‘I’ve seen numerous artists deny their past’

For English '80s new wave icon Tony Hadley, giving the audience what they want has always been priority number one. If the audience wants the hits, then that is exactly what they’ll get.

It will be no different for the lucky Leesiders who will get to see the former Spandau Ballet frontman play Cork City Hall on 28 October as part of this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.

Hadley, best known for his powerful vocals on songs like ‘Gold’, ‘True’, and ‘Through the Barricades’, says he believes artists should always be willing to play the classics for the fans.

“I'm a great believer in giving people what they want,” he tells the Cork Independent as he prepares to go to Birmingham before jetting off to Sardinia in the morning.

“I've seen numerous artists deny their past and not play their hits which I think is unfair to the audience and I think it's musical suicide,” he says.

Whatever may have happened between Hadley and his bandmates during and after their split in the '90s, he says the songs they wrote together are a part of his life, the fans’ lives, and the band’s legacy.

“I've got fantastic memories of when we recorded 'True' and 'Through the Barricades', wonderful memories of good times with the boys and when you play those songs, every audience is a different audience,” he says.

In his opinion, ‘Through the Barricades’ is the best thing the group ever put out, and nowadays it’s still the most emotional song he sings. “If there's going to be a tear in the audience, it will be on that song,” he laughs.

"I've got to tell you, one of the most emotional times we ever did the song, I mean there have been lots of times, but I was playing, looking out into the audience and quite a young guy has this little girl in his arms. We start 'Through the Barricades' and they pull out a placard that says 'We love you mummy'. Oh my God, I couldn't look, it was just so emotional."

Having said that, the North London native who turned 63 in June still carries with him the same burning desire to create new art as he always did. For him, it’s crucial to make new music because it’s what he’s always done and it keeps him sharp.

Three new songs, ‘Alibi’, ‘Mad About You’, and ‘Because of You’ will feature in the set he’ll be performing in Cork later this month, and they are from his upcoming new album which he hopes to release around this time next year.

“I still love music,” he says. “I could rest on my laurels and we could do exactly the same songs every single night we go out, and a lot of the time we are doing the hits, but it's so important I think to do new songs; it keeps your mind fresh. What I don't want to become is my own tribute band.

“With making new records, I'm telling you now, I'll be lucky if I make any money on it all. I just think it's important,” he adds.

With a career now into its fifth decade, Tony Hadley knows what he’s talking about when it comes to the music industry, an industry he says has always been tough but is far tougher nowadays, particularly for young artists.

He sees an unfair and unprofitable industry for the artists, clouded by social media and greed and full of everything but the art itself to a point where a lot of truly special talent is being ignored, even discouraged.

“I've met bands that are on their second album and they're doing jobs on the side minicabing,” he says.

“It's so hard for them to make any money out of this business. And then, even if they do get a tickle, the record company wants a cut of the merchandising, a cut of the touring, a cut of the publishing; there is no way that you're going to make any sort of money.

“You could release 'Ziggy Stardust' today and they wouldn't say, 'Oh, what a great song! That's going to do really well!', they’d ask, 'What's your TikTok? What's your social media standing?'. It's not about music, it's about bloody TikTok and I think it's wrong.

“The actual making of music is wonderful, lovely, beautiful, but the actual business of it is terrible. I don't know anyone that's not been ripped off.

“I don't want to sound like an old git. Just give young people in music a bit more of a chance and help them make a bit of money,” he adds.

Asked what is the most valuable advice he could give to a young musician or band today, Hadley says it’s all about commitment to the dream and possessing the will to follow it come what may until the bitter end.

“You have to try and live your dream. You have to follow the dream to the nth degree, you've got to get to the end to know if you were going to make it or not.

“I've seen incredibly talented people that have always been on the margins and never really made it.

“There will be moments when you'll sit on the end of your bed because you didn't make it or you didn't get something you wanted."