Holly Johnson – Live Review – The Piece Hall, Halifax
By Steve Crabtree, August 2026
If you grew up in the mid-1980s, Frankie Goes To Hollywood were simply everywhere. Top of the Pops and Radio 1 ruled the living room in my house. And, along with every six-year-old in my playground, I spent weeks singing the chorus to ‘Relax’ without having a clue what the words meant.
Then there was a family holiday to Palma Nova that summer. In my mind, the whole resort seemed to be walking around in those iconic ‘Frankie Says Relax’ t-shirts. Naturally, I asked my mum and dad for one. Naturally, they refused!
Fast forward four decades, and the man at the heart of that whirlwind was heading to Halifax. It was an almighty line-up too, and having synth-pop giants Heaven 17 and ABC on the bill made this an absolute must. My friend and I got into the venue nice and early to catch Martin Fry. He looked top drawer in his gold suit, and sounded as classy as ever.
“Yorkshire pleasuredome”
It was 9pm sharp when the band walked out and Holly Johnson followed with a look designed purely to grab all the attention. Halifax gave him a massive welcome to their own Yorkshire pleasuredome, and he kicked things off with ‘Warriors of the Wasteland’.
It sounded immense, setting the tone for an evening packed with nostalgia, huge lights, and great tunes.
Then came ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’, hitting us with real musical venom. I had never quite realised the sheer weight behind that track, but hearing it ring across the open courtyard packed a serious punch.
Away from the Frankie classics, Johnson treated us to a run of his own solo numbers. Hearing ‘Americanos’ was a highlight of the night for me. I used to play that track on repeat on my old Now 15 cassette when I was 11. It prompted a brilliant singalong right the way through.
‘Love Train’ kept the good vibes rolling too, before later surprising everyone with a soaring cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’. The crowd was fully into it, still soaking up the showmanship.
“Crescendo”
It was a busy night. I didn’t see anything to say this one was a sell-out, but if it wasn’t – it wasn’t far off. It felt full, and it felt excitedly upbeat too. A really good atmosphere, which was more than just a party feeling. It balanced that with a very serious set that I thought was fantastic.
As we climaxed towards the end (no pun intended), things went up another level. We got a cracking cover version of ‘War’, followed by the unmistakable air-attack sirens of ‘Two Tribes’.
That track is the go-to backing for every British 80s documentary about conflict and politics. Hearing those sirens echo across Halifax before dropping into that fast, unrelenting beat was something else. With hairs on the back of the neck standing proud, it brought a crescendo of high-powered sound, and the whole place was bouncing.
He finished the main set with a massive singalong to ‘Relax’, sending the courtyard wild before disappearing off stage.
“Powerfully beautiful”
Nobody moved an inch though. We knew what was next. And that was something truly special. Johnson returned for a single-song encore: ‘The Power of Love’.
I think we all know that’s a nice song, but when you listen to it intently, closely, and hear the instruments arranged in the way that they are…it’s something stunning.
Holly Johnson performing that song turned out to be one of the most powerfully beautiful moments Halifax has seen in a very long time. His vocal delivery was utterly spot on, holding every single one of us – almost transfixed. There were plenty of smiles and a fair few misty eyes during those four minutes.
For me, it stands comfortably as one of the best moments in the history of Live at The Piece Hall. Holly Johnson put on a top show for his fans, and Halifax loved every minute of it.
Images: Cuffe & Taylor
Give Steve music, give him food, give him theatre, tech or travel… and he’s a happy man. He’s been writing professionally since 2003, turning to journalism in 2017 when it offered him the chance to enjoy a lot of his existing passions, and learn some new ones at the same time. Steve can be found spending many of his summer nights watching bands at The Piece Hall in his hometown of Halifax, or enjoying a bite to eat and a drink with his wife anywhere in Yorkshire at any time of year. Random fact: He does the best impression of Zippy and George from Rainbow that anyone has ever heard.
