Tony Hadley has revealed he has not spoken to most of his former Spandau Ballet bandmates in more than a decade, describing the situation as “sad, but that’s life”. The 66-year-old singer rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead vocalist of the new wave band, which scored a string of UK Top 10 hits including True and Gold, and also performed on the 1984 Band Aid single Do They Know It’s Christmas?
Fallout with former bandmates
After the band split in 1990, Hadley pursued a solo career, releasing several studio albums. Although he rejoined Spandau Ballet in 2009, he announced his departure in 2017, citing “circumstances beyond my control”.
Nearly a decade on, Hadley told the Press Association: “Unfortunately, the wheels came off, and we went through some pretty horrid times together. I saw Steve Norman at a festival in Germany recently, but I haven’t seen the rest of the guys in 11 years. Which is sad, but that’s life. You know, bands fall out with each other. It’s just the way it is sometimes.”
Looking back with fondness
Despite the falling out, Hadley said he still looks back on his time in the band with fondness. He added: “I think it’s important. I mean, it would be really sad if what happened in recent years muddied the water in terms of what it felt in times like when True went to number one for instance and was then in the Top 5 in America for four weeks. I can still sing those songs and not with any kind of angst or bad feeling. I just sing them because they’re great songs. They’re part of my life. They’re part of the audience’s life, and it’s important to realise that.”
Reflecting on going solo, Hadley admitted the experience was “bloody terrifying at first”. He said: “It’s the scariest thing because you’ve got to remember that we were a school band and then all of a sudden you find yourself as a solo artist. It was kind of daunting, but I got used to it.”
Five decades in music and new tour
Hadley, who has won a Brit Award and was made an MBE, is now celebrating five decades in the music industry, which he called a hard-fought achievement. He said: “When you sign your first record deal, you want it so much and desperately want it to last for as long as possible. But we all know the music business is pretty fickle and not everybody survives or lasts the course. But through sheer determination and hard work, I’ll always get back up no matter how many times you hit me down. I’ve managed to still be doing what I love 50 years on. It’s a pretty tough business, but you’ve got to roll with the punches, and I’m loving it at the moment. So, I am a lucky man to still do what I love.”
He is marking his 50 years in the industry with The Christmas Big Band Tour 2026, which will see him perform 19 shows across the UK this winter. The shows will feature timeless big band standards, swing favourites and 80s anthems, including songs by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Elvis Presley, with the Fabulous TH Band and a full brass section.
Performing hits and future plans
Hadley also promised fans he would perform some of Spandau Ballet’s best-known songs, saying: “It’s musical suicide not to sing your hit songs. If you’re a new band that no-one’s ever heard of and you do a 40-minute set, then of course you’re playing new songs. But if you have all these fantastic songs like True, Gold and Through The Barricades and don’t perform them, the audience will just walk out. They want to hear those songs, and I think you’d be really selfish not to perform them.”
During his time back with Spandau Ballet, Hadley also took part in the 2015 season of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, in which he finished sixth. Although he said it “served a great purpose” at the time, he has no desire to do another reality show. He explained: “There’s so many reality shows now, I enjoyed that one because it was in the jungle, and I’ve done various charity jungle treks. So I actually love being in the jungle, but to be honest they are trying to invent celebrity this and celebrity that all over the place, and I’m kind of bored with it. I think I did it at the right time, but I’m not interested in anything else now.”
Hadley revealed there is a contemporary album in the works that he hopes to release next year, and another goal is to perform with a big band in Las Vegas. Tickets to The Christmas Big Band Tour 2026 are available from myticket.co.uk/artists/tony-hadley.
