Looking back over the last year, there seems to be a renaissance of sorts with the amount of UK-based 1980s “new wave” acts that went out on tour. From Billy Idol to Simple Minds to Duran Duran to The Fixx, fans of the first five years of MTV are more than happy to catch these artists live while they still can.
In fact, you can add another act to the mix within that pantheon of artists just mentioned, Soft Cell. Hot off the heels of their 2025 spring/summer tour with the aforementioned Simple Minds and Modern English, they’re heading out once again this summer for a 21-date tour that commences June 2 in San Diego…with none other than The Human League and Alison Moyet.
Yes good readers, the aptly-named Generations tour is definitely heading to the Valley as well— to the gorgeous Mesa Amphitheatre on Sat. June 13. Ticket information can be found below.
In a recent e-mail chat with Soft Cell vocalist Marc Almond, I asked him first to recap touring with Simple Minds and Modern English last year. At the Phoenix show in May 2025, they held their own, and likely won over some new fans in the process.
“Looking back on the 2025 tour, it was a great experience”, Almond stated. “First, getting to visit a lot of cities I’d never been to before, driving across America from place to place, and seeing how warm and welcoming everybody we met was to us. The audiences were a revelation, and we got a great reception.”
He added. “There were more Soft Cell fans than I imagined, and they sang along to the songs. I was really taken aback and touched by their enthusiasm. I’m thrilled to be (touring) this year with The Human League, who really inspired Soft Cell in the early years. And with Alison Moyet, it makes for a great triple bill.”
For the summer 2026 tour, there will likely be a new Soft Cell song or two played live, in particular the latest single, Danceteria. It straddles the fence between classic and contemporary– sonically speaking anyway– yet it’s still Soft Cell at its artistic core.
“Yes, Danceteria is the first single from the new album of the same name”, Almond said. “The album references the New York dance club of the early 80s, and our early experiences of coming to the USA to record our first three albums. Soft Cell has always liked to mix retro with contemporary references.”
At press time, the new album that he spoke of is tentatively scheduled to be released by the end of 2026. Almond elaborated a bit on the making of it, and its current status.
“We recorded and finished the album last year; we’d been slowly working on it for a year before. We (Note: referring to co-member Dave Ball) both heard the final album mix late last year. Sadly, Dave, the synth and keyboard player who wrote, played and produced the music– the other half of Soft Cell— passed away two days after we heard the finished album.”
Almond continued. “Dave had been very ill for a long while. We’ve had a second keyboard player and co-producer for a while now who worked with Dave, Philip Larsen. He did the last tour and will do this one as well. Dave pre-programmed much of our sound, and Philip adds live to it.”
It’s impossible to chat with someone like Almond and not ask him about a few recollections of the time when MTV and new wave ruled the network –and arguably pop radio as well– pretty much non-stop between 1981 and 1985. What memories stood out to him?
“Most of my favorite 80s music comes from the early part of the decade”, he stated. “It was a colorful, innovative and diverse time for pop music– introducing many new sounds and bands that are still loved by an older generation. And also, that have been discovered by a new generation as well”.
For those of you wondering what Almond thought about music that came a little later in that decade, he had something to say about that too.
“I’m not as fond of the latter part of the 80s, as I think the music became a bit safe and corporate later on”, he opined candidly.
With the Simple Minds tour now in the books, and the upcoming Generations tour kicking off soon, I asked if there are any other artists on his bucket list, if you will, that Almond would like to tour with in the not-too-distant future.
He noted. “I don’t really have a “bucket list” as such, and I’m up for touring with a great lineup of bands– whether older or newer. We’re hoping to do our own stand-alone tour at some point, so this summer tour will give fans a taste of that.”
Almond concluded. “I’m looking forward to playing the venue (in Mesa.) I certainly enjoy touring America, and I’ll be eager to return next year if possible.”
IF YOU GO:
WHAT: The Human League w/ special guests Soft Cell and Alison Moyet.
WHEN: Sat. June 13, 2026.
WHERE: Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St. Doors: 5:00 p.m. Showtime: 6:30 p.m.
TICKETS: Between $92-$177. ALL tickets are general admission, available at mesaamp.com.
