Becoming a sound bite.

What is your earliest memory?

My father's jealousy, rage and anger, and my mother's tears.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I give up far too easily, have no respect for money and I always make the mistake of working with friends.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Freeloading.

Aside from a property, what's the most expensive thing you've bought?

A number of friends, sadly.

What is your most treasured possession?

Humour.

What would your super power be?

To rid the planet of hunger, suffering, Aids and crap music.

What makes you depressed?

Watching gloriously dull and untalented people enjoy success.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

I wish I had longer legs.

Would you rather be clever and ugly, or thick and attractive?

I'm all of those things, yet I have such a lustful libido that I refuse to take 'no' for an answer, wilfully lust above my station and often get my man.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Uma Thurman, of course.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Satisfying my lust, whatever the price.

What is your most unappealing habit?

Bitching.

What would you most like to wear to a fancy dress party?

A bikini, sling-backs and the crown jewels.

What is the worst thing anyone's said to you?

'I need a bit of space, time to think.'

To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?

Madonna, because I have said far too many vile things about her and all because she invited me to her birthday party and tried to humiliate me by making sure I was not allowed into an area sectioned off for the truly blessed.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Indifferent, heterosexual men.

What does love feel like?

I am not interested in physically restrained, polite love. I need passion - Liz Taylor and Richard Burton.

What was the best kiss of your life?

I love frantic french kissing, raging teenage face-eating kissing.

Have you ever said 'I love you' and not meant it?

Never.

Which living person do you most despise, and why?

Despise is too strong, but I met Bette Midler and was horrified to find she was nothing like I had dreamed. Her insincerity was matched only by her void of humanity, humour and grace.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

'I'll be five minutes!'

What has been your biggest disappointment?

Getting arrested in New York and discovering how lacking in morality US law enforcers are. Being handcuffed to a metal trolley in Bellevue Hospital because I cut my foot while being dragged from a police car, and listening to nurses chatting about hair products as I screamed for something to stop me hallucinating.

If you could edit your past, what would you change?

The royalty splits on Karma Chameleon - I had to force the rest of...#8239;Culture Club to record it.

What is the closest you've come to...#8239;death?

A headline in a tabloid.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?

A lobotomy.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

Never tell the police the truth.

Tell us a joke

What is the difference between a man and a toilet seat?

A toilet seat doesn't keep bothering you after you've used it.

Tell us a secret

There is a wizard behind the curtain.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,2253791,00.html

BOY George is a global phenomenon, known almost as much for his colourful private life as his music.

He has been in the headlines ever since his former group Culture Club burst on to the pop scene in 1982 and, at the height of his fame, was the most photographed person in the world alongside the late Diana, Princess of Wales. 

But a little known fact is his colossal rise to fame began in a club in Rayleigh.In an exclusive interview, Boy George told the Echo: "Crocs, in Rayleigh, was where I did my first ever live show.

"It was in 1981, just before Christmas, and we were playing our first ever gig. Depeche Mode were on just before us and it was awesome.

"We had chosen to play there because Ray Hay (the band's guitarist) lived in Rayleigh. I know Southend fairly well and I did some DJing more recently at a place near the pier."

Soon after that debut Rayleigh gig, Culture Club signed with Virgin Records and in 1982, became the first band since the Beatles to amass three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a debut album.

By 1986, Boy George was starting a solo career and, over the next two decades, he released a total of 23 albums, including those he has mixed in his reincarnation as a highly successful DJ.

The artist produced and performed (although not as himself) in the West End musical Taboo, which depicted his quirky rise to fame, while a courtroom battle with a former lover and a battle with drug addiction have meant George, now 48, is rarely out of the headlines.

But he said it was returning to singing live that made him realise what he had been missing.

He said: "I am really enjoying this and I'm planning to get back into it more. It's been quite a while - ten years now.

"People don't know what to expect from me and there is an element of surprise in my shows. But I love getting them up on their feet for things they didn't expect to hear.

"I have a lot of affection from my fans. When I am in London, I think it's only there I have fans but I have lovely fans all over the country."

Review of Boy George's Cliffs Pavilion gig

A GLOBAL pop icon took to the stage for one night at the Cliffs Pavilion and got the entire audience to its feet with a dizzying array of musical talent in a two-hour romp across musical history.

Boy George, the eccentric performer whose recent personal life has been a soap opera played out in the tabloids, was keen to impress fans with his latest songs, as well as play the hits which soared him to international stardom in the 1980s.

In laid-back fashion, George walked out in a striking red hat and safety-pin emblembed suit from his fashion label B-rude, and opened with a reggae-influenced tune.

It is hard to believe it has been ten years since Boy George last toured live. His unmistakable voice was as solid as ever, his raunchy moves revved up the crowd and confidence simply oozed.

A great showman, he interacted with fans and spoke frankly about episodes in his life that inspired him to write certain songs.

He sang several songs from the musical Taboo, which was about his rise to fame, including "Stranger in this World" which he sang in duet with a highly talented singer Lizzie Dee, who has only recently joined the band.

There was a mix of melancholic musical tunes including an up-tempo version of Summertime, as well as cabaret and gospel beats, which really proved the breadth of his writing and singing skills, but for many fans it was the Eighties hits that they had come to hear.

George teased with a promise of music that would make the audience want to "get up and shake your bum." And when the chord struck for Kharma Chameleon, that prediction came true.

He performed two other mega hits: Church of the Poisoned Mind and Do You Really Want to Hurt Me, but ended the show with the undeniable lyrics: "I've one of those faces, you'll never forget." 

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local/display.var.2023344.0.george_is_the_karma_back_kid.php

PICTURE FROM MYSPACE.BOYGEORGE2008

Un petit cadeau pour les fans français :

le concert enfin à télécharger et à graver sur cd :

le 4 fevrier 2007 :

Part 1

http://www.mediafire.com/?atnz9sxhbn4

Part 2

http://www.mediafire.com/?8x19nyei9jv

le 1er fevrier 2007 :

the Glasgow concert.

Part 1

http://www.mediafire.com/?1eryizghnwy

Part 2

http://www.mediafire.com/?fxcwhlninm1  

Shaw Theatre Sun 27th :

Part one -

http://www.mediafire.com/?azmelbcyzhc

Part two -

http://www.mediafire.com/?byzdfmchtni

George Alan O'Dowd grew up in a lively household with his four brothers and one sister. Despite being part of the large working class Irish brood, George has claimed to have had a lonely childhood, referring to himself as the “pink sheep” of the family.

To stand out in the male-dominated household he created his own image on which he became dependent. "It didn't bother me to walk down the street and to be stared at. I loved it," he's reminisced.

George didn't exactly conform to the typical school student stereotype and with a leaning more towards arts rather than science and maths, he found it hard to fit in with traditional conformist masculine subjects. With his schoolwork suffering and an ongoing battle of wits between him and his teachers, it wasn't long before the school gave up and expelled George over his increasing outlandish behaviour and outrageous clothes and make up.

Suddenly George was in the big wide world without a job. Taking the plunge with any work he could find that paid him enough money to live on; he worked on farms picking fruit, as a milliner and even a make-up artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company - where he picked up some handy techniques for his own personal use.

The famous British New Romantic Movement that emerged in the early 1980s was a calling card for George, whose flamboyance fitted their beliefs perfectly. The attention the New Romantics attracted inevitably created many new headlines for the press and it wasn't long before George was giving interviews based purely on his appearance.

Around this time Malcolm McLaren, the manager of the infamous Sex Pistols, was also managing a group called Bow Wow Wow. Fronted by Burmese sixteen-yea- old Annabella Lwin, McLaren wanted someone to give Annabella a bit of a jolt on the stage and strengthen her vocally - cue the talent of a certain Boy George.

After George made a few appearances, to much audience acclaim, inevitable friction between the two big personalities began to surface. However George, by now, was inspired to form his own group and the answer came in the form of The Sex Gang Children. Bassist Mikey Craig and drummer Jon Moss were next to join the group, followed by Roy Hay. The group soon abandoned the name Sex Gang Children to settle on Culture Club, on the basis that the group consisted of an Irish singer, a Jamaican-Briton, a Jewish drummer, and an Englishman.

Success came early and the band signed with Virgin Records in the UK and Epic Records in America, releasing their debut album Kissing To Be Clever in 1982. It was their third single from that album, Do You Really Want To Hurt Me that scored a huge success by reaching the number one spot in 16 countries.

Culture Club already had the distinction of being the first group since the Beatles to notch up at least three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 from only their debut album. The group's second album was also a success (1983), with the single Karma Chameleon rocketing to number one in numerous countries, including the U.S., where it stayed for four weeks.

George soon became a household name, making him a natural choice for one of the lead vocals on the Band Aid single Do They Know It's Christmas in 1984. However the pressure of fame began to take its toll and by late 1985, George had become addicted to heroin. Culture Club began to lose their way musically and work on their fourth album - From Luxury To Heartache (1986) - proved more headache than heartache for the producers, with the recording sessions dragging on for hours. In July the same year George was arrested in the UK for possession of cannabis and a just few days later, the band's keyboard player Michael Rudetski was found dead from a heroin overdose in George's home.

During his time in Culture Club, George embarked on a relationship with drummer Jon Moss and he has claimed that some of the songs he wrote during this period were aimed at Moss directly. The pair's romance did not last though, with speculation that Moss had broken off his engagement to a woman to be with George and subsequently was never entirely comfortable in a homosexual relationship. Moss has since gone on to marry a woman and have several children.

Clearly the much hyped furor over the band's had peaked too early though and after their US tour was cancelled, Culture Club disbanded in late 1986. Despite his ongoing drug addiction battles, George began recording his first solo album. In 1987 Sold was released successfully. But even though he scored UK success, George never really managed to duplicate the same level of exposure in the US.

Over the years, George has continued to release various solo albums and even formed his own record label in the early nineties. His most significant acclaim to replicate anything on the same level as Culture Club's fame was his 1992 hit single The Crying Game, which featured in the film of the same name, reaching the top 20 in the US charts.

After a fall out with Virgin Records in the mid nineties, George's work was poorly promoted and subsequently failed to alight any kind of praise to establish him as a serious solo musical artist. Culture Club did reform briefly back in 1998 at a Big Rewind tour in America alongside Human League and later the same year managed to secure a top five single in the UK with I Just Wanna Be Loved.
In 2006, the band decided to again reunite and tour; however, George declined to join them for this tour. As a result, he was replaced and after only one showcase and one live show, that project was shelved.

Although George failed to reach the same level of acclaim as a solo artist in comparison to the Culture Club days, he has fared better in his second career as a notable music DJ. He began DJing in the early 1990s and has since enjoyed many pats on the back from critics both here in the UK and in the US.

As an aside, in 2002, George was joined by a hoard of celebrities for the premiere of his new musical Taboo. The star had penned the story of his own rise to fame, including colourful characters from his past such as Leigh Bowery, Steve Strange and Marilyn. The musical featured a host of new songs written by George as well as Culture Club's number one singles, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me and Karma Chameleon. Open auditions were held to find actors and singers to resemble the stars of the 80s and the Scottish actor Euan Morton won the part of the dread-locked George. Matt Lucas, at the time most famed for his George Dawes character on BBC's Shooting Stars, took the role of flamboyant performance artist Leigh Bowery, who died of an Aids-related illness in 1994.

American comedienne Rosie O'Donnell saw the musical and was so enamoured that she decided to finance the production for Broadway too. The show opened in February 2003 but after just 100 performances it closed, hampered by a barrage of negative reviews and struggling to meet financial ends. The UK production however, continued to be a success and went on to tour the UK, with a DVD release and book accompanying it.

In George's personal life, his demons have gained ongoing media attention even since his drug problems came to public knowledge back in the eighties. Nearly ten years after his first public drugs expose, George was arrested in Manhattan in 2005 on suspicion of possessing cocaine after it was found it his apartment.

After failing to appear in court the following year, for the same drugs charge, a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. George's no-show for his initial court date resulted in a $1,000 fine and a spell of community service. In August 2006, George reported for rubbish duty on the streets of New York- making the media's day with snaps of the usually flamboyant star in combats and trainers with a broom and disposable gloves.

It seems picking up trash in the public eye wasn't enough to keep George on the right side of the law because in November 2007, he was sent to trial charged for falsely imprisoning a male escort by chaining him to a wall. The alleged incident had taken place at his flat in Hackney earlier in the year and he is due to stand trial later in 2008.

For George, his next career step or public outbursts are as unpredictable as his eyeshadow and hair colour so it can only be a case of watch this space to see what he decides to do next...
http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/2184:2766/3/Boy_George.htm

The Sage Gateshead played host to two '80s icons at the weekend – Boy George and Alison Moyet. We were at both shows

Boy George: Songs That Make You Cry and Dance

AFTER 25 years of hit singles, headlines and media notoriety, Boy George has returned to music with a UK Tour entitled Songs That Make You Cry and Dance.

Stepping on to the stage at The Sage Gateshead on Saturday night, George won the hearts and minds of an already adoring crowd all over again.

The night's concert was about putting the tabloid frenzy and controversy to one side and letting the music speak loud, clear and true.

Adorned in his now trademark sequined hat and two-piece suit, George's first set was a varied, well-paced 45 minutes; up-tempo numbers Do You Really Want to Hurt Me, Everything I Own and Cheapness & Beauty sat alongside tender contemplative ballads, Losing Control and Stranger in this World.

The set closed with George handing over the microphone to backing vocalist Lizzie Dean. With a rich, deep voice that betrayed her slight frame and punkish outfit, she took on Talk Amongst Yourselves (from George's penned musical Taboo), with passionate fervour and brought the house down.

Set two kicked off with an energetic Church Of The Poison Mind, followed by a blazing cover of Suffragette City, originally by Bowie, well known to be George's idol.

More Culture Club classics got an outing, with a torch ‘n' twang version of Karma Chameleon, (as George stressed: “You can't ignore that really, it's a country song”) and an acoustic, emotive rendition of Victims.

George stepped aside twice more in the show – once as the vocally gifted John Gibbons sang If I Could Fly, and later when Linda Duggan (a different guest vocalist appears each night of the tour for one song) performed Generations of Love.

Self-deprecating quips about cleaning the streets of New York were thrown in, adding to the honesty of the evening.

A highlight of the whole gig was This Little Light of Mine – a song that became a civil rights anthem in the 1950s/60s – showing the strength in George's voice.

The jubilant, euphoric Bow Down Mister closed the gig as everyone left their seats to dance. A thoroughly entertaining concert that embodied all that should continue to be treasured about Boy George.

CRAIG ASTLEY