They’re not quite the patron saint of slow dances, but for a generation of teenagers Spandau Ballet has been a staple at the disco.
The group’s hits include True, Gold and Only When You Leave, among many others.
They first formed in 1979, and had their first top five hit, To Cut a Long Story Short, a year later.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band’s debut album Journeys To Glory, co-founder Steve Norman is preparing to come to The Whitty Theatre in Wokingham.
The saxophonist will be visiting on Tuesday, February 8, the very first date of a UK tour.
Accompanied by his five-piece band The Sleevz, they will perform the album in its entirety for the first time.
The show will also feature later Spandau classics and will showcase Steve’s talents.
He said: “As much as it pains me that my main band is not currently a working unit, I simply cannot let this important milestone slip by without further pomp and ceremony.
“Spandau will always have a special place in my heart, as will JK, Gary, Tone and Mart.
“This tour is me and The Sleevz rocking a fine line between our interpretation of the songs whilst keeping true to the integrity of the original versions. And ultimately and most importantly, the audiences’ ears.
“Luckily, I’m in both bands. I’ll make sure we don’t stray too far”
He added: I’m already fired up and thoroughly looking forward to performing this album in front of a live audience. For a few weeks in February 2022 myself and The Sleevz, flying the Spandau flag.”
The album means a lot to him.
He said: “Little did I know when I formed a band with my school chums back in 1976, that we would not only reach that Holy Grail of signing a record deal but that the resulting record would play a major part in representing and inspiring a whole new generation.
“Our fellow ‘movers and shakers’ of the Blitz crowd in 1979/1980 had sparked a new youth movement that was now erupting out of clubland and rippling out across the globe – The New Romantics. And my band with Journeys To Glory were right there at the front.
“Our scene was creative, vibrant and powerful. We felt invincible. The collective Blitz kids’ wave was unstoppable, and Spandau had all the established bands looking over their shoulders wondering what the hell was coming through, and if they should be moving out of the way.
“Right there, was when our hopes and visions of the future finally materialised. Back when the saxophone, my future signature instrument, was just a twinkle in my quiff-covered eye.”
For more details, or to book, log on to https://linktr.ee/thesleevz, or http://stevenorman-official.com/
