Soul Boys Of The Western World + Live Q&A

Screening Dates:
Tue 30 September 8:00pm

Director: George Hencken

Of all the extravagantly clothed and coiffed New Romantics dancing on the grave of punk’s bratty dissonance, Spandau Ballet were the most flamboyant and, with a string of hit singles and albums, arguably also the movement’s commercial giants.

George Hencken’s much-anticipated biopic wisely lets Martin and Gary Kemp, Tony Hadley and the rest of the band directly recount their rise from working-class Islington roots to the excesses of “champagne, cocaine and adrenalin” which preceded, if not ultimately caused, their demise in 1990.

The film doesn’t shy away from the acrimony and legal battles that accompanied the band’s split and touches on the Kemp brothers’ acting careers and Hadley’s solo efforts, before their triumphant reunion tour in 2009. Archive footage and a welcome dollop of amused self-deprecation add considerably to its retro appeal.

Followed by a performance from the band and a Q&A, live from the Royal Albert Hall