What's your view on Spandau Ballet? You've probably heard they're to reform and do a series of gigs. But does anyone actually want this? Who's crying out for the Spands to get back together?
Not me.
I think To Cut A Long Story Short is ace, and when I first saw them do that on TOTP I thought they were so avant garde as to be from another planet. I still think it's a great song, a great slice of turn of the 80s electronica. I've even sung it at karaoke. But that's kind of where it ends. Through The Barricades is nice in a niaeve pop star way, but I've always thought Tony Hadley was a bit of an old ham really, and his vocal histrionics not really my cup of tea.
I met him once at the launch for that awfully misguided Reborn In The USA show. I thought though tall, he was rather stand-offish. Martin Kemp on the other hand is a lovely man - he once bought me a bingo card - so it's sad to see his TV career has well and truly hit the skids. Probably because he's not the world's greatest actor, though I thought that Family series he was in a few years back didn't get the praise it deserved.
So it's got to be all about the money. But while people were panting for The Police or Pink Floyd to get back together, does anyone truly feel the same way about Spandau Ballet?
10 comments:
Chant No.1 still works a treat, but the thought of them actually attempting to perform it now...uuughhhh.
And will men have to start wearing tea-towels and Rupert Bear trousers again?
I can't be doing with bands re-forming. Just stinks to me of 'let's make a bit more money before we're too old'. Even 'The Specials' who I loved ... I wouldn't go now to see them even if you gave me a ticket. Not because I think they'd be bad but because it was of it's time and of a certain time in my life that should stay where it was.
Anyway, off to see The Rumble Strips tonight - heard of them?
For a few months they were achingly hip and had real Blitz Kids credentials(unlike the Durans) - The first two albums and 12" mixes contain some killer tracks (the B-side of Instinction 12" has the best version of Chant No.1 - you'll ever hear, still unreleased on CD)
I thought they went off the boil with Lifeline and did the Lumberjack Cords and Check shirt look.
True was/is hateful in the same way Careless Whisper is, and one of those beery Soul Boy end of the night slowies.
I hate True. And it was number one when I turned 18. But I hate Careless Whisper even more.
And no Hels, I've not heard of the Rumblestrips. How modern of you.
I have my Yasser Arafat scarf and Rupert Bear trews on at the moment, actually, ISBW.
Gold is a class pop song, but everything else post-1981 is rather dreary. The white soul thing just didn't work and Gary Kemp was far outdone by his contemporaries in the songwriting stakes.
The thing that annoys me about True (other than the dirge-like tune and overblown delivery) is that many people assume it's some sort of great romantic statement, but when you actually listen to the lyrics, they are strange and meaningless. What does he know is true? What? What?
I thought they already had got back together, but it turned out to be someone called Franz Ferdinand
Spot
Spandau Ballet had some top songs (as did George Michael, you know...).
Yesterday I wouldn't have thought that there was any demand for them to reform. However, since discovering this morning that one of my colleagues has paid over £100 to see Lionel Richie NOTHING would suprise me now.
£100 for Lionel Richie? You can catch him on any chat show at any time for free. He's always over here. I don't know what the attraction is. He's always being billed as a big exclusive guest, but he's as ubiquitous as James Corden.
Franz Ferdinand/Spandau Ballet. I absolutely see what you mean, Spot.
Mrs T heard about the Spands reforming on the radio this morning and I'm now coming under huge pressure to get tickets. Grrr.
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