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Gary Kemp, the former guitarist of Spandau Ballet and currently a member of Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets, has recently released a new album titled This Destination, following the success of his earlier work, Insolo. He shares with Prog the insights of his self-discovery journey and offers a glimpse into the future of the ‘Punk Floyd’ collective.
Despite his remarkable resume, one might expect Gary Kemp to exude confidence. As both a guitarist and vocalist in Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets, he has sold over 25 million records with Spandau Ballet and appeared in major films like The Krays and The Bodyguard. Additionally, he co-hosts Rockonteurs, the UK’s leading music podcast, with his bandmate and close friend, Guy Pratt. Given this, it would be reasonable to assume he has ample cause for confidence.
“I’m not!” he counters, his forehead creasing in concern. Kemp, now 65 and looking sharp in a button-up black shirt and charcoal vest, projects health, but a mention of the ‘c’ word evokes a wave of uncertainty. His latest album, This Destination, serves as a strong testament to his songwriting talent—having previously won an Ivor Novello for Outstanding Song Collection in 2012 and a BMI Icon Award in 2023; yet he admits the project began from a space of uncertainty.
“Maybe I come across as very confident, and I viewed myself that way in many respects. However, a few years back, I faced a significant amount of painful anxiety. I’m unsure if this was a common experience stemming from our collective encounters during the pandemic.”
After posing existential queries to himself—“Who am I? What am I?”—particularly as he entered his 60s, Kemp sought inspiration from other songwriters. He reached out to Richard Hawley from Sheffield, who advised him to sit at a piano and place his fingers over the keys, stating, “I’m leaving now, and you’re going to write a brilliant song.” From that session, he created the striking Work, a tribute to his parents that carries a hint of Sondheim’s influence.
Prior to that, he made a conscious effort to return to music while attending a Pete Townshend show in Richmond. “I boarded the tube, and it felt like a long journey. I reflected: ‘I’m about to witness one of my songwriting legends, one of the greatest songwriters of this genre. As I observed the city above and the different faces coming and going on the train… I knew I had to write.’”
From this experience emerged Borrowed Town, a track that contemplates the notion that our surroundings are merely lent to us. “There was a time when I felt like the king of the street, the peacock of my generation. We were those kids; it was our town, and the older residents didn’t matter. But perhaps they fought in wars that allowed me to feel like a peacock. We didn’t care, just as now I find myself on the side of the street.”
Kemp’s performance on the album is sharp; his guitar lines in Borrowed Town echo shades of David Gilmour, a clear influence on his style that he fully acknowledges. “Growing up, there were two guitarists I admired immensely—David and Mick Ronson.
Nick is kind of an easy guy. He’s not Roger, and he’s more flexible than David, possibly.
I’ve always been drawn to melody. I’m not a shredder. Yet, David drew influence from Hank Marvin and Jeff Beck; he was also inspired by Syd Barrett, who played with echoes and delays. When David joined Pink Floyd, he had to integrate that influence, as Syd had already laid that groundwork.”
Kemp recalls practicing in a friend’s basement as a teen, jamming to Pink Floyd’s Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun. “That was the first song I ever played with other musicians,” he reminisces. “We congregated at this counter-culturalist’s home near my upbringing in Islington. I had just been involved in a drama club and mingled with middle-class, artistic kids, one being Cosmo, son of publisher and nightclub owner Jay Landesman, who later became a renowned journalist.
“Jay’s home was an eye-opener for me—it was the first time I encountered a wok or a bottle of wine; the first time I ever whiffed garlic. There was Chairman Mao on the wall, and the furniture didn’t match. Downstairs in the basement, we gathered, including actors Phil Daniels and Peter-Hugo Daly, along with Miles [Landesman, Cosmo’s younger brother], where we spent the day jamming to Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun.”
Fast forward half a century, and Kemp would perform the song with the actual drummer from its original recording. So, what’s Nick Mason like? “He’s really easygoing,” Kemp describes. “He’s not Roger, and he’s possibly more adaptable than David.”
I was in a band that transitioned from electronic to blue-eyed soul and was quite successful, so people assume that’s all there is to me.
Working with Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets provided Kemp a pathway back into the music scene after the disappointing reception of his 1995 album, Little Bruises, which felt out of step amidst the Britpop wave. Yet, 36 years later, the nine-minute Steven Wilson remix of Waiting For The Band, from 2021’s Insolo—featuring Mike Garson on piano—may stand as the pinnacle of his career thus far.
“Crafting another one like it is a challenge,” he acknowledges, “but Waiting For The Band resonated with many. It felt tailored for the fans. While it was inspired by Bowie at Hammersmith Odeon, it could evoke memories of anyone I saw during the ‘70s: T-Rex, Pink Floyd, or Genesis.”
Suddenly, he unlocked a new creative palette that allowed him to explore and even solo, without being overshadowed by Spandau Ballet’s saxophonist, Steve Norman. “Collaborating with Nick boosted my confidence,” he reflects. “People began to recognize me as the guitarist I truly am.”
This writer recalls the skepticism when Kemp joined Saucerful Of Secrets, as well as when he portrayed Ronnie Kray in the acclaimed 1990 film The Krays. In both instances, he quickly dispelled any doubters. Prog wonders if being underestimated occasionally serves to his advantage?
We doubted we could perform Echoes, and then we did. Are we ready to tackle The Dark Side Of The Moon?
So, what lies ahead for Saucerful Of Secrets? After having extensively performed pre-The Dark Side Of The Moon material, one wonders where their journey leads next. Kemp assures that exciting prospects are on the horizon, yet he can’t divulge more at this moment.
“What lies ahead? That’s intriguing because there was a time when we doubted our ability to perform Echoes, and yet we succeeded. Can we venture further into The Dark Side Of The Moon? I doubt it, as audiences are accustomed to those songs being delivered with ten musicians and backing vocalists, whereas we’ve always embraced a Punk Floyd identity.
“Nonetheless, there are still songs we could explore that we’ve yet to tackle. Nick is 81, and he’s eager to continue creating music. I’m fortunate to be collaborating with this legend who transformed my musical journey through Dark Side Of The Moon.”
Furthermore, Kemp has now gained membership in a unique realm: “I’ve been welcomed into the Pink Floyd universe. Let me tell you, that’s a challenging membership to attain.”
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