LONDON — Spandau Ballet is burying the hatchet after being at odds for two decades.
The ’80s British band is reuniting after a bitter split that included a court battle over royalties.
“As you can see, we’re back together again and we’re very happy boys,” lead singer Tony Hadley told reporters Wednesday at a press conference held aboard the HMS Belfast, the sight of one of the band’s famous early shows.
Joined by his fellow band members — guitarist Gary Kemp, bassist Martin Kemp, saxophonist Steve Norman and drummer John Keeble — Hadley said the band had decided to put the past behind them after having drinks at a local pub.
“I think it’s the realization that time is a great healer,” he said.
“We’re like any family, families go through terrible times. They argue,” added Martin Kemp.
Spandau Ballet was a major part of the ’80s modern rock craze, scoring big with their hit ballad “True.” However, the group split in 1989 and the feud escalated into a lawsuit settled a decade later in London’s High Court, with Gary Kemp emerging victorious after Hadley, Keeble and Norman sought hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties.
The band announced they will kick off an eight-date tour in Dublin on Oct. 13, with plans to wrap in Manchester on Oct. 28. More dates, including stops in the U.S., will be announced later.
“This a greatest hits tour,” said Hadley, who added the band may hit the studio to record new material in the future. “It’s the one we probably should have done many years ago.”
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