{"id":198122,"date":"2026-06-16T16:56:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T22:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/?p=198122"},"modified":"2026-06-16T17:25:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T23:25:31","slug":"the-human-league-alison-moyet-soft-cell-red-butte-garden-amphitheatre-06-11-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slugmag.com\/music\/concert\/show-reviews\/the-human-league-alison-moyet-soft-cell-red-butte-garden-amphitheatre-06-11-26\/","title":{"rendered":"The Human League, Alison Moyet, Soft Cell @ Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre 06.11.26"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the early 1990s, I remember buying <\/span>Memorabilia \u2013 The Singles<\/span><\/i>, a compilation of <\/span>Marc Almond<\/b><\/a> solo tracks and recordings he released with <\/span>Dave Ball<\/b> as Soft Cell, at <\/span>Pegasus Music<\/span><\/i>. It felt like a quiet act of rebellion. Almond was openly gay in an era where such things weren\u2019t mentioned among decent society. As the son of a gay man, I had picked up on the messaging in Almond\u2019s \u201cTears Run Rings\u201d and felt a connection with the hypocrisy and frustration contained in the song\u2019s lyrics. I was, of course, also a fan of Soft Cell\u2019s version of \u201cTainted Love.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Buying the CD didn\u2019t start a revolution. It was, however, one of many steps I would take in the coming years to turn my back on the rampant homophobia that surrounded me and embrace the love that I felt for my father.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My love for Almond\u2019s music didn\u2019t come fully into bloom until a handful of years later when I saw him perform in the summer of 1995, while studying contemporary British theater in London. By the time I returned to America, I had a nearly complete collection of Almond\u2019s recordings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Had you told me then that three decades later, I would be seeing Soft Cell perform 20 minutes from my home, I wouldn\u2019t have believed you. When I missed seeing Soft Cell during their reunion in the early 2000s, I thought my chance had come and gone. I know Almond and Ball would have agreed with me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fate, often cruel, has been kind to me. Thursday\u2019s appearance at the <\/span>Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre<\/span><\/i> marked the fifth time I would see Soft Cell (add in Almond solo shows, and that number is more than doubled). Ball\u2019s passing last year is more than a footnote; health issues had kept him from touring America in both 2022 and 2025, but those of us who were lucky enough to see the band at full strength know that his presence is sorely missed. <\/span>Philip Larsen<\/b><\/a>, who co-produced Soft Cell\u2019s 2022 album <\/span>*Happiness Not Included<\/span><\/i>, is once again positioned behind the keyboards. Nonetheless, any opportunity to see Almond perform is a rapturous experience. Even if it comes early evening in an outdoor venue where songs intended to be listened to after midnight in seedy clubs or lonely bedsits are performed in broad daylight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Marc
The set is primarily singles released on and around Soft Cell\u2019s debut album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. Photo: Angela H. Brown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The set is primarily singles released on and around Soft Cell\u2019s debut album, <\/span>Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, <\/span><\/i>including \u201cMemorabilia,\u201d \u201cBedsitter,\u201d \u201cA Man Could Get Lost,\u201d \u201cTorch,\u201d \u201cSay Hello, Wave Goodbye\u201d and \u201cTainted Love \/ Where Did Our Love Go.\u201d \u201cNostalgia Machine,\u201d \u201cLoving You, Hating Me\u201d and \u201cSoul Inside\u201d rounded out the set.<\/span><\/p>\n

Almond\u2019s voice is as good as it ever was, and while I might push the set list toward lesser-known classics and newer songs, this performance is tailored for those seeing the band for the first time. Watching a particular <\/span>SLUG<\/span><\/i> staffer snap photos, dance and sing her way through the set was an incredibly joyous experience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The audience had to warm up to the performance. By the end of the set, Almond had won over the audience. He could have added another ten songs, and no one would have complained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Almond has suggested that Soft Cell will be returning to America in the fall. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend seeing them in a neon-lit environment. Their <\/span>London Hammersmith Apollo<\/span><\/i> show from 2021 is one of my favorite concerts of all time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite owning all her albums, I had never seen Alison Moyet<\/a> in concert before. I should have attended the <\/span>Yazoo<\/b><\/a> reunion tour in Reno or Las Vegas; we all have regrets we are forced to live with. Having listened to live recordings, I knew that Moyet was going to give a great performance. I didn\u2019t expect the stage presence that came along with her incredible vocal talent. Moyet is fantastic live.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her set list included numerous Yazoo hits and album cuts, including \u201cNobody\u2019s Diary,\u201d \u201cMidnight,\u201d \u201cOnly You,\u201d \u201cWinter Kills,\u201d \u201cSituation\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t Go.\u201d Tracks from her solo releases include classics \u201cFootsteps,\u201d \u201cLove Resurrection,\u201d \u201cIt Won\u2019t Be Long\u201d and the more recent \u201cChangeling.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From the very first note, the crowd was completely invested. Considering <\/span>Erasure<\/b><\/a>\u2019s popularity in Utah, the only person surprised by the response might have been Moyet. Again, no one would have complained if Moyet played a full set that touched on her solo triumphs. If my economics were different, I\u2019d be booking a flight to catch one of her European dates later this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The
If you\u2019re a fan of synthpop, there are certain bands that should be on your bucket list, and that absolutely includes The Human League. Photo: Angela H. Brown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u2019re a fan of synthpop, there are certain bands that should be on your bucket list, and that absolutely includes The Human League<\/a>. So, I saw The Human League with my sister in Las Vegas at the House of Blues in 2018. I genuinely didn\u2019t expect the opportunity to see them again and was happy to be proved wrong.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Featuring the core trio of founding member <\/span>Philip Oakey<\/b> and long-time vocalists <\/span>Joanne Catherall<\/b> and <\/span>Susan Ann Sulley<\/b>, The Human League took to the stage with the trio of <\/span>Rob Barton<\/b>, <\/span>Ben Smith<\/b> and <\/span>Nick Banks<\/b> handling keyboards, guitar, bass and drums. The set leaned heavily into the <\/span>Dare<\/span><\/i> album with \u201cSeconds,\u201d \u201cThe Things That Dreams Are Made Of,\u201d \u201cLove Action (I Believe in Love),\u201d \u201cThe Sound of the Crowd\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t You Want Me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The rest of their catalogue was represented with \u201c(Keep Feeling) Fascination,\u201d \u201cMirror Man,\u201d \u201cThe Lebanon,\u201d \u201cTell Me When,\u201d \u201cOne Man in My Heart,\u201d \u201cHuman\u201d and the lesser-known single \u201cLouise.\u201d\u00a0 The encore included \u201cBeing Boiled\u201d and Oakey\u2019s collaboration with <\/span>Giorgio Moroder<\/b><\/a>, \u201cTogether in Electric Dreams.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A chatty Oakey delighted the crowd with frequent costume changes. Sulley commented that this was the first time in her career that she played a venue where flowers were placed where the mosh pit traditionally would be. My only complaint is that \u201cHeart Like a Wheel\u201d wasn\u2019t included.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No disrespect to <\/span>Howard Jones<\/a>, Modern English<\/a><\/b>, <\/span>A Flock of Seagulls<\/b><\/a> or <\/span>Thomas Dolby<\/b><\/a>, but of the numerous 1980s shows coming through Salt Lake City this summer, I\u2019m confident that this was by far the best of the lot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photos by Angela H. Brown | @therealangela<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n