Ant Lib Ønline

Spanks to everyone who took part in July’s monthly member mini survey on the topic of live events...

Exactly a third of all Antpeople who responded to last month’s survey have attended 10 or more in-person events over the past couple of years. Conversely, one in four told us they haven’t attended a single live show since 2024. A staggering 42% admit that their overall gig attendance has dropped during this time, while one in five report that their activity has increased.

Interestingly, over half of these events did not feature Adam Ant on stage. However, 45% of respondents did take in at least one Ant show, and one dedicated Antperson made up for the rest of us by notching up over ten gigs since 2024.

Covid messed everything for everyone: fewer venues, less money, shittier health – I could go on – but I wanted to investigate the specific barriers to gig attendance in recent years. Top of the blocks is venue location, with two-thirds of respondents calling out travel to venues as the key difficulty in racking up more event hours.

It is highly possible that an aging Ant population is moving away from the major cities that typically host live gigs – or perhaps we just don’t fancy travelling too far these days?

Financial considerations ranked as the second biggest obstacle, with 60% of respondents naming ticket prices and overall costs as a major constraint on their gig-going. It is the music industry’s worst-kept secret that ticket prices have become extortionate. To put this in perspective, let’s compare UK ticket prices from 1995 against 2025, adjusted for inflation. In 1995, a ticket for the most expensive Wonderful tour shows at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire cost £12.50 – which equates to roughly £26 (~US$35) today. By contrast, the average price for an Adam Ant concert ticket in 2025 was £51 (~US$69). That is double the rate of inflation, and it does not even account for excessive “admin” fees. To make matters worse, we rarely even receive a physical ticket anymore. It is no wonder many Antpeople are choosing to stay at home.

This shift brings us naturally to the alternative: watching live events from the comfort and safety of our own living rooms. Our survey shows that 46% of respondents have consumed at least one event online in the past two years. Furthermore, one in eight Antpeople have enjoyed at least six remote events since 2024, suggesting digital access is a fantastic solution for the cohort finding it difficult to attend gigs in person. In fact, the majority of respondents stated they would gladly pay (within reason) to watch Adam Ant shows remotely via live stream.

Adam Ant is currently touring the US and Canada, where many venues already film and vision-mix the stage view for their in-house large screens. Why not utilise this setup to offer live streams for a reasonable fee? If the extra revenue is desperately needed by venue operators and artists alike – and the demand is clearly there -providing this service to a global audience is a win-win. You know it makes sense. ❤︎‬

Congratulations to DAVE PATTEN of Sidcup, Kent (UK) who receives the official Adam Ant and Scant Regard gig merch.
Our monthly member mini surveys will return in November.