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Soul survivor: Boy George, his unique voice still intact, duets with the smoky-sounding Amanda Ghost
A glorious, mischievous British pop institution, but a little past its peak, Park Lane's famous Met Bar was in so many ways an appropriate choice of venue for Boy George's relaunch as a recording artist.
And as he showcased his forthcoming single, a duet with white-hot singer-songwriter Amanda Ghost, George showed that despite everything, like the bar itself, he still has a touch of the old magic.
As well as being a well regarded performer in the States, London-born Ghost is in huge demand there as a songwriter, having earned two Ivor Novello awards as well as the slightly dubious honour of penning James Blunt's monster hit, Beautiful. Beyoncé and Janet Jackson are among her current clients, and last night's event was a showcase for the new material on her own label, Plan A Records.
With striking features and an air of understandable confidence, Ghost introduced the night's show. She declared that she had done "many things" in the Met Bar, "some of them legal, some of them not" - a statement in keeping with the bar's colourful history, although with two bottles of beer costing £11.25, the only people to attempt a serious drinking session there now must either be wealthy or already drunk.
Her new signing, Scott McFarnon, took to the tiny stage, showing off an extraordinary, effortless falsetto that blended well with his intricate, folky acoustic guitar work.
An industry crowd who have not paid often prove challenging, and so it was for McFarnon, who had to endure about 30 per cent of the crowd talking loudly throughout a sensitive and rather beautiful set. Ghost herself fared rather better, attracting the crowd's full attention and applause with her passionate, smoky vocals and solid, ballsy melodies.
The audience, however, had come to see one man, and one man alone. A successful career as a DJ notwithstanding, Boy George hasn't released a record in eight years, but his uncanny talent for making headlines remains as strong as ever. His recent community service as a New York street sweeper was a punishment for wasting police time, an accusation of cocaine possession having been dropped.
Humiliating though his rubbish removal duties may have been, they have put him back in the public eye, and he was clearly relishing every moment of it as he took to the stage to capitalise on his notoriety. Looking fitter, happier and healthier than he has for some time, he sported an outlandish hat bearing the words "Ich bin Kunst" - I Am Art - a catchphrase of Eighties artist Leigh Bowery.
As he joined Ghost to perform the new single, a dark, epic track entitled Time Machine, it was obvious that while George had lost some of his vocal range, his uniquely delicate and melancholy voice is intact. It was a song George could get his teeth into, the soaring chorus giving him the perfect chance to inject some real soul into proceedings.
The track sounded very much like a hit, and its lyrics, which hark back to a golden age when everything was easier, suggest that Boy George the roadsweeper is gone forever and that Boy George the pop star is well and truly back.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Amazing! welcome to the top and glad you brought the lovely Ghost as a companion!
A HIT!
- Niklas Sjögärd, Hässleholm
Boy George: what can you say! I saw he was trying really hard, but like so many people who shone in the 1980s his time has come. His style of music isn't what people want to listen to any more, and he's gone from being innovative to just being embarrassing. I used to like Boy George, but now I think it's time to let him quietly slip away. His performance was weak and almost nervous, and I left feeling like I'd seen something I really wish had not just happened.
- Ryan, Greenwich
The delicious & delightful Dulcie Danger played the bar at The Ministry of Sound last Saturday (2 September 2006), a warm up for the club a week before they celebrate their 15th birthday...
Dropping the dirtiest, sexiest vocal house tunes around, her skills are seamless as she mixed the latest tunes for a hungry crowd in her hour long set. Of course not a soul was shying away at the corners of the dance floor before she hit the decks, this is Ministry we're talking about, but no one was dancing on the bar until Danger set the pace!
This house fox sure knows her stuff at every beat she spins. Being a naturally Kick-Ass DJ is not the only secret to her success, Dulcie Danger loves working as much as the clubbers love her. A night with this lovely lady comes highly recommended (especially if you can spend the next day recovering!). Catch her in her home town of Brighton every week where she holds a residency, or at any number of other venues from London to Ibiza!
- Nancy Weaver, London, UK
Welcome back Boy George! I have been a massive fan since the 1980s, and even though Boy George has had some lows recently you'd never have known from how he performed. I don't like to get all meaningful when it comes to music, but you could tell that Boy George really put his all into singing the song with meaning and that it is going to be a huge track.
- Tracey, Barnet
