Music & Concerts
An evening with Culture Club
Founding guitarist Roy Hay says the band is looking ahead
Culture Club is (from left) Mikey Craig, Boy George, Jon Moss and Roy Hay. The band’s current tour marks the first time they’ve toured in more than a decade. (Photo by Dean Stockings)
Culture Club
Monday, Aug. 10
8 p.m.
$30-60
Filene Center
1551 Trap Rd.
Vienna, Va.
A reunited Culture Club brings its summer North American tour — its first here in 12 years — to Wolf Trap on Monday, Aug.10. The band, famous for ‘80s classics like “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” has regrouped after postponing a tour last fall when lead singer Boy George suffered a throat ailment. A new album called “Tribes” is slated for fall.
We spoke with guitarist Roy Hay by phone from New York last week as he was en route to their show that night at the Grand Theater in Mashantucket, Conn. His comments have been slightly edited for length.
WASHINGTON BLADE: How does it feel to be out with the band again?
ROY HAY: It was a little frustrating to have the false starts but now that we’re up and running it feels great. I have to say, the response from the audience has been beyond my wildest dreams, to be quite honest. It’s just been fantastic. A really magical moment actually.
BLADE: Has all the bad blood of old been laid to rest or do little frictions still flare up?
HAY: I wouldn’t say bad blood, but to be honest, George is not always the easiest person. As Keith (Richards) said about Mick (Jagger), he has an LSD problem — lead singer disease. So there’s been a bit of that going on, but I haven’t gone to his room and punched him like Keith would have done but you know, it’s OK. George is a bit of a perfectionist and particularly as he’s had his own thing going on for so long, to now be in the culture of a band again instead of being the focal point of his entire universe has been a bit of a challenge for him. Which is true for all of us, because we’ve all been doing our own thing. But for him, being out there DJing, which is a very isolated pursuit, and doing his solo thing for the past two years, you’re sort of the captain of your own ship, so now to suddenly be part of a democratic process is somewhat challenging for him. So if you bear all that in mind, it all makes sense.
BLADE: George has said the other members are all “kind of” straight. Do people get that or has there always been a perception that Culture Club was a gay band?
HAY: Well I like to think that people know but I have ended up in quite awkward situations socially with this sort of, “Oh God, I thought you were gay.” And I’m like, “No, go back and put your clothes on and take that pink ribbon off your penis.” (laughs) I’m not kidding — that will be in the book.
BLADE: How are you keeping this tour from being an exercise in “nostalgia purgatory” as George puts it?
HAY: For us, the life blood of being in a band is being four guys in a room making music and writing songs, so what’s good about this is that we’re playing new songs and we’re slotting them in with the old ones and it’s like people aren’t even noticing because there’s a certain familiarity about the way we write. So by the second chorus, we’ve got the whole place dancing to the new songs. Part of the reason we’re doing this right now without the new album out yet is to kind of restore our reputation a little bit live and get people to realize, “God, they’re a good band, I’d forgotten.” We got a little bit forgotten over the years. Obviously it’s our own fault, we haven’t worked. So I think we needed to come out and do a little bit of damage limitation if you like. And particularly after the last tour got canceled because of George’s vocal issues, we really wanted to come back out and get the band back out there a bit, so then when we do come out with the album and the big tour next year, people will be more willing to come along. It’s never been a sort of “Danny Collins”-type thing for us where he gets trapped into just playing his hits for like 30 years and the money is so good and the fame is so big, he can’t stop. It’s not about that for us. If it was, we’d just put the four of us on stage and run pro tools, but we have a 13-piece band and we’re playing live and rocking the hell out of it, so I think people really appreciate that.
BLADE: The new album is done?
HAY: It is, it’s in the can and I think we’ve made a great album. It’s the album we should have made in 1986 after “Colour by Numbers” but we had that third album syndrome and didn’t have anything to write about but now we … have a lot more musical ideas. It’s ready to go but we really want to pick our release date and plan things properly so when we do come with it, it doesn’t just go to album heaven. Obviously we don’t expect to sell 10 million copies again, but we’d like to at least get it out to the people who would like to buy a Culture Club record. There was a great quote in one of the reviews last year — we briefly had a single out that kind of got withdrawn when the tour got cancelled — but it said this would be a number one record if bands like Culture Club were allowed to have number ones. The point is we feel we should be allowed to have number ones, so we want to clear the way and try to make that happen. Not from any other point of view than we’ve written some damn good songs, some damn good tunes and you could stick them on the radio next to Bruno Mars and it would work. It’s going to be a hard job, but you never know.
BLADE: “From Luxury to Heartache” now kind of feels like the forgotten Culture Club album. How do you feel it’s held up or not held up?
HAY: For me, that was always one of our finest works. I always wanted to work with (producer) Arif (Mardin). … May he rest in peace. He was really a magical man to work with. I learned so much from Arif that helped me move on in my life and with other projects, producing and songwriting and going into commercials, film and television. It was just a study in classic producing and the life lessons from that man were amazing as well. I don’t know necessarily if he was the best producer for the band. He was used to working with the Arethas and the Chaka Khans, even the Bee Gees in a way, they just come in and do their vocals and you know Barry does his thing with the music. I don’t know of he caught the band on that album but the songs were good, man. There were some good songs on that album. … “I Pray” and “God Thank You Woman.” I’m proud of all our work over the years. Even “Don’t Mind If I Do” (1999), I thought had some good moments as well.
BLADE: Have you sensed Culture Club fans want new material?
HAY: Well I hope they do because they’re getting it. I think they want it if it’s the right new material. … This band would never last on the nostalgia line. There’s too much artistic integrity with its members. If it were only that, we wouldn’t do it. I’d rather go off and do another TV show or do movies, George would rather do his solo thing. The spark and writing new songs is really the life’s blood of this band.
BLADE: So do you roll your eyes when you see the Stones or Fleetwood Mac going back out every few years and their last albums were 10 or 15 years ago?
HAY: I don’t know really. Build it and they will come, I guess, you know? As long as people keep coming, they’re going to keep going out. There’s obviously a magic with the Rolling Stones. I’m reading Keith’s book right now and I get it. It’s a very different style of music, but it’s the same way they started in a basement in London just playing records and we were much the same way. We were in a rehearsal studio in Shepherd’s Bush listening to records and John was really a driving force back in those days. George wanted us to be the next Bow Wow Wow and John said, “No, let’s write some real songs,” so we were playing everything from ABBA to Booker T & the M.G.’s and we really got into songwriting and became Culture Club during that stage. We really just lived and breathed music. … It was a magical time. You never get that back, but we have tried.
Music & Concerts
DJ Chanel Santini is bringing the heat and some gender-fluid diversity to XBIZ Miami
Pool party celebrates most charismatic personalities, creative artists in adult entertainment
Chanel Santini has crossed over to being a DJ, performing at clubs all over the country. Now known as Santini, they will be making music and hyping the pool party, DJ-ing at XBIZ, the conference for adult creators and digital players, in Miami.
Taking place on Monday to Wednesday, the event honors the most charismatic personalities and creative artists in entertainment.
“I am honestly so excited — getting to DJ in Miami Beach is literally a DJ’s dream!” Santini told the Los Angeles Blade.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity because I haven’t been around my industry peers in a long time. It’s a great event to network and show off the new me!” said Santini.
While Santini is unsure what music they will be playing, they want everyone to have a good time. “My goal is to ignite the dance floor and play great music that everyone will vibe to. My sound includes house music, bass house, tech house, and I always like to throw a little bit of hip-hop in my sets.”
Santini loves how DJ-ing brings people together.
“Music really ignites us all! It is so universal, no matter what language you speak. I think it’s the best high in the world when you play a banger track, and everybody on the dance floor screams loudly. You can’t describe that feeling until you’re up there on that stage.”
Santini describes DJs as the “modern rock stars” in today’s world.
“I always feel like such a superstar when I’m up on that stage. The best feeling is after my set when I have people come up to me and say, ‘Thank you for sharing that amazing music.’ That’s how you know that you’re a good DJ — I love when I get those types of compliments!”
While sometimes it’s hard to please everyone’s musical tastes, Santini endeavors to try! “You just have to go out there and give it your all and be the best DJ that you can be,” he noted.
Santini, who had previously identified as transgender, recently decided to transition back to being gender fluid.
“It’s definitely been a journey, but I’m definitely happier in my own skin now than I was. I don’t go by he/him pronouns. I don’t go by they/them either. I guess I just really don’t have a preference. Whatever you see me as is your opinion. I’ve learned over the years that I’m not trying to be one specific thing. I’m just Santini. I’m just me.”
Santini acknowledged they felt respected more when dressed as a woman.
“I think it’s just because femininity runs the world. When I started to de-transition, I felt like I had to just be a boy all the time. But I’ve realized over the years that I don’t need to stick to one specific thing. I am always gonna be feminine, and that’s OK.”
Recently, Santini has been embracing their feminine side more.
“I definitely feel more comfortable in female presentation, and more powerful when I’m on stage dressed as Chanel. I love DJ-ing in drag because there are so many straight male DJs in the world. It’s almost like a superhero when he puts on his cape! I think it makes me confident and stand out more as an artist.”
And because Santini loves makeup and fashion, they can incorporate that into their sets. “I’m not just bringing you good vibes and good music. I’m bringing you a show/ production!”
Santini is already working on big plans for the future.
“I’m opening up for a huge Pride block party in my hometown, Albuquerque, N.M., on June 12 and 13. It’s a two day festival and I’m super excited for this opportunity. I’m even hiring backup dancers and a choreographer.”
Santini plans to go “all out” for this show.
“It’s gonna be the biggest crowd that I’ve ever played for,” Santini enthused. “I’m putting my heart and soul into this performance, especially because it’s Pride in my hometown, and that means so much to me. I know the younger me would be so proud.”
Santini remembers going to Pride when they were younger and telling themself they couldn’t wait to be up on that stage.
“I’m truly living my dream right now, and I’m so excited for the future. The last 10 years of being in the adult entertainment business have been great and have given me major success. But I always knew that I didn’t want to be in this industry for long.”
Santini acknowledged that, in the recent past, it was a struggle.
“I’ve been trying to find myself and figure out what I wanna do next with my life. Now that I’ve found this passion for DJ-ing, it makes me want to go far in this business.”
In addition to being a DJ/artist, Santini is starting college next semester.
“I’m gonna get my degree in audio engineering,” Santini enthused. “I can’t wait to start producing my own tracks. I especially can’t wait till the day I’m headlining a major festival! I know with a little bit of patience and hard work that I can get there! I just have to continue believing in myself.”
Santini wanted to thank all of their fans for their support. “Truly, if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to fund my art in the way that I have. I’m truly grateful. And I’m excited for the future!”
Music & Concerts
Gaga, Cardi B, and more to grace D.C. stages this spring
Shake off your winter doldrums at a local concert
D.C. shakes off its winter blues this spring as the music scene pops off. We all know the big star is coming: Lady Gaga will perform at Capital One Arena on March 23. But plenty of other stars, big and small, will grace D.C. stages, including many LGBTQ and ally artists.
March
3/15, 9:30 Club, St. Lucia – Indie electronic music project known for its synth-pop sound, which blends ‘80s influences with electronic and indie rock elements.
3/31, Lincoln Theatre, Perfume Genius – Indie/pop singer/songwriter Mike Hadreas, also known as Perfume Genius, has toured with a full band, but he is stripping things back for this tour.
April
4/8, Capital One, Cardi B. Cardi B, from New York, unapologetic and proud, is the first solo female artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. This year, she’s on her Little Miss Drama Tour, in support of her second studio album, “Am I the Drama?”
4/13, Lincoln Theatre, The Naked Magicians. Australia’s The Naked Magicians are two performers who deliver live magic and laughs while wearing nothing but a top hat and a smile.
4/18, Capital One, Florence and the Machine. Longstanding indie rock back from Great Britain, much-loved for lead singer Florence’s powerful vocals. On their Everybody Scream Tour.
4/16, Capital One, Demi Lovato. Singer/songwriter from Texas, who came out as nonbinary, is traveling on her “It’s Not That Deep Tour.”
4/21, The Anthem, Calum Scott. Platinum-selling gay singer/songwriter Calum Scott released his latest project, Avenoir, last year. Scott rose to fame in 2015 after competing on Britain’s Got Talent, where he performed a cover of Robyn’s hit “Dancing on My Own“.
4/26, Atlantis, Caroline Kingsbury. American queer pop musician from Los Angeles. She released her debut album in 2021, and has two additional EPs. She’s played Lollapalooza 2025 and All Things Go 2025, as well as gone on a co-headlining U.S. tour with MARIS. Shock Treatment is her latest EP.
4/26, Anthem, Raye. This bisexual artist, known for her current chart-topping “”Where Is My Husband!” single, blends pop, jazz, R&B, and more.
4/30, Union Stage, Daya. This bisexual singer/songwriter is on her “Til Every Petal Drops Tour,” touring the album of the same name that was released last year.
May
5/1, The Anthem, Joost Klein. Eurovision comes to D.C. in Joost Klein: Originally a Youtuber, he was selected to represent the Netherlands at Eurovision in 2024 with his song “Europapa.” He released a new album on New Year’s Day.
5/1, Fillmore, MIKA. MIKA is on his Spinning Out Tour. Born in Beirut and raised in both Paris and London, MIKA sings in multiple languages and has co-hosted Eurovision.
5/7, 9:30 Club, COBRAH. Clara Christensen, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, record producer, and club queen, making electronic dance music.
5/19, Atlantis, Grace Ives. New York-born singer/songwriter, known for her high-energy synth/electronic, bedroom-pop-style music.
June
6/2, The Anthem, James Blake. English crooner got big from his self-titled debut album in 2011. He won two Grammys and just released his 7th album,Trying Times, in March.
Music & Concerts
Washington chorale kicks off Christmas with vibrant program
‘Thine Own Sweet Light’ concerts planned
The full Washington Master Chorale will return for its annual holiday concert tradition with “Thine Own Sweet Light” on Friday, Dec. 19 and Sunday, Dec. 21 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church (D.C.) and Church of the Epiphany (D.C.).
The concert will feature the rich sounds of the 50-voice, a cappella chorus performing lush, seasonal choral music inspired by the theme of light. Highlights include Edvard Grieg’s “Ave Maris Stella,” Eric Whitacre’s “Lux Aurumque,” and Christopher Hoh’s “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts.” The program will also present a new work by Barcelona composer Josep Ollé i Sabaté, along with charming holiday folk songs and seasonal favorites.
For more details, visit the Washington Master Chorale website.
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