The powerhouse artists who dominated the radio waves in the 1980's came together for the ultimate nostalgic pop tour. Boy George, leading the iconic Culture Club, headlined "The Letting It Go Tour". Howard Jones and Berlin also performed at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA.
Fans showed up early to catch Berlin front woman, Terri Nunn, sing "Take My Breath Away"; the wildly popular song from the "Top Gun" soundtrack. Berlin has so many other classic tracks like "The Metro" and "Masquerade" that fans were very familiar with and enjoyed belting out the lyrics. Berlin has continuously put out music over the years. "On My Knees", a newer track from the band, was played and extremely well received. Terri Nunn could be seen walking through the aisles and connecting with fans during this song which made it all the more special for the Berlin enthusiasts.
Howard Jones came on the stage next leading off with "Like to Get to Know You Well". Jones showed his versatility as he went from singing and dancing on stage to passionately playing the keyboard. Before Jones played his first ever single, "New Song", he addressed the crowd and genuinely thanked them for sticking with him through all the years. This was met with loud cheers and had fans on their feet for the remainder of the time he was on stage. Jones finished off his set with his most popular track, "Things Can Only Get Better".
Culture Club was the final act for the night and as expected they came out in a fun, big way. Vocalist Boy George appeared on the very top of a large staircase in the center of the stage. He was dressed in a colorful, eccentric outfit with his signature style hat. Once Boy George started to make his way down the staircase singing "Next Thing Will Be Amazing", the rest of the stage was lit up and original Culture Club members Roy Hay (guitar) and Mikey Craig (bass) could be seen.
In the middle of their set Boy George explained to the audience why the tour was named "The Letting It Go Tour". He said the world has become too much about the internet and social media and he would like to encourage everyone to just 'let it go'. Next the band played their hit "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" that was already popular in its own right, but had a second wave of popularity when it was featured in the Adam Sandler movie, "The Wedding Singer".
Once the night was starting to wind down, the crowd cheered for encores and were treated to three additional songs by Culture Club including the hit, "Karma Chameleon". This was a spectacular rendition of the popular song with talented backup vocalists, guitarists, and even a saxophonist. Overall the show was a trip down memory lane for most concert goers, and for others a retro glimpse at the decade of decadence.
About Photographer Lori Hynes
Lori Hynes is a Boston-based concert photographer that also works as a data analyst. She is a mother to two very active boys. When she is not taking her sons to their activities or photographing concerts, Lori enjoys snowboarding and is an avid ice hockey player.