Former Spandau Ballet star and pop icon Tony Hadley reveals that he'll be mixing new tracks with classic hits in his forthcoming StepBack set in Coventry this October. Performing at the hotly anticipated Ricoh Arena concert in October, Hadley will join a stellar 80s line-up including Jason Donovan, Paul Young, T'Pau, Nik Kershaw, Kim Wilde and Go West.
“The great thing about this concert in Coventry is that all of the people performing are great mates, so there’s a fantastic camaraderie backstage and we all enjoy each other’s company,” said Hadley. “The Tony Hadley band has a little routine before we go on stage and it’s called a 99 – which means 99 per cent alcohol and one per cent mix where Richie the guitarist makes a special toast and we wish each other luck before we go on stage.”
In between performances across Europe and South East Asia, Hadley has recently been busy working on his fifth solo studio album in Los Angeles.
“The market has changed and while you want to keep singing original songs, you want to create something new as well,” he continued. “Thanks to my daughter Zara, I’m still in touch with the latest artists such as the Chainsmokers, Twenty One Pilots and Ariana Grande which I love. I like hybrid songs and the fact that you’ve got real drums but you’ve also got lots of sweeping symphony and a bit of guitar – combining the old and the new is what it’s all about. I keep writing songs, and then I write some more but end up getting distracted and going back on the road again, but I’m committed to recording it this year.”
Nevertheless, fans planning on attending the show can rest assured that they'll have chance to hear the old favourites for which Hadley remains most famous, such as 'Gold', 'True' and 'Through The Barricades'.
“People often ask me ‘Do you get bored of singing songs like 'True' and'Gold'?’ and the answer is no because they’re classic songs, and every audience gives a different reaction,” he said. 'Gold'has almost become an anthem, and I don’t really have to sing it anymore!”
“'Through the Barricades' is one of my all-time favourite songs because it’s such a beautiful lyric and such a lovely melody and it’s got everything you want as a singer, so I’m lucky that I still get a kick out of what I do,” he added.
“One of my good friends Shane Richie is performing in Coventry in a play with Laura Whitmore, and from where I live in Buckinghamshire Coventry isn’t that far, so I’m planning to come up and see him in his new play,” he said.
StepBack takes place on Saturday 14 October. Tickets cost £50 plus booking fee, and are available to purchase now from ricoharena.com or in person at the Ricoh Arena box office.
Former Spandau Ballet star and pop icon Tony Hadley reveals that he'll be mixing new tracks with classic hits in his forthcoming StepBack set in Coventry this October. Performing at the hotly anticipated Ricoh Arena concert in October, Hadley will join a stellar 80s line-up including Jason Donovan, Paul Young, T'Pau, Nik Kershaw, Kim Wilde and Go West.
“The great thing about this concert in Coventry is that all of the people performing are great mates, so there’s a fantastic camaraderie backstage and we all enjoy each other’s company,” said Hadley. “The Tony Hadley band has a little routine before we go on stage and it’s called a 99 – which means 99 per cent alcohol and one per cent mix where Richie the guitarist makes a special toast and we wish each other luck before we go on stage.”
In between performances across Europe and South East Asia, Hadley has recently been busy working on his fifth solo studio album in Los Angeles.
“The market has changed and while you want to keep singing original songs, you want to create something new as well,” he continued. “Thanks to my daughter Zara, I’m still in touch with the latest artists such as the Chainsmokers, Twenty One Pilots and Ariana Grande which I love. I like hybrid songs and the fact that you’ve got real drums but you’ve also got lots of sweeping symphony and a bit of guitar – combining the old and the new is what it’s all about. I keep writing songs, and then I write some more but end up getting distracted and going back on the road again, but I’m committed to recording it this year.”
Nevertheless, fans planning on attending the show can rest assured that they'll have chance to hear the old favourites for which Hadley remains most famous, such as 'Gold', 'True' and 'Through The Barricades'.
“People often ask me ‘Do you get bored of singing songs like 'True' and 'Gold'?’ and the answer is no because they’re classic songs, and every audience gives a different reaction,” he said. 'Gold' has almost become an anthem, and I don’t really have to sing it anymore!”
“'Through the Barricades' is one of my all-time favourite songs because it’s such a beautiful lyric and such a lovely melody and it’s got everything you want as a singer, so I’m lucky that I still get a kick out of what I do,” he added.
In addition to performing in the Midlands at Silverstone's “Rocking & Racing” Silverstone Classic Festival in July, the singer will also revealed that he'll be paying a visit to Coventry earlier than expected to catch the new stage adaptation of Peter James' crime thriller Not Dead Enough at the Belgrade Theatre this month (Monday 27 March – Saturday 1 April).
“One of my good friends Shane Richie is performing in Coventry in a play with Laura Whitmore, and from where I live in Buckinghamshire Coventry isn’t that far, so I’m planning to come up and see him in his new play,” he said.
StepBack takes place on Saturday 14 October. Tickets cost £50 plus booking fee, and are available to purchase now from ricoharena.com or in person at the Ricoh Arena box office.