Internationally acclaimed and successful artist; Marc Almond has announced an extensive winter UK tour including a show London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire. Marc Almond has sold over 30 million records worldwide and is an icon and influence to a generation of musicians. This year marks 30 years of Marc Almond’s career as a recording artist.
Marc Almond along with David Ball, formed the internationally successful 'electro duo' Soft Cell in 1979. They went on to record four albums; 3 in New York including the iconic seminal Non Stop Erotic Cabaret, and had a number of top ten hits including the international classic Tainted Love. Tainted Love broke all records as the track that remained the longest in the U.S billboard top 100 and received a Brit award for best single of that year. Soft Cell's arrangement of the track has been covered many times by artists as diverse as Marilyn Manson and The Pussy Cat Dolls. Soft Cell parted amicably in 1984 to pursue solo projects and in 2000 Marc worked briefly again with David Ball on a Soft Cell tour and an album, Cruelty without Beauty.
Marc had already branched out with Marc and the Mambas, a loose collective of musicians, and recorded the innovative influential double album Torment and Toreros. A diverse and acclaimed successful solo career followed with over a dozen albums including Vermin in Ermine, Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters, Enchanted, Open All Night and Stranger Things, and a number of solo chart hits including Tears Run Rings, Stories of Johnny, A Lover Spurned, Adored and Explored, Jacky, The Days of Pearly Spencer and Child Star.
Marc has worked with a number of acclaimed producers including Mike Hedges, Trevor Horn and Marius DeVries as well as more experimental producers such as Iceland’s Johann Johannsson. Marc also has enjoyed diverse collaborations during his career including Nick Cave, Siouxsie, Jools Holland, Bronski Beat, Antony and the Johnsons, Baby Dee, Ferry Corsten, 60's icons Gene Pitney and P.J Proby who he produced an album for in 1998 entitled Legend.
In 2000 Marc went to live in Moscow and was invited to record a project of music that has become dear to Marc's heart, Russian Folk and Gypsy Romance. Produced by Russian Musical prodigy Andrei Samsonov, Heart On Snow features collaborations with some of Russia’s biggest musical legends and stars. 2009, sees the release of another set of Russian Gypsy Romance songs, a collaboration with Russian producer, arranger Alexei Fedorov.
In 2010 Marc will be recording a brand new mainstream album, Variete, set for release on 7 June 2010. Variete is his first complete album of self-written songs since Open All Night over a decade ago. The album will feature 16 songs in total.
2010 is a milestone celebration year for Marc, his thirty years in music with special releases and a full British tour at the end of the year. In addition, Marc is currently working on a theatrical project in April which will workshop later that month with a view to a global tour in 2011.
To see Marc Almond live:
November
11 Southend Pavilion – 01702 351 135 – link
12 Basingstoke The Anvil – 01256 844 244 – link
13 Bexhill de la Warr – 01424 229 111 – link
15 Cardiff St David’s Hall – 029 2087 8444 – link
19 Liverpool Philharmonic Hall – 0151 709 3789 – link
20 Manchester (Lowry) – 0843 208 6000 – link
22 Leeds Grand – 0844 848 2706 – link*
23 Edinburgh HMV Picture House – 0844 847 1740 – link
24 Glasgow, O2 ABC – 0844 477 2000 – link
25 Newcastle Sage – 0191 443 4661 – link
28 Birmingham Alexandra Theatre – 0844 847 2302 – link*
29 Huddersfield Town Hall – 01484 223 200 – link
30 Isle of Man Villa Marina – 01624 600 555 – link
December
2 London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – 0844 477 2000 – link*
5 Leamington Spa The Assembly – 0192 652 3001 – link
*Tickets are £24.50 regional / £25 London and go on general sale Friday 4th June @ 9am