Review: Tony Hadley at Astor Theatre
Tony Hadley at Astor Theatre
w/ Sam McGovern
Saturday, February 1, 2025
Playing the first of two sold-out nights at Mount Lawley’s salubrious Astor Theatre, Tony Hadley appeared immaculately dressed and in immaculate voice. Wearing a simple white shirt sans tie under a blue suit, he joyfully joked with the crowd like the 40-year-old pro he is, revisiting his Spandau Ballet career along with a few solo favourites.
Opening the show was Sam McGovern, with a warmly engaging set of acoustic singer-songwriter tracks, which land not far from the Jack Johnson ballpark, with a hint or three of Ed Sheeran for good measure. The crowd lapped him up, joining in to sing Happy Birthday to his dad and a bold cover of Dire Straits’ Romeo & Juliet, keeping him busy on the merch desk afterwards.
At the front of the simply but stylishly lit stage, bathed mostly in reds and blues, Tony Hadley propped on a stool for the first track—a smooth cover of Anthony Newley’s Feeling Good—and later in the set for a few songs, the only sign of last year’s knee surgery, which necessitated rescheduling of some European shows.
To Cut A Long Story Short, Highly Strung and Only When You Leave got dancers on their feet, but security were too highly strung to allow them to enjoy themselves at this fully seated event. Some argy-bargy on one side of the crowd even resulted in a couple of people being literally pushed out the fire escape for reasons unclear.
Spandau Ballet and their fellow New Romantics and popstars were dance music before Dance Music was dance music, and the heavy-handed staff made far more of a distraction than the dancers’ harmless enjoyment of the show. Give ‘em a uniform…
Thankfully, Hadders seemed oblivious to any disruptions, as his solo tracks Alibi and Round And Round sat seamlessly besides Soul Boy and With The Pride. He graciously thanked his former bandmates—acknowledging that although there’s been much said and written about him and the band (and the bad blood between them), he is sincerely thankful that without them he—and we—wouldn’t be here tonight.
Through The Barricades, which Hadley declared his personal favourite Spandau song, allowed him to sit again and have “a real drink.” He continued, “I love Jack [Daniels]. I’ve tried to get rid of him for years, but every dressing room I go into, there’s another bottle!”
Hadley’s band is razor sharp—especially Adam Wakeman (son of prog legend Rick and most recently seen in Perth with his excellent outfit Jazz Sabbath) on keys and firebrand percussionist and occasional singer Lily Gonzales, who also likes a little hot steppin’ boogie centre stage.
By Lifeline, security had given up policing the dancers, and just as well, because by the time Spandau’s biggest two songs, True—featuring a guitar solo in place of Steve Norman’s sax solo and a vocal solo from Gonzales—and Gold were played, there was no stopping ninety-five percent of those present from getting on their feet.
Hadley didn’t waste time going off and then returning for an encore, simply following those two classic hits the only way anyone can—with another classic, albeit somebody else’s. Queen’s We Are The Champions was a soaring winner, with his blue-eyed soul vocals fitting into the ubiquitous track like a tightly packed game of Tetris.
SHANE PINNEGAR
Photos by Pete Gardner
