Boy George wins over Tel Aviv crowd with music, message of solidarity

Boy George wowed a sold-out crowd at a concert in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night. The British singer, known for his flamboyant stage presence as the frontman of Culture Club, had fans jumping up and down as soon as he took the stage. In an interview before the performance, Boy George joked about his support for Israel, saying he didn't choose to be Spartacus and was simply fulfilling a role.

Wearing a black and silver sequined hat, rainbow sequined jacket, and plaid pants, he certainly made a statement with his outfits. He blended his band's classic hits like "Karma Chameleon" and "Miracle" with rock and pop favorites including Prince's "Purple Rain" and the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil." Singer Ivry Lider joined him for a rendition of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me."

Audience members applauded the songs enthusiastically. Boy George also took some time to offer his thoughts on the online world versus the real world, stating that some people want his opinions silenced. The concert included new songs as well. A special tribute to Nova survivors, victims of the October 7 Hamas attack, was performed, "We Will Dance Again," which received loud cheers from the audience.

Boy George also paid his respects at the Nova Memorial site and met with survivors and President Isaac Herzog. Concert organizer Sylvan Adams, president of the World Jewish Congress Israel, announced that 1,500 tickets for the November 7 show, featuring DJ Ofer Nissim, were given to survivors and their families. The event was supported by The Tribe of Nova Foundation and the Foreign Ministry.

The crowd left the venue with smiles on their faces and conversations buzzing about which songs were their favorites. T-shirt vendors sold out their inventory even before the show began.