Culture Club visited Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Sunday, March 1. The legendary 80s pop group, led by the charismatic, flamboyant Boy George, delivered a two-hour, 20-song set packed with hits but also featuring many new tunes and an interesting selection of covers.
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The show began with the band playing a brief snippet of its 1982 breakthrough classic “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” before kicking into a rocking cover of The Clash’s “London Calling.”
Boy George, who wittily engaged with the crowd throughout the concert, commented that some people might question why he and the band were playing a Clash song. He then declared, “I was a punk, baby! I’m still a punk!”
Culture Club currently features three of the band’s original four members—George, guitarist Roy Hay, and bassist Mikey Craig. The group’s expanded touring lineup also included guitarist Hattie Moran, drummer Jermaine Whyte, keyboardist Carmelo Caruso, saxophonist James Gardiner-Bateman, percussionist/acoustic guitarist Kevan Frost, and backing singers Natalie Palmer and Vangelis Polydorou. Frost also is the band’s musical director.
“London Calling” was followed by “The Next Thing Will Be Amazing,” a new song Culture Club released as a single in January.
George then teamed with Polydorou to duet on another new tune, “Standing Tall In The City Of Love.” Vangelis was a contestant on the 2016 season of The Voice U.K. and was part of George’s team before being eliminated.
Next up was a mashup of Culture Club’s soulful 1983 hit “Church of the Poison Mind” and the 1985 Wham! smash “I’m Your Man.” Palmer handled the vocal part originally sung by powerhouse singer Helen Terry in “Church of the Poison Mind.”
A Boy George Solo Tune, Plus More New Songs and Hits
Boy George dipped into his expansive solo catalog for “King Of Everything,” a song from his 2013 album This Is What I Do. That was followed by “Letting Things Go,” another new Culture Club single released in January.
George then reminisced about the first time Culture Club went to Hollywood. He recalled the band riding in a stretch limo and looking over to see Kojak star Telly Savalas riding in another limo next to theirs.
The band then kicked into three of its major 1980s hits in a row. The first was the danceable, upbeat “It’s A Miracle,” a song from the band’s second album, Colour By Numbers, which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.
It was then time for a full version of “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.” The group played a new arrangement of the classic song, which George sang as a duet with Palmer. He explained that this rendition of the song was based on a recent reimagined version to which Sia had contributed vocals.
George and the band then did a faithful rendition of Culture Club’s hit 1982 ballad “Time (Clock Of The Heart).” That song and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” both appeared on the band’s debut album, Kissing To Be Clever, and both reached No. 2 on the Hot 100.
Next up was another new song, the reggae-influenced “London Is Not Burning,” during which George did a bit of twerking. He then welcomed his “tour wife,” Palmer to the front of the stage to duet on a song titled “Faster.” He first performed that tune while on tour with his solo group in 2024.
More New Tunes, a Neil Sedaka Tribute, and a Bowie Cover
Culture Club then played another new song, the upbeat, ska-influenced “Skinhead Stomp.” That was followed by another big hit from Colour By Numbers, the soulful “Miss You Blind.”
George then talked about what a major influence late singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka had on his own music. He dedicated the melancholy new ballad “She’s Lying” to Sedaka, who died on February 27 at age 86.
As the main set wound down, George performed yet another recent tune he introduced during his 2024 solo tour, “Watching The Lotus Bleed.”
To close out the regular portion of the show, George got the crowd dancing with a cover of the 1983 David Bowie hit “Let’s Dance.” He first acknowledged how Bowie had changed his life when he first saw the rock icon perform during his Ziggy Stardust period when George was just 11. The singer also shared that he was thrilled he got to meet Bowie during the 1980s but lamented that he didn’t get a photo taken with him.
The Encore
After briefly exiting the stage, George and Culture Club returned for the encore. They the finale with a rocking extended version of The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy For The Devil,” which featured band introductions and solos.
Next was a cover of the 1972 T. Rex glam-rock gem, “Children Of The Revolution.” As expected, Culture Club saved their chart-topping 1983 pop smash “Karma Chameleon” for the very end … well, almost.
As the band seemed to start leaving the stage, George stepped back to the mic and got the crowd to start singing Culture Club’s jubilant 1983 hit “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya” with him. The rest of the group then joined in.
You can check out a bunch of photos from the concert at the Hartford Courant newspaper’s website, Courant.com.
Boy George and Culture Club’s 2026 tour continues on March 5 in Niagara Falls, Canada. The trek is plotted out through a March 29 show in Lemoore, California. It also includes a six-date Las Vegas residency at The Venetian Theatre. Those concerts are scheduled for March 18, 20, 21, 25, 27, and 28. Visit BoyGeorgeandCultureClub.net to check out the band’s full tour schedule.
Boy George and Culture Club Set List, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT – 3/1/26:
- “London Calling”
- “The Next Thing Will Be Amazing”
- “Standing Tall In The City Of Love”
- “Church Of The Poison Mind”/“I’m Your Man”
- “King Of Everything”
- “Letting Things Go”
- “It’s A Miracle”
- “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me”
- “Time” (Clock Of The Heart)”
- “London Is Not Burning”
- “Faster”
- “Skinhead Stomp”
- “Miss Me Blind”
- “She’s Lying”
- “Watching The Lotus Bleed”
- “Let’s Dance”
Encore:
- “Sympathy For The Devil”
- “Children Of The Revolution”
- “Karma Chameleon”
- “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya”
(Photo by Khoi Ton/Courtesy of Mohegan Sun)
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