I had the privilege of attending Richard Strange‘s "Mighty Big If" event the other week at The Chapel of St Barnabas in Soho, where he interviewed and performed with Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet:
Gary Kemp first came to prominence in the early 1980’s with his hugely successful band Spandau Ballet. One of the most striking things that Dr Strange asked Gary in terms of personal growth was about his relationship between the 3F’s: Fame, Fortune and Family.
One of the best stories that Richard extracted from Gary was how he mixed up fame and fortune after the meteoric rise of Spandau Ballet to worldwide fame, including his pivotal role in Live Aid. Kemp eloquently described the moment and bought his working class mum and dad ‘designer everything’, without realising that things like a "Cartier toilet roll holder" and a "Gucci tin opener" did not somehow sit well in an outdoor toilet and the cutlery draw of a council house kitchen in Islington! 🙂 It was a great moment of self deprecating humour and enlightened authenticity.
Spandau Ballet were also different in so far as they rejected sex and drugs and rock’n’roll when fame and fortune struck. They would never drink before a performance etc. preferring to perfect their performances, appearance and haircuts. Check the quiffs out in this piece of new romantic history:
So fame and fortune need not lead to a failure to preserve the things that matter to you as a person. An important lesson for all who seek to improve themselves. Richard and I are currently planning a series of masterclass events on creativity and leadership for 2013 in partnership with a leading university and a commercial partner. A Mighty Big If reconvenes next Tuesday 28th November at The Chapel of St Barnabas in Soho.
We leave with the piece that is perhaps Spandau Ballet’s signature and a reminder that to be authentic we just need to be true to ourselves as we grow and develop. Gary Kemp’s book "I Know This Much: From Soho to Spandau may be found at Amazon.
