When you grow up with one thing, you can either get over it once you are older, or you can appreciate it more. Spandau Ballet is an example of the latter, much to our mother's enjoyment. (She's their number one Australian fan, the Original Fangirl). So, when it was announced that the British 80s New Romantic band was returning to Australia in May 2015, our mother was quick to purchase tickets for herself and our dad. However, what she forgot to do was ask to see if we would like to come! However, in the end, after expressing how we would love to see Spandau Ballet in concert (after watching their new documentary, Soul Boys Of The Western World, with her), we purchased our own tickets.
Now, you may not have heard of Spandau Ballet, but you may know their hits "Gold" (a favourite of the 2012 London Olympics) and romance classic "True".
An Intro to Spandau Ballet: The Soul Boys of the Western World trailer
As it is an 80s band, and we weren't even alive when Spandau Ballet were in their prime, we expected to be the only people our age actually attending the concert. And we were correct -- at least from what we could see. The only people we saw younger than us, were children who came along with their parents, probably without a choice. We were joking that our presence made sense when we were walking around with our parents, until we split up as we had different seats from them. Then people probably thought that we were lost or something. Let me tell you, we were not lost! (Update: Claire saw plenty of boys our age afterwards. Hello, where were you hiding?)
In our seats we took our Instagram pics, started the obligatory "I'm at a concert" snap story on Snapchat, sung along to the 80s jukebox playing over the speakers, discussed our favourite 80s song** and hoped they would play our favourite songs. We're pretty sure we were given questionable looks from the Gen X audience members around us, but who cares? We're fans as much as them (a bit late to the party, but still.)
The concert itself was amazing. Those men are in their 50s but they still got it! Big props to Tony Hadley, the lead singer, who could still hit those high and long notes after all these years, and to the musicians Martin and Gary Kemp, Steve Norman and John Keeble for their simply electric energy.
Highlights include our (and our mothers) favourite song Round and Round, which, half-way through the song, included old footage from their 80s days played on the screen behind them. This was a very heart-strings tugging move for us, especially when you think about the line "We were the news" from the song and then the old footage form their hey-day/the height of their frame. It gave us SO MANY EMOTIONS (which is quite astonishing for two people who weren't even alive back then. Thanks Mum and the Spandau Ballet documentary movie for making us feel like we were also fans in 1985).
Another favourite was when they did their homage to the Bliz Kids of their past (and looking at them now in their suits, you would not have known they were so outrageous/Blitz kids/founders of the New Romantics back in the 80s, honestly) with their funky neon BLITZ sign. The first time Gold was sung was a beautiful acousitc version where us, the audience, sang most of the words. When a whole arena of fans all sing the same song at the same time is a truly magical moment. The second time was their second encore, the perfect ending.
Overall, it was a stellar night. The music of Spandau Ballet for us is like a warm, comforting hug. It reminds us of our childhood, plus who doesn't feel all fuzzy inside listening to some smooth sax?
** (We both agreed our favourite 80s song is If You Leave by Orchestral Manouvres in the Dark, from one of our favourite movies, Pretty in Pink. It just gives us The Feels. Snaps to that music video #classic.)
In our seats we took our Instagram pics, started the obligatory "I'm at a concert" snap story on Snapchat, sung along to the 80s jukebox playing over the speakers, discussed our favourite 80s song** and hoped they would play our favourite songs. We're pretty sure we were given questionable looks from the Gen X audience members around us, but who cares? We're fans as much as them (a bit late to the party, but still.)
The concert itself was amazing. Those men are in their 50s but they still got it! Big props to Tony Hadley, the lead singer, who could still hit those high and long notes after all these years, and to the musicians Martin and Gary Kemp, Steve Norman and John Keeble for their simply electric energy.
Highlights include our (and our mothers) favourite song Round and Round, which, half-way through the song, included old footage from their 80s days played on the screen behind them. This was a very heart-strings tugging move for us, especially when you think about the line "We were the news" from the song and then the old footage form their hey-day/the height of their frame. It gave us SO MANY EMOTIONS (which is quite astonishing for two people who weren't even alive back then. Thanks Mum and the Spandau Ballet documentary movie for making us feel like we were also fans in 1985).
Graceful and Claire does not take ownership of this photo. Source: Spandau Ballet (Official) Facebook page.
Another favourite was when they did their homage to the Bliz Kids of their past (and looking at them now in their suits, you would not have known they were so outrageous/Blitz kids/founders of the New Romantics back in the 80s, honestly) with their funky neon BLITZ sign. The first time Gold was sung was a beautiful acousitc version where us, the audience, sang most of the words. When a whole arena of fans all sing the same song at the same time is a truly magical moment. The second time was their second encore, the perfect ending.
Overall, it was a stellar night. The music of Spandau Ballet for us is like a warm, comforting hug. It reminds us of our childhood, plus who doesn't feel all fuzzy inside listening to some smooth sax?
Stay Gold,
(not even sorry)
Grace and Claire
** (We both agreed our favourite 80s song is If You Leave by Orchestral Manouvres in the Dark, from one of our favourite movies, Pretty in Pink. It just gives us The Feels. Snaps to that music video #classic.)
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