News | Entertainment
9 Nov 2025 7:42
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Gary Kemp believes musicians who struggle with fame "shouldn't be in the business"

    The Spandau Ballet guitarist suggested the likes of Chappell Roan - who has repeatedly complained about the scrutiny she has faced and being "yelled at in public" by fans - should lead "anonymous" lives instead, though he acknowledged up-and-coming artists may not realise what life in the public eye is like until it is too late


    He told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: "I mean, really, you shouldn't be in the business If you really feel like that, should you? Maybe you should just go out anonymous and never put a video out or a photograph out... but maybe they don't know until it's happened to them and then it becomes tricky."

    Gary believes his brother, former bandmate Martin Kemp, is "more of a celebrity" than he is.

    He said: "He's more of a celebrity than me. Years and years ago, fame was something that could get you a table at a restaurant or get you nearer to the front of the queue."

    And the 65-year-old songwriter is uncomfortable with the modern idea of stars being more open about their lives, particularly through social media.

    He said: "I loved Bowie when he was full of mystique. I didn't really like him when he went on 'TFI [Friday]' and told dad jokes."

    Gary - who has Finlay, 34, with ex-wife Sadie Frost, and Milo, 20, Kit, 16, and 12-year-old Rex with wife Lauren Barber - doesn't think Spandau Ballet received the credit they deserved at the height of their fame in the 1980s because of their largely female fanbase.

    He said: "If you're a good-looking band, you'll tend to have a lot of girls following you... and if that was the case in the 1980s, you weren't worthy. Blokey bands that had more men following them would be seen to be better musicians, for some reason - I have no idea why that is other than sexism, because you know us and Duran [Duran], who did have a lot of female followers, all played our instruments really well.

    "All wrote pretty good songs, were all great singers, but for some reason, we were discredited by that, especially by a lot of the male music writers from the time."

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     08 Nov: Seth Meyers has hit back at Donald Trump after the U.S. president attacked him on social media
     08 Nov: Macaulay Culkin has stepped back into his Kevin McCallister role for a new Christmas advertising campaign with a message about family and ageing
     08 Nov: Patti Smith has revealed how she discovered the man who raised her was not her biological father
     08 Nov: Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been photographed spending time with former NBA player Sebastian Telfair inside FCI Fort Dix
     08 Nov: Sir David Beckham paid tribute to his wife Victoria Beckham with his knighthood ceremony outfit
     08 Nov: Tori Spelling has formally concluded her marriage to Dean McDermott
     07 Nov: Guillermo del Toro says his long-awaited adaptation of Frankenstein feels deeply "autobiographical"
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Wallabies vs Italy rugby union Test live updates — blog, scores and stats from Udine More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Major US tech companies have lost more than $1 trillion in market value since the beginning of November 2025 More...



     Today's News

    Rugby:
    Wallabies vs Italy rugby union Test live updates — blog, scores and stats from Udine 7:37

    Accident and Emergency:
    A wildfire burning in the Tongariro National Park has more than doubled in size overnight - to cover an estimated one-thousand hectares 7:37

    Rugby:
    Damian McKenzie has come up clutch for the All Blacks as they resisted a second half fightback to keep their unbeaten record against Scotland alive 7:27

    Living & Travel:
    Lotto's Powerball has rolled over yet again .... no one won the 40 million dollar jackpot last night 7:17

    Motoring:
    F1 Brazil qualifying: Oscar Piastri crashes out of Formula 1 São Paulo sprint race, Lando Norris wins ahead of grand prix qualifying 7:07

    Rugby:
    The All Blacks XV have gone two-from-two on their Northern Tour 7:07

    Golf:
    Golfer Daniel Hillier will be just three shots off the lead heading into the final round of the European Tour's Abu Dhabi Championship 6:27

    Accident and Emergency:
    Over 40 trampers evacuated, and an estimated 300 hectares burned, as a fire rages in the Tongariro Forest Park 22:07

    Environment:
    MetService has warned of severe thunderstorms sweeping across part of Northland 21:57

    Business:
    Major US tech companies have lost more than $1 trillion in market value since the beginning of November 2025 18:57


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd