Gary James Kemp (born 16 October 1959) is an English songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and principal songwriter for the new wave band Spandau Ballet.
Kemp had a love for glam rock and also an interest in progressive rock.[1] His first musical collaboration was with Anna Scher regulars Phil Daniels and Peter Hugo Daly. He performed with them on the children's television show You Must Be Joking! in 1975.[8] Aged 14, Kemp played guitar with Islington-based The Same Band and future Spandau Ballet session keyboard player Ian 'Jess' Bailey.[11]
The first band he formed with Alice Owen's schoolmates Steve Norman, John Keeble and Tony Hadley was called Roots[12] after Kemp and Norman saw the Sex Pistols perform at The Screen on the Green in August 1976.[13] The band changed its name to The Cut then became power pop group The Makers,[14] favourably reviewed by New Musical Express in Dec 1977.[15] Martin Kemp joined as bass player when they became Gentry in July 1978[16] before transforming into Spandau Ballet and playing live for the first time at Blitz on 5 December 1979.[17] The band's early success was driven by London's burgeoning nightclubbing scene in which Gary Kemp identified Spandau's role: "We are making the most contemporary statement in fashion and music."[18]
After recording Spandau Ballet's final album Heart Like a Sky, in 1989, Kemp and his brother returned to acting. He earned criticism from his fellow band members Tony Hadley, Steve Norman and John Keeble, but received good reviews for his performance as Ronnie Kray in The Krays (1990).[19] The success of this film was the death-knell for Spandau Ballet.[20]
Spandau Ballet played the final live show of their 10th anniversary tour at the Edinburgh Playhouse[21] on 6 March 1990. They would not perform live together again for 19 years.
In 1999, Hadley, Norman and Keeble attempted to sue Kemp for alleged unpaid royalties.[22] They claimed that an agreement had existed between him and the rest of the band, whereby Kemp, who was the main songwriter in the band, would pay his bandmates a share of the royalties earned. Although they were in their right, the claims were vigorously denied by Kemp; Hadley, Norman and Keeble subsequently lost their court case.[23] Although initially vowing to appeal the verdict, they later decided against this.[24]
After two decades apart the band reformed in 2009 with an announcement on HMS Belfast,[25] venue of one of their earliest secret gigs. Two world tours followed, including five nights at London O2 arena. Their story was documented by the critically acclaimed film Soul Boys of the Western World[26] which premiered at SXSW in 2012 and was screened at film festivals all over the world including Cannes, Rome and NYC Doc.
On 6 June 2018, Spandau Ballet played their first show with new singer Ross William Wild at London's Subterania[27][28] after Tony Hadley announced on social media that he had left the band.[29] Spandau Ballet subsequently played six European shows in Rome, Milan, Padua, Utrecht and Tilburg with the last of those in London at Eventim Apollo Hammersmith on 29 October 2018. In May 2019 the new recruit Wild tweeted: "I have formally quit the band Spandau Ballet." Reason for his departure was the fact that Gary Kemp was not satisfied with his new singer. He let his brother sack the new singer on national television and claimed, Spandau Ballet would only continue if Tony Hadley would come back. In later interviews Kemp would say, the band is finished.[30]
Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets
Kemp is a longtime fan of Pink Floyd,[1] and in 2018 he was invited by the band's drummer Nick Mason to contribute guitar and vocals to Mason's psychedelic rock band Saucerful of Secrets, "capturing the spirit" of the early music of Pink Floyd. The band includes Guy Pratt on bass and vocals, Lee Harris on guitar and backing vocals, and Dom Beken on keyboards.
The band made their live debut in May 2018 at Dingwalls in London[31] playing a selection of Pink Floyd material predating their 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. This was followed by three shows at The Half Moon, Putney and a European tour the same year.
In 2019, an extended tour of the US and Canada was announced starting in Vancouver at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 12 March. This was followed by five additional UK shows set to run from April to May and another European tour in July the same year. Another European tour, the Echoes tour, set to begin in April 2020 was postponed to April 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[32][33] A second North American tour was postponed from January 2022 to September.[34]
Kemp also appears on the band's 2020 live album and film, Live at the Roundhouse.[35]
Other music projects
Kemp performed "Through the Barricades" solo in December 1985 at London's Dominion Theatre for the Snowball Review, a fund raiser organised by Pete Townshend for a women's domestic violence charity. He also played it at the Artists Against Apartheid festival at Clapham Common on 28 June 1986.[36]
Two of his songs appeared on the debut album by American soap star Jacob Young in 2001.[37]
Other musical collaborations include writing music and additional lyrics with Guy Pratt for the musical production Bedbug, lyrics and book by Snoo Wilson, a reimagined adaptation of the Vladimir Mayakovsky play, as part of the Shell Connections Youth Drama in 2004 which was presented at the National Theatre and revived there in 2016. He has written another musical, A Terrible Beauty, also with Pratt and Oscar nominated book writer Shane Connaughton (My Left Foot) based on the life of W. B. Yeats and Maud Gonne.
He released a second solo studio album, INSOLO, in 2021 on Columbia Records produced and mixed by Gary Kemp and keyboards player Toby Chapman.
Equipment
Kemp says his favourite guitar is his Gibson J-45 acoustic.[38]
Acting career
His first adult acting role was playing Ronald Kray in The Krays (1990), with his brother Martin playing Ronald's twin brother Reginald. For research he visited Kray in Broadmoor hospital.[39]
He has continued acting on film, television and stage, taking the role of Serge in the West End production of Art in 2001, Pignight by Snoo Wilson at the Menier Theatre in May 2004 and as corrupt copper PC Collins in the revival of Lionel Bart's musical Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be[40] directed by Terry Johnson at Theatre Royal Stratford East with Jessie Wallace in 2014. He played Teddy in The Homecoming, directed by Jamie Lloyd, at Trafalgar Studios in 2015[41] and appeared in two plays, Party Time/Celebration, from the Pinter at the Pinter season,[42] which staged all 20 of Harold Pinter's one act plays in 2018/2019 with a cast including Anthony Sher, John Simm, Martin Freeman, Tamsin Greig and Danny Dyer.
In January 2008, Kemp appeared on a celebrity special of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? with his brother Martin, to raise awareness of and funds for the Encephalitis Society. In March 2008, Kemp starred in a low-budget 20-minute short film directed by his brother Martin, entitled Karma Magnet.[43] This was only released online.
Documentaries
In 2014 Kemp co-wrote and presented the documentary Kick Out the Jams for ITV's Perspectives[44] about the arrival of Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and the YBAs (Young British Artists). He also co-wrote Passions: Mick Ronson by Gary Kemp for Sky Arts in 2017.[45]
In 2020, Kemp started "Rockonteurs", a podcast hosted with Guy Pratt, who has played as a session bass player with many bands including Pink Floyd.[47] In each episode they interview a well known musician about their life and career.
Kemp was married to actress Sadie Frost. They married on 7 May 1988. Their son, Finlay, was born in 1990. Frost and Kemp were married for five years and then separated, finally divorcing on 19 August 1995. In 2003, Kemp married costume designer Lauren Barber, with whom he has three sons: Milo Wolf (b. 2004), Kit (b. 2009), and Rex (b. 2012).[49] They live in London.
Kemp is a keen cyclist and mountain walker, and a collector of the furniture produced by Edward William Godwin.[50] In 2017, he nominated Godwin for BBC Radio 4's Great Lives show hosted by Matthew Parris.[51]
In 2013, Kemp said in an interview that he was a Labour Party voter and had always been a supporter of the party because of his father. He supported David Miliband for the leadership of the party.[54] In 1986, Kemp performed in a show in support of the party at the Manchester Apollo with the collective of musicians Red Wedge, which included Billy Bragg, Johnny Marr and Paul Weller.[55]
Kemp is a lifelong Arsenal fan, having been raised in the Highbury area.[56]
Kemp, Gary (2009). I Know This Much: From Soho to Spandau. London: Fourth Estate. ISBN978-0-00-732330-2.
He has also contributed articles to GQ, The Times[59] and the Evening Standard.
Related Research Articles
Spandau Ballet were an English pop band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European Dance Music" as "The Applause" for this new club culture's audience. They became one of the most successful groups of the New Romantic era of British pop and were part of the Second British Invasion of the Billboard Top 40 in the 1980s, selling 25 million albums and having 23 hit singles worldwide. The band have had eight UK top 10 albums, including three greatest hits compilations and an album of re-recorded material. Their musical influences ranged from punk rock and soul music to the American crooners Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
True is the third studio album by English pop band Spandau Ballet, released on 4 March 1983 by Chrysalis Records. The band's songwriter/guitarist Gary Kemp realised after the release of their second album that the nightclub audience they initially wanted to attract had lost interest in them in part because of the band's transition from dance music to pop. He no longer felt obligated to keep writing music for them and shifted his focus to soul and R&B influences such as Marvin Gaye and Al Green for this album. Kemp thought that bandmate Steve Norman's newfound interest in the saxophone would be well-suited to the sound he was going for, as would the decision to record most of the album at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas.
"True" is a song by English pop band Spandau Ballet, released in April 1983 as the title track and third single from their third studio album. It was written by the band's lead guitarist and principal songwriter Gary Kemp to express his feelings for Altered Images lead singer Clare Grogan. Kemp was influenced musically by songs of Marvin Gaye and Al Green he was listening to at the time, and lyrically by Green and the Beatles. "True" reached number one on the UK singles chart in April 1983 and made the top 10 in several other countries, including the US, where it became their first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100.
Journeys to Glory is the debut studio album by English synth-pop band Spandau Ballet, released on 6 March 1981 by Chrysalis Records. All of the songs on the album were produced by Richard James Burgess and written by band guitarist Gary Kemp to appeal to the patrons of a weekly Tuesday night club the band started attending called the Blitz, where they were accustomed to hearing "white European dance music". Their performances at the Blitz and other exclusive venues attracted the attention of record labels eager to sign them, and one of the songs they had been performing, "To Cut a Long Story Short", gained popularity through a recording session made at BBC Radio 1.
Diamond is the second studio album by English band Spandau Ballet, released on 12 March 1982 by Chrysalis Records. As with their debut album, Journeys to Glory, all songs were produced by Richard James Burgess and written by band guitarist Gary Kemp. The music was inspired by a variety of genres, including the renewed interest in funk around Soho, American film scores with roots in eastern Europe, the second side of David Bowie's Low album, Pink Floyd records and the mood pieces of another English new wave band, Japan.
Through the Barricades is the fifth studio album by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 17 November 1986 by CBS Records. The band was continuing their efforts to replicate the sound of their live performance on a studio album that they had attempted unsuccessfully with their previous album, Parade. They were also wanting to address any misconceptions about their music that came from the success of their first US hit song, "True", and reshape the style of their music to that of a rock band. The title song, which details the struggles in a relationship, was chosen as the album title because of how they felt they were being perceived. Through the Barricades was also their first album with the label after leaving Chrysalis Records because of the downturn in their popularity in the US after "True".
"Gold" is a song by English pop band Spandau Ballet, released on 5 August 1983 as the fourth single from their third album, True. The song was written by the band's guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp as an homage to the film themes of composer John Barry that was especially influenced by his scores for the James Bond series. This was apparent to some music critics, but they were sharply divided in their reviews. Some appreciated the energy and drama behind it while others found it affected and overwrought. The song peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and made the top 10 in several other countries, but its number 29 showing in the US and the disappointing chart performances of the next two singles released there led to the band's decision to change record labels.
"Lifeline" is a song by English pop band Spandau Ballet, released on 24 September 1982 as the first single from what would be their third album, True (1983). The song confirmed the band's intent to transition from dance music to pop that was hinted at with their previous single, "Instinction". Some band members found an enjoyable chemistry with "Lifeline" producers Tony Swain and Steve Jolley that was lacking in recording sessions with previous producers. The new song received mixed reviews but reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also their first single to chart in the United States, missing the Billboard Hot 100 but charting on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 at number 8. The music video for the song received airplay on the U.S. cable channel MTV.
"Only When You Leave" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the first single from their fourth album Parade. It peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and made the top 10 in several other countries but only reached number 34 in the US, where it was their last song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100. Most critics were impressed with Tony Hadley's vocals and enjoyed the song. The music video used its theme of revenge as a way of paying tribute to the late film director Alfred Hitchcock.
"Through the Barricades" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the second single from their 1986 studio album of the same name. The song was inspired by the murder of a member of the band's road crew in Belfast during The Troubles and emerged as the Spandau Ballet song that the band members rated the best. It reached number six on the UK Singles Chart, becoming their final top ten hit, and made the top ten elsewhere.
Martin John Kemp is an English musician and actor, best known as the bassist in the new wave band Spandau Ballet and for his role as Steve Owen in EastEnders.
"Chant No. 1 " is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 10 July 1981 as the first single from their second album, Diamond. The band's guitarist/songwriter, Gary Kemp, wanted to pay homage to the latest London hotspot, Le Beat Route, by emulating the funk music that was popular there and even using the club as the location for the music video, all in order to show that the band was still part of the trendy Soho scene. Except for the remix of the song from the album's box set, "Chant No. 1" received good reviews, and the 7-inch single became their third top ten hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Instinction" is a song by Spandau Ballet whose original version was included on their second album Diamond as produced by Richard James Burgess. The song was written by band guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp. A remix by Trevor Horn was released on 2 April 1982 as the last single from the album and reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. This new version received good reviews but constituted a shift into pop music that did not interest the patrons of trendy London nightclubs that Spandau Ballet originally intended to represent. The band tried continuing their work with Horn on the songs for their next album but came to an impasse with him and moved on to a successful relationship with producers Steve Jolley and Tony Swain.
"Muscle Bound" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as part of the third single from their debut album Journeys to Glory. In the UK, it was released as a double A-side with the song "Glow"; elsewhere, "Glow" was included as the B-side. "Muscle Bound" received mostly good reviews, and the combined single was their third consecutive top 20 hit in their native UK, reaching number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video for "Muscle Bound" was more ambitious than their previous promotional clips and went over budget because of snowy weather that caused delays during the location shoot.
"The Freeze" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 12 January 1981 as the follow-up to their debut single, the number 5 UK hit "To Cut a Long Story Short". As was the case with that release, the 7-inch single of "The Freeze" featured a dub mix on its B-side, and the 12-inch single had two additional mixes of the song geared toward dance clubs. The cover art used for both formats of the single also repeated its predecessor in having a simple black-and-white classical motif. This design, however, was also seen on the sets of the music video for the song. Reviews of "The Freeze" were mixed. It reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Glow" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 27 March 1981 in the UK as a double A-side single with "Muscle Bound". The combined single was their third consecutive top 20 hit in their native UK, reaching number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. Elsewhere, "Glow" was released as the B-side with "Muscle Bound" as the A-side. "Glow" was written while their debut album, Journeys to Glory, was in the finishing stages and was subsequently not included, but a few different versions of the song were on the 2010 reissue of the album.
"Paint Me Down" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 2 November 1981 as the second single from what would be their second album, Diamond. Their guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp copied some of the elements of their previous hit, "Chant No. 1 ", and the conflict between producer Richard James Burgess and lead singer Tony Hadley that began with that song continued as they recorded the vocals for "Paint Me Down". A controversial music video for the song was rejected by the British music chart television programme Top of the Pops, and its number 30 peak position on the UK Singles Chart was not enough to justify airing the studio performance they had filmed for the show either.
"She Loved Like Diamond" is a song by the English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released on 11 January 1982 as the third single from what would be their second album, Diamond. The music video and cover art for the single focused on the sexual themes in the lyrics and the allure of the title character. In writing the song, their guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp was influenced by American Jewish music with an eastern European flavour that he had heard in movie themes and musicals. Most reviews singled out lead singer Tony Hadley's performance as the main problem with the recording, which only mustered a number 49 peak position on the UK Singles Chart. The poor showing prompted the idea to release another song from the album, but the band realized that getting a new single to succeed would require a remix of the disappointing work of their current producer and decided to discontinue their association with him in doing so.
"Communication" is a song by English pop band Spandau Ballet, released on 4 February 1983 as the second single from what would be their third album, True. The song was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas along with most of the material from that album and received several good reviews. It reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart and made the pop charts in other countries as well. The music video for the song was made to look like a film with lead singer Tony Hadley as the main character and received airplay on the U.S. cable channel MTV.
"Raw" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the first single from their 1989 album Heart Like a Sky. It failed to make the top 40 in the UK but received mostly positive reviews.
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