Spandau Ballet – Coventry Theatre

 

Spandau Ballet – Coventry Theatre

By Pete Clemons

It was during 1980 when Spandau Ballet were introduced onto TV for the first time and brought to the attention of a greater public. They were introduced, by a young Danny Baker, onto the current affairs series Twentieth Century Box . Unbeknown to them at the time they were ushering in a whole new era.

Up until that TV appearance Spandau Ballet had appeared live only 5 times – and even those were to an invited audience - before they had this break at Scala Cinema in London.

During interviews for the programme drummer John Keeble felt that there was no band around that they could relate too. Tony Hadley said that the band were not about creating a standard gig but more of a show. He continued that 'the music business was a scruffy affair and Spandau are not just another band, we are more fashion conscious, and more about elegance and romance'. Gary Kemp 'We want the band to be, at all times, the most contemporary statement that we can make about modern London'.

The band quickly built up a steady following. A following of correctly dressed audience. Spandau Ballet, the name spotted on a toilet wall in Berlin, were hotly pursued by record companies who saw the potential.

Spandau Ballet's second album 'Diamond' was a turning point for the band. It was split into two distinct parts. The first part opened up with 'Chant No.1' and continued in the funky dance style that the band were, up until then, more familiar for. The next part of the album felt more experimental. It was more soulful and was certainly intended to be listened to rather than danced to.

This then led to the release of an album which, to this day, is subtlety drip fed to us by way of TV advertising and other forms of media. And that album was 'True'. Recorded during Autumn 1982 in the Bahamas, 'True' yielded a succession of hit singles. It also appeared to combine, and enhance, all the elements from the previous album.

Spring 1983 saw Spandau Ballet fix up an extensive tour of UK theatres. One date being at Coventry Theatre where they performed to a sold out audience. After their softly softly approach to playing live, Spandau Ballet had now successfully developed their stage personas to match their technical skills. Now, they play as good as they looked and it was oh so smooth, relaxed and glowing.

This is how the gig was reported: 'Spandau Ballet cruised through most of their excellent 'True' repertoire, Martin Kemp and Tony Hadley receiving most of the attention, the latter displaying the full glory of his newly expanded vocal vocabulary and really performing for the first time. It was smiles and sways all the way through.

Particularly neat were the newly recruited backing singers Sam Brown and Sonia Jones, soulfully highlighting the Kemp melodies, plus the irrepressible bongoing of Steve Norman. No wonder they looked so happy – they've come through a rough patch with flying colours, a hardcore of fans and a diamond performance'.

The next tour saw Spandau Ballet performing at venues like the NEC at Birmingham, where they played for several nights, before setting off for more prestigious venues abroad. Still today, the individuals who made up the band, are as popular as they ever were.