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an emotional reaction from the audience it’s always that song. True is your classic love song, Gold is your football anthem. But Through the Barricades is the one that, for some reason, if people are going to shed tears it will be during that song. CE: You’ve collaborated with many artists over the years. Are there any other dream collaborations you’d still like to explore? TH: I’d love to do the YouTube series Daryl’s House with Daryl Hall. He’s a phenomenal writer and singer, and his repertoire is endless. I’d love to sing Rich Girl with Daryl. CE: What’s next for you – new music, touring or other creative ventures? TH: I’ve got to finish the contemporary album, which will be out in 2026. We’ve just announced a 2026 big tour of Australia. I’ve got a concert in Dubai, then it’s festival season. Then I’ve got a new swing album to record: we’re going to do another vinyl album to accompany the Big Band Tour in November and December. People love vinyl. The last one sold an absolute bucketload, and we’re already getting booked up for 2026, so I won’t be stuck at home driving my wife mad! Tony Hadley’s Christmas Big Band Tour will be at the Corn Exchange on 30 November
We caught up with former Spandau Ballet front man Tony Hadley as he plans his next big band visit to Cambridge 25 MINUTES WITH TONY HADLEY
Cambridge Edition: What’s the idea behind your new Big Band Tour ? Tony Hadley: We did the month-long Big Swing Tour last February, introducing a bit of Elvis Presley, which went down a storm. So we thought, this time, why don’t we just call it the Big Band Tour ? Then we can incorporate a couple of those big band numbers along with the swing stuff as well. That went down phenomenally well. We want to add in some Christmas songs to the setlist as well, and a bit of Spandau, which lends itself to that kind of vibe anyway. TH: Surviving the business! It’s brutal. But making music is amazing, which is why we carry on. And you look at all the highlights such as Band Aid and Live Aid – those were 40 years ago now. Playing the Royal Albert Hall with Spandau – and as a solo artist, meeting Frank Sinatra there, as well as all the wonderful festivals I’ve done over the years. Spandau’s Australia tour in 1984 – we were just five young lads from Islington. Those moments have really stayed with me. CE: What have been the standout moments in your musical journey? CE: How did your experience as the front man of Spandau Ballet shape you as a solo artist? TH: I’m not quite sure what makes a lead singer – you’ve got to have a lot of front. I suppose at school I was quite gobby, always getting into scrapes, so when we formed the band I was the one who went: ‘You looking for a lead singer? I’m your man.’ You’ve got to have that confidence – scared as you might be sometimes, performing, you’ve got to give it some attitude. Freddie Mercury gave me some advice: ‘The focal point on every band is always the lead singer. Forget everybody else on stage, it’s your job to get the audience going and to run the whole thing. Just go out there and be larger than life.’ CE: The 80s revival remains strong. What is it about that era that continues to captivate audiences? TH: It was a cracking era, musically – very diverse and lots of experimentation. Globally, there was a lot going on: the breakdown of apartheid, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the rise of Gorbachev. Musically, bands and artists felt free to do pretty much whatever they wanted. So
bands like Spandau and Duran Duran and Culture Club, we all had our own sound and a lot of that was down to the lead singers. We might not technically have been the best, but you could put a record on and instantly know what band it was. CE: How do you strike a balance between honouring your signature sound and continuing to explore new creative directions? TH: Without sounding bigheaded, the thing that ties it all in is my voice. If I sing a Bowie song I sound like Tony Hadley, if I sing a Queen song I sound like Tony Hadley, if I sing my own song it sounds like Tony Hadley. I can’t get away from my voice; it will always sound like me. CE: Is there a song in your discography that holds a particularly personal meaning for you ? TH: My favourite Spandau song is Through the Barricades . If ever there’s going to be
BIG BAND SOUND Tony Hadley loves his song Through the Barricades and the emotional response it gets
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