LIVE REVIEW - Culture Club - Beacon Theatre NYC - 7/27/15

I was 10 years old in the Spring of 1984. Having become obsessed with Kiss just 5 years earlier I was now in the fifth grade and with the exception of having Van Halen's new album "1984" on constant repeat, I was also expanding my musical horizons by discovering R.E.M.'s "Reckoning" and "The Top" by The Cure. This was also a time when Culture Club where on top of the world and I thought they where pretty incredible. On April 25th 1984 they had a live concert special set to air on HBO. My family didn't have cable but I was excited when my Aunt and Uncle who my sister and I spent a lot of time with growing up invited us to their house that night to see what I knew would be an amazing show.

Earlier in the day while playing at a friends house I fell off my bicycle and broke my arm. Having experienced this injury just a year or so before I remember being surprisingly calm and was determined not to let it effect my evenings plans. I headed to the hospital, had my arm set and wrapped in a cast. Before I knew It I was all patched up and about to enjoy the show. I was floored by amazing performances of songs from their hit albums "Kissing To Be Clever and "Colour By Numbers" and despite my groggy and exhausted state it's a show I'll never forget.

31 years later I finally got to see Culture Club live. The beautiful Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side of Manhattan was the perfect setting for the event. After a DJ lightly entertained the audience for roughly half an hour the lights came down and a montage of classic Culture Club news footage, photos and interviews was projected across the overhead screen. Soon drummer Jon Moss took to his kit and was joined by guitarist Roy Hay and bassist Mikey Craig. The crowd came alive as the iconic Boy George took the stage and the band launched into the Northern Soul based groove of "Church Of The Poison Mind".

Boy George then thanked the crowd saying "It's so wonderful being here with you all this evening doing what I love to do most and that's performing" which set up a stellar version of "It's A Miracle" followed by the smash hit "I'll Tumble For Ya". The animated front man was in phenomenal spirits and his voice projected a sense of soul and power that really shined during a cover of Bread's "Everything I Own". Other highlights of the set include "Time (Clock Of The Heart)", "Miss Me Blind" a cover of Dave Berry's "The Crying Game" and "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me".

The crowd begged for more which brought on an encore that included rousing performances of "Runaway Train" and "Karma Chameleon". The band capped the evening off with a spectacular rendition of Bowie's "Starman" that sent the audience home happy. Boy George can still flat out sing and his energy and charm is second to none. The band sound as good as they ever did and it looks like Culture Club will be dazzling audiences world wide for many more years to come.

"Five For Friday" with Esa Torkkeli of Silence Through The Rain

Silence Through The Rain hail from Kouvola, Finland. Their latest self titled E.P. is a promising collection of post punk, indie, and alt rock sounds. Vocalist guitarist Esa Torkkeli shares some of his favorite songs in this weeks edition of "Five For Friday" but first enjoy "Silence In The Rain's "Equilibrium".

Therapy? - Isolation

Therapy? is one of my favorite bands. This cover was originally written by a band called Joy Division, which is also one of my favorites.I prefer this version to the original version and that is rare. It does not happen often that a cover version beats the original version.This one brings something else to the table musically and that is in my opinion the only good purpose to ever record a cover song.

Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

Manic Street Preachers was one of the most important bands for me when i was growing up. This song is about the Spanish civil war and it was a number one smash hit all over Europe. That alone is an achievement in my books. a Brilliant song with brilliant lyrics. In my opinion they should have been one of the biggest bands in the world, but they are not. In this video they are ripping off chords from a guitar with a barcode reader. How cool is that? They have often been misunderstood and they have never lacked any self-irony.

New Order - Blue Monday

After surviving the death if Ian Curtis, the remaining members of Joy Division decided to continue under the name New Order. Not only were they able to continue making fresh sounding music successfully. They did it with more commercial success than ever before.Blue Monday is still today the biggest selling 12" inch vinyl single in the world. Sometimes i still wonder what they would have sounded like if Ian was still alive today.

Björk - Paegan Poetry

Björk for me has always been one of the greatest in channeling emotional intensity into music. Somewhere deep down inside of me there is a place that always resonates through her music. There are a lot of great songs i could have picked for this from her, but this song "Paegan Poetry" is one that´s stuck with me since i first heard it.The song in my interpretation represents agony of love and in the end learning to let go of yourself for solitude. It is a sad song, but there is always comfort to find in transcending sadness. It is a natural part of life. For me she is an artist in it´s purest form. Loads of respect.

Placebo - Every You Every Me

Placebo was one of the most influential bands for me growing up. Their earlier records feel like a soundtrack for the various moments in my life.This song in particularly is an important song in my life. Feels like a lifetime ago, but at the same time i remember it like it was yesterday.The emotional charge in this song is something that is over the top.