Update: Tony Hadley sings the National Anthem in the British Garden, NYC. Photographs by Luke LoCurcio and John Meese
Update: Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, Canadian first lady Laureen Harper, British consul-general Danny Lopez and Australian consul-general Phil Scanlan stand for each country’s national anthem
❚ IN NEW YORK TODAY AT 13h30, the British vocalist Tony Hadley sings the National Anthem, God Save the Queen, at the memorial concert marking the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America. In the presence of Danny Lopez, HM consul-general in New York, the event is being held in The British Garden, Hanover Square in Lower Manhattan, NYC, which was created with the endorsement of the British consulate-general to honour the 67 British subjects lost in the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. They were carried out by 19 hijackers seizing four planes, taking nearly 3,000 lives. President Barack Obama said that the tenth anniversary would be a day of “service and remembrance”. White House guidelines emphasise the theme of resilience, and warn of future attacks.
Providing the music along with Tony Hadley are InChorus, The Lothan & Borders Police Choir and Tayside Police Choir, The West Yorkshire Police Brass Band and the Allied Forces Foundation Pipes and Drums.
This year an invitation from Her Majesty the Queen to include Australians in the memorial has been gladly accepted by Australian prime minister, the Hon Julia Gillard. In New York Australian consul-general Phil Scanlan joins Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper among distinguished guests at the memorial concert, and the official memorial site includes a dedication to the Australian and Canadian victims of the 9/11 attacks, as well as British and American. The motto of the garden reads “Reflect, Remember, Rebuild”. As explained by Danny Lopez, this signifies that New York City is moving on but not forgetting. Following the ceremony, a gala fundraising dinner is being held on September 12, and funds raised will go toward the ongoing conservancy of the Garden.
Tony Hadley writing at Facebook today at 11:11
“ Here in New York City for today’s 9/11 Memorial Concert at the British Garden in Hanover Square. I feel very proud to be asked to come over to sing our National Anthem. Thanks to all the British Police I met in Brooklyn last night at the first ever block party that I have been to. It was fantastic. Cheers lads and lasses.”
The British Garden is a modern classic, here photographed in 2010 by Alliance for Downtown New York: sinuous lines are formed by benches and voluptuous topiaries at Hanover Square, in Lower Manhattan. The space was designed by landscape architects Isabel and Julian Bannerman, best known for their work for the Prince of Wales at his Highgrove home. It features City of London-style bollards, paving quarried in Scotland and Wales and benches produced in England and finished in Northern Ireland. All that remains to complete the scheme is the planned stone sculpture by Anish Kapoor.
First day of their American visit 2005: His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Royal Patron of the British Memorial Garden Trust, and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall visit the British Memorial Garden in Manhattan
Prince Harry plants a magnolia bush as part of New York City’s Million Trees NYC initiative in the British Garden in New York, 2009. Photograph by Richard Drew/AP
Official opening on July 6, 2010: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II meets local luminaries after cutting a red ribbon to open the British Garden. Photographed by Spencer T Tucker
Chant No 1 by special request: Tony Hadley onstage last night in New York with Richie Barrett on guitar (verbalalchemy video)
❚ LAST NIGHT AT IRVING PLAZA IN NYC Tony Hadley rattled through a 17-strong set list on which seven were Spandau Ballet hits, and this reviewer, The G, was impressed with the rockiness of the other numbers he covered …
John Keeble: laying down the tempo last night in NYC (verbalalchemy)
“ 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.
“ In between, the crowd was shouting “We love you Tony” and there was a lot of love in the room… ”
❏ At Tony’s Facebook page Hoory Kajajian-Yeganeh writes: “Great show @ Irving Plaza last night. What a voice! What a fabulous performance! Thank you :) ” ❏ Terry Hunter writes: “He was BRILLIANT. No one like Tony…anywhere, EVER.” ❏ Tony Thomas writes: “Tony knocked it out of the park that night. Great show.”
+++ ❏ At Tony’s Facebook page Heather Ann Cummings writes: “Hi Tony, Saw your WONDERFUL concert at North Halsted Market Days, Chicago, Sunday afternoon. The best! Your group was so good too. Thank you for taking the time to sign your photo and interview that appeared in this week’s Windy City Times. Your song choice was amazing and Through the Baricades had me with tears in my eyes. I’ve also adopted your song Live, Let Live and Love as my mantra and am passing it on.” ❏ Heidi Herman writes: “Tony, you were scorching in Chicago today. Your voice is so beautiful and powerful and the same time — amazing! I still can’t believe I saw you perform after all these years of being one of your most adoring fans. My friend and I were impressed with your charm, wit, and sincerity. You are classy gentleman and so very humble for someone so talented and well-known. Thank you, Tony.”
AUG 16, THAT’S LIFE: A BLISTERING CLOSE TO TONY’S SHOW AT HOUSE OF BLUES, HOLLYWOOD
+++ ❏ At Tony’s Facebook page Glenisha Jones writes:“Iam floating on a cloud after seeing Tony Hadley perform for the first time! It was amazing, fun, brilliant & it will be in my heart forever :) Tony hasn’t changed. He is still handsome & his voice is even more beautiful. Thank you Tony for coming to LA.”
Setlist for Tony Hadley at House of Blues Los Angeles, Aug 16 (posted at Facebook by Rissa Dodson)
❏ Kedric Hubbert writes: “Saw u last nite in Los Angeles. U were amazing. I got my 2 fave songs To cut a long story short & Lifeline. My friend marc were in the front singing all the words. Come back soon & bring john (again) & maybe even steve, martin & gary along for the ride… brilliant show. Thank u!” ❏ Jill Bonnell writes: “Fabulous show last night at House of Blues Sunset Strip” ❏ Richard Peacock writes: “Thank you again for coming back to the States to spend a night with your true fans. I can’t believe I had the honor of seeing one of my teen idols live on stage… for me it was exactly like seeing Elvis live and in person. Only in a very English way. We love ya Tony.” ❏ Cleo Dla writes: “You definitely rocked tonite at the HOB show in LA. Loved the set but wished you could have played another hour. You still sound incredible after all these years. I hope you return soon. Have a kick ass rest of the tour” =)
Tony Hadley in Las Vegas: wowing them at the Fremont Experience on his US tour, Aug 20. Picture from T’s Facebook album
❏ Wendy Chouinard writes at Facebook: “Thank you for such a great show in downtown Las Vegas, Tony. Remember to use a humidifier when you come back into town.” ❏ Michael Vigil writes:“Tony, thanks for your fantastic, heart-felt performance in Las Vegas last night. You were amazing. Good to see John Keeble as well. You guys didn’t disappoint despite the Las Vegas heat. A memorable hot August night. Thanks so much.”
JK signing after the Vegas show: video grab by patiently88 who also shot the Suspicious Mind vid in Ramona
❏ Nils Arvidsson writes: “Thank you for a fantastic show in Vegas last night. Tony, you are the man. You kept your suit on in spite of the temp being right around 100 degrees. You sir, are one debonair guy! Next time you come to Vegas I hope it’s a bit cooler for you. Cheers.” ❏ Anna Prado-Frias writes: “Amazing show in Vegas. Thank you so much for the chat w/my husband and I. Also for the picture. Can’t wait for the next performance and CD. Best of luck on your future shows.” ❏ Tim Mancuso writes: “Great show — caught Tony Hadley in Las Vegas — WOW, what a talented singer and performer. 1st time back to the States since 1986 with Spandau Ballet — was blessed to hear him and see the show. Thanks for giving it all you had Tony, was most excellent.” ❏ Lisette Garcia-Kohler writes: “Yes, Las Vegas really loved you. What an amazing night! One I will never forget since so many memories were relived with your songs. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
AUG 21, RED DEVIL LOUNGE, SAN FRANCISCO
❏ Shivaun O’Neill writes: “Awesome show at Red Devil Lounge tonight; thank you for playing in San Francisco.” ❏ Phyllis Mesquita writes: “Great show at Red Devil last night, hope you return.” ❏ Stu Sperling writes: “Saw the concert last night at Red Devil Lounge. They put on a great show. Tony has an amazing voice. Side note, my wife and I were walking around Union Square this afternoon and spotted drummer John Keeble. We walked over to tell him how great the show was. He could not have been nicer. Hope they come back to the states soon.” ❏ Nellie Jones writes: “Thank you for being so kind to your fans and letting us take pictures with you. You have barely aged — you wouldn’t be another Dorian Gray would you? Hope to see you back at the Red Devil Lounge soon. Feel free to bring the other band members as well.”
➢ NEXT STOPS — Sep 2, Rewind Scarborough UK… Sep 4, Cantazaro, Italy… Oct 26–Nov 4, various dates in Australia… Nov 12, Abu Dhabi
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MORE INTERESTING THAN MOST PEOPLE’S FANTASIES — THE SWINGING EIGHTIES 1978-1984
They didn’t call themselves New Romantics, or the Blitz Kids – but other people did.
“I’d find people at the Blitz who were possible only in my imagination. But they were real” — Stephen Jones, hatmaker, 1983. (Illustration courtesy Iain R Webb, 1983)
“The truth about those Blitz club people was more interesting than most people’s fantasies” — Steve Dagger, pop group manager, 1983
PRAISE INDEED!
“See David Johnson’s fabulously detailed website Shapers of the 80s to which I am hugely indebted” – Political historian Dominic Sandbrook, in his book Who Dares Wins, 2019
“The (velvet) goldmine that is Shapers of the 80s” – Verdict of Chris O’Leary, respected author and blogger who analyses Bowie song by song at Pushing Ahead of the Dame
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A UNIQUE HISTORY
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VINCENT ON AIR 2022
✱ Deejay legend Robbie Vincent returned to JazzFM on Sundays 1-3pm in 2021… Catch Robbie’s JazzFM August Bank Holiday 2020 session thanks to AhhhhhSoul with four hours of “nothing but essential rhythms of soul, jazz and funk”.
TOLD FOR THE FIRST TIME
◆ Who was who in Spandau’s break-out year of 1980? The Invisible Hand of Shapersofthe80s draws a selective timeline for The unprecedented rise and rise of Spandau Ballet –– Turn to our inside page
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UNTOLD BLITZ STORIES
✱ If you thought there was no more to know about the birth of Blitz culture in 1980 then get your hands on a sensational book by an obsessive music fan called David Barrat. It is gripping, original and epic – a spooky tale of coincidence and parallel lives as mind-tingling as a Sherlock Holmes yarn. Titled both New Romantics Who Never Were and The Untold Story of Spandau Ballet! Sample this initial taster here at Shapers of the 80s
CHEWING THE FAT
✱ Jawing at Soho Radio on the 80s clubland revolution (from 32 mins) and on art (@55 mins) is probably the most influential shaper of the 80s, former Wag-club director Chris Sullivan (pictured) with editor of this website David Johnson
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