Iconic 80s hits still hit right note says Spandau Ballet frontman as he prepares to play them with orchestra

HE travelled the world with Spandau Ballet after scores of chart-topping hits and albums.

Tony Hadley had all the highs with the ‘new romantic’ band but also all the lows when the group dramatically split and faced a court battle over royalties.

So you might think the 54-year-old would miss the camaraderie of being part of a five-piece.

But going alone as a solo artist, Tony told Weekend he feels the same bond with his own band.

“Spandau was brilliant fun, we had such a laugh together,” he said.

“It’s a shame it all ended so acrimoniously but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

“Then again, 20 years later we got back together and during that period we had a great reunion tour.

“But during my period as a solo artist I’ve had the backing band around me for longer than I was ever in Spandau Ballet.

“We’ve been together for a long, long time now and we write togther so I’ve never felt like I’ve been on my own.”

Tony is now warming up his vocal chords to play Spandau Ballet’s hits with a full orchestra.

With a 40-piece orchestra and 10-piece band at The Lowry in Salford Quays on October 12 it promises to be quite a spectacle.

“I’ve always loved the spirit of an orchestra,” added Tony, who went to Austin, Texas, for the premiere of the Spandau Ballet movie, Soul Boys of the Western World, in March.

“I’ve worked with orchestras in Europe and South America with Alice Cooper, James Brown, Joe Cocker and other different artists.

“It’s a bit of a challenge. We did three shows last year just to test the water and see what the reaction was going to be. But it was fantastic and they sold out.

“It sounds beautiful to be honest and as a singer it was so successful I thought let’s do a proper tour.”

Spandau Ballet’s hits like Gold and international number one, True, are still played on radio stations and belted out at clubs around the world.

“These songs are part of people’s pasts,” said Tony.

“They’re also part of my life as much as they’re a part of the audience’s lives. You get letters from people who tell you they got married to True or Gold or how it got them through a tough time.

“As an artist you don’t tend to realise until you meet these people how significant the songs are.”

And while most of Spandau Ballet’s back catalogue is firmly in the 80s category, their iconic status has helped bring some of the tunes back up to date with sampling.

True was famously sampled by PM Dawn in 1991 and featured on Paul Anka’s Rock Swings in 2005.

“I think True has been sampled mostly by American rap artists,” added Tony, who has released seven Spandau Ballet albums and four solo records.

“And I think good because it hopefully brings the song to a whole new audience.”

But Tony reckons the worst Spandau Ballet cover was a Spanish version of Gold that he heard while on holiday.

“It was hilarious,” said the dad-of-five. “It just didn’t sound quite right. Some songs don’t translate into other languages. I was sat in the car laughing my head off.”

Tony’s plans follow a big year in 2012 when he performed in front of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and at Team GB House for both Olympic and Paralympic athletes on the closing ceremony nights.

During that time, Gold became the unofficial athletes’ song and 2012 also saw him play in Japan, the first since his Spandau Ballet days.

Tony added: “To get a private invitation to Team GB House was quite something. I was there twice to meet all the Olympians and Paralympians in the private lounge.

“It was special to have British champions and athletes there and they were really lovely. It was a real honour.”

Tony formed Spandau Ballet with his school mates when he was 16, inspired by the likes of Queen, David Bowie and Roxy Music.

Before that he entered music competitions as a teen solo artist and won the occasional weekends away for his family in the process.

But earlier still he was considering a career in medicine.

Tony said: “The turning point was not being good enough at maths so I didn’t think I’d be able to measure the medicines properly!

“My maths was terrible and still is to this day. Luckily I discovered music and the rest is history really.

“There are a lot of people breathing a sigh of relief. Trust me.”

* Tony Hadley plays the hits of Spandau Ballet with a full orchestra at The Lowry on October 12. Visit gigsandtours.com or call 0844 811 0051

*The singer will also perform at Rewind North at Capesthorne Hall on August 31. Visit rewindfestival.com/north

DAVID MORGAN