HOW SOON IS SPANDAU?

The evidence that we are living through the ’80s again is mounting up. The economy in recession. Kerry winning the football All-Ireland nearly every year. And New Romantic bands back in vogue once more. Following the critical and commercial renaissance enjoyed by Duran Duran in recent times, their fellow ’80s synth-pop merchants, Spandau Ballet, are shortly to embark on a European greatest hits tour.

Spandau’s guitarist and songwriter, Gary Kemp, admits that seeing the success enjoyed by Duran partially inspired him to reform the group.
“It makes you remember how enjoyable it is to play live,” he remarks, sitting in a meeting room at the Radisson Hotel in Blackrock. “It’s doubly good for us this time around, because we’re doing a greatest hits set, so there isn’t that pressure to promote an album or what have you. In a way, it’s become pure fun again.”
Was there a genuine rivalry with Simon Le Bon and co. back in the ’80s?
“I guess so,” shrugs Kemp. “It’s not a personal thing, but when there’s a group around who are in the same genre and playing to the same audience, you can’t help but feel a bit competitive. No one wants to be known as the second best band in their field.”
Kemp may describe the current mood in the Spandau camp as buoyant, but things weren’t always thus. In the early ’90s, the other members of the band (with the exception of Kemp’s brother, former Eastenders star Martin), launched a failed lawsuit against Gary for unpaid royalties. Singer Tony Hadley also commented that the group wouldn’t tour again until hell froze over (“it’s a bit chilly in here, isn’t it?” chuckles Kemp when reminded of the quote).
Gary decided to reunite Spandau whilst compiling footage for a DVD; he was impressed by the quality of the band’s old live performances and longed to get back onstage again. It probably helps the band’s cause that the aforementioned ’80s revival shows no sign of slowing down. With the huge popularity of acts like The Killers, La Roux and Lady GaGa, synth-pop is back on the musical agenda in a big way.
“I’m pleased that bands now once again look like bands, as opposed to the blokes who are selling the tickets outside,” says Kemp, clearly not a fan of sartorial trends during the grunge and Britpop eras. “When we started it out, we were all about making music like Bowie and Mott The Hoople, and hopefully taking people out of themselves and to a different place. It was all to do with a positive vibe and opening up new possibilities.”
Following the dissolution of Spandau, Kemp, like his brother Martin, embarked on an acting career. The duo starred together in The Krays, and Gary’s credits would subsequently include The Larry Sanders Show and Killing Zoe.
“Killing Zoe was directed by Roger Avary, who was the co-writer on Pulp Fiction, and Tarantino was the executive producer,” reflects Kemp. “Tarantino actually said to me one time that some of the attitude of Reservoir Dogs came from The Krays. I don’t know whether he was saying that just to be nice, but it was certainly a very flattering thing to hear.”
Spandau Ballet’s new tour commences with dates in Dublin and Belfast, and indeed the band have a long association with Ireland, having lived in Dublin for a time in the ’80s. The song ‘Through The Barricades’ was also written about Belfast.
“There was a guy called Kidso who worked with us for a while, and his brother was in Stiff Little Fingers,” explains Kemp. “Kidso was killed in Belfast. His brother, Jim Reilly, took me to see his grave and walked me around the town. I think that little walk I had through the city was an inspiration to write something that hopefully was about both sides.”
On a personal note, I always felt ‘True’ was perhaps the high point of the Spandau oeuvre.
“Yeah, that song and album were a peak of sorts,” acknowledges Kemp. “We made the record at Compass Point in the Bahamas, a famous studio founded by Chris Blackwell. Black In Black was recorded in Compass Point, and other people like Grace Jones, The Rolling Stones, U2 and REM have also worked there. The atmosphere was great, and we produced some really strong material.”
Finally, how have the band been getting on now that they’re back together?
“It’s been fantastic,” enthuses Kemp. “We’ve been flying in rehearsals and the songs are sounding great. I think we’ve said goodbye to that period when we, you know, didn’t see eye to eye.”
Perhaps you were too shy-shy?
“Oh dear,” laughs Kemp. “You’ve got the wrong New Romantic band!”