Editing Spandau Ballet (section)

===2009–2019: Reunion===
[[File:Spandau Ballett MICHALSKY StyleNite.jpg|thumb|Reunited Spandau Ballet performing at [[Berlin Fashion Week]] in January 2010]]
In early 2009, the official Spandau Ballet website encouraged fans to sign up "for an exciting announcement",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spandauballet.com |title=Spandau Ballet Official Site |access-date=21 March 2009}}</ref> fuelling rumours that a reunion was imminent. [[Jonathan Ross]] mentioned during his [[BBC Radio 2]] programme on 21 March 2009, that the band were re-forming and that he had been invited to the reunion party.<ref>I got an invite recently to a band that have recently reformed who were a big band in the '80s. I can't tell you their name but it involves the words 'Ballet' and 'Spandau.' The invite said that "we're going to party like it's 1982". Transcribed from Jonathan Ross, BBC Radio 2, 21 March 2009.</ref>

The band confirmed the rumours at a press conference on 25 March 2009, on board [[HMS Belfast (C35)|HMS ''Belfast'']] in London, a return to the venue of one of their first gigs to launch their comeback tour.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7958814.stm |title=Spandau re-form for a world tour |publisher=BBC News |date=25 March 2009 |access-date=1 April 2009}}</ref> They were introduced by friend and broadcaster Robert Elms after a Billy's and Blitz era DJ set by [[Rusty Egan]]. John Keeble and Gary Kemp revealed current musical influences as [[The Killers]], [[Kaiser Chiefs]], [[MGMT]] and [[Florence and the Machine]].

The band began a world tour in October 2009, starting with eight dates across Ireland and the UK, the first of which was in Dublin on 13 October 2009. The tickets for the UK and Ireland shows went on pre-sale on the official Spandau Ballet website on 25 March 2009. They went on general release on 27 March 2009. For the general release tickets, [[The O2 arena (London)|the London O2 arena]] tickets sold out within 20 minutes and an extra two dates were added there because of demand.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/5060414/Spandau-Ballets-homecoming-gigs-sell-out-in-20-minutes.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/5060414/Spandau-Ballets-homecoming-gigs-sell-out-in-20-minutes.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Spandau Ballet's homecoming gigs sell out in 20 minutes|date=27 March 2009|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=1 April 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The band also added Liverpool and an extra date in Birmingham to the tour. Members gave their "first public performance and interview anywhere in the world for 19 years" on the BBC television show ''[[Friday Night with Jonathan Ross]]'' on 24 April 2009<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jzm82|title=One Programmes – Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Series 16, Episode 12|publisher=BBC|access-date=15 July 2011}}</ref> performing "Chant No.1" with the original [[Beggar & Co]] and "Gold".

On 19 October 2009, the group released a new album, ''[[Once More (Spandau Ballet album)|Once More]]'', which featured reworked semi-acoustic versions of 11 Spandau favourites and two new songs, the title track, written by Gary Kemp and Steve Norman, and Love Is All, the first Spandau song to be written by Tony Hadley. The album went Gold in Italy and Silver in the UK. Virgin Media honoured Spandau Ballet as the Best Comeback of 2009 in the Virgin Media Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virginmedia.com/music/features/awards2009-winners.php?page=7|title=Best Comeback – Spandau Ballet – Virgin Media Music Awards 2009: The winners – Music|publisher=Virgin Media|access-date=15 July 2011}}</ref>

Spandau Ballet went on tour in Australia during April 2010 with [[Tears For Fears]] as part of a world tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spandauballet.com/news/sb-to-tour-australia-with-tea/ |title=SB To Tour Australia With Tears For Fears |publisher=Spandauballet.com |access-date=3 August 2014}}</ref> After a headline set at the [[Isle of Wight Festival 2010|Isle of Wight Festival]] on the same bill as [[Paul McCartney]], [[The Strokes]], [[Jay-Z]] and [[Pink (singer)|Pink]], the group played their last UK show of the Reformation Tour at [[Newmarket Racecourse]] on 25 June 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spandauballet.com/news/sb-to-play-isle-of-wight-fest/ |title=Isle of Wight Festival Appearance Announced |publisher=Spandauballet.com |access-date=3 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spandauballet.com/news/df649a356c992d374f9d3d1301a37d7a/ |title=See Spandau Live for the Last Time This Year! |publisher=Spandauballet.com |access-date=3 August 2010}}</ref>

In 2014, all five played live again with an anthology world tour to promote a critically acclaimed feature-length archive-only documentary of the band's story and the pop cultural history of the Eighties, ''Soul Boys of the Western World.''<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3636326| title=Soul Boys of the Western World| publisher=iMDB | date=2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smoothradio.com/news/spandau-ballet-add-second-o2-arena-date/|title=Spandau Ballet Add Second O2 Arena Date|website=Smooth|language=en|access-date=26 March 2019}}</ref> It world premiered at South By Southwest with Spandau also playing as part of the music festival,<ref name="auto3"/> their first public appearance in North America since 1985. The band played five numbers for the film's European premiere at the Royal Albert Hall. There were gala screenings in Sydney, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Auckland and Hamburg. The film had a UK cinema release. It was directed by George Hencken, produced by Steve Dagger and Scott Milaney with archive producer Kate Griffiths and included never-before-seen footage of the band playing and being interviewed at NYC's Underground club in March 1981.

It was confirmed on 31 July 2014, that Spandau Ballet were working on new material in the studio with [[Trevor Horn]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6206107/spandau-ballet-recording-first-new-album-in-25-years |title=Spandau Ballet Recording First New Studio Album in 25 Years |magazine=Billboard |date=2 August 2014 |access-date=3 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/02/spandau-ballet-are-back-80s-heart-throbs-recording-first-new-album-in-25-years-4819317/ |title=Spandau Ballet are back! 80s heart-throbs recording first new album in 25 years |work=Metro |access-date=3 August 2014}}</ref> In the UK, the band appeared in an ITV show, ''Spandau Ballet – True Gold'', in which they performed several hits and were interviewed by [[Christine Lampard|Christine Bleakley]] in front of a studio audience. The band performed their 1980s hit single "[[True (Spandau Ballet song)|True]]" and a new song called "[[This Is the Love]]" on ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live]]'' on 11 November 2014. It was their US late-night TV debut and their first US TV appearance since 1985 when they played on ''[[Soul Train]]''. They were there to promote their new greatest hits collection called ''The Story – The Very Best of Spandau Ballet'', which also contained three new songs. The album reached the UK top 10. Both "Steal" and "This Is The Love" appeared on the US Adult Contemporary chart.

The band embarked on another world tour in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1717915/watch-spandau-ballet-make-their-first-u-s-tv-appearance-in-almost-30-years-on-kimmel/video/|title=Watch Spandau Ballet Make Their First U.S. TV Appearance in Almost 30 Years on Kimmel|work=Stereogum|date=11 November 2014}}</ref> In January 2015, they appeared on ''[[Today (U.S. TV program)|The Today Show]]'', performing "True".<ref>{{cite news |title=Spandau Ballet performs hit song 'True' |url=http://www.today.com/popculture/spandau-ballet-performs-hit-song-true-1D80436333 |access-date=28 April 2015 |work=Today |date=20 January 2015}}</ref> They also appeared on ''The Talk'' on 27 July 2015 to perform "True".

On 3 July 2017, Tony Hadley left the band due to, as he stated on [[Twitter]], circumstances beyond his control.<ref name="auto"/> The rest of the band released their own statement explaining that Hadley had made it clear to them in September 2016 that he did not want to work with the band any more and that they had now reached the decision "to move on as a band."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/frustrated-spandau-ballet-respond-tony-hadleys-departure-2098310|title='Frustrated' Spandau Ballet respond to Tony Hadley's departure|last=Andrew Trendell|date=4 July 2017|website=NME|language=en-US|access-date=26 March 2019}}</ref>

The initial plan was for [[Seal (singer)|Seal]] to replace Hadley's as Spandau's singer. According to Gary Kemp, an agreement for a tour was reached with Seal but, as the band was waiting for him to fly in and start to rehearse, he eventually backed off.<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Earls |first= John |date= March–April 2025 |title= Gary Kemp: Confidence Man |magazine= Classic Pop |page= 40 |publisher= Anthem Publishing}}</ref>

On 6 June 2018, after a lengthy audition process Spandau Ballet revealed their new lead singer, Ross William Wild, who had previously performed with Martin Kemp in the West End musical ''[[Million Dollar Quartet (musical)|Million Dollar Quartet]]''. The band played live at Subterania Club in West London, a venue they had last played 40 years earlier in 1978 as Gentry when it was called Acklam Hall.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8459930/spandau-ballet-new-singer-london-interview|title=Spandau Ballet Debuts New Singer In London: 'This Is a Rebirth of the Band'|magazine=Billboard|date=7 June 2018|access-date=26 March 2019}}</ref> Their first song as the new line-up was "Through the Barricades".<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/spandau-ballet-review-subterania-veteran-band-energised-new/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/spandau-ballet-review-subterania-veteran-band-energised-new/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live| work=Daily Telegraph| date=7 June 2018| first=Neil| last=McCormick| title=A veteran band energised by their new frontman|access-date=9 June 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/evfwhn/live/c5n6v2| work=BBC Events| date=7 June 2018| first=Kev| last=Geoghegan| title=New Spandau Ballet unveil new singer Ross at London gig|access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/2018/06/07/2018-%e2%9e%a4-dad-band-spandau-preen-with-pride-for-ross-their-newly-adopted-son| title=Dad band Spandau preen with pride for Ross their newly adopted son| work=➢➢ Shapers of the 80s ➣➣| publisher=Shapersofthe80s| date=7 June 2018| access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/reviews/spandau-ballet-verdict-on-the-new-frontman-ross-william-wild/| work=Superdeluxeedition| date=7 June 2018| first=Paul| last=Sinclair| title=Verdict on the new frontman, Ross William Wild|access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref> Wild said: "If it wasn't for Spandau so much stuff wouldn't have happened. They are pioneers."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/lifestyle/entertainment/music/spandau-ballet-introduce-new-singer-at-london-show/|title=Aberdeen singer Ross William Wild introduced as new Spandau Ballet frontman at London show|agency=Press Association|date=6 June 2018|website=Evening Express|language=en-US|access-date=26 March 2019}}</ref>

Spandau Ballet finished the year showcasing Wild with five live gigs abroad (Milan, Rome, Padova, Utrecht, Tilburg)<ref>{{cite web| url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/2018/10/24/%e2%9e%a4-milan-says-ciao-to-snazzy-ross-now-fronting-the-flash-dads-of-spandau-ballet| title=Milan says Ciao to snazzy Ross now fronting the flash dads of Spandau Ballet| publisher=Shapersofthe80s| date=24 October 2018| access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref> concluding with another at the Eventim Apollo in London on 29 October, and attracted favourable reviews.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.musicattitude.it/livetune/concerti/spandau-ballet-report-foto-concerto-padova-25-ottobre-2018/171718| work=Music Attitude| date=26 October 2018| first=Nicola| last=Lucchetta| title=Spandau Ballet, il report e le foto del concerto di Padova|access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.noise11.com/news/spandau-ballet-present-news-singer-ross-william-wild-in-milan-20181106| work=Music News| date=6 November 2018| first=Danny| last=Gandolfi| title= Spandau Ballet Present News Singer Ross William Wild in Milan|access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref>
 
On 16 October 2018, Hadley played the [[London Palladium]] with The Tony Hadley Band.

Within five months cracks were appearing in Spandau's new line-up. In March 2019, Wild joined a new band called Mercutio, saying: "I can't wait around for Spandau! Unfortunately Gary [Kemp] has commitments, so we're waiting him to finish until we crack on."<ref>{{cite web| url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/2019/03/13/2019-%e2%9e%a4-spandau-vocalist-ross-rocks-fans-by-announcing-his-own-new-band-mercutio| title=Spandau vocalist Ross rocks fans by announcing his own new band Mercutio| work=Shapersofthe80s| date=13 March 2019| access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref> One month later Gary Kemp, touring the US with Nick Mason's band Saucerful of Secrets, said in an interview: "There are no plans for Spandau going into 2020." He said he struggled to imagine Spandau Ballet without Tony Hadley, adding: "I still think that's the ultimate goal".<ref>{{cite news| url=https://parklifedc.com/2019/04/15/interview-gary-kemp-of-nick-masons-saucerful-of-secrets-dar-constitution-hall-4-22-19| work=ParkLifeDC| date=15 April 2019| first=Mickey| last=McCarter| title=Gary Kemp talks about Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets and Spandau Ballet|access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref> Then on 23 May 2019, Wild tweeted at 6:15am: "I have formally quit the band @SpandauBallet to pursue my own music with my band Mercutio."<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1131549159922782209|user=RossWilliamWild|title=I have formally quit the band @SpandauBallet... |date=23 May 2019|access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref> By 10:30am Martin Kemp was on ITV's ''This Morning'' confirming that Spandau would not be touring "until Tony [Hadley] comes back".<ref>{{cite web| url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/2019/05/25/2019-%e2%9e%a4-another-spandau-bombshell-kemp-brothers-drive-out-ross-their-perfect-new-singer| title=Another Spandau bombshell – Kemp Brothers drive out Ross their 'perfect' new singer| publisher=Shapersofthe80s| date=25 May 2019| access-date=5 December 2020}}</ref>

The next day Spandau thanked Wild via Twitter for "his brilliant performances with them last year and wish him every success with his band, Mercutio".<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1131899226919755776 |user=SpandauBallet|title=Spandau Ballet would like to thank Ross William Wild...|date=24 May 2019|access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref> Within the next few days Wild explained further: "I'd put my whole life on hold and was sick of waiting around for them to make up their minds. I told the boys I was quitting and then never heard back from them." The band's sax player Steve Norman also said: "I was neither involved in nor informed of any discussions or decision-making regarding the future of my band, least of all Ross's position in it."<ref>{{cite web| url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/2019/05/25/2019-%e2%9e%a4-another-spandau-bombshell-kemp-brothers-drive-out-ross-their-perfect-new-singer| title=Another Spandau bombshell – Kemp Brothers drive out Ross their 'perfect' new singer| publisher=Shapersofthe80s| date=25 May 2019| access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref> Wild was subsequently arrested in March 2021 and charged (under his real name, Ross Davidson) with a series of sex offences dating back to 2013. He was convicted in 2024 of voyeurism, raping a woman and sexually assaulting two others.<ref name=gecsoyler>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/jul/25/sadistic-and-manipulative-ex-spandau-ballet-singer-guilty-of|work=[[The Guardian]]|title='Sadistic and manipulative' ex-Spandau Ballet singer guilty of rape|first=Sammy|last=Gecsoyler|date=25 July 2024|access-date=26 July 2024}}</ref>