What a Difference a Decade Makes (U.K. Entertainment)

Tony Hadley, lead singer of the reformed Spandau Ballet, remarked in 1999 that “hell would freeze over” before he got on stage again with Gary Kemp.

Well, let’s hope that Old Nick has got his thermals on because the feuding pair have patched up their differences, allowing Spandau to become the latest band to announce a comeback.

Hadley and fellow bandmates John Keeble and Steve Norman lost a costly courtroom battle with Kemp after they sued for a share of the song-writing royalties.

The trio claimed that a verbal agreement was in place which gave them all a slice of the proceeds, but a High Court judge disagreed.

The possibility of the five band members (Gary’s brother Martin was not involved in the legal wrangle) ever appearing on stage together again appeared even more remote when further action prevented Hadley, Norman and Keeble from even billing themselves as ‘ex-Spandau Ballet’ on tour.

But time, as they say, is a great healer and all five are back in harmony, fuelled by a desire to perform live again and of course trouser the proceeds.

Hadley acknowledges that the financial rewards on offer played a part in the decision to reform, but he insists they are all on good terms again, adding that he could not go on tour if the bad feeling remained.

With tour dates scheduled for later this year, fans will be eager to discover whether Spandau can recapture former glories.

Their former chart rivals, Duran Duran, launched a successful comeback earlier in the decade and Take That have of course enjoyed great success of late.

But not all pop comebacks work out well. Remember East 17 receiving critical acclaim when they returned to the limelight? No, me neither.

It is highly unlikely that Spandau Ballet will experience similar failure as, with all due respect, they were/are in a different league to East 17.

I, for one, will be trying to catch them when they go on tour, having been a fan of their music from the time they burst onto the scene.

Expect all the classics: True, Gold, Through the Barricades, Only When You Leave, Highly Strung, etc, etc.

Now, where did I put those Cossack-style trousers and silk shirt with Greek imprints?

–Nick Johnson Red U.K. Editorial Staff