Holly Johnson, supported by Lightning Seeds, delivered a spectacular night at the M&S Bank Arena.
Ian Broudie and the Lightning Seeds were the perfect opening act for Holly. Their blend of guitar-based indie pop and bright, melodic synth-pop loaded with catchy hooks had the audience on their feet from the opening chords of ‘Marvellous’. They performed a nine-song greatest hits set, including ‘Change’, ‘Lucky You’, ‘Pure’, and ‘Life of Riley,’ earning a well-deserved standing ovation.
Then came Holly Johnson. As the lights dimmed and the introductory music began, the band positioned themselves on stage, while a sign beneath the riser welcomed the audience to the Pleasuredome. The performance started with “The World is My Oyster,” as Holly made his entrance from the right side of the stage, moving slowly towards the centre. Dressed in a futuristic leather outfit with an impressive codpiece, his powerful vocal delivery and theatrical expressiveness transported the audience back to 1984 as the next song—all twelve minutes of ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’ reverberated around the arena. It received a thunderous ovation that seemed to catch Holly by surprise.
More songs from ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’ followed, including ‘Black Night White Light’ and ‘Wish (The Lads Were Here)’. He then announced he would take a break from Pleasuredome to perform some of his solo material. Highlights included ‘Americanos,’ ‘Atomic City,’ ‘Heaven’s Here,’ and ‘Love Train.’ Each song was accompanied by an individual video projected onto a giant screen behind the band.
Holly introduced his impressive band: David D’Andrade on guitar, Justin Swadling on keyboards and saxophone, Daisy May Khan on keyboards, Vinzenz Benjamin on bass, and Jon Harris on drums.
As tonight’s performance was his last of the tour and his hometown show, he sang ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey,’ with the audience joining in to add emotion and poignancy to the moment. As if the audience weren’t hyped enough, he roared into his iconic cover of Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run,’ which many argue is better than the original. ‘War’ followed before ‘Two Tribes’ and ‘Relax’ sent the audience into a frenzy. The encore featured a single song: ‘The Power of Love.’ The audience wouldn’t let him leave the stage until the house lights came up.
Holly Johnson’s Liverpool roots, achievements, openness about his sexuality and HIV status, and active engagement with Liverpool’s arts and LGBTQ+ communities ensure that he is an icon of the city, both culturally and musically.
Reviewer – Adrian Cork
On – 21.06.2025
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