Tony Hadley has opened up about the ways he settles his nerves before every performance.
Although his five-decade career makes performing before thousands look effortless, the Spandau Ballet frontman confesses that, as a teenager, he would feel almost sick before taking the stage. Now, he mostly contends with butterflies in the tummy right before showtime.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, the singer explained: “It stems from wanting to be the best you can be, and hoping everything will go smoothly and all the elements will click into place.”
Tony, now 66, added: “Those butterflies show up just before I go on, but the moment I start to sing, the moment I open my mouth, I relax. It’s almost euphoric.”
He went on: “But you learn to manage it over the years and to enjoy it. The most important thing is to enjoy it. If you’re enjoying it, the audience will notice. All you want is for people to leave with a big smile and think, ‘Wow, that was fantastic!’
The seasoned star has discovered one ritual that helps quell the butterflies before he and his Fabulous TH Band take the stage.
He revealed: “We head to the nearest pub, have a couple of pints, and then before we go on we do what’s called a 99, which is basically a shot of vodka.”
“And then we drink it, plonk the cup on our head, and someone rattles off a goofy anecdote from the day, we all share a quirky saying and shake hands, maybe dash to the loo for a last-minute wee, and then we’re on!”
He stressed: “None of us go on drunk or anything. It just helps to taper the nerves a touch.”
The Gold-certified artist’s close bond with his band helps create a relaxed atmosphere before every gig.
Tony said: “We’re all mates. I know all the brass players, of course, and the whole band, so there’s a genuinely great vibe among us before we step out.
“We enjoy hanging out together. We all sleep on the sleeper bus, so we have to like each other.
After the performance, we head offstage, take a seat, and have a few drinks. We don’t pick apart the show. Usually we come off saying, ‘That was brilliant. That was great.’
“Rarely do we leave saying, ‘That was a bit odd,’ because we love playing as a unit.”
Then we’ll lounge around and climb aboard the tour bus, likely staying up until about two in the morning and getting up ten hours later.
As he gears up to mark 50 years in music, Hadley and his band are preparing for a 19-date The Christmas Big Band Tour this November and December.
Joined by a full brass section, the Brit Award winner will deliver his robust vocals on Big Band and swing classics from Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, while also performing some Spandau Ballet tunes and beloved Christmas songs.
Tony commented: “I’m always thrilled by a big band tour. It’s expensive—there are many people on the road, with trucks, sleeper buses, and all kinds of gear.”
“Yet it’s one of the best tours you can do because you have the core band, the electric band, and then a large brass section behind you, singing all these beautifully timeless songs from Sinatra, Bennett, Jones, and Dean Martin.”
“I grew up listening to that era as well as Sex Pistols, Queen, Roxy Music and Bowie, and I adore performing those crooner-style songs.”
He continued: “We named it The Big Band Tour because it lets us include—I’m a massive Elvis fan, so we’ll perform a couple of Elvis tracks as well.”
“There are also some Spandau numbers in the mix. We’ve crafted an orchestration of Lifeline that sounds incredible with the big brass backing.”
“And we’ve got some Christmas songs, too.”
“So it’s a genuine musical journey, but at heart it’s that wonderful swing and Rat Pack vibe, which is fantastic.”
Tony Hadley marks 50 years in music with The Christmas Big Band Tour this winter, with tickets available now at myticket.co.uk.
The Christmas Big Band Tour dates:
November:
07 – Plymouth – Plymouth Arena
08 – Hastings – White Rock Theatre
09 – Southend-on-Sea – Cliffs Pavilion
12 – Oxford – New Theatre Oxford
13 – Cambridge – Cambridge Corn Exchange
15 – Ipswich – Ipswich Regent Theatre
16 – Bournemouth – Bournemouth Pavilion
17 – Truro – Hall for Cornwall
19 – Birmingham – Symphony Hall
20 – Manchester – O2 Apollo Manchester
21 – York – York Barbican
23 – Edinburgh – Usher Hall
25 – Hull – Connexin Live, Hull
26 – Blackpool – The Blackpool Opera House
27 – Gateshead – The Glasshouse
29 – Glasgow – The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
30 – Nottingham – Royal Concert Hall
December:
03 – Bristol – Bristol Beacon
04 – London – London Coliseum
