“I’m a goth that accidentally ended up in a pop band. It’s very upsetting.”
Singer-songwriter Boy George is known for wearing many hats. Big hats, even. The largest hats anyone has probably ever seen on a man seeking to entertain millions of people with his God-given talents.
Unfortunately for George, those signature hats might have started the downfall of the band he cultivated throughout the 1980s: Culture Club.
Director Alison Ellwood takes audiences on a journey through flamboyant styles and hard partying in the new documentary, “Boy George & Culture Club,” which features the history and tumultuous tenure of the band that made The Beatles look tame. Inspired and influenced by glam rock idols like David Bowie, Boy George has always fashioned himself a unique individual with the eccentric garbs draped on his body to demonstrate it. However, as George formed the British pop band Culture Club with fellow singers Mikey Craig, Roy Hay and Jon Moss, his individualistic style seemed to clash with the music they were attempting to create.
The Tribeca doc examines George’s life, both personally and professionally, as well as the historical context behind the band’s formation. With blue-collar roots transformed into hit pop songs like “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” the band’s meteoric rise in the ’80s and ultimate stalemate began — and continues to this day — with George’s passion for the musical arts. It’s the latter song, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” secretly written about his romantic relationship with fellow bandmate Moss, that made fans question George’s sensibilities and sexuality.
At a time when the world, music executives, labels and journalists couldn’t figure Boy George out, his unconventional approach to living his truth in plain sight made fans inquire about the new face of pop music. “Nobody wants to get all dressed up and go unnoticed,” he quips about his fashion sense during an interview in the documentary, perfectly illustrating his reaction to how he was questioned during the time period. When no one was willing to take Culture Club on as a client, Virgin stepped in, and George quickly realized he might have signed away the rights to the very personal music he wrote.
For many years, George and Jon’ love affair complicated the band’s relationship dynamics, creating space for both to thrive privately while hiding publicly. The film includes archival footage and illuminating interviews with all band members that give credence to the history of the band’s trajectory, though Ellwood’s use of 1980s fonts and graphics overlaid on famous lyrics come across more like an episode of VH1’s “Behind the Music” rather than a fleshed-out documentary worth exploring. As this is not the first documentary about Culture Club’s rise and stagnation, “Boy George & Culture Club” is nothing particularly revelatory other than the band’s exclusion from famous charity events like “Live Aid” and the media frenzy that surrounded George’s heroin addiction.
His self-described diva antics and exuberantly rude personality hurt Culture Club’s chances to survive their initial No. 1 hits. Combined with George’s sexuality being questioned in the media after comments he made at the Grammys about being a drag queen, along with the failure of their subsequent album to produce the global hits they were used to, Culture Club’s reign was threatened. The three other band members found themselves relegated to the background until changes had to be made.
“Boy George & Culture Club” may not bring any new insights to the well-examined story of a band’s history and its impact on global music popularity. However, it’s an enlightening set piece on how far the gay community and music have come in the past 40 years. The fact that a band like Culture Club carved out a name for themselves at the height of 1980s new wave music is astounding, to say the least, and though they are not at the pinnacle of their careers, George, Jon, Mikey and Roy have a lot to disclose about their time together in the limelight.
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