Image
Bands

The Original Lineup of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Reunites for First Live Performance Together in 36 years

After a 36-year hiatus, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the legendary Brit synthpop band, made an explosive return to the stage in Liverpool on Sunday. The original lineup – Holly Johnson, Paul Rutherford, Mark O’Toole, Brian Nash, and Peter Gill – reunited for a one-song performance of “Welcome to the Pleasuredome,” igniting a wave of nostalgia.

The surprise reunion, which marked the kickoff of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, took place during the Big Eurovision Welcome show outside the majestic St George’s Hall. Sharing the stage with fellow Liverpudlian sensations Atomic Kitten, The Real Thing, and The Lightning Seeds, the band treated fans to a night they’ll never forget.

Hailing from the vibrant 1980s Liverpool music scene, Frankie Goes to Hollywood became a global phenomenon with hits like “Relax,” “Two Tribes,” and “The Power of Love.” Though they disbanded in 1987, a few partial reunions in the 2000s kept fans hopeful for a full-scale comeback.

The reunion announcement was initially made on the BBC One Twitter account and later confirmed by Holly Johnson via Instagram, although the brevity of the performance, which excluded their biggest hits “Relax” and “Two Tribes,” did prove somewhat disappointing. As the band left the stage, the audience responded with “muted cheers and disbelieving murmurs,” fueling speculation about whether the reunion will continue.

The road to this historic reunion has been a rollercoaster ride. In 2004, founding members Rutherford, Gill, and O’Toole staged a charity concert at Wembley Arena in support of The Prince’s Trust. Frontman Holly Johnson, however, declined to participate, leaving the band to hold open auditions in London and select Ryan Malloy as their new vocalist.

Now, with Johnson back in the fold, excitement builds for the Eurovision Song Contest taking place on Tuesday, May 9th, and Thursday, May 11th, and the grand finale airing live on Saturday, May 13th. Is it the beginning of a new chapter for Frankie?

While the future remains uncertain, their brief but powerful performance has reminded us all of the incredible impact and legacy they’ve left on the music scene.

Watch the performance of “Welcome to The Pleasuredome” below:

post-punk.com

From the Editor at Post-Punk.com

Recent Posts

  • Bands

Toronto Shoegazers Rituals Debut Hazy Post-Punk Single “Illusions”

Toronto shoegaze outfit Rituals first stirred to life in 2009, a quiet experiment in Adam Seward’s small, dim room, where…

20 hours ago
  • Bands

Filled with Fire — Swiss Cold Wavers Future Faces Unveil Video for “Neon Outlines”

Filled with fire Come to me Suspended with so much pleasure No matter how scared we may be To live…

21 hours ago
  • Bands

Starlight Star Bright — Icelandic Trio Kælan Mikla Pull Down the Veil of Night in Their Video for “Stjörnuljós”

Be a starlight once more that guides me in the dead of night and when your fire weakens I shall…

2 days ago
  • Bands

Qual Unleashes Sci-Fi Apocalyptic Video for Primal EBM Jam “Funeral Fashion”

Sarcophagus golden carcass Sarcophagus rigor mortis Drenched in cataclysm and curled in dystopian dread, Qual—William Maybelline’s fierce alter ego—seizes the…

3 days ago
  • Bands

Los Angeles Duo Faith In Flesh Inject Chilling EBM and Darkwave into Their Unsettling Video for “Psychodermatology”

Skin sloughed off Exposed rot Sickness spied Wet, weak eyes Lacerated soul Psychodermatology is a medical field that studies the…

4 days ago
  • Bands

Philadelphia’s Cigarettes for Breakfast Prescribe Heartrending Shoegaze Panacea “Numb the Pain”

Loving something you shouldn’t is like clutching a live wire—painful, charged, and impossible to release. You know it’s wrong, yet…

4 days ago
Sticky Footer Banner with Close Button