Far more than just a regular on the 80s replay circuit, Tony Hadley, ex-frontman of one of the worlds most iconic 80’s pop bands, Spandau Ballet, is a force to be reckoned with, with a magnificent back catalogue and a voice to match. And the Tony Hadley 40th Anniversary Show is a brilliant recollection, not only of his back catalogue, but also of the many influences that have shaped his career, style and musical life.
Melbourne’s Palais Theatre is the perfect setting for this musical journey back in time. A historic former picture palace built in 1927, The Palais echoes glamour, class and opulence, but with an edge. Bands like Blondie, The Pretenders, and The Stones have all graced the Palais stage. And you can almost imagine the early Spands taking to this theatre circa 1980, highheld guitars, kilts, eyeliner and angst, belting out To Cut A Long Story Short to the new romantic Melbournians in the audience, eager to embrace the leaders of their new identity. It’s that kind of a vibe. Tony Hadley is definitely in the right place. The vibe is perfect and the stage is set. Let’s get to it.
Tonight’s audience are mostly in their 40’s and 50’s, but the meet and greet line plays a strange magic, like a timewarp, taking fans back to their teenage days. Once again they are the excited kids from Spandau’s glory 80’s days, and Tony is genuinely pleased to meet each of them. His humble nature is a key feature of his onstage style – there’s absolutely nothing pretentious or ostentatious about him. And the fans love him. They love him just as much now as they did back then. It may be 40 years on but nothing has changed.
1982. Spandau Ballet’s evocative, innovate ‘Instinction’ lands amongst middle of the road hits like Bertie Higgins ‘Key Largo’ and Survivors ‘Eye of the Tiger’. The band make a palpable impact. The influence of Spandau Ballet across the year preceding 1982 has been groundbreaking, and a new generation has claimed the band as their own. By 1985 their fanbase will have carried the Spands to superstardom. Spandau Ballet will sell a total of 25 million albums worldwide during the 80’s, with 23 hit singles. They have earned their place in the elchons of music history. And tonight those songs, are back.
“This might not last too long
Spandau Ballet ‘Instinction’
So always take it
This might not last too long
So take it…”
Tonight, Tony opens the show with ‘Instinction’ and immediately, the room responds. His vocals, magnificent as ever, remind us how he broke through the mundane, grey early 80’s, and helped change the musical landscape forever – giving courage, identity, vision and style to a newly born teenage generation, who were looking for something different. And as the song begins, you can feel the audience collectively embracing the joy of their youth. ‘Instinction’ is immediately followed by ‘Highly Strung’ from the 1985 hit album ‘Parade’, and to his credit Tony includes a plethora of Spandau’s greatest 80’s hits throughout the night – everything from ‘Only When You Leave’, ‘Round and Round’, ‘Communication’, and ‘Lifeline’, to their first big hit ‘To Cut a Long Story Short’, and more. It’s why the audience are there and Tony’s happy to give them what they want.
But this is more than a greatest hits show. Tony takes time for a number of short interludes between different brackets of songs to tell the story of his musical journey over the last 40 years. Following ‘Highly Strung’ he introduces his next number with, “This was the first song Spandau ever played live”. And I’m expecting a Bowie cover, or T-Rex, or perhaps a little bit of Roxy Music. But no, it’s the opening chords of ‘Oh Carol’ that fill the theatre. Wow! And we’re not talking Neil Sedaka here, but the real deal. Mr Chuck Berry. I’m both shocked and delighted. Now that’s a beginning! Who knew?
Amongst the hits and the gems, Tony Hadley also highlights some of his solo journey. From the guitar laden west coast vibe of ‘Lost in your Love’ (from his 1992 State of Play album), to the more recent ‘Tonight Belongs to Us’ (from 2018’s Talking to the Moon), Tony has consistently recorded quality material and the audience embrace it. Even though these songs weren’t in the same hit category of Spandau Ballet, you can tell they are just as close to his heart, and it’s a pleasure to see them performed.
But it’s the favourites that leave the most lasting of impressions. Tony’s favourite Spandau song, ‘Through The Barricades’ is, for many of us, our favourite Spandau song too, and Tony Hadley’s incredible vocals are perfectly showcased by this song. The man has one hell of an extraordinary voice, and he’s world-renownded for it. Powerful, soulful and beautiful, across all these decades, Tony’s Hadley’s voice has never failed him. To listen to him sing live is a blessing indeed. But one of the most enjoyable things about this show is seeing that he doesn’t parade this extraordinary gift like hes King Of The Vocal World. He sings with true passion, enjoyment, and absolute humbleness. You can see he is grateful to be onstage and his only objective is to share the songs with us. Tony interacts with the audience frequently, and as he sings, the joy is more than evident on his face. He absolutely loves what he does. This, all of this, is what makes him so special and is what makes seeing Tony Hadley in concert such a wonderful and amazing experience. His backing band are solid and there’s a great, almost palpable chemistry onstage. This is a first class show, with a capital C.
“You were my soul
Spandau Ballet ‘Soul Boy’
I was your boy
And we would dance an endless dance…”
‘Soul Boy’ is perhaps my favourite song of the night. Borne out of the Spandau Ballet reunion in the early/mid twenty-teens, it embraces the halycon Spandau days and the relationship between band and audience that lives on still. To hear this live is a gift, our final history, as it were. And it will echo far beyond both the band and audience, for decades to come.
Of course the night wouldn’t be complete without Spandau’s signature ‘True’, and to hear the thousands strong crowd echo it back is just magical. Tony returns for an encore, drink in hand, showcasing Sinatra’s ‘One for My Baby’. His vocals do it justice and then some – ahhh so smooth. As much as I love it, I do have to admit for some tours now I’ve been secretly wishing he’d do ‘Walking in Memphis’ as an encore. A rendition he’s done on earlier, overseas tours, and one I still ache to see live. Ah well. Maybe next time. And then finally, it’s almost over, and he’s bought us to the end of the road. For now. Tony leaves us with Spandau’s ‘Gold’. The crowd are on their feet and it’s the 80’s all over again for one last time, and we’re united in glorious musical celebration.
We will always believe in your soul Tony Hadley! A great night and an exceptional show.
Thank you.
[Linda Memphis, September 2022]
© 2022 Linda Memphis
