While both Boy George and Squeeze are British, and while they were both having hits in the '80s (the former obviously with Culture Club), the pairing still feels a little odd at the YouTube Theater. Glenn Tilbrook's new wavers, and George's pop-soul cabaret, costume changes and all.
Dig a little deeper though, and "soul" is the connecting factor. Squeeze songs such as "Take Me I'm Yours" and especially "Tainted" have always had soulful songwriting elements that made them stand out back in the day. "Take Me I'm Yours" kicks off proceedings in Inglewood, while "Tempted" shows up near the end.
For an hour, they pulled out one gem after another including "Slap & Tickle" and "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)." Predictably, the Chris Difford-led cockney anthem "Cool for Cats" was the highlight, but there were many shining moments and Tilbrook still sounds great.
After a short break, it was Boy George's turn to pull out the hits. His set was a blend of solo material, Culture Club classics, and some wild covers. His own stuff sounded great while, as for the covers, the results were mixed.
Solo tunes such as "Mind Your Own Existence" and "Grossly Overrated" are under-heard and so, in fact, underrated. George, ever the provocateur, jabbed at the crowd for not knowing enough of his new stuff.
A couple of the covers sounded great, namely Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy" and Wham's "I'm Your Man." But nobody needs to hear Boy George singing Prince's "Purple Rain" and Tubeway Army's "Are 'Friends' Electric."
We get deep cut "Bow Down Mister," originally by Jesus Loves You (George's post-Culture Club electro-Indian-folk project back in the '90s). Naturally though, the Culture Club songs went down best with the crowd. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me," "It's a Miracle," "Church of the Poison Mind," and obviously "Karma Chameleon."
Through it all, George's trademark banter was top-notch, and his voice sounded smooth. It's delightful to have him around.
(Photos by Wes and Alex Photography / YouTube Theater)
