Gig review: Marc Almond; Glasgow ABC

PERHAPS “understated” isn’t the first word which comes to mind when describing the public persona of former Soft Cell frontman and latterly reinvented torch singer Marc Almond, but this show was a masterful display of precision and control.

The only disappointment was that his professional, if workmanlike band, didn’t quite live up to the baroque flourishes of Almond’s vocal or delivery. Having won a Fringe First in 2010 for Ten Plagues at the Traverse and appeared last year in Théâtre du Châtelet’s Poppea, it becomes easier to look upon Almond as more of an actor than a musical performer, or at least someone whose relationship with his songs is about inhabitation rather than straight recreation. Not much of this lengthy show was about mainstream material, but there was engaging richness in Almond’s performance.

“I need to be found, for I’m a stray too,” he implored during Waifs & Strays, and his red scarf-cum-cravat was whipped off with an order to “give me some funky bass” towards the end of Mother Fist, the delivery of which belied his statement that he’s “going for an operation” in a few weeks, pointing to his leg. There was a mid-set vocal tribute to Jacques Brel and even a couple of hits nearer the end of a show which was thoroughly crowd-pleasing.

Rating: * * * *