The cycle of an album’s life beginning and ending in NYC.
Soft Cell’s last performance of their epic 1981 debut album Non Stop Erotic Cabaret performed at the Beacon theatre last night was a closing of the circle.
Recorded in and therefore forever tied to New York, the album spawned the best selling British single of that year, ‘Tainted Love.’ Two other tracks ‘Bedsitter’ and ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ both made it into the top 5. Adding more to the celebration of the NYC theme, tracks from ‘The Art of Falling Apart’ also recorded in NYC got a look in too.
Clearly loving being back in NYC, Soft Cell invited NYer’s Christeene, who is collaborating on their new album ‘Happiness Not Included’ and JG Thirwell, to join them on stage reminding us that Soft cell isn’t just a tired just play the old hits band but is vibrant, collaborative, still making new music and continues to push boundaries.
Its unlikely that the last ever NY performance ever of the Non Stop Erotic Cabaret album was really the sole draw to the show but after the intermission the audience trying hard to stay in check gave up , they couldn’t stand it any longer, en masse they rose as the classic eighties familiar songs came out thick and strong, the audience’s voice and feet got louder and dancier.
Clearly a good bye that neither side really wanted to happen and both sides were determined to make a memorable party out of, which I’m sure everyone went home happy that they’d done NYC and the album proud.
Soft Cell ended the last NYC performance with the knowledge and a promise
‘Memorabilia’…
“Everywhere I go I take a little piece of you”
Review and Photos by Tanya Ahmed
