Fans of ’80s synthpop were in for a special treat Wednesday night when Soft Cell dropped by the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California for one of their first stateside shows in over 20 years. Best known for their hits “Tainted Love” and “Say Hello Wave Goodbye,” Marc Almond and company put on an amazing 2-hour show that had the packed house singing and dancing all night long.
I’ve been a Soft Cell fan for the better part of my life and was thrilled to hear earlier this year that Marc Almond and David Ball would be once again joining forces to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. Synthpop aficionados and ’80s nerds like me understand the importance of this album, and to see it performed live in its entirety would be a dream come true. That happened on Wednesday night. One caveat however, Ball was unable to join Marc Almond on stage as part of the US tour due to doctors’ orders due to ongoing physiotherapy. Traveling was just not in the cards. While disappointing (to say the least), the show went on with their full touring band including Grammy winning producer Philip Larson filling in on keyboards for David.
For those in attendance, there was no opening band—Wednesday’s performance was unapologetically 100% Soft Cell. Act I featured ten songs including new tracks, B-sides, and classics alike. Marc Almond bookended the first set with two Soft Cell tracks including “Torch” and “Martin.” Both were beautifully recreated and sounded amazing. However, my favorites from this set were two newer tracks, “Bruises on All My Illusions” and “Nostalgia Machine.” If you weren’t paying attention, you would have never known that these songs were just released in May of 2022 off their latest album, Happiness Not Included. They sounded so good and had that vintage Soft Cell sound we all know and love.
After a 30 minute break, Act II kicked into high gear. This was what fans were waiting for, a full-length performance of Soft Cell’s 1981 masterpiece, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. Growing up in the ’80s in the new wave era, this album was a staple for true synthpop fans. Beginning to end, this live recreation was phenomenal and did not disappoint for a now packed house. While many gravitated towards Soft Cell’s biggest hit, “Tainted Love” (a cover of 1964 hit by Gloria Jones), I found that “Sex Dwarf” and “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” were by far my favorites of the evening. Good lord did these songs take me back. And the fan interaction during these songs—wow!
After the initial curtain call, Marc Almond and company returned to the stage for a brief three-song encore consisting of “Purple Zone,” a second helping of “Tainted Love,” and finally “Where Did Our Love Go?” It was the perfect way to wrap up a glorious evening with one of the ’80s most loved and revered bands. While sad that David Ball was unavailable for this show, he was obviously there in spirit with Marc throughout Soft Cell’s incredible 23-song set. For me, this performance was not all about nostalgia. Instead, it was a show filled with hope that the past can transition to the present (and future) with incredible music that transcends its time.
