THE HUMAN LEAGUE / SOFT CELL / ALISON MOYET – THE WANG
By Rick Fleck
It was my first time back to Boston’s historic Wang Theater since I reviewed Kraftwerk in March 2025. I’m always excited to attend shows there as it’s an incredibly beautiful venue and the sound is amazing. This time it was for The Generations Tour 2026 featuring The Human League, Soft Cell, and Alison Moyet. It appears a theme is developing with 1970s and ’80s-era electronic bands, and I’m totally fine with that.
The Human League was the featured performer of the night and had the longest set, coming in at a full hour. The band consists of all three original vocalists: Philip Oakey, Joanne Catherall, and Susan Ann Sulley. The lineup was rounded out by Rob Barton (electronic percussion), Ben Smith (keyboards, backing vocals, keytar), Nick Banks (guitar, keyboards, keytar), and David Beevers (live engineer/programmer, sequencing & electronics operator).
Smith took the stage first and was soon joined by Banks, both wielding white keytars. The oft-mocked instrument isn’t used by The Human League ironically or for comedic value, but instead plays a significant and effective role in the band’s sound and performance, allowing the two to freely roam the stage.
Photos Rick Fleck
The Human League began with a powerful trio of songs: from their genre-defining 1981 album Dare, “The Sound of the Crowd,” the iconic “Mirror Man,” and, also from Dare, “The Things That Dreams Are Made Of.” It was a triumvirate of songs that propelled the crowd to a heightened level of excitement and set the stage for what was to come.
The song “Louise” slowed things down a bit, in a good way, and featured Oakey’s beautiful, rich voice. This was further evidenced on “The Lebanon,” where his voice sounded age-defying. “Human” featured arresting harmonies from Oakey, Catherall, and Sulley.
My favorite song of the night was “Love Action (I Believe in Love).” It just has such a timeless and unforgettable hook, and hearing it live was a real treat. Oakey introduced “(Keep Feeling) Fascination” as a “sing-a-long song that doesn’t mean anything at all. I wrote the lyrics. It’s nonsense,” which got a good laugh from the audience.
“Don’t You Want Me” featured an extended instrumental introduction and another audience sing-a-long. Oakey changed from a futuristic all-black outfit to an all-white outfit for the song, another example of his great sense of showmanship.
The Human League ended the night with “(Together in) Electric Dreams” — from the 1985 Oakey solo album Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder — an interesting yet effective choice with a sentimental message.
The set featured an incredible light show, top-level production values, and captivating visuals on the big screen. The sound was immaculate, and Oakey commanded the stage like the seasoned rock star that he is.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, I missed a portion of the middle of Soft Cell’s set. Soft Cell featured founding member Marc Almond on lead vocals and longtime member Philip Larsen on keyboards, synthesizers, and musical direction. Backing vocalists Louise Marshall and Bryan Chambers, for me, stole the show.
Photos Rick Fleck
The set opened with a medley of “Memorabilia / Danceteria” before segueing into “Nostalgia Machine,” both crowd favorites. I heard, but didn’t see, “A Man Could Get Lost,” “Loving You, Hating Me,” and “Torch.” The Was (Not Was) cover “Out Come the Freaks” found me back in my seat and was a standout. Of course, the show came to a close with a medley of “Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go,” Gloria Jones and The Supremes covers, respectively.
Almond cuts an interesting figure. He performed the whole show in black shoes, black pants, black sunglasses, and a black zipped-up trench coat. He looked like a cross between musician Paul Shaffer and character actor Peter Lorre. His vocals were just OK, and he often let Marshall and Chambers take the lead. He seemed a bit lost on the big Wang Theater stage, which featured a sleek, minimalistic design and was mostly free of the usual clutter of equipment, wires, and people that comes with a live show. Soft Cell definitely had its fans in the crowd, and they appeared to be really enjoying the show.
The night opened with singer-songwriter Alison Moyet. Initially known for her work in the synth-pop duo Yazoo (aka Yaz), she has enjoyed a long and successful solo career. Joining her on stage were Sean McGhee (keyboards, programming, musical direction, backing vocals), Brendan Cox (guitar), and Paul Jones (keyboards).
Her 10-song set included six Yazoo songs, including “Nobody’s Diary,” which she wrote at just 16 years old, the dance-floor hit “Situation,” and the crowd-favorite encore “Don’t Go.” Hearing these songs reminds you what a strong influence Yazoo had on the formation of the synth-pop subgenre.
Photos Rick Fleck
From her outstanding solo career, “It Won’t Be Long,” a new wave-style song, and “Love Resurrection” were standouts. Moyet looked great, dressed simply in austere black, and her voice was as captivating as ever. It has aged somewhat, but that only served to lend more gravitas to her singing. She entertained the audience with languid movements, expressive faces, and generally added a layer of theatricality to her set. The performance was both endearing and entertaining.
Things never go the way you plan them. But, in the end, it was a great night out watching three bands transport a theater full of people back to a magical time and sound. It’s more than a nostalgia tour, however. There are contemporary elements in all three performances. The bands’ backing musicians and singers include younger performers who are exceptionally talented at their craft. This is vital music that any generation can appreciate.
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