RuhrCongress, Bochum, Germany31st August 2025
Belinda Carlisle - Nostalgia, Power and a Touch of California
Rock stars come and go, but only a few artists stand the test of time, and BELINDA CARLISLE is definitely one of them. After almost 40 years in the business, she has managed to stay relevant, and this year she is more relevant than ever: she was coming to Bochum for an exclusive show!
She began her career as the lead singer of THE GO-GO’S and was a huge hit with them, selling over 15 million albums and singles worldwide. And even after the band split up in 1985, BELINDA CARLISLE was unstoppable in her solo career. She released her first album, Belinda, in 1986 and it went straight to gold. Her album ‘Heaven on Earth’ won several international awards and the single ‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’ is still a household name. The song reached the top 3 in 12 countries and was certified gold and platinum several times.
Four more gold and platinum albums followed, collaborations with George Harrison, Brian Wilson and Diane Warren among others, and several sold-out world tours. Songs like ‘Leave a Light On’ and ‘La Luna’ are still celebrated by an entire generation and are familiar to us all. Now she’s back on the road, bringing all her hits to Germany for one exclusive date only! In Bochum, we could experience her timeless Pop hits and her amazing voice!
Music & Performance
Unusually early for a Pop concert, at exactly 6 p.m. on Sunday evening BELINDA CARLISLE took to the stage at the RuhrCongress Bochum - without any support act, but straight into a high-energy set. The hall was fully seated, yet the several hundred attendees could hardly stay put: most were on their feet from the very beginning and remained standing throughout.
Carlisle was accompanied by a full band - drums, bass, keyboards, electric and acoustic guitars gave the songs plenty of punch and colour. But the true focal point was her remarkably strong voice, which, nearly 40 years after her first hits, has lost none of its power.
The show opened with the BEACH BOYS classic ‘California Girls’ as a playful intro, before Carlisle launched straight into ‘Live Your Life Be Free’ and ‘(We Want) The Same Thing’, two of her most anthemic numbers. Other highlights followed, including ‘Do You Feel Like I Feel?’, the rarely performed ‘Should I Let You In?’ and ‘Big Big Love’. A particularly nostalgic moment came with ‘I Get Weak’, the second single from the ‘Heaven on Earth’ album.
Mid-set brought a more intimate atmosphere with ‘Circle in the Sand’ and a heartfelt ‘Vision of You’. The emotional peak, however, was ‘Mad About You’, Carlisle’s very first solo single from 1986. Having briefly stumbled over the year in her introduction, a fan from the audience helped her out with a smile. For this song the band kept their playing notably restrained, leaving only her voice and the audience’s loud handclaps - a spine-tingling moment.
The pace picked up again with ‘Summer Rain’, ‘Leave a Light On’, and of course her biggest hit ‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’, for which Carlisle encouraged the crowd: “Last song and I am sure you know the words...” - and Bochum certainly did.
Although the main set lasted just over an hour, two encores followed. First came ‘Runaway Horses’ and ‘Big Scary Animal’, before a genuine surprise: the live premiere of THE YOUNGBLOODS’ classic ‘Get Together’. The evening then drew to a close with ‘A Woman and a Man’, a gentler but fitting finale. The whole concert was already finished by 7.30 p.m.
Even if the short running time may have caught some fans off guard, BELINDA CARLISLE proved that she is still a powerful performer with a captivating voice. The seating in the RuhrCongress turned out to be unnecessary - from the very first note this concert was meant for standing, dancing and singing along.
Setlist
00. Intro: California Girls (The Beach Boys song)
01. Live Your Life Be Free
02. (We Want) The Same Thing
03. Do You Feel Like I Feel?
04. Should I Let You In?
05. Big Big Love
06. I Get Weak
07. Circle In The Sand
08. Vision of You
09. La Luna
10. Mad About You
11. Summer Rain
12. Leave a Light On
13. Heaven Is a Place on Earth
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14. Runaway Horses
15. Big Scary Animal
16. Get Together (The Youngbloods cover) (Live premiere)
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17. A Woman and a Man
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
