With over thirty American dates announced for this summer/autumn to add to an already bulging diary, Adam Ant guitarist Will Crewdson is in more demand than ever. We caught up with him at Edinburgh’s La Belle Angele, on his second of ten gigs supporting Magazine’s Dave Formula & Noko to see what’s what and who with… and snuffle out any hot goss on the forthcoming Ant shows…
The full transcript:
So, Will, tell us how you’ve been getting these plum appearances with Magazine and EMF. You’re getting around now!
Um, I don’t know. It’s like you bang your head against the wall for so long, and eventually the wall caves in, you know, because I’ve been doing this solo stuff for quite a while now. Most of the gigs I do are in London really with it, and it’s normally in between touring with other people, but just over the last sort of two or three years I guess, I’ve started to get all these really cool supports with bands that I used to love, you know, and it’s very nice to do and they seem to like me doing it. Which is a bonus.
Had you performed with Noko and Dave Formula before? How did you know each other?
No, I mean, I know their manager pretty well, and I have met Dave before in the past and I know Noko who’s good friends with Mary Byker. I play with Gaye Bykers – they’re in Apollo 440 together – so it’s all kind of linked like that really, yeah.
EMF though – was that a random?
Quite random, yeah, because I didn’t know any of them, those guys. But they’re lovely blokes and they’re still a great band live. I can’t remember how that came about. I think it was probably their agent or an agent that I was working with, yeah.
Is that how you’re getting a lot of gigs?
Sometimes, yeah. And then you do one thing like that, you know, like, I think I did Jesus Jones first and then I guess people saw me doing that and they thought, “Oh, that might be good for EMF,” you know, and yeah, just kind of like happens like that, really. Like you knock over the first domino… Very destructive my answers, aren’t they!? “Breaking walls” and “Pushing down dominoes”!
So, you’re accumulating fans – are you finding an uptick in followers?
Yeah, I mean, it’s weird when you’re supporting someone because obviously, they’re not there to see you. So, in a lot of ways, you’re just kind of – I mean, people enjoy it – but they’re obviously just there to see their band and they’re there to buy their t-shirts, which is fair enough, you know? But no I’ve definitely picked up a few people and, you know, it’s good to get out of London. It’s always, you know, a lot of appreciation the further north you go, I think, which is great.
On our gig guide, sixty gigs you’ve got currently on there that you’ve either performed this year or you’re about to perform later this year…
Okay…
What supplements are you on …and can we have some?
Supplements…?
…to keep you going – that’s a lot of gigs!
Yeah, it’s good actually. And thanks for letting me know because now I don’t have to bother keeping a diary. I just look at your website, so thanks for that, Stan! I don’t know. I got to say, though, these gigs do take it out… even like I just played forty minutes and when you’re doing it on your own, it’s quite intense, you know, because – and not just physically – it’s just mentally intense for me because I sort of, you know, really get into it. I can play like two hours with other bands and barely break a sweat but with this, I’m just like “Ugh” wrecked the next day. I’ve got four in a row this week, but anyway, it’s all good, I love it.
How do you do it? What tips do you have? Do you put it down to a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle or…?
Well, I am a vegan and that hasn’t hindered me as far as doing gigs. [Laughs] I’ve managed to find vegan guitar straps and all my tools are non-leather. So yeah, no, it’s… yeah, I don’t know. I mean, yeah, obviously you’ve just got to be healthy, whatever you eat really, haven’t you?
Or there’s a painting in the attic somewhere…
Yeah, in the basement…!
You and Adam are obviously on the same vitamins! Sixteen years of Adam…
Yeah, pretty much…
Bar a little breaky-wakey…
…a little holiday, yeah.
…what’s the secret to your success with Adam?
Secret to my success?! [laughing] Well, I love all the songs, which helps, you know, and I love playing them. And I still think he’s a great front man. And, so yeah, that’s half the battle, isn’t it? If you love what you’re doing and it’s a job, it’s just the best thing ever, you know? And I still pinch myself when I’m rehearsing with him about to do a tour, thinking, “Bloody hell!” you know? So, for me, it’s just still a big rush, you know?
You must be doing well, because you obviously haven’t upset him yet. You’re still hanging in there…!
As far as I know!
USA in August/September – what are you most looking forward to on the upcoming Ant tour?
Um, just going to America in general. I just love it. I love travelling around. There’s a few places I’ve never been to on this tour, so that’ll be fun. New Haven I’ve never been there… and that reminds me of a Pat Benatar live video I used to have, which was live in New Haven! So, I’m quite excited about that. [laughs] I’m looking forward to it. And, I’ll probably need less supplements for this because we’re going to be playing slightly shorter sets, supporting Squeeze, so it sounds like it’s going to be really fun. And I went to see Haircut 100 the other day and they still sounded great. So, it’d be great to watch them every night as well, yeah.
Fantastic. What’s the process preparing for an Ant tour? Obviously, there’s the rehearsal process, but how do you actually put together a set list? Is that your responsibility now? You’re musical director?
I’m not really the musical director. I mean, I used to be, but yeah, there hasn’t been a designated person really, but I put ideas forward. When they’re asked for, I’ll put ideas forward. And, uh, sometimes they even get used, you know!
Well, if you need any help petitioning for Apollo 9…!
Oh, I’d love to play it, yeah. Yeah, it’d be great to do. We did it a few years ago…
Time to get that one out of the bag. Have you prepared any sort of set list yet for Blackpool?
No. [Laughs] It’s not for… how long is it?
Another 2-3 months [at time of interview] …
Three months? Yeah, no. No.
So how long do you rehearse? A couple of weeks beforehand, a few days beforehand?
Yeah, a couple of weeks normally.
Antmusic2025 – any stand out moments?
It was nice meeting Robert Fripp …briefly. [Laughs] The husband of Toyah, and she was very nice as well, so that was nice. It was great watching Yee Loi every night because they’re like one of my favourite bands now, they’re amazing. And it was great playing Antmusic, you know, all that Ant stuff again. Hammersmith Odeon was a highlight, definitely. Yeah, it was good, I can’t think of one bad night. So yeah, it was all good.
What’s your favourite song to play live?
Oh, um… probably Beat my Guest. Yeah. Or Red Scab. Yeah, Red Scab maybe yeah.
Would you like to send a message for the Ant Lib members?
Keep fighting the good fight, guys! And, um, see you out there in America. And, uh, and Blackpool…
“…and Blackpool.”
Yeah, “In Blackpool!” …bloody ‘ell!
Check out all Will’s latest musical shenanigans with Scant Regard et al via scantregard.com
Antmusic2025 – Adam Ant tour review round-up
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.
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. 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. 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
Latest comments:
★Was at the Nottingham gig, with Toyah as support. Have seen her a few times, but this was a hit laden set with no filler, truth told, she could’ve popped a couple more tunes in. Adam, with his, partly new, band of merry men, & Jola, was on form, albeit him being a little less amimated. But movememt aside, a tight band, tunes aplenty, a crowd who were behind them every step of the night, including a gent who was living his best life in the balcony opposite where we were sat. Roll on Antics Vol 2! ~Gary
Ant Lib survey results 2024
No Ant Lib comeback would be complete without the return of the world’s largest, longest running Adam & the Ants fan-powered poll. Over one hundred of our social media followers leapt into action by offering their thoughts on favourites, their life/attitudes as an antperson and on what Ant Lib should prioritise in terms of future activities. Here’s the results of the first two section topics, join us for updates on Ant Lib projects.
Section 1: Ant stuff!
« 1. Favourite All-Time Ant Track Ever?»
🥇 11%…Zerøx 🥈 8%….Ants Invasion / Beat My Guest
40 tracks chosen for the hardest question in the survey – 10 from Dirk era, 8 from Kings and 6 from Prince Charming as the top Ant music periods represented. Zerøx is the clear winner with Ants Invasion and Beat My Guest tied in second position. Closest up the rear is Kings of the Wild Frontier in 4th and Dog Eat Dog tied in 5th position with Never Trust a Man (With Egg on His Face), Stand & Deliver and Tabletalk.
You can listen to the full list of nominations (bar a few unavailable rarities) on our specially curated Spotify playlist.
« 2. Favourite Ant Single/45? »
🥇 21%…Stand & Deliver 🥈 19%…Zerøx 🥉 10%…Dog Eat Dog
A little easier to answer than the devilish All-Time Ant Track question, the results of the Favourite Ant Single didn’t come as too much of a surprise. Whatever way you look at it, Stand & Deliver is the perfect pop song.
Again Zerøx fairs well, so its great to see a new (?) found appreciation of this 1978 release. Adam Ant’s personal favourite Dog Eat Dog ambles behind in 3rd position but all three have endured the test of time.
Desperate But Not Serious came top of the solo singles however with just 5 votes, ranking 8th behind ‘Antmusic’, Deutscher Girls and Kings of the Wild Frontier in joint 4th, and Cartrouble in 7th position.
With Stand & Deliver claiming just over a fifth of the votes for Favourite Ant Single, it comes of little surprise that its flipside should remain “unbeaten” as the highest ranked b-side baby.
First performed at the Antz public debut in 1977 and still performed in 2024, Beat My Guest has endured the test of time. Stand & Deliver b/w Beat My Guest is not only perfect pop, but also the perfect 45 release it would seem.
« 4. Favourite Ant Album Track? »
🥇 11%…Ants Invasion 🥈 6%….Digital Tenderness / Here Comes the Grump / Picasso Visita El Planeta De Los Simios
Favourite Ant Album Track (i.e. any song not released as a single or b-side) was a category less clear cut as we can see by the crowded runner-up position. Ants Invasion continues to do quite nicely in the survey, and is proudly sitting on top of the LP track pile.
The most represented Ant album? Dirk had all but one track (Family of Noise) nominated, whilst eight Kings tracks featuring in the full list of 42.
« 5. Favourite Ant Studio Album? »
🥇 36%…Kings of the Wild Frontier 🥈 30%…Dirk Wears White Sox 🥉 9%….Prince Charming
It’s the category of our survey Adam & Marco think is stupid! But hey, when CBS/Phony churns out more crapola compilation albums than they actually supported back in the ’80s, there’s a clear distinction to be drawn for the discerning Antperson.
Rant out of the way, it was really down to the wire which of the classic Adam & the Ants LPs would take pole position. Perhaps there’s bias towards the first Ant album most fans heard/bought, but of course multi-platinum Kings of the Wild Frontier came through in the end.
Interestingly, all LPs received at least one vote (including Decca and Persuasion b00tl3gs), and Prince Charming stumbles into 3rd position.
« 6. Favourite Ant Hits/Compilation Album? »
🥇 31%…Antbox 🥈 26%…Antmusic – The Very Best of 🥉 10%…B-Side Babies
So these two categories are the reason behind the previous category’s “Studio album” description/verbiage. Ant compilations are two-a-penny and, as for rarities, most of which exist only via even more plentiful (and varying quality) b00t|3gs (but we’ll keep that quiet…).
Therefore, it probably comes as little surprise that 2000’s Antbox tops the compilation LP category when it contains a good helping of rarity action…so much so that it was produced in such limited quantities it has now become a relative rarity in itself. Arcade’s Antmusic was a close runner-up (with particular shout outs for the double live CD version), and US import B-Side Babies comes in at third place.
Of course the latter of which consists mainly of reworkings of early Ants tracks (reflected in the Decca era imagery used for the artwork), and the rarity category responses are dominated by pre-Dirk titles – there being many! Two tracks did however break away from the pack: Ligotage, which was released twice officially via the Peel/BBC Radio collections, and (I) Nietzsche Baby which frustratingly languishes on decaying (live) bootleg tapes.
One day…
« 8. Favourite Ant Promo Video? »
🥇 42%…Stand & Deliver 🥈 8%….Prince Charming 🥉 7%….Kings of the Wild Frontier
No surprises here for first place – although if you believed all those two-a-penny clip shows from the 2000s, you’d have possibly assumed Prince Charming would clinch the Favourite Ant Promo Video category. But they never ask the fans in these things. If its not clear enough from these results, Stand & Deliver is indeed the top favourite Adam & the Ants/Adam Ant video according to the fans. It has always been, and by a country (Terry Lee) mile.
All the action in the responses was for the runner-up position and it was literally a single vote between 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th…you get the picture. What was interesting is the vast difference in aesthetic between the second and third gongs. On the one hand there’s the aforementioned Prince Charming in 2nd with its lavish production, stunt casting and OTT make-up, but literally snapping at its heels is the rough and ready low budget yet high energy Kings of the Wild Frontier – and hardly the thickness of a pound note to separate them.
Goes to show, money just can’t buy the raw power of five young(ish) hombres burning fire.
« 9. Favourite Ant Single Sleeve? »
🥇 17%…Stand & Deliver 🥈 16%…Kings of the Wild Frontier 🥉 12%…Young Parisians / Zerøx
« 10. Favourite Ant Album Sleeve? »
🥇 29%…Kings of the Wild Frontier 🥈 26%…Dirk Wears White Søx 🥉 17%…Prince Charming
Cor blimey this was close. It was a tough battle between 1st and runner-up positions in both categories and make no mistake, guvna. The odds on favourites won by a nose…and no we’re not sure we can keep up the cockney racing bants in this commentary but the white stripes shine through in both Favourite Ant Single and Album sleeve designs.
Open for discussion is whether Antpeeps were opting for the poster or standard Stand & Deliver sleeves (we didn’t offer the choice, sowwy), so we’ve included both in our visual representation here for you to enjoy (if you’re that way inclined, of course). Kings of the Wild Frontier single also has the two variations (white text for 1980 release, red for the 1981 reissue) but we think original is best, so pop that in your peace pipe and smoke it.
Album sleeve-wise? Well the Kings vs Dirk debate rumbles on and will continue long after we’ve all gone off to the happy hunting ground, no doubt. All we know is that the sleeve which inspired the Paisley Park Purple Poser’s post ’81 career is likely to forever be the wee wannabe Indian behind two big chiefs.
As some of you may remember from the noughties, we’ve been running these surveys for a very long time (bar our ten year hiatus, of course) and the Favourite Image question previously had an ‘open’ answer where we would receive literally dozens of different costume combinations (and variations on the respondents understanding of the term “image”) to number crunch.
This time it made sense to try consolidate some of these into eleven distinct Ant image phases for the choosing. Due to the nature of these previous responses, we – somewhat controversially – bundled all the pre-1980 ‘micro’ looks into one so that the 1977-1979 era was given an improved chance of representation in the 2024 survey. It paid off, with the punk-era Adam & the Ants sandwiched between the pirate and dandy highwayman looks.
New for 2024 is the Favourite Logo category. As if there weren’t enough questions to answer in #AntSurvey24, our mate Carty Rubble thought another one up just as we were about to press the publish button.
101 responses were received for this category, and nearly two thirds of you chose the perennial merch favourite created by the ridiculously talented Sir Daniel of Kleinman, as again the Warrior-era wins over the simplistic pre-1980 aesthetic, with the intricate Prince Charming logo coming up third. Only one other logo received a vote (Friend or Foe), with no love shown this time around for our other short listers Strip and Apollo 9.
Our survey particip-Ants are based far and wide across the globe and this is reflected in one of the closest of category calls. Responses for the Favourite Ant Tour were broad and varied, many calling out individual gigs as their stand out live Ant performance. With the more recent album-themed tours, some such as Kings and Friend or Foe were undefined from their original early-80s counterparts, therefore some detective work was required.
However, with all that in mind we have three contenders for the photo finish of this category, with 1995’s big live “comeback” for Wonderful the stand-out tour (particularly the Shepherd’s Bush gigs) and the two most memorable early-80s UK tours in 2nd and 3rd place.
« 14. Favourite Ant / Band Member? »
🥇 49%…Marco 🥈 9%….Jola 🥉 7%….Terry Lee Miall
“Wondering” where your favourite Ant or Adam Ant band member came in our survey? Well, for the 25th year running, the Big Man – unsurprisingly – topped the poll by a whopping 40% majority.
Coming tops of the current band line-up is long-standing drummer Jola in 2nd place, closely followed by Adam & the Ants MkII’s Terry Lee Miall.
« 15. Favourite Ant-related Book? »
🥇 61%…Stand & Deliver: The Autobiography – Adam Ant 🥈 12%…The Official Adam Ant Story – James Maw 🥉 7%….Blood, Sweat, Leather & Tears – Johna Johnson
Favourite Ant-related Book was – on the other hand – a much easier category to number-crunch despite having one of the lowest responses across the survey. Very different results from previous years, the clear forerunner being Adam Ant’s very own autobiography ‘Stand & Deliver’ (perhaps because most if not all Ant fans will own a copy), as previous perennial favourite The Official Adam Ant Story (sometimes fondly known as the ‘Ant Bible’) is knocked down to 2nd position with just 12% of the vote.
New entry is our mate Johna J’s Antfan memoir ‘Blood, Sweat, Leather & Tears’ which recounts his time pogo-ing across England’s northern provinces during the late 1970s. There’s a follow-up book too, so if you’ve not got your copy yet, get over to Paul Hallam’s www.olddogbooks.net.
Love it or loathe ’em, we had to include Adam’s prolific *cough* acting roles *cough* in our survey as per previous years (it’s a tradition, an old charter or something) and 88 of you generous lot gave this category a bash, gawd loves ya. 41% of recipients played it safe and opted for the Kid in Jubilee (well, it was barely acting really…) and a quarter went for Love Bites and the loveable-yet-bitey actual bona fide role of Zachary Simms. The latter of which needs a DVD/Blu-ray release. Like, now please.
« 17. Favourite Ant Cover Version? »
🥇 48%…Physical – Nine Inch Nails 🥈 8%….Stand & Deliver – No Doubt 🥉 6%….Zerox Machine – Client
Some surprises nominated for the Favourite Ant Cover category but this one – no matter how we describe/word it – always seems to cause issues. No we don’t mean Ant covers of other people’s songs (come on..?!) or magazine covers (what the..?!!) but we had to discount both (again) so only 65 valid responses were received for this category – the lowest across the survey. However, Trent Reznor’s NIN win with nearly half the vote as that sneaky secret Physical at the end of the Broken EP is the very clear winner.
No Doubt and Client just edge it on a broad range of stragglers and honorable (umm) mentions go to Ant-Trouble for their brave live attempt at Ant Rap, and XXVBD who may or may not have nominated their own material available now from their online shop (it’s OK boys we won’t tell anyone…uhh…oops!).
You can listen to a selection of Favourite Ant covers via our specially curated Spotify playlist.
Section 2: Antperson!
« 1. How long have you been an Ant fan? »
🥇 80%…Over 41 years (since 1982 or earlier) 🥈 85%…26-40 years 🥉 4%….1-5 years
« 2. How did you get into Adam/The Ants? »
🥇 38%…Television 🥈 24%…Radio 🥉 21%…Word of Mouth
In an attempt to pour oil over (Car)troubled waters, we (controversially?) grouped “original” punks with the “teeny” fans in the response/options for the first time in nearly 25 years of conducting the survey. This is something we’d never have done in days of yore when we all had functioning temporal lobes, but fighting over 47 years vs 44 years is – in the great scheme of things – getting a bit ridiculous now as the majority of fans aren’t far off qualifying for their old age pension.
❤️ Plus we love you all equally and life is too short. However, if you ‘got into’ Adam/The Ants via TV, we can hazard a guess you probably weren’t getting gobbed on at the Vortex.
« 3. What aspect of Adam Ant appeals to you MOST? »
🥇 73%…Music 🥈 10%…Lyrics 🥉 7%….Live performance
« 4. What aspect of Adam Ant appeals to you LEAST? »
These were two new questions and ideally they would have been posed as a sliding scale of the ‘Ant package’ (ooh-er) but Googly forms made it all far too complicated and so we were stuck with a check box instead. Not exactly what we were looking for but we can work out what elements appeal the most and less so, with ‘style/fashion’ being the aspect of Adam Ant that the vast majority of fans are most ambivalent about.
« 5. Do you think there will ever be a (full line-up) Adam & the Ants reunion? »
🥇 88%…No 🥈 9%….Yes 🥉 3%….Who cares?
« 6. How would you feel about an Adam & the Ants reunion? »
🥇 78%…Positive 🥈 16%…Indifferent 🥉 7%….Negative
Back to three questions from our old surveys (last conducted in 2006 – blimey!). Predicting and attitude towards an Adam & the Ants reunion is indicative of the relevancy of the band that launched Adam Ant’s career all those years ago. Whilst attitude remains overwhelmingly positive, indifference has increased and we’re probably a little more realistic in our old age! 😉
« 7. Which current/living musician would you most like Adam to collaborate with? »
Collaboration-wise, one name popped up more than any other – Mr Marco Francesco Andrea Pirroni, come on down!
Top of the runners-up pile was John Lydon, Iggy Pop and Numan (both Gazza and daughter Raven). But you’ve all got good taste, going by the word cloud of suggestions!
« 8. How would you describe yourself as a collector? »
🥇 33%…In the middle 🥈 28%…Slightly more completist 🥉 17%…Less so Average: Between mid and slightly more completist.
Ant fans are so modest – or maybe you are keeping tight-lipped on how much swag you’re storing away from the significant other these days. But in saying that, there’s a titchy bias towards the completist in ya’ll with the average coming up as 2.7 on the scale of 1-5, 1 being the absolute flippin’ nutter zone (only joking x).
« 9. How much have you spent on your Ant collection in the past year? »
🥇 23%…Nothing 🥈 21%…£51-£100 (US $66-$130) 🥉 19%…Less than £25 Average Ant expenditure: £69 (US $90).
OK, OK we get it – it’s all or nothing with us lot. “I’m not going to buy that bootleg with the dogsh*t sleeve…oh hang on Bazza from Bermondsey just bought it, so *I’m* gonna haveta”. No comment but grifters gonna grift, and with an average spend per Antperson of £69 (!!), sexpeople gonna flash the cash when needs must.
« 10. Who got the majority of your cash in 2023-24? »
All those eBay dealers cranking out their tat sure do catch the eye of many an-Antperson. Sadly, even the stuff we’ve produced for free or at cost at Ant Lib HQ over the years has found its own way on there as “ULTRA RARE!” “VINTAGE!” etc., so it is no surprise “EvilBay™” is another rip-off zone to be wary of.
We probably should’ve also included the official shop/stalls in the survey options, hence the ‘Other’ represented in the top 3 here. Of course, there was zero touring 15-25 years ago, so our bad – we should’ve got with the times 😉
« 11. Have you ever felt ‘ripped off’/cheated? »
🥇 27%…Yes 🥈 74%…No (*1% rounding error but nobody should be snuffling too deeply at this data, so we should get away with it if nobody’s looking. What’s that?…oops)
Apparently this was a controversial question when we first started these surveys in 1999, as those who were brown nosing shoddy ‘official’ services accused us of being defamatory by merely daring to ask it. Well, its easy to understand why when you read the responses, because the majority of those who feel cheated cite (other than marketplace grifters) various ‘official’ fanclubs, quality of tour merch (or even the LACK of new merch/releases to buy) among the reasons for disgruntlement.
But (sadly) Planet Ant has never listened to the fans in 25 years of raising concerns, so why should anyone start now?
Fact is, if you’re in a group of four friends going to an Antshow next year, it’s likely one of those friends will have been “ripped off” over the years. Let’s work together to keep that number down by flagging up activities (both non-official or otherwise) that are not in the best interests of Antpeople ❤️
SPANKZ to everyone who took part in the 2024 Ant Survey – join us today for more of this sort of nonsense…it’s free and you even get the chance to win stuff!
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