Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

Absolutely fucking gutted here today, was waiting for Amelia to finish college and found out via X that Dave Ball had died at the tragically young age of 66, so I spent a fair bit of the afternoon sitting on the steps of GoMA listening to Soft Cell on my headphones whilst trying to process the news.

And yes, I'll admit there were tears. 

You see, as folk who know me (and who've read this blog) will attest, Soft Cell are my favourite band - and Marc Almond is my hero.

But that's for another day.

I've already posted about the importance of Marc and Dave way back in 2022 but wanted not just to repost it but add a little more Dave to the mix.

A kinda text remix if you will.

I hope he'd approve. 

 

Being the awkward Autistic artsy teen constantly picked on in school, obsessed with horror films, sci-fi and Warhol, Marc and Dave were a lifeline and Soft Cell's dark electropop perfectly encapsulated everything I felt...and everything that terrified me too....

They also seemed to like the same things as I did (a song about a George A Romero movie? result!) - it was Marc and Dave introduced me to Truman Capote, Scott Walker, neon lighting and electronica among many other things and in one way or another have sound tracked the best (and worst) parts of my life.

When the band finally split in 1984 I continued to obsess over Marc (in that way only a creepy stalker or Autistic teen can) and his output - my art school days (and nights) were scored by Mother Fist and Vermine in Ermine....I journeyed out into the big bad world to The Stars We Are....you get the idea.

But that's not to say I'd forgotten Dave.

His solo output was nothing if not eclectic and whereas Marc went the bittersweet torch song route Dave was showing his playful - and sometimes dark side first with his debut solo album In Strict Tempo (featuring the fabulous Rednecks and the Warhol diary inspired, funky faux-film soundtrack genius of American Stories).

 

From there Dave formed a new band, Other People with his then-wife (and ex-Mambas member) Gini Hewes and Band of The Holy Joy's Andy Astle,releasing one single, the Stelvio Cipriani inspired (well I think so) Have a Nice Day before forming another (short lived) band, the amusingly monikered English Boy on the Loveranch, who released two camp as Christmas hi-NRG classics, The Man in Your Life and  the slightly saucy Sex Vigilante both of which feature that sly, almost Carry On-esque humour that continues well into his work with The Grid, a band he formed (and had huge chart success with) with Richard Norris, who he met whilst working with agi-art pop terrorists Psychic TV.

 

 

 

And this is why I get annoyed when people say that Dave and Marc are only known for Tainted Love.

 

The cult of Soft Cell (and the friendship 'tween Marc and Dave) never waned tho' and in 2001 the dynamic duo of dark disco reunited for a tour and a brand spanking new album Cruelty Without Beauty. 

 

They continued to work together (as well as concentrating on their solo projects which in Dave's case included his band Nitewreckage (with releases including Solarcoaster) and a collaboration with classical pianist Jon Savage on the experimental electronic album called Photosynthesis.

 

In 2018 tho', Soft Cell decided to call it a day and reteamed for a final live show, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the band. 

 

But all good things don't need to come to an end and in 2022 they unleashed a new album - Happiness Not Included - on an unsuspecting public.

 

But not only that, the album was to feature on  Tim Burgess' fantastic online listening party which had helped entertain everyone during lockdown.

 

Remember that whole pandemic?

 

Routines and schedules shot to fuck by Covid....everyone fighting over pasta and toilet rolls showing the best - and worst - of people in one huge raging mess.

 

Yes I tried my best to put new routines in order for my Autistic podlings to make it bearable for them but totally forgot to do it for myself.

To be honest it was a wee bit tricky.

And a year on from it in 2022, everything had changed - We'd started lockdown with 15 year old twins and ended up with 18 year olds looking forward to college whilst Cassidy had started talking over lockdown, randomly and out of the blue.

Madness!

Everything is (or was) awesome (as the great song goes) but I found myself living in a world that made no sense.

It was like I'd woken up in a place where everything was different and they'd forgotten to give me a handbook.

Imagine waking up in the (other) ending of Army of Darkness but with less beards and without a rousing Joseph LoDuca theme but like everyone else I did my best.

Anyway enough scene setting, let's jump forward to 10th May, the listening party (as mentioned) is featuring the new album...I have it but I've decided to hold off listening (it's still sealed) until that day....my first time will be with Dave and Marc listening too....

 

 

 

The result? 

I said at the time I usually tweet quite eloquently during the listening parties but that night I was just tearfully and joyfully losing myself in my favourite band and feeling 15 again.

But more that that (and this may sound really silly) the fact that there was a new Soft Cell album that sounded just so perfectly right appearing just when it turned out I needed it seemed to kick start my brain.

Especially this song:

 

 

 

 

 

 

It started playing and I just cried tears of pure joy and relief.

Dave and Marc just got it.

From that moment I knew I could survive this strange new world because Marc Almond and Dave Ball were there to score it for me.

So - and not for the first time - Soft Cell came to my rescue as they always did.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I genuinely wouldn't be here if it weren't for Soft Cell, seriously Dave and Marc saved my life during my awkward Autistic teens and as I mentioned earlier, have been there for me ever since.

 

And now the world, well mine at least, is a little less friendly and a whole lot darker.

 

That gaudy neon coloured light hanging outside the Pink Flamingo bar has gone out for good.

 

But it's left and enticingly warm afterglow.... 

 

 

 

 

And the moral of this story?

Music is great? 

Autistic folk over analyze stuff? 

I need to get out more? 

I've no fucking idea so I'll finish up by just say thank you Marc and thank you Dave.

For everything. 

 

Dave Ball

3 May 1959 - 22 October 2025

"My candle burns at both ends
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -
It gives a lovely light."