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Concert review
Culture Club and Platinum Blonde
TD Place
Reviewed Tuesday
Flamboyant singer Boy George brought a wonderfully expansive configuration of Culture Club to TD Place on Tuesday, kicking off his fall tour of North America in grand style.
Dressed in a black-and-white ensemble, complete with a white top hat, the survivor of ’80s pop stardom was the jovial ringleader of a big, happy band of a dozen musicians. The personnel included two drummers, three backing vocalists and a horn section, in addition to electric guitar, bass, drums and keyboards.
Part disco band and part soul outfit, the lavish band elevated the songs well beyond the level of pop fluff. And with the 55-year-old George Alan O’Dowd in a gregarious mood, it was a fun-filled concert that got bodies swaying and feet moving in the crowd.
“Apparently we were here before,” George remarked at the beginning, not quite sure of the details. “It’s been much too long.”
The clean-and-sober frontman chatted amiably between songs, touching on whatever popped into his head. Early topics included his first connection with Ottawa (he referred to the 1980 Ottawan tune, D.I.S.C.O., which actually had nothing to do with Ottawa) and the pleasant surprise of a customs guard in drag at the border. He also had some timely advice: “Dance like no one’s watching, love like no one ever broke your heart and dress like every day is Halloween.”
As for his singing voice, it’s lost a bit of youthful suppleness, but was well suited to the big-band treatment.
They started with the lush and melodic Church of the Poison Mind, followed by the infectious It’s a Miracle and I’ll Tumble 4 Ya. A sweet reggae lilt coloured their cover of Bread’s Everything I Own, while the gospel-strong voice of one of the backing singers was featured alongside George in a sensual, sax-laden version of Black Money.
Crowd-pleasing versions of their hookiest earworms, including Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? and Karma Chameleon came later in the show, as well as a gorgeous cover of Prince’s Purple Rain.
The night of ’80s nostalgia began with a lively performance by Platinum Blonde, Canada’s premiere new wave band of the 1980s. With two original members — British-born singer Mark Holmes on bass, and guitarist Sergio Galli — joined by drummer Daniel Todd, the trio took a song or two to break the ice in a not quite full arena.
Platinum Blonde’s lead singer and founding member, Mark Holmes (rear), joins up with bass player and fellow founding member, Sergio Galli (along with drummer Dan Todd) to play to a crowd of a couple of thousand at TD Place in Ottawa Tuesday (Nov. 1, 2016) Julie Oliver/Postmedia
But after tossing out Hungry Eyes and Valentine, it was the crisp ’80s guitar riffs of Not In Love that seemed to do the trick. A 2004 song called Beautiful slowed things down for a minute, when but they got back to the mid-’80s hits, they soared. Holmes’s vocals (and hair and biceps) were in great shape, while Galli’s distinctive guitar work anchored the sound.
Standing in the Dark, Situation Critical, Doesn’t Really Matter and Crying Over You sounded fresh and vital, sparking memories and reacquainting fans with a band that hasn’t been to town in more than a decade. Holmes, by the way, hinted that it won’t be long until they’re back, maybe as soon as July 1, 2017.
“We may have something special for Canada’s birthday planned,” he teased.
查看原文...
Culture Club and Platinum Blonde
TD Place
Reviewed Tuesday
Flamboyant singer Boy George brought a wonderfully expansive configuration of Culture Club to TD Place on Tuesday, kicking off his fall tour of North America in grand style.
Dressed in a black-and-white ensemble, complete with a white top hat, the survivor of ’80s pop stardom was the jovial ringleader of a big, happy band of a dozen musicians. The personnel included two drummers, three backing vocalists and a horn section, in addition to electric guitar, bass, drums and keyboards.
Part disco band and part soul outfit, the lavish band elevated the songs well beyond the level of pop fluff. And with the 55-year-old George Alan O’Dowd in a gregarious mood, it was a fun-filled concert that got bodies swaying and feet moving in the crowd.
“Apparently we were here before,” George remarked at the beginning, not quite sure of the details. “It’s been much too long.”
The clean-and-sober frontman chatted amiably between songs, touching on whatever popped into his head. Early topics included his first connection with Ottawa (he referred to the 1980 Ottawan tune, D.I.S.C.O., which actually had nothing to do with Ottawa) and the pleasant surprise of a customs guard in drag at the border. He also had some timely advice: “Dance like no one’s watching, love like no one ever broke your heart and dress like every day is Halloween.”
As for his singing voice, it’s lost a bit of youthful suppleness, but was well suited to the big-band treatment.
They started with the lush and melodic Church of the Poison Mind, followed by the infectious It’s a Miracle and I’ll Tumble 4 Ya. A sweet reggae lilt coloured their cover of Bread’s Everything I Own, while the gospel-strong voice of one of the backing singers was featured alongside George in a sensual, sax-laden version of Black Money.
Crowd-pleasing versions of their hookiest earworms, including Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? and Karma Chameleon came later in the show, as well as a gorgeous cover of Prince’s Purple Rain.
The night of ’80s nostalgia began with a lively performance by Platinum Blonde, Canada’s premiere new wave band of the 1980s. With two original members — British-born singer Mark Holmes on bass, and guitarist Sergio Galli — joined by drummer Daniel Todd, the trio took a song or two to break the ice in a not quite full arena.
Platinum Blonde’s lead singer and founding member, Mark Holmes (rear), joins up with bass player and fellow founding member, Sergio Galli (along with drummer Dan Todd) to play to a crowd of a couple of thousand at TD Place in Ottawa Tuesday (Nov. 1, 2016) Julie Oliver/Postmedia
But after tossing out Hungry Eyes and Valentine, it was the crisp ’80s guitar riffs of Not In Love that seemed to do the trick. A 2004 song called Beautiful slowed things down for a minute, when but they got back to the mid-’80s hits, they soared. Holmes’s vocals (and hair and biceps) were in great shape, while Galli’s distinctive guitar work anchored the sound.
Standing in the Dark, Situation Critical, Doesn’t Really Matter and Crying Over You sounded fresh and vital, sparking memories and reacquainting fans with a band that hasn’t been to town in more than a decade. Holmes, by the way, hinted that it won’t be long until they’re back, maybe as soon as July 1, 2017.
“We may have something special for Canada’s birthday planned,” he teased.
查看原文...
