British Icon Marc Almond to play Huddersfield this November

Legendary singer and British icon Marc Almond is coming to Huddersfield Town Hall to perform his 'Best Bits, Hits and A Sides' on Monday November 29 at 8pm.

Marc is touring to celebrate 30 years in the music industry, showcasing the best of his three decades. A must see concert for every fan the tour coincides with the release of his Best Of Album. Marc will be supported by Little Annie accompanied by Baby Dee.

From Soft Cell, the first successful British electro-duo in partnership with Dave Ball, with a string of international hits ('Bedsitter', 'Numbers', 'Torch' ,'Say Hello Wave Goodbye' and, biggest of all, their version of northern soul classic 'Tainted Love', while 'Memorabilia' is cited as the first techno record ever). 10 million-plus worldwide record sales later, Soft Cell are a British icon, influencing several subsequent generations of musicians - from Pulp, The Pet Shop Boys and Suede, to Goldfrapp and onto Antony Hegarty of Antony and The Johnsons fame.

Marc’s solo career has equally glittered; from Vermin In Ermine and The Stars We Are, which spawned the UK number one (and international hit) Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart, a duet with the late Gene Pitney.

From the Trevor Horn-produced Tenement Symphony, which included another cover smash, The Days Of Pearly Spencer, to his tribute album Jacques to Jacques Brel (Marc brought the 60s Belgian icon back into the charts with Jacky). From a twin album of French songs to Heart On Snow, a three-year labour of love recorded in St. Petersburg and Moscow and featuring a cross section of Russian singing stars and musicians.

From duets with Siouxsie Sioux and former Sneaker Pimp Kelly Dayton to a big band version of ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ for Jools Holland’s Big Band, Small World album. From his poem/lyric anthology A Beautiful Twisted Night to a limited edition spoken word CD/book The End Of New York. From his first autobiography, 1999’s Tainted Life to his second, 2004’s In Search Of The Pleasure Palace. Not to forget Soft Cell’s reunion in 2001 for concerts and the Cruelty Without Beauty album, or Marc’s burgeoning DJ career, in his role as godfather of Electroclash.

‘I suppose I am a survivor since I am still here recording an album,’ says Marc Almond. Marc hasn’t only survived that near-fatal motorbike crash on 17 October 2004, that put him in a coma for two weeks, included emergency surgery and a protracted, agonising but triumphant recovery from critical injuries; he’s survived the vagaries of fashion and trends, solo voyages and band reunions, creative highs and writers-block lows, acceptance and rejection, love affairs, the death of loved ones and collaborators, the passing of time. He has lived, alright. Like a cat, Marc appears to have more than one life’

Marc's new album Stardom Road was recorded since his accident and is an album of covers, with one exception, that he has chosen and sequenced to tell his story. Stardom Road resembles not just an album but a play, which clearly suits a man who comes alive on stage, whose songs have always resembled dramas, whether they are underpinned by fizzy synth-pop, 60s-inspired pop kitsch-arama, bare-naked acoustic ballads or orchestrated splendour. All of these, as you can imagine, can be found here too, spanning the divide between the Jim Reeves of Bedsit to the Judy Garland of the Garbage Heap.

Tickets are priced at £22.50 with no concessions and are available from Kirklees Booking Offices, tel: 01484 223200 or online at http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/townhalls.