Tony Hadley
Tonight Belongs To Us – European Tour 2018
Capitol Hannover
Hanover, Germany
February 7, 2018
The rise and fall of 80’s New Romantics Spandau Ballet is well documented. The latest split came in 2017 when, during a successful reunion tour, Tony Hadley announced he had had enough and wanted to concentrate on his solo career. True to his word, Hadley has been busy in the studio with a new album imminent. Prior to the release the TH roadshow had booked some European tour dates and tonight made its way to Hannover, Germany, a country Hadley admits he has neglected in the past.
I have to admit to not really knowing what to expect from tonight’s show. I wasn’t aware of any recent material from either Hadley or his former band, perhaps because it had been overshadowed by the splits and the legal issues reported in the press. Regardless of what you think, Tony Hadley was/is the voice of Spandau Ballet and in my opinion anyone else singing Spandau Ballet songs just wouldn’t cut it. Having surrounded himself with some seriously fine musicians has certainly paid off and they sounded fantastic! As for his newer material, it was probably what you would expect from Tony Hadley. That is not to say it is not good, far from it and I for one am looking forward to hearing the new album in its entirety.
The show is a mix of covers, new solo material and Spandau Ballet classics which Hadley obviously knows how to deliver. Opening with a completely unexpected cover of Life on Mars, I was immediately impressed by how well he had pulled it off. In all honesty this genre will probably not appeal to the younger generation but those of a certain age will definitely find something here. A release date for the new album is yet to be confirmed, however watch this space as the TH band have hinted that the will be heading across the pond soon afterwards.
9/10
The Tony Hadley Band:
Tim Bye – Drums,
Phil Taylor – Keyboard,
Phil Williams – Bass,
Richard Barratt – Guitar,
Simon Willescroft – Saxophone,
Lily Gonzales – Percussion and backing vocals.
Set List:
Life on Mars – (David Bowie)
To Cut a Long Story Short – (Spandau Ballet)
Accident waiting to happen
Highly Strung – (Spandau Ballet)
Delirious
I’ll Fly for You – (Spandau Ballet)
Round and Round – (Spandau Ballet)
For Your Blue Eyes Only
Soul Boy – (Spandau Ballet)
Killer Blow
Lost in Your Love
Lifeline – (Spandau Ballet)
Take Back Everything
Through the Barricades – (Spandau Ballet)
Somebody to Love – (Queen)
Everytime
Only When You Leave – (Spandau Ballet)
Dakota – (Stereophonics)
Encore:
What Am I
True – (Spandau Ballet)
Gold – (Spandau Ballet)
All photos by Spike Porteous
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