In the late 1990s whilst most of my contemporaries were kissing Take That posters, I had an devoted adoration for a Soft Cell CD I’d found lurking on my parents’ shelves.

Non-Stop Electric Cabaret, the album with which Soft Cell found success, was released in 1981 and is still a masterpiece of swooping synths and infectiously catchy basslines, as well as the glorious setting for Almond’s imploring, sultry vocals.

In the past 35 years Almond has been busy recording, releasing and collaborating, but it would be fair to say that many of the Dome audience were waiting for the early hits.

Acerbic as ever, he knew it, inviting the crowd to go to the toilet before playing tracks from his new album The Velvet Trail.

He suffered from hayfever during the performance and took a few breaks to sit down on an office chair, but you would never have known: his voice was as good as ever.

His new songs were as catchy and well-written as his early work, but as Bedsitter, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, and Tainted Love echoed into the hall, they resonated with an audience who have loved them for decades.

Four stars