You know this much is still Gold!
TONY Hadley, former frontman of the 80s synth-pop supergroup Spandau Ballet, was at the Royal Concert Hall on Tuesday night with a laid-back evening of timeless classics as part of his Big Swing Tour.
Coming onstage wearing a leg brace, he was forced to sit for most of his two sets, but that did not detract from his charming stage presence as he opened with The Mood I’m In, which was followed by Tony Orlando’s The Good
Life, both of which had the crowd immediately feeling the intimate mood.
With a brass section alongside his fabulous Tony Hadley Band on either side separated by floor-mounted lights, he temporarily transformed the Royal Concert Hall into a 1930s jazz club.
And with an early airing of Spandau Ballet’s Only When You Leave and Hadley’s personal favourite, Through The Barricades, the crowd were delighted.
There was an excellent version of Feeling Good,an early highlight, followed by the lesser-known Just A Gigolo and Wives And Lovers.
He dipped back into his pop roots with the magnificent True, while I Will Wait For You and Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered were sandwiched bookended Walk Of Shame, a new song from his recently recorded BBC Piano Room sessions.
The second set opened with Touch Me, Too Close For Comfort and another new song, The Summer Wind, which went down a treat.
Other delights were Mack The Knife, Come Fly With Me and That’s Life, which earned an early standing ovation as Hadley showcased a voice that can still captivate an audience. For Gold the crowd were on their feet and they stayed there for the set closer, My Way.
After delivering a relaxed but charming set, he was back on stage for One For My Baby and Elvis Presley’s powerful If I Can Dream to end an evening that at times felt like something in between a music gig and a cabaret show.
But what was certain was that Hadley played to the crowd in an effortless way that made the whole swing thing much more palatable and pleasant.