Reunion of ’80s Brit-poppers

Agence France-Presse

The New Romantic icons, whose penchant for eyeliner and smart suits were seen as an antidote to the drab fashions and anarchic music of the 1970s punk revolution, will release new material and embark on a world tour.

"The boys are back in town and we can't wait," said lead singer Tony Hadley, 48, in Britain’s daily Independent. " There will be all the hits, the nostalgia, but there will also be a new take on what Spandau Ballet is about."

The band, whose hits included "Gold" and "True," split in 1989 amid strains that quickly erupted into legal action, in which songwriter Gary Kemp was sued by Hadley, drummer John Keeble and saxophonist Steve Norman over royalties.

The band's five members have carved out their own solo careers, including spells of acting for Gary and brother Martin Kemp, while frontman Hadley revived his solo career in 2003 after winning a U.S. reality television show. The band will officially announce they are reforming in London on Wednesday, when they will confirm plans for details of a world tour.

Spandau Ballet’s announcement follows a surge of nostalgic comebacks in recent years, including reunions by the Spice Girls, the Police, the Sex Pistols, Take That, Blur and Led Zeppelin.