Former Spandau Ballet man Hadley speaks about arena show

The former Spandau Ballet singer is part of a stellar line-up of acts that will be performing at eighties concert StepBack, which is being held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry in October.

Other artists set to grace the stage that evening are Jason Donovan, Paul Young, T’Pau, Nik Kershaw, Kim Wilde and Go West.

Although the concert is still some way away, Hadley revealed he has been busy preparing his fifth studio album in Los Angeles in between performances in Europe and South East Asia.

Giving an insight into his new LP, Hadley said: “The market has changed and while you want to keep singing original songs, you want to create something new as well.

“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.”

Hadley is notably famous for anthems such as Gold, True and Through The Barricades, something which the star still thrives on to this very day.

He added: “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. 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.

“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.

“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.”

StepBack is at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday, October 14.

Tickets cost £50 before fees and are available via www.ricoharena.com and in person at the Ricoh Arena box office.