ShareTony Hadley performing his Christmas Big Band Tour 2025 at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Tuesday 16th December 2025.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Tony Hadley, former front man of 80’s band, Spandau Ballet brought Christmas to the Royal Concert Hall on Tuesday night and delivered a set list of classics made famous by the great names of easy listening such as Sammy Davies Jr, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and many more all of whom were given a name check.
His Christmas Big Band Tour follows on from the success of his previous Big Swing Tour last year, and with nearly every seat sold, the crowd knew what to expect and were not disappointed. Joining him on stage was the fabulous Tony Hadley Band as well as a full live brass section and with the shimmering Christmas trees on stage it was impossible not to feel the festive season spark into life the minute he walked on to the stage.
Opening his first set with Too Close For Comfort, his smooth, powerful and completely effortless voice charmed the crowd as he delivered songs such as Music To Watch Girls By, The Best Is Yet To Come, Fly Me To The Moon and set closer I’ve Gotta Be Me.
But no Hadley concert would be complete without the hits that defined a generation. The crowd were on their feet for the Spandau Ballet classics which included Through The Barricade, Only When You Leave, True and naturally a triumphant Gold, all of which came early in the set and had the crowd belting out the words.
Not being content with simple nostalgia, the second set saw a new original number, Mission Impossible, that went down well before the now established crooner entertained with the likes of You Make Me Feel So Young, The Lady Is a Tramp and of course My Way.
Struggling to stand after his accident last year when he damaged his knee, he was often seated, although this did not detract from his ability to make each of the songs his own delivering them with the same richness and command that has made them timeless.
Encoring with Have Yourself A Very Merry Christmas, All Alone On Christmas and Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, he encouraged some fun sing alongs.
With a set list of thirty songs, what Hadley had delivered was a chance for the crowd to relive their youth, dad dance and hear songs that took them on a nostalgic trip, and it was clear that he has gone from a new Romantic to an old one with oodles of grace.
