Marianne Gunn's verdict: three stars
Forming as Spandau Ballet 36 years ago, their Soul Boys of the Western World tour is a little enigmatic: what brings the new-wave ensemble back together now to create music? No answers were given at the outset but would be revealed later on.
Reliving their career highlights, Round and Round was enhanced by library footage from Live Aid before they played a couple of new songs produced with Trevor Horn, a former collaborator. Steal, with sultry saxophone solo from Steve Norman was followed by Chant No 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On) which had the last of the resisting audience on their feet.
The subsequent Blitz strip lighting and giant glitter ball was only outdone in garishness by Gary Kemp's Paisley print and diamant� grandad shirt. Silver Fox Martin Kemp, meanwhile, had the smug demeanour - and leather trousers - that only a bass player can attempt to carry off. Raw then made way for an instrumental interlude, with bongo beats before Tony Hadley performed a pared-down duet with guitar accompaniment of Empty Spaces from the rear of the arena.
An excerpt from mega hit Gold was also played acoustically with predictably semi-riotous singalong consequences from the crowd before an ego-boosting walk back to the stage. "I feel like a Boxer," said Hadley, while wiping yet more sweat from his brow. "We've still got a few hits," he insisted before rocking on with Instinction, Communication and Lifeline before finishing the main set with True.
With top tickets priced at more than £90, it was a pretty lucrative exercise - and their motivation? To provide fans with a belated "better ending" (than their bitter courtroom drama). Emblematic Through The Barricades and anthemic Gold were the encore tracks and closed the nostalgic show.
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