The people have spoken and it is my pleasure to show you Tony Hadley, former lead singer of Spandau Ballet singing a cover of The Killers’ “Somebody Told Me,” live in New York on Tony’s first ever solo tour of the United States!

Enjoy!

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Tony Hadley and Geoffrey Dicker

I can honestly say, I’ve had one of the greatest Tony Hadley experiences you could ever ask for.  I was fortunate enough to interview the former front man for 80s music gods Spandau Ballet as well as seeing his first solo show ever in the United States!  When I spoke with Tony in person, he told me that the band had just finished rehearsing “Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)” because he’d been interviewed earlier in the week and it was requested.  I got to tell him, and I’ll never be sick of saying this –  that was the interview we did together.  He was SO cool!  And he played the song for the adoring crowd later in the evening!  He’s definitely a man of his word, which makes me so happy.  All I can say is a million thank yous to Tony Hadley for the great music – past, present and future as well as for giving me memories that will never be forgotten!

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On behalf of all my readers, I would like to thank Tony Hadley again for playing the classic Spandau Ballet song ”Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)” during his first ever solo show in New York on August 13, 2011.  I interviewed the 1980s icon and asked if there was a possibility that he would play this great song.  He said yes and kept his word!  He even mentioned the interview right before he played a rock version of the track!  WOW!  That is so cool, according2g.  Tony – you’ve made a lot of our dreams come true and we thank you!

And now, enjoy “Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)” live by Tony Hadley from New York’s Irving Plaza on August 13, 2011.

P.S.  For another reward to my beloved readers for reading this site daily, I will upload another video from this great show – and you’ll get to pick!

Your choices are “Gold,” “True,” “To Cut A Long Story Short” or “Somebody Told Me (Killers Cover).”  Let us know in the comments section what you’d like to see and I’ll post it next week.  xo

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Tony Hadley

This much is true:  I had a blast seeing Tony Hadley’s first ever solo show in the United States!  The former lead singer of Spandau Ballet has just launched his first solo tour of America and it kicked off at New York’s Irving Plaza on August 13, 2011.  Tony Hadley looks and sounds great.  He hits all the high notes and sounds as great as he did in the 1980s when Spandau Ballet ruled the airwaves.  Over the course of his show, he played quite a few covers of some of his favorite songs, performed some beloved Spandau Ballet songs and also performed a new song called “My Imagination.”  As Tony promised in a recent interview with According2g, the song is a rocker!

Tony Hadley

This next section contains spoilers from the setlist, so if you want to be surprised when you see Tony in your city, bookmark this site and read the rest of the article later.  The show began with a fantastic cover of David Bowie’s “Life on Mars.”  When he flawlessly hit the high notes in the chorus, the audience went absolutely crazy!  In between songs, the crowd was shouting “we love you Tony” and there was a lot of love in the room.  The set was a lot more rock than one might have expected, but it worked!  The show featured covers of The Killers’ “Somebody Told Me,” Mark Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis,” Foo Fighters’ “Learn To Fly,” U2′s “With or Without You,” Duran Duran’s “Rio,” Queen’s “Somebody To Love,” and Kaiser Chiefs’ “I Predict A Riot.”

The Spandau Ballet tracks played were “Gold,” “True,” “Only When You Leave,” “Through The Barricades,” “Lifeline,” and “To Cut A Long Story Short.”  Spandau’s original drummer John Keeble is in Tony’s band, so that’s an added bonus!  When I interviewed Tony last week, I asked if there was a possibility of hearing “Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On),” and Tony said they could throw it in.  True to his word, he mentioned that the band had not played the song in a very long time, but it was asked in an interview if it could be played and he delivered for the crowd.  That was a very proud moment for me!  Also, the arrangement of the song was totally different and it was a great rock version of “Chant No. 1.”  A video will be coming soon, so please stay tuned!

Tony Hadley

To cut a long story short, Tony Hadley has expressed his desire to keep coming back to the US to play for us, so you should definitely see him when he comes to your town.  Thanks for a great show Tony and I look forward to seeing you when you come back!

See the set list after the jump.

Tony Hadley's setlist at Irving Plaza in New York on August 13, 2011

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Kate Pierson of The B-52's and G

I love The B-52′s!  I met the group in New York on June 11, 2011 prior to their sold out show at Irving Plaza.  Kate, Cindy, Keith and Fred were all super cool in spite of our encounter occurring at the tail end of a rain storm.  Thanks B-52′s!

Cindy Wilson of The B-52's and G

Keith Strickland of The B-52's and G

Fred Schneider did not want to be photographed, but he was cool enough to sign my “Funplex” CD!

Funplex by The B-52's

Thanks again to The B-52′s for all the great music – past, present and future and for being so cool!

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