News | Entertainment
18 Nov 2025 1:40
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
     17 Nov: Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth raises questions about assault charges and British tabloid ethics
     16 Nov: Kim Kardashian has branded a group of psychics "pathological liars"
     16 Nov: The Jonas Brothers do a "healthy" amount of "bullying" one another
     16 Nov: Aaron Paul doesn't use his phone in front of his children
     16 Nov: Prince William has implored young people to wear a poppy on Remembrance Day
     16 Nov: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, joked she was "a bit rusty" on her return to acting
     16 Nov: Paris Jackson has been left with a perforated septum due to drug use
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    The All Blacks have arrived in Wales, battered and bruised mentally and physically More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    A bunch of new protections for consumers, to kick start Fraud Awareness Week More...



     Today's News

    Politics:
    Bangladesh's ousted PM Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death for student crackdown 23:27

    Politics:
    Foreign minister says Labor's 'landmark' agreements builds more stable Asia-Pacific 21:57

    Health & Safety:
    Nurse practitioners can now prescribe more medicines, under legislation passed last week 21:57

    Business:
    A bunch of new protections for consumers, to kick start Fraud Awareness Week 21:17

    Entertainment:
    Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth raises questions about assault charges and British tabloid ethics 20:37

    International:
    Quick and easy summer dinners 19:27

    Netball:
    Silver Ferns shooter Grace Nweke's desperate to end a tumultuous 2025 season with silverware 18:57

    Law and Order:
    Warnings from Worksafe after serious company failures led to a man dying when his crane touched powerlines 18:37

    Business:
    A quick turnaround for the newly announced changes to vehicle imports - to be law by week's end 18:17

    Business:
    Inflation is still running hot - with the price of food, gas and electricity all high 18:07


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd