Spandau Ballet will work on new music after tour, says Martin Kemp
Pop-rock band will start thinking about new material soon as Martin Kemp admits the most recent tour has been filled with “pinch yourself” moments
Spandau Ballet are set to work on new material after their current Soul Boys of the Western World Tour comes to an end later this month.
“The plans at the moment are to finish at the end of this month, take a little while off – we’ve been going for something like 18 months – then we’ll start thinking about some new material,” Kemp told RadioTimes.com.
It’s not the first time in recent years the band has worked on new music. Their 2014 album ‘The Story’ featured three new tracks (among re-mastered versions of their classics) including This Is Love.
Kemp says they’ll wait until the tour is over to pen new tracks because there’s already “enough to do”.
“When you’re on tour, you’re on tour. It’s pretty difficult to try and work new material into that.”
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The musician certainly doesn’t get bored of performing the tracks that immediately spring to mind upon mention of Spandau Ballet: True, Gold…
“No, you ever get sick of it. We just played for 30,000 in Sicily. For those 30,000 that was the first time that they’d heard those songs live. It kind of comes back at you, so it kind of feels like the first time you’re playing that song because for them it’s their first experience.
“So you never get sick of it,” he added. “It’s a very strange thing. It’s not like theatre; the reaction is so big, the adrenalin comes back at you so much. It feels like you’re playing for the first time.”
“Sometimes you have to pinch yourself,” adds Kemp as the band have performed inside stunning venues, including an old Roman amphitheatre. “[You think] are we really allowed to make this much noise? Am I really allowed to play here?”
Kemp will soon be back on our screens in a cameo appearance on Birds of a Feather (“me and Dorian get to shag in some weird place,” he laughed) and this Monday night will appear on The National Lottery Awards show, National Lottery Stars.
The singer is presenting the UK's Best Heritage project, First World War in the Air at the RAF Museum in Colindale. The Royal Air Force Museum’s popular First World War in the Air gallery brings to life the compelling stories of the people, innovations, engineering and aircraft of the Great War.
More than 7,000 voted for them to win and Kemp said they were “over the moon” to receive the accolade.
“They’ve put a lot of work and a lot of effort into getting that award.”
Kemp has taken to the skies before as part of his 2008 show Martin Kemp: The Battle of Britain during which he boarded a World War II fighter plane to recreate a typical Battle of Britain dogfight.
Delving into the history of World War I and the aircraft was a delight for Kemp.
“These planes are just works of art. They’re beautiful machines. There’s a whole kind of romance with them.”
“It’s an educational experience and it’s a lot of fun at the same time, especially with the interactive elements they’ve got down there. You can hear it in my voice, I’m not just selling this, it really is fun.”
Martin Kemp is an ambassador for The National Lottery Awards show, National Lottery Stars 2015, Monday 21st September at 10.35pm on BBC1, which celebrate the UK’s favourite arts, sports, heritage and community projects. More info at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
