Holly Johnson '40th Anniversary of Welcome to the Pleasuredome' Tour

It has been just over 40 years since Frankie Goes To Hollywood released their seminal debut album 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome', a record which redefined pop music and shook the status quo of the mainstream, providing a bold voice of liberation and identity for the LGBTQ+ community. To commemorate this landmark anniversary, Frankie Goes to Hollywood vocalist Holly Johnson has embarked on a huge tour celebrating the music from the album, mixing it alongside other Frankie classics and his sensational solo work. Nights as iconic as this need venues to match, and venues don't come much more iconic than the Royal Albert Hall. A capacity crowd awaited Holly and his live band, eager to hear these timeless classics brought back to life live on stage again.

Much like the record itself, the night began with the short opener "The World Is My Oyster," which rang out over the Royal Albert Hall's PA system before Holly's live band took to the stage to take over the musical reins. The five-piece group, crammed with world-class talent, immediately captured the crowd’s attention, stepping confidently into the spotlight before providing stellar backing throughout the night. Guitarist David D'Andrade was a bundle of energy, at one moment getting the crowd clapping along, and the next, tearing through mind-blowing guitar solos. He was joined on strings by bassist Vinzenz Benjamin, whose slick basslines anchored many of the night's songs. They are joined on stage by Justin Swadling and Daisy Khan, who commanded their respective keyboard stations whilst adding further vocal depth to many of the songs played. Swadling would also step away from the keyboards on multiple occasions to deliver soaring saxophone solos. Rounding out the band was Jon Harris, whose cool, composed drumming ensured these dynamic hits progressed exactly as they should.

'The World Is My Oyster' soon transitioned into the title track 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome', just as it does on record. It was at this point that Holly Johnson joined his band on stage, being welcomed by rapturous applause. The atmosphere was electric, a feeling that would only grow as the night proceeded. The 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome' single is a multilayered epic that utilises a number of electronic aspects, making this flawless rendition from the six musicians on stage even more impressive.

With an already excited audience having now found their singalong voices, it was time for Johnson to shift towards the latter part of the Pleasuredome album, playing "Black Night White Light." Despite being a deep-album track, the response it received was phenomenal, with everyone in attendance fully aware of how special it was to hear songs like this live for the first time in decades.

However, despite being a 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome' anniversary tour, that did not mean we would stick exclusively to tracks from that record, with other Frankie Goes to Hollywood classics like 'Rage Hard' making an appearance. This was followed by an exciting playthrough of the B-Side to 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome' single, 'Happy Hi!'. There was even a five-song stretch in the middle section of the night that consisted of no Frankie Goes to Hollywood songs at all. Instead, Holly took the opportunity to play a number of his biggest and best solo hits, something that was well received by the capacity crowd.

Upbeat singles like 'Americanos' and 'Atomic City' had the crowd up on their feet dancing as if they were back in the late 80s, which in turn provided some of the biggest sing-alongs of the night thus far. However, it was the infectiously bouncy 'Love Train' that really stole this section for me. The performance itself already contained all the upbeat brilliance a great pop song should, but the fact Holly had dedicated the song to his long-term partner Wolfgang made it an even sweeter moment.

"Penny Arcade" brought the section of Johnson's solo music to a close, with the band then shifting in to 'Watching the Wildlife', the last single released by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Perhaps it's a view lacking full historical context, given that my entire life has taken place in the 21st century, but I’ve never fully understood the relatively modest reception this track received. And after seeing it performed live by that legendary voice, I’m more puzzled than ever. Holly Johnson’s vocals were superb throughout the evening, but they truly shone here, sounding remarkably close to his original performance nearly 40 years ago, yet enriched by the raw edge that only live music can deliver.

The evening's setlist would then take one last step back to 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome' for a four-song run that would bring a close to the main set. The cover songs offer several memorable moments on the record, so it was a pleasure to see a duo of these included in the night's setlist. The first of which was the distinctive take on Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run'. Whilst Holly would still shine throughout this song, this was arguably the song that let the live band shine the most, with mid-song guitar switches and stellar saxophone solos, the live instrumentation of the song was truly impressive.

'War' came next, a cover of The Temptations track which was made an international hit by Edwin Starr. The call-and-response nature of this song was immediately welcomed by the audience, who found themselves chanting back at the band in unison. The anti-war message of this song is unfortunately still just as relevant today as when first released, which was also the case for the next song, 'Two Tribes'.

The Royal Albert Hall's stewards had done their best to get the audience to return to their seats following the dancing to the last two songs, but the second the introduction to 'Two Tribes' kicked in, the crowd were right back on their feet embracing the euphoria such an anthem brings. The dancing was further illuminated by a large flashlight that Johnson had brought on stage.

A call of "Are you ready for an ejaculation" ushered in the mainset closer 'Relax'. The storied history of this song and the ridiculous "controversies" that surrounded it only acted to make it an even bigger queer anthem, which made seeing a musical legend and LGBTQ+ icon sing it in the midst of pride month even more powerful. Again, Holly Johnson would illuminate the crowd with light, pairing up fittingly with lines like "Hit me with those laser beams". On a night full of party anthems, this song understandably had the crowd responding the most, creating a blissfully chaotic end to the main set.

After the customary break before the encore, Holly, who up until this point had been wearing a full leather outfit with chains and codpiece to match, remerged in a crown and sparkly cloak to perform one last song. There could be no more perfect song to and such a night as "The Power of Love", with Johnson grasping at the chance to flex his vocal prowess at what was his first time playing this iconic venue. The crowd matched his energy one final time, lifting the room with an ethereal singalong that felt like a nearly 5,000-strong choir joining Holly and his band on stage. A rather poignant moment to close a night that will live long in the memories of all who experienced it, band and audience alike.