Spandau Ballet have recruited David Bowie’s drummer Sterling Campbell for their tour to temporarily replace John Keeble, who is battling ill health.

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Campbell, who has also drummed for Duran Duran, The B-52s and David Byrne, will fill in for Keeble when Spandau’s tour resumes in Newcastle. They had cancelled their past fortnight of shows in mainland Europe after Keeble fell ill.

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Keeble, who is suffering from complications after his undisclosed illness, said: “We couldn’t have chosen a better drummer than Sterling to keep my drum stool warm whilst I get back to full strength. The support from the fans has been fantastic and it wouldn’t be fair to them for us to cancel any more shows. Thank you for all of the good wishes and messages and I’ll see you back out on the road soon.”

Gary Kemp added: “We’re gutted for JK, but we worked very hard to find the best deputy in the world to replace him. Sterling is a consummate pro, and we want JK strong again for the future. Thank you all for your understanding.”

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Campbell will play at the band’s remaining dates, which end on September 25 in Hong Kong. As Spandau told Classic Pop last year, Keeble was instrumental in the band’s reunion in 2009 when they reformed after nearly 20 years apart. He is one of the funniest and warmest musicians Classic Pop has met during the magazine’s lifetime, and we wish him well on his road to recovery.