Soft Cell in San Francisco

Soft Cell are a British synth-pop duo formed in Leeds in 1978 by singer Marc Almond and musician Dave Ball. They became known for their electronic version of “Tainted Love,” followed by songs including “Bedsitter,” “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” and “Torch.” Their 1981 debut album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, established the spare synthesizer sound and dramatic vocals associated with the duo. After splitting in 1984, Soft Cell reunited in 2001 and returned to live performance. In 2018 they presented One Night, One Final Time at The O2 in London, a concert billed as their farewell. They later went back onstage for the Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret 40th Anniversary Tour, performing the debut album in full alongside other songs from Marc Almond and Dave Ball’s catalogue.