club has since gone on to become an 80’s pop icon selling over 50 million records worldwide and selling out arenas all
over the world.
In 2016, band members Boy George, Jon Moss, Roy Hay, and Mikey Craig reunited for a 60 city world tour culminating in one final show in their hometown of London at the historic Wembley Arena. The special evening’s performance was recorded and is being released by Cleopatra Records as state of the art DVD, Blu-Ray, CD, and vinyl packages entitled “Live at Wembley.”
I have never seen Culture Club live and would consider myself a casual fan at best so I was totally unprepared for what I was about to see.
The musical performances in the film were absolutely amazing and some of the best I have ever seen. The musicianship was top notch with
exquisite arrangements and a backing band that included a terrific horn section and soulful backup singers. Boy George both looked and sounded amazing. His history with addiction is no secret and I was glad to see him doing well and thoroughly enjoying his time on stage. He is an absolute master showman and worked the audience like a pro as he introduced each song and interacted with the fans. All the Culture Club hits were performed, some with unique jam sessions during or after including a poignant performance of “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” and a rousing version of “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya.” Some of the songs that were unfamiliar to me proved to be the most powerful as Boy dedicated the song “Different Man” and his long term sobriety to his close friend Fat Tony and the song “Victims” to his friend Alice urging those in attendance to think about someone they loved during the song. Individual band members were introduced and given their moment in the spotlight during the roof raising show closer, an extended jam version of T Rex’s classic “Bang A Gong (Get It On.)” As a bonus, the film also contains behind the scenes footage and exclusive interviews with members of the band.
I’ve always felt that a band is best judged in a live setting and “Live At Wembley” is proof positive that Culture Club is one of a kind.
