Live Review: Boy George & Culture Club - Bochum 2025

Ruhr Congress, Bochum, Germany
20th June 2025
Boy George & Culture Club - “Biggest Hits”

After some scheduling difficulties in 2024 and the resulting cancellation of concerts and performances, British singer BOY GEORGE came to Bochum for his only concert in Germany. The frontman of the Pop band CULTURE CLUB in the 1980s became famous with hits such as ‘Karma Chameleon’ and ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me’, shaping the New Wave and Pop music of the time. He is known for his androgynous style, eye-catching make-up and extravagant fashion. In addition to his music career, he also worked as a DJ and music producer. BOY GEORGE is openly committed to LGBTQ+ rights and has had both successes and scandals throughout his life.

Music & Performance
The RuhrCongress Hall in the tranquil town of Bochum slowly filled up with fans of all ages that evening. Fans who were still young and groupies themselves in the early days of CULTURE CLUB could be seen coming to the concert that evening with their children or even their grandchildren. When a cheerful and smiling BOY GEORGE finally came on stage.



BOY GEORGE has been known for his outfits for decades and also showed his penchant for the extravagant on this evening. His white bloomers with paintings, the black shirt with oversized white seams and his jacket with neon-coloured signs looked almost normal. But his make-up was very colourful.



Musically, BOY GEORGE and his band began with a ROLLING STONES classic. After ‘Church of the Poison Mind’, he treated the audience to a cover version of WHAM with ‘I’m Your Man’. The likeable Brit was then wished a happy birthday by some fans, although BOY GEORGE replied that it was already a fortnight ago. Nevertheless, the entire audience joined in for a Happy Birthday. Visibly moved, he thanked his fans.



BOY GEORGE was supported on stage by a female guitarist, a German-speaking keyboard player from Austria and Mikey Craig, his bass player from his CULTURE CLUB days. Natalie Palmer and Vangelis Polydorou helped out as backing singers, but they also often came out from the background and performed at the front of the stage next to BOY GEORGE. BOY GEORGE proudly told the audience that there were two people on stage with Natalie Palmer, because Natalie was pregnant.



The later the evening got, the more relaxed the audience became and even the fans in the seats got up and danced. The fans, who had travelled from all over the world, experienced an evening with all the hits of this colourful exceptional artist. https://boygeorgeandcultureclub.net / https://www.facebook.com/BoyGeorgeOfficial



Setlist
01. Sympathy for the Devil (The Rolling Stones cover)
02. Church of the Poison Mind
03. I’m Your Man (Wham cover)
04. It’s a Miracle
05. I’ll Tumble 4 Ya
06. White Boy
07. Mister Man
08. I’m Afraid of Me
09. Stormkeeper
10. Love Twist
11. Everything I Own (Bread cover)
12. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
13. All I Know (Let Things Go)
14. Planetary Karma
15. Let’s Dance (David Bowie cover)
16. Time (Clock of the Heart)
17. Victims
18. Miss Me Blind
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19. You’re so loud
20. Karma Chameleon
21. I Want Candy (The Strangeloves cover) (Bow Wow Wow cover)
22. Get It On (T. Rex cover)

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All pictures by Andreas Klüppelberg