Soft Cell - soul inside, 1984

"I had the huge pleasure of seeing 1980s icons Soft Cell at Hampton Court Palace this week. And what a joy it was. Marc Almond in magnificent voice exuding energy and charisma in abundance, Dave Ball (performing in a wheelchair following his fractured vertebrae last year) in every sense the straight man. From classics like Torch, Bedsitter, Say Hello Wave Goodbye and of course Tainted Love to newer material like Nostalgia Machine and rousing encore Purple Zone, the band soon had its somewhat ageing fan base on their feet and singing along. I thought they were the best band around in the 1980s – and hindsight hasn’t changed my mind. They are retrospectively so underrated it’s a crime."