Live Review: Holly Johnson - Bochum 2025

Ruhr Congress, Bochum, Germany
17th May 2025
Holly Johnson - “Best Of & All Hits of Frankie Goes To Hollywood

HOLLY JOHNSON was the lead singer of the 1980s band FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD, with whom he produced many hits and scandals. Following the release of the albums ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’ and ‘Liverpool’, the band split up in 1987, after which HOLLY JOHNSON pursued a solo career. He has not been musically active since then, instead devoting himself to painting. https://hollyjohnson.com / https://www.facebook.com/MrHollyJohnson

Music & Performance
The queues in front of the RuhrCongress in Bochum grew longer and longer from early on. The audience was in a good mood throughout, but it was clear that everyone was eager to get into the hall. After entering, the fans spread out to the drinks stands and the merchandise stand. While the seats were slowly filled, the standing area in front of the stage filled up quite quickly. On the stage itself, you could vaguely make out the drums and the other instruments. FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD's signature symbols were projected onto the background.



When the first fans saw movement on stage, they cheered, and this immediately spread throughout the hall. As soon as the musicians took their places, the intro to ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’, a FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD classic, began. After a few notes, Holly entered the stage and proved with his voice that he is still at the top of his game. Wearing a black outfit and big black sunglasses, he often told anecdotes. For example, he said that he was happy to be in Bochum. He has a special connection with Bochum because his husband’s mother is from there.



Throughout the performance, the large LED wall behind the stage displayed animations that matched the corresponding song. During ‘Lovetrain’, colourful trains ran across the screen, and during 'Rage Hard', clenched fists similar to those on the single cover appeared. When Holly introduced the band, he mentioned that it was the birthday of his drummer, Jon Harris. Although Holly wanted to continue, the audience immediately started singing ‘Happy Birthday’. Jon then stood up and thanked the fans by waving.



The highlight of the evening was Holly Johnson’s encore performance of ‘The Power of Love’. According to Holly, this was his favourite song, not just a Christmas song. He changed his outfit especially for this song, appearing in a coat covered in tiny mirrors. A huge disco ball floated above him, producing beams of light that radiated through the entire hall. The evening ended with this brilliant performance, with the entire band taking a bow in front of the fans.



Whether he was performing his own songs or the hits of FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD, you felt as if time had stood still. It seems that HOLLY JOHNSON’s voice has not aged.

Setlist
01. Welcome to the Pleasuredome (F.G.T.H. song)
02. Black Night White Light (F.G.T.H. song)
03. Rage Hard (F.G.T.H. song)
04. Happy Hi! (F.G.T.H. song)
05. Wish (the Lads Were Here) (F.G.T.H. song)
06. Americanos
07. Atomic City
08. Heaven’s Here
09. Love Train
10. Penny Arcade
11. Watching the Wildlife (F.G.T.H. song)
12. Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen cover)
13. War (The Temptations cover)
14. Two Tribes (F.G.T.H. song)
15. Relax (F.G.T.H. song)
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16. The Power of Love (F.G.T.H. song)

Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 10
Light: 10
Sound: 10
Total: 10 / 10

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All pictures by Andreas Klüppelberg