If there was ever any doubt that Tony Hadley still knows how to put on a show, Perth got the answer loud and clear last weekend. Across two sold out nights at the Astor Theatre, Hadley rolled into town with charm, swagger and a stack of songs that instantly transported the room straight back to the glory days of big choruses, sharp suits and peak 80s pop. And honestly? He barely put a foot wrong.
Opening both Perth shows was New Zealand singer-songwriter Georgia Lines, who won over the Astor crowd with a warm, polished set packed with heart, humour and strong songwriting. Tracks like ‘Grow Old Without You’, ‘The Letter’, ‘Wayside’, ‘The Guest House’, ‘Made For Loving’ and ‘Grand Illusion’ showcased her soulful voice, skilful playing and easy stage presence, giving the early crowd plenty to latch onto. It was a classy and confident opening set that felt like a perfect fit for the night.
From the second the lights dropped, the vibe in the Astor was electric. You could feel that mix of excitement and nostalgia bubbling away before Hadley had even stepped on stage. Then out he came — suited, polished and looking every bit the star — and wasted no time settling in with a silky version of ‘Feeling Good’ that immediately had the room in the palm of his hand. And that was kind of the story of the whole night.
Hadley has this effortless old-school showman energy that’s impossible not to warm to. He knows exactly how to work a crowd — a grin here, a cheeky point into the front rows there, the odd knowing wink — but it never feels forced. It’s all very smooth, very classy, and just a little bit cheeky in the best possible way. Of course, everyone was there for the Spandau Ballet classics, and thankfully Tony knew better than to mess with a winning formula. The set was stacked with the good stuff, and early on he was already knocking out favourites like ‘To Cut A Long Story Short’, ‘Highly Strung’, ‘I’ll Fly For You’ and ‘Only When You Leave’ like it was no big deal.
What really hits you watching him live now is just how ridiculously well his voice has held up. So many artists from that era are running on fumes or crowd participation by this point, but Hadley can still properly sing. Big notes, warm tone, plenty of punch — the man can still absolutely belt when he wants to. He also had a cracking band behind him. The TH Band were tight, polished and clearly loving every minute, giving the whole show that extra bit of muscle without ever overplaying it. Everyone had their moments, but there was a real sense of chemistry onstage that made the whole thing feel more like a proper band show than just a nostalgia run-through.
One of the nicest moments of the night came during ‘Soul Boy’, when Hadley took a minute to look back on his history with Perth and his time in Spandau Ballet. Mentioning the band’s last visit here back in 2015, he spoke warmly about his former bandmates and made it clear there’s still a lot of gratitude there for the songs and the years they shared, although joking that some of the stories of their strained friendship could be true. It could have been awkward or overly sentimental, but instead it felt genuine and heartfelt — and the crowd absolutely lapped it up.
Then came ‘Through The Barricades’, and wow… still an absolute monster of a song. The whole room seemed to lock in for that one. It was one of those proper goosebumps moments where you stop scribbling notes, stop looking around, and just let the song hit. Not that things stayed emotional for long. By the time ‘Chant No.1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)’ and ‘Lifeline’ rolled around, the Astor had fully shifted into party mode. People were up, dancing in the aisles, singing every word, and generally behaving like they’d all been handed a time machine and told to enjoy themselves.
Then came the big finish. ‘True’ had the whole theatre swaying and singing along like they were in a movie montage, before ‘Gold’ absolutely blew the place open. If the Astor’s walls could talk, they’d probably still be humming that chorus now. And just when you thought he’d already given the crowd everything they came for, Hadley wrapped things up with a huge version of ‘We Are The Champions’, complete with a touching nod to Freddie Mercury and Queen. Slightly unexpected? Maybe. A ridiculously fun way to end the night? Absolutely.
Across both Perth shows, Tony Hadley delivered exactly what everyone wanted — a night full of massive songs, big vocals, warm memories and a reminder that some artists just know how to age gracefully without losing the spark. No gimmicks, no coasting, no phoning it in. Just Tony Hadley, doing what Tony Hadley does best.
With special thanks to Estellar PR & Destroy All Lines for the media access.
Photos by Shotweiler Photography
