Unplug the jukebox
…and learn about trepidation kids. Those of us who lived through the ‘80s (and survived) have been there before: postponed dates (check), health challenges (check), radio silence from Planet Ant (check), rumours of band discontent (check); but hey it’s all part of the rich tapestry of Antculture, and where would we humble Antpeople be without it all, eh? (Sane? Rich? -ed)
The Antmusic (2024) tour had a pretty straightforward birth over in the States last year, with AmericAnts enjoying a springtime spurt of live Adam Ant action – a gruelling 37 dates with just one cancellation due to weather conditions (allegedly). Come the autumn and things went awry. The first week of UK shows cancelled piece-meal, literally minutes before venue doors were due to open. Teenage support band The Molotovs left to fend for themselves. No chance of planning around disappointment: show up or shut up.
Eventually the right decision was made: postponement. Until autumn 2025! Adam made amends with a rare video message and eventually rewarded us all with… even more dates! And a cruise! By this time, good old fashioned British cynicism was creeping in, and expectations were (understandably) low. As long as the Lad Himself is OK though, is all that matters.
Then came the summer nostalgia fests and the online commentary from (mostly) non-Ant advocates. As much as Adam may like gardening and fluffy animals, one can argue he has never really been an ‘outdoorsy’ type of live artist. Festivals are for hippies, right? Right on, Neil – *snort!*
As if things couldn’t get more discombobulating, Toyah announces live on national TV she’s joining in the Antfun (along with youngsters Yee Loi on alternate dates), not one but three long-term Ant band members are gone (Joe Holweger the latest casualty), and a Facebook post from Cardiacs guitarist (and lifelong Antperson) Jon Pooley disappears as mysteriously as it appeared announcing his joining the front line for #Antmusic2025.
Do us all a favour
Talking of which, that’s the preamble over with (can I wake up now?! –ed) and here we go for two years’ wait finally over as the new line-up steps out at that internationally renowned rock mecca otherwise known as… Bournemouth. Yes, ‘England’s Coastal Garden’ (official title) aka ‘God’s waiting room’ (unofficial title) aka ‘cultural wasteland’ (…-ed) located in sleepy Dorset (Zzz –ed) where the average age is about 96 (slight exaggeration there –ed) and it still doesn’t warrant city status. As an all-seater venue, the maiden show at the buzzkill BIC can be viewed as either a stained breast pocket (eh? -ed) or a stroke of genius for easing Mr Ant back into the fold gently.
Allan Jones (no, not that one) of the Bournemouth Daily Echo (Est 1900) filed the first media review of #Antmusic2025:
It was a great light show, the band were excellent and the die hards in the crowd were up and dancing. To me though there was something slightly off with some of the vocal delivery.
Read full review at www.bournemouthecho.co.uk (opens in new tab)
This was my seventh time seeing Adam over the years and tonight this was certainly not up there with his usual excellent delivery.
Maybe not a performance for the record books but plenty of people still loved it. Hopefully a hiccup or maybe just me.
Lets hope so.
But before Allan’s ink had dried (that’s enough of the Biro references –ed), there were fickle fans of ye little faith already attempting to offload tickets for future dates via the socials. Don’t they know by now Adam generally needs a show or two to erm, ‘warm up’?!
Onwards past Longleat (“Borgia, can I have a tank?”) to Wales for the second night and its another all-seated venue of Cardiff’s Utilita. Fan Paddy Roberts was kind enough to submit the following review to Ant Lib Online:
The heavy rain could not dampen my enthusiasm: not even the sudden torrential squall that almost drowned out the final sprint to the venue. I’d had this ticket to see Adam Ant for what felt like two years: but I’d been waiting for over four decades. Adam and the Ants provided my pre-teen self that first spark of “Oh! That’s what music can do…”: they opened me up to a post-punk world of music with feeling, and angst, and feedback, and lyrics that actually spoke directly to me … then hammered in the wedge to make sure that door never closed.
There was an underlying palpitation in the hall: the throng of dandies and pirates were keen for the show to start, and most seats were already taken when the support act – Toyah! – started playing. Clearly a legend in her own right, Toyah’s performance was engaging and entertaining, her voice and her energy undiminished by time. As she talked us through her set, illuminating each song with stories, working in some connections between her and Adam, the sense of expectation grew: she left us wanting more, and then the lights dimmed again…
The sound desk had cranked up the master volume, and Adam’s band exploded into Dog Eat Dog: Adam Ant took to the stage and sang: “You may not like…” Oh, yes, we bloody would!
His set rollercoastered through his career, from Young Parisians through Dirk and Prince Charming to the later solo work and back again: the highlights for me were from the Kings of the Wild Frontier album, and the B-sides. Goodness only knows where my brain stores those lyrics, but they came flooding out as the dam of time broke, leaving my throat hoarse and my voice shredded. We all have favourites: we were treated to, for example, Killer in the Home and Ants Invasion; I would have loved to have heard them play Physical; but to complain about this set list would be where madness lies.
Adam had the audience in the palm of his hand. The band played with passion: Jola and Dave Green set the pace, Jon Pooley and Will Crewdson’s strings augmented the tribal feel with driving force. Altogether, they added new – for me – fire and anger to the songs. But it was Adam Ant who was the ruby in the crown. He sang, sometimes with strength and other times with subtlety, for the best part of two hours, leading the audience in song, willing us to dance and – although the stewards gamely tried to hold back the inevitable – by the time we were asked to Stand and Deliver, we were dancing in the aisles.
And then, they were gone. The house lights went up. It was over. Reluctantly, we shuffled toward the exits. Outside, in the streets, the rain had stopped: Antmusic had conquered the elements.
It was soon evident that the band (now an Ants MkII-friendly) five-piece had allayed any fears over the abrupt personnel changes – a testament to Will Crewdson’s musical direction and work ethic, of which we should all be grateful for (and hope Adam rewards fittingly). As camera phone footage from two nights in Glasgow, Camden Roundhouse an Antmas night in Brighton filtered through, it was clear the energy was back (partially) thanks to venues more appropriate for enjoying live music – significant progress since that opening night in Bournemouth.
Martin Williams of The Herald seems to agree:
With more than a few moans about his “flaky” voice and even his lack of movement from the southern England seaside town, could this be evidence Adam Ant was actually now a busted flush? While Bournemouth was a mainly seated event, probably perfect for appreciative nods for a more gentile classical recital the punk and new wave roots of Adam Ant showed that it was the right move to have a designated standing area in Glasgow.
Read full review at www.heraldscotland.com (opens in new tab)
And Adam Ant did not just show up — he arrived with a bang.
In a city like Glasgow, where the crowd is rarely simply passive, the response was enthusiastic. His energy seemed elevated, as though the delayed tour has given him a hunger. That hunger translated into pace: the show did not drag, the transitions were slick enough although there were times you wondered whether he wondered if he was entirely comfortable on stage.
Performers that were undoubtedly comfortable on stage were the two support acts. There had been the inevitable disgruntlement when it was made apparent to UK Antpeople that The Beat – whom had joined Adam Ant for the USA leg of the Antmusic tour – were not coming this side of the pond. Popular with the AmericAnts, they were a tough act to follow.
Having seen Toyah live a number of times on the club circuit, can confirm she always brings her A-game to the stage but appreciate Ms Willcox is the proverbial Marmite of the retro music scene, and her addition to the line-up raised eyebrows amongst those of us aware of the Toyah/Adam backstory. Yee Loi, however, were turning heads at all their allotted shows and proved to be something a little bit special with their youthful exuberance and punky tuneage.
They caught the eye (and ear) of WeShootMusic.com’s Steve White at the Stockton Globe:
Think noise, real punk rock, all with incredibly catchy melodies, choruses that grab you hard and urge you to join in. Yee Loi deliver a glorious 30 minutes of non-stop punky pop rock n roll that spits out all the hallmarks of future success. Attitude, captivating stage presence and tunes that reel you in and just won’t let go. They may have been a real shock to many here expecting an 80’s nostalgia feast but by the end of those thirty minutes Yee Loi will have deservedly gained a not insignificant number of new fans.
Read full review at www.weshootmusic.com (opens in new tab)
Mr White also notes the issue with seated venues for an Ant gig:
Still a captivating performer, that mischievous twinkle in his eyes and cheeky grin has lost none of its charm over the years.
Read full review at www.weshootmusic.com (opens in new tab)
These songs need to be danced to, need to have arms in the air, people yelling their voices out as they join in. Yes we all age. Some now can’t stand for a whole gig and that’s OK but surely for a gig such as this venues need to try and incorporate at least a small standing area? Just a thought.
Sometimes we have to be canny if we want to avoid the human bondage den of the all-seater venue, Southend’s Pavilion being a prime example. Not only are the staff of this council-owned venue catering to the (mostly) grey pound fantastic, they will also turn a blind eye to some pogoing on the sides. As long as you respect those around you and not encroaching on the enjoyment of others who can’t or won’t stand when Adam delivers (afterall, some of us simply don’t have the stamina anymore), we should at least have the choice when forking out for over inflated ticket prices. This isn’t a round-table talking tour for the blue rinse brigade. Sexmusic is designed for dancing and jumping up and down like a lunatic. Shepherd’s Bush Empire is a great example of a mixed standing/seater venue. Much better than Roundhouse with it’s terrible view wherever you sit or stand (unless right at the front) due to the columns – like – everywhere.
Try another flavour
For the second half of the tour, adjustments to the setlist were made. With Wonderful being the track least accommodating to Adam’s aging maturing vocal chords, it was out. As a common ‘toilet break song’ for many of us, this is commendable (afterall, we’ll always have the memory of the 1995 show opener, just after Nina Symone – if you know, you’ll know etc) and was not missed. Vive Le Rock’s Miss Thing a welcome wildcard addition but still no room for Apollo 9 (sob -ed). Why Adam chooses Vive Le Rock over its bigger hitting album mate is a mystery to us mere mortals. But then again, Room at the Top and Deutscher Girls are also seldom performed. Is this an aversion to singles that peaked at No13? With Adam being of the superstitious persuasion, that’s one theory.
This is noticed by the mighty GodIsInTheTVZine blog in their review of the 2nd Liverpool show at the Philharmonic:
There’s some minor gripes to be had – his reluctance to include to sing any non-singles from Prince Charming or Strip albums is kinda annoying, as is his dropping of crowd favourites from previous tours (‘Apollo 9‘, ‘Wonderful’ [!], ‘Room At The Top‘ to name but a few). And everything here was written no later than 1985 (with nothing from his 2013 fantastically-named comeback album Adam Ant Is The Blueback Hussar Marrying The Gunner’s Daughter), but with a back catalogue as strong as his these are just small moans.
Read full review at www.godisinthetvzine.com (opens in new tab)
Even if Scorpios and Baby, Let Me Scream at You are forever vetoed, there’s plenty more for fans of all eras to get their antennas around – from a good spanking of perennial early Antz favourites such as Never Trust a Man (With Egg on His Face), Beat My Guest, Lady, Zerox and a surprisingly decent version Young Parisians, which had one or two of us looking out for a saxophone during the instrumental. Will claims he did not use any effects jiggery pokery for this, so perhaps it was a trick of the acoustics. Or collective audiation, such is the impact of Will’s polymathic phonic talents.
One major setlist change/omission/improvement (delete as appropriate) was the encore. Out goes Physical as the traditional finale, instead the equally crowd-pleasing Stand & Deliver is pushed down and out of the main set. It’s been a while since Adam got his kit off, so this makes sense but some of us are sad to see this staple Ant tune completely off the menu.
The rejigging of the finale also sees some intriguing stage antics from the band. Both Jon and Will seamlessly switch from guitars to floor toms to join Jola and Greenie for the elongated ‘audience participation’ section, then back again to strings before stepping out of the lights in unison to give Adam his solo finish. No more extended Will solo guitar action to end, this is a highly choreographed team effort (babes).
Final week and the pace was kept up, and if there was tour fatigue within the ranks it wasn’t showing. John Hayhurst of York Calling blog reflects:
At 71, lets face it, Adam isn’t darting about like he once did – who is at that age?. The moves are smaller now—sharp shuffles, theatrical freezes, controlled prowls across the edge of the stage. But that restraint makes the character stronger, not weaker. He wears the Dandy Highwayman gear like a uniform he never retired from. He doesn’t have to act like a character anymore. He just is Adam Ant.
Read full review at www.yorkcalling.co.uk (opens in new tab)
Don’t tread on an Ant
The Antmusic tour team had an extra year to think this one through – and it shows. The iffy nostalgia festivals, the 11th hour changes, the mystery (‘it’s a myffstery’) lack of news until Toyah let slip, the slow ticket sales for the bolt-on tour dates: None of it detracted from a new era in professionalism of the live Ant show.
Much has been said elsewhere with regards to Adam’s age and suggested fragility – reflecting it could be time to knock the big tours on the head. Hopefully Adam – the life-long fighter and survivor – will take a good rest this season and ruminate on the well-meaning observations, blessed in the knowledge he has a more than capable, solid ensemble behind him.
What are your thoughts on Adam Ant’s most recent tour? Do you agree/disagree with the above reviews and observations? Add your comments when you sign up as an Ant Lib member.
