Last night, April 9, journalist Paul Gorman was in conversation with Boy George at an event hosted by the V&A to coincide with the museum’s hotly-anticipated retrospective, David Bowie Is. The subject - naturally, was David Bowie and his visual style, his engagement with fashion and style over the years, his impact on generations of pop fans and how he helped shape George’s own visual expression.
Our writer Harry Barneswas along to listen...
When I arrived at the wonderfully cultural and elegant Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, I did not know what to expect. I didn't even know whether coming away from it I'd firstly enjoy it, and secondly have anything worth writing about! And before you scroll down and read the next article, pardon the phrase, but boy is there a lot to talk about.
The main reason for that is the 60-minute conversation that I witnessed between Boy George and journalist Paul Gorman on the massive cultural influence that is David Bowie. They talked at length for the full time - even putting time inside for questions rather than further self-indulgence - and Boy George was masterfully guided through the talk by Paul's inviting questions on the often romanticized 80s.
At first I was worried that the very healthy looking Boy George would be stuck up after denying anyone to take photos (he also, quite rudely, appeared to deny fan photos, and walked away swiftly at the end), and he also started talking about himself rather than the man in question, David Bowie. This is where Paul came in, inviting him to answer the questions people want to hear answers too, and more importantly, create interesting conversation. That they did.
It was fascinating. I of course understand the influence and significance of David Bowie, particularly after his come back and STILL being relevant, but more so after this talk. A key topic of the night was how being a fan of David Bowie in the 70s made people question your sexuality in the playground, something quite understandably that Boy George denied ever being questioned about - it was plain to see. One key moment of the night that stood out was quite early on when they started delving into photos of his fashion, intertwining videos of each persona. The one clip that striked a chord with Boy George was the performance of Starman on Top Of The Pops in 1972, when he put his arm enticingly round Mick Ronson. Boy George and I did not realise when we first saw the video, but this is quite something - it is a gesture saying "I am allowed to do this." Questionable in hindsight, what definitely was not was the not shown but mentioned felatio of the guitar in the Ziggy Stardust era.
After the night, it made me realise what music is: it is more than music, it is a way of life. David Bowie is a man that knows this far more than other, as he takes control of the whole production, including stage sets, clothes, songcraft too. I wonder how many bands do all of that today? Very little - and that is what makes this man so historic, his presence in the culture of music will stay with us for a long time coming.
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