Spandau Ballet

Spandau Ballet are an English band formed in Islington, London, in 1979, who became one of the defining acts of the New Romantic movement that emerged from London's club scene at the turn of the 1980s. Emerging alongside acts associated with the Blitz club and the broader New Romantic aesthetic, the band combined sharp, fashion-conscious style with music that moved from angular, synthesizer-driven post-punk and electro-pop on their early singles toward a glossier, soul- and funk-influenced pop-rock sound as the decade progressed. The classic line-up features brothers Gary and Martin Kemp on guitars, Tony Hadley on vocals, Steve Norman on saxophone and percussion, and John Keeble on drums.

The band's commercial and creative peak came with the mid-1980s singles «True» and «Gold», both of which showcased Hadley's powerful, romantic vocal delivery and became era-defining hits, cementing Spandau Ballet's place alongside contemporaries like Duran Duran as one of the most successful British pop acts of the decade. «To Cut a Long Story Short», their debut single, and later songs such as «Only When You Leave» and «Communication» trace the group's evolution from stark electronic experimentation to polished, radio-friendly songcraft, while «Through the Barricades» showed a more socially conscious, guitar-driven side to their writing.

After splitting in the early 1990s amid internal disputes, the band later reunited and continued to perform their catalogue live, remaining a touring and recording presence associated with one of the most stylistically influential scenes in British pop history. Their catalogue remains a touchstone for 1980s British pop and New Romantic style.