December 18, 2008 12:14

Boy George speaks about kidnap case at gig

Singer in defiant mood as he plays his last gigs before being sentenced

Boy George played the final of his two shows at London's Pigalle club last night (December 17), during which he made a brief reference to his forthcoming sentencing.

The gigs mark the final time he will perform before being sentenced for imprisoning and beating a male escort in 2007. The '80s legend is due to be sentenced for the offence on January 16.

Judges have told the singer that he should expect to receive a custodial sentence - the maximum of which could be 15 years.

Taking to the stage wearing his trademark cowboy hat and glittered suit shortly after 9pm (GMT), George barely acknowledged the crowd as he launched straight into new song 'Vote For Love'.

He chatted with fans throughout the gig, which saw him play a set consisting mainly of solo songs alongside a few Culture Club hits, including the UK Number One singles 'Karma Chameleon' and 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me'.

Despite near-constant calls of support from the crowd, Boy George only fleetingly mentioned his recent troubles and court case.

"I like to think you can say a lot by saying nothing," he said. "I'll just say this: none of us are defined by our mistakes."

The statement drew a huge applause from the crowd.

The star also played a number of covers, including T-Rex's 'Get It On' and David Bowie's 'Starman'. Before playing the latter song, George praised Bowie for giving him the confidence to come out as a teenager.

"When I was a little queer boy I was very confused," he said. " Then along came this man - David Bowie - and everything seemed to make sense for me, and a lot of other people too, I suppose. I think I had the same impact to people a few years later. I'm very proud of that."

Later, the flamboyant singer thanked an unknown fan for planting a rose on his front door the previous night.