Iconic 80s synth-pop duo Soft Cell announce their first-ever Australian tour
David Ball and Marc Almond make up the duo Soft Cell. (Mauricio Santana/Getty)
Soft Cell, consisting of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball – are set to tour in Australia for the first-ever.
The kings of the 80’s leather-clad music scene will be taking their “Tainted Love” down under for their new tour.
The band will be stoping at Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in April next year on a 4-date schedule.
With four decades of success under their belt, it’s rather surprising this will be the first tour in Australia for the synth-pop duo.
In addition to playing the band’s hits, they will also perform frontman Marc Almond’s hits from his established solo career which also spans over 40 years.
Last month the band released the new album Happiness Now Completed, which included previously unreleased tracks as well as reworking of other recordings.
Soft Cell have had twelve top 40 hits in the UK, including “Tainted Love”, “Torch” and “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye”.
After splitting between 1984 and 2001, the band reunited to tour and continue to make music.
Is Marc Almond gay?
Marc Almond, the 67-year-old Soft Cell singer, is a gay man who came out in 1987.
Though he identifies as gay, Almond doesn’t favour being labeled as a “gay artist.”
Speaking to The Herald in 2017, Almond shared: “I feel [gay] people are very divided. I hate the way the LGBT thing has emerged. It separates.
“I hate the fact sections have appeared, for example the transgender community, the lesbians, all divided. I don’t think there is such a thing as a gay community anymore.”
He went on to note that he didn’t come out until 1987 and feels as though he “should have done more” by coming out earlier.
In 2019, Almond posted before quickly deleting a series of of anti-trans tweets.
He said he “draws the line after LGBT” and anything after that is “alienating, not inclusive”.
A few days later he stated that he’s “not transphobic and to even suggest it is ridiculous and quite offensive” and sought to re-affirm his commitment to the community in a statement shared to PinkNews by his management.
What accident did Marc Almond have?
In October 2004, Almond was seriously injured in a motorbike accident in London.
After the near-fatal accident, Almond spent a month in a coma.
He suffered two blood clots, serious head injuries, multiple breaks and fractures, a collapsed lung and damaged hearing.
Since, he has become a patron of the brain trauma charity Headway.
Does Marc Almond have a partner?
Almond has seemingly been in a long term relationship for around 20 or so years, but he has kept his private life very close to his chest.
In 2010, Almond said that he has “a fulfilling work life and a comfortable private life”.
Who wrote “Tainted Love”?
Soft Cell’s hit track “Tainted Love” isn’t originally theres, though it is now mainly assocaited with the duo.
“Tainted Love” was composed by Ed Cobb and originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964.
However, in 1981, the song was covered and reworked by Soft Cell which launched it into worldwide fame.
You can find out more information about the upcoming Soft Cell Australia tour here.
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