Soft Cell frontman Marc Almond has said the synth-pop duo’s final show later this year will be “exciting, special and emotional” as he collected an OBE.

The Say Hello, Wave Goodbye singer, 60, told the Press Association the outfit’s last concert, at London’s O2 Arena in September, will be a fitting tribute to his 40-year music career.

He said: “We’re having one last show to celebrate. One night only. One show. Very exciting, special and emotional.

“Forty years. It scares me to say that actually when I think about it. Where has the time gone?”

The 80s star said he cheekily reminded the Duke of Cambridge the royal would likely have danced to his most popular tracks as he received the award at Buckingham Palace on Friday.

He said: “I told His Royal Highness he has probably heard one of my tracks, Tainted Love, and he will have danced to it at some point!”

ISoft Cell frontman Marc Almond is made an OBE (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
Soft Cell frontman Marc Almond is made an OBE (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Almond described the honour, for services to arts and culture, as “one of the greatest moments” of his life.

The musician, who forms one half of the electric duo along with David Ball, praised Princes Harry and William for their campaigning on mental health issues.

The singer spent a month in a coma after a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2004.

He later became a patron of brain trauma charity Headway.

The accident triggered the return of his childhood stammer and he was forced to learn to sing again before returning to the world of music.

He said: “We talked about Headway and Headspace which the princes are very involved with and he (William) asked me about it and I told him the work he was doing was fantastic.

“They have brought the stigma around head trauma to the forefront and it’s become less of a taboo subject, I think, and people are talking about it much more which is really important.”