Spandau Ballet Supportive stars

Spandau Ballet helped Gary and Martin Kemp cope with the death of their parents. The brothers say their bandmates – Tony Hadley, John Keeble and Steve Norman – became their "second family" after their parents died within 48 hours of each other in January.Guitarist Gary said: "I think I coped and my brother did too because of the band. It was like having another family to catch us. I think they understood what we were going through."They knew our parents very well. They were moved by it and they supported us."Eileen Kemp was undergoing heart surgery at Bournemouth hospital when her husband Frank had a fatal heart attack. Eileen died shortly afterwards. Bassist Martin told Britain’s Hello! magazine: "It came as a tremendous shock. They spent 50 years of their lives together. My dad wouldn't even go down to the pub with me because he wouldn't leave my mother on her own."That's how close their marriage was. The fact that they went together was in some ways comforting. Like it was meant to be. That's how I came to see it and that helped me deal with the loss."The group – who officially reunited in March this year – split up in 1989 and spent the next 20 years in bitter conflict, with Tony, John and Steve suing Gary over royalty payments in 1999.They eventually reconciled and kicked off their reunion tour in Dublin earlier this month.

Spandau Ballet at The O2

The air in London somehow smelled of roses around North Greenwich last night as Spandau Ballet played the last of three nights at The O2. Surprisingly enough, many young faces could be spotted amongst the sleek eighties driven attire habitués of the audience.
The new romantics don’t do support acts, they prefer bold statements with a definition of the word Reformation on a make shift screen and the resonance of heartbeats as their time on stage drew close. - "Recession, Unemployment, Gloom, War, Tragedy… and Dreams" flashed up with requisite library videos in the style of Evening Standard headlines from the Thatcherite eighties, followed by videos introducing the Islington based lads. As you might expect, ex-Eastender Martin Kemp received the largest cheer.
Then suddenly they appeared, fittingly starting with the synth-pop driven "To Cut A Long Story Short" followed by "The Freeze". Within the first few songs they appeared closer than ever, chatting about how they lived, ran and were sloshed together in the studios recently. With plenty of hits to offer up, the mix of a few lesser known tracks from the new album “Once More” caused a slight lull. However the prominence of the core velvety saxophonist matched the passion of Hadley, who can still hold those high notes impressively with little effort. Such highlights included "Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)", "Lifeline", "Round & Round" and of course, "True".
Notably the crowd seemed to lighten up in the encore when both Kemps returned on stage without the sharp suits, but now sophisticated vests. Leaving the crowd on tenterhooks, they closed the gig with “Gold” against a star lit background. Definitely the best reformed group of the year and as more artists still continue to sample their work, this band certainly isn’t an endangered species.

Spandau Ballet Supportive stars

Spandau Ballet helped Gary and Martin Kemp cope with the death of their parents.
The brothers say their bandmates – Tony Hadley, John Keeble and Steve Norman – became their "second family" after their parents died within 48 hours of each other in January.
Guitarist Gary said: "I think I coped and my brother did too because of the band. It was like having another family to catch us. I think they understood what we were going through.
"They knew our parents very well. They were moved by it and they supported us."
Eileen Kemp was undergoing heart surgery at Bournemouth hospital when her husband Frank had a fatal heart attack. Eileen died shortly afterwards.
Bassist Martin told Britain’s Hello! magazine: "It came as a tremendous shock. They spent 50 years of their lives together. My dad wouldn't even go down to the pub with me because he wouldn't leave my mother on her own.
"That's how close their marriage was. The fact that they went together was in some ways comforting. Like it was meant to be. That's how I came to see it and that helped me deal with the loss."
The group – who officially reunited in March this year – split up in 1989 and spent the next 20 years in bitter conflict, with Tony, John and Steve suing Gary over royalty payments in 1999.
They eventually reconciled and kicked off their reunion tour in Dublin earlier this month.

Go back on the road Spandau Ballet

After 20 years away, Spandau Ballet are about to kick off their world tour. The reformed 1980s band are back on the road, opening in Dublin on Tuesday night.
They say they cannot wait for fans to look the show.
Tony Hadley said: "We just want to get our there. We're fully rehearsed, we're just fixing the lights and the backdrop, which looks a million dollars."
Steve Norman added: "We need an audience now, we need to step up."
The group are also releasing their first album in two decades. Once More is out on October 19.

Spandau Ballet Tony’s a glass act

IF the SPANDAU BALLET doesn't return work out, TONY HADLEY is lining up a nice little fallback.
The Gold singer is eyeing up a vineyard in France and wants to launch his own wine.
He is also talks about a range of chocolate and food.
Tony, who already produces a beer called Hadley's Gold, says: "I've found a vineyard run by a British bloke who is looking to get into the UK market.
"I've tasted the wine and it's fantastic. The only trouble is, I'll likely drink most of it."
Spandau will go head to head with the likes of LEONA LEWIS and ALEXANDRA BURKE when they release their new single and album Once More later this month. But MARTIN KEMP isn't impressed by the competition.
He said: "There's no individuality in shows like X Factor. The people who go into them want success on a plate and when they win, just become SIMON COWELL's puppets."

Spandau Ballet and Harry Connick Jnr to perform, Strictly Come Dancing

Poor old Andy Williams may have been a bit of a damp squib on last week's Strictly Come Dancing, but there are a few treats in store later this month.
As well as Amy Winehouse, bosses have signed up Harry Connick Jnr to croon a tune. But most exciting of all is the news Spandau Ballet will perform as they launch their new album. Yay! I know this much is true...
Get all the latest Strictly Come Dancing news in our dedicated section. Check out the best opinion on Mirror.co.uk's Strictly Come Dancing blog.

Spandau Ballet to release first new single for 20 years

British band Spandau Ballet are all set to release their first single in 20 years. The band, which released their last studio album in 1989, had initially agreed on a string of gigs after their reunion in March this year, however they have now hit the studio.
The pair, which has international hits like Gold and True to their credit, have recorded a new single, Once More, and will release an album with Mercury Records in November.
The Telegraph quoted the band’s guitarist and songwriter Gary Kemp as saying: “The band gelled instantly and we instantly played better than we did even back in the day.
“The new song was a way for us to gig that Spandau Ballet are back, not just to play the hits on tour but also to take on our contemporaries in the pop charts.”
Frontman Tony Hadley said: “When we got back together and the tour dates went on sale, none of us could believe the fantastic reaction we got from fans and the press alike.
“When the chance came to get into a studio and play music together, we couldn’t pass it up.
The band’s Reformation Tour is slated to begin in October (09). (ANI)

Once More Spandau Ballet's

This is the first new material the band have recorded since they tear up in 1989.
Following much speculation, they announced their comeback Reformation Tour on board HMS Belfast in March 2009.
Starting in October, they are playing eight dates across UK and Ireland, including the O2 Arena in London.
Tickets for the O2 show sold out within 20 minutes of going on sale and an extra 2 dates were added.
Singer Tony Hadley says: “When we got back together and the tour dates went on sale, none of us could believe the fantastic reaction we got from fans and the press alike. When the chance came to get into a studio and play music together, we couldn’t pass it up.
Gary Kemp continues: “The band gelled instantly and we instantly played better than we did even back in the day. The new song was a way for us to gig that Spandau Ballet are back, not just to play the hits on tour but also to take on our contemporaries in the pop charts.”