Fits You, Sir…
Though Spandau Ballet had been, after all, among the many crown princes of futurism through the New Romantic period, their frontman was happier as soon as the band’s picture grew to become a little bit extra timeless, according to swing’s basic look. “When Spandau entered the go well with interval throughout True, I used to be in my factor,” remembers Hadley. “I used to be a large Robert Palmer fan and he all the time seemed super-cool, the identical as David Bowie seemed so cool in a go well with. Excuse the pun, however fits go well with me.”
That unlikely crossover between punk and crooner nonetheless survives in Hadley’s profession. In addition to the large band tour and releasing an expanded bodily version of final yr’s swing album The Temper I’m In, Hadley is engaged on a brand new pop album for launch in 2026, hinting: “I’ve written a few songs with my band that are fairly progressive. There’s some actually cool stuff on there.”
The breadth of Hadley’s tastes is summarised by the artists he names as present favourites. Within the order of which he rattles them off, he’s having fun with Lana Del Rey, The Wombats, Blossoms, Foals, Zara Larsson, Shawn Mendes, Swedish Home Mafia and Sam Fender. Attempt to decide the frequent thread out of that.
As CP’s author lives comparatively close by, we meet at Hadley’s native pub. Over the course of three hours and cans of alcohol-free lager (“It’s a bit early”), the singer is aware of everybody right here. He actually does verify he’s pleased to sing at a neighborhood village operate. The taxi driver house spends a superb 5 minutes eulogising what a pleasant man Hadley is. He appears each inch the contented entertainer. Is he? “Yeah!” he beams, as if it’s a daft query. “What else am I going to do, sit at house and be depressing? Once I’m off tour, I’ll say to my spouse: ‘Come on, let’s go down the pub.’ I’ve all the time been like that. I’ve by no means been one to sit down within the lodge room alone, I’m extra: ‘Let’s get on the market, stay life to the complete.’ As a result of it goes bloody shortly.”
Hadley is much less pleased to be reminded that he turned 65 in June, saying of his OAP standing: “It’s shit, isn’t it? It’s appalling. While you’re a child, seeing your aunties go: ‘Haven’t you bought tall?’, you assume: ‘Oh shut up, you foolish previous sod.’ At a sure level, you realise how proper they had been. I’m attempting to take inventory, and I’ve grow to be extra selective in regards to the gigs I do. I’m not so manic, so I solely select the issues I actually like. However there are loads of issues I actually like…”
That contentment is partly as a result of Hadley being comfortable along with his standing in pop. He’d love one other hit single, however accepts that’s unlikely. He’s pleased that he’s proven he could be a songwriter away from Spandau, then shortly provides he prefers getting others in to rearrange them. Typically, he acknowledges: “My profession has been up and down like a yo-yo. I’ve hit a plateau now, the place individuals have began calling me a legend. I’ll positively take that one.”
