Spandau Ballet’s co-founder and principal songwriter Gary Kemp says that the last three years touring the world with Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason in Saucerful of Secrets was the catalyst for his third solo album ‘This Destination’.
Gary has hardly been prolific in his solo career. ‘In Destination’ is his third album in 26 years.
Gary Kemp tells Noise11.com, “I felt really inspired and invigorated by playing with Nick Mason. That was a really big thing for me. Really putting Spandau Ballet behind me in that sense and working with this guy from Pink Floyd.
Saucerful of Secrets even made it to Australia in September 2023. “You got to see that I can be much more expansive with my guitar playing. I sing as well. All those things added to my confidence as an upfront artist rather than the sideman to Tony (Hadley). I think that inspired me also as a songwriter because I think I found my voice much more”.
Gary’s previous solo album was ‘Insolo’ in 2021. “As soon as ‘Insolo’ was finished a few things happened. I went on tour for quite a long time with Nick. I think we did 32 countries. Then I came straight back and I needed to write,” he says.
Despite numerous world tours with Spandau Ballet, Gary has no plans to tour ‘This Destination’. “I don’t know. Because I’ve had these long gaps I don’t know what my audience is,” he says. “I can’t imagine a room full of ex-Spandau fans and ex-Pink Floyd fans coming together. I don’t know. I’d love to go out and do some shows. I really would. Because that validates the music that I do. When I make a record I don’t think I’m thinking about playing it live. I think I’m just thinking about making a record and not constraining myself to the boundaries of ‘how will I reproduce this’. I do have some commitments with Nick Mason again this year. We are going to be going out. He is 81 now. If he still wants to do it then I’m really up for it”.
Watch the Noise11 interview with Gary Kemp:
Gary Kemp’s third solo album ‘This Destination’ is out now.
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