Holly Johnson at the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. June 2015. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

As part of the resurgent Liverpool sound of the 1980s, a sound that seemed a world away from the one that had been the household name in music appreciation by the previous generation up and down the country, Holly Johnson’s name is still revered by many in the city.  Despite the feeling of apprehension, the touch of anxiety that emanated from both sides of the stage, what followed was quite possibly the sensation of a huge thrill being administered to the Philharmonic audience as the former Frankie Goes to Hollywood lead vocalist delivered a polished and impressionable set.

There is no doubting Holly Johnson’s stage presence when he comes out on the Philharmonic boards, although arguably shy and reserved, for his fans the bright lights, the up tempo beat of a time that captivated and styled swathes of young minds and clothed them in a T-shirt with the unforgettable one word instruction boldly delivered upon it, never went away, the artist and the audience may be older but the passion was in evidence as they stood and waved, cheered and urged each note to resonate and reflect upon 30 years since Liverpool once more ruled the pop charts again.

Pop superstardom may be a cruel mistress but to the Liverpool Philharmonic crowd, to have one of the heroes of that time looking them in the eye and offering a sweet gentle refrain, the act of balancing a note in position whilst looking suave and ultimately sophisticated is something that still gets to the underbelly of fame’s abundant nature; it is that mutual attraction that wedged itself firmly between artist and audience on arguably the nicest day of the year so far and made it for a close and tender musical embrace.

Sandwiched between the old and the new was the thought that for some in the audience, the future has never really lived up to the promise that Time in the early 80s offered. The feeling of the beige and distraught has seeped back in to a world that seems somehow lost its urge to dance to a different tune and the country is now content to be content, albeit it seems with a dull ache where adventure and hope used to lay. For Holly Johnson though, the beige was never an option and this reflected in a set list that contained songs such as Warriors of the Wasteland, Atomic City, Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Follow Your Heart, Heaven’s Here, Americanos, Penny Arcade and the brutal, beautiful wonder of Relax and Two Tribes, war on beige was declared, the battle joined and the crowd lapped it up from start to finish.

Holly Johnson might not come back to Liverpool to perform all that often but as the night galloped towards its end, the appreciation on both sides of the stage was palpable, it was pulsating to a beat set down three decades before and its resonating heart still glimmered with hope, then for all in the Philharmonic Hall, it mattered not how often the artist wandered back into town, he always seemed to bring the sun and the warmth with him.

An entertaining night for the Philharmonic crowd in which the beige was banished and the blues sent packing.

Ian D. Hall 2015.