Last night we went up to Sydney to see Spandau Ballet, supported by Tears for Fears at the Entertainment centre, courtesy of our friend Angie who had managed to score a bunch of freebies from a relative in the music industry. We went because we like Angie and the tickets were free and it was Friday night, goddamn it and we spend way too many of those parked on the couch infront of our bigarse plasma TV.
I expected to be amused. The amusement actually started that morning when I went to get my nails done. When I told my beautician our plans for the evening she said ‘ooh! that sounds good — I’ve never been to the ballet’. She’s 30, meaning New Romanticism, with all its coiffed hair and frilly shirts was way before her time.
I liked both these bands when I was younger, but I’d never have called myself an actual fan. The Ent Cent was packed. Everyone was my age or thereabouts. Plenty of cougars in tight pants and sparkly tops. All the men were gay. It transpired that not only had Angie scored us free tickets, they were really fucking good seats — certainly the best I’ve even had in a venue that size. Dead centre, three rows back from the mixing desk.
Tears For Fears were pretty good, although the mix was a bit muddy — I think the bass was too loud. I’d forgotten how many of their songs I like and am tempted to go out and score myself a greatest hits CD. But Spandau Ballet… they were something else. They were freaking awesome, and not in a hits and memories kind of way at all. Back in the day, new romantics were mostly pretty boys with foppish hair and stylish trousers. What we saw last night was a group of tight, professional, energetic musicians backed up by a well considered mixed media slideshow including footage of them on tour in their early 20s. Not too much of it. Just enough to present a complete picture of what was then and how it led to now.
Lead singer Tony Hadley looks like a banker, yet his powerful voice filled the whole auditorium, resonating with a vitality that’s still ringing in my ears this morning. The band were clearly stoked to be back in Sydney 25 years past their heyday, yet able to pack out a venue that size.
They came across like a really nice bunch of guys rather than yesterday’s heroes trying to squeeze a few bucks out of the ageing fan circuit. I was so impressed.
11 Comments
The concert sounded awsome… I did like me some Spandau Ballet back in the day.
Hope you have a Good ANZAC observance.
Thanks Lea
we were at the Melbourne show and echo your thoughts about Spandau Ballet. Great show and a tight performance from an accomplished band of musicians!
And, oh my, most of them have aged very well.
they have indeed!
If you want to get some Tears for Fears, track down the albums Elemental and Raoul and the Kings of Spain. They’re from the period when Curt Smith left the band to try his hand at a (disastrously unsuccessful) solo career. Roland Orzabal kept going and produced the best two albums the band ever did.
Don’t go for their most recent album, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, which was Roland and Curt’s reunion album – and was a bit shit.
thanks for the tip!
I’ve heard positive comments about this concert from multiple sources over multiple gigs. Must have been a good one 🙂
We went too, got complimentary tickets from my neighbour at the 11th hour. Jules and I loved it. Only gripes were Tears For Fears only doing a support-act time of 45 mins, and Spandau Ballet doing any songs from post-1985.
I’m a shameless New Romantic/New Wave early 80s fan.
And you know, Sparky, I got it all on disc…
GIMMEE!!!
We went to the Brisbane show on Tuesday night and loved every minute of it. The low point for us was Boom Crash Opera as the ‘special guests’. I was a fan in the 80’s and went to their show in 1985 at the then festival Hall, but this concert was probably the best gig I have ever been too (and I’ve been to a few). It wasn’t jsut the music, it was the way the band was having so much fun that was so compelling and mesmerising to watch. Current musicians could learn a thing or two from some of the surviving 80’s bands.
yeah, I agree — it was something in the band’s attitude that added special magic to the performance