"Adam, when he emerges to a standing ovation, is looking fit and trim, dressed all in black with a skinny fit top, bandana and trilby hat. Hes energetic and completely on form and looks like hes been working out." |
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Im extremely excited to get in to the gig in the first place as it sold out before it was even announced and even more delighted to see that Adam, when he emerges to a standing ovation, is looking fit and trim, dressed all in black with a skinny fit top, bandana and trilby hat. Hes energetic and completely on form and looks like hes been working out or maybe even had some work done, but then he always did have good skin and beautiful bone structure!
Hes also looking considerably younger than his 52 years. An old school friend accompanies him on guitar - Dave Pash, who apparently Adam used to copy Latin homework from but in return protected him from the gym teacher. Dave is an accomplished classical guitarist and has modified his guitar and added effects to attempt to replicate the Ants tonight. He does a splendid job, helped by background vocals and yodelling from the audience, and the stripped back songs are absolutely enthralling.
This evening has been put on to promote the release of the paperback version of Adams autobiography Stand & Deliver and rumour has it that Adam will be reading extracts from the book and perhaps singing about six songs over the course of an hour and 20 minutes. Blissfully, it turns out to be a two hour set, with no interval, and he plays 13 songs.
For the readings, Adam stands behind a podium and uses printed notes but is more animated and absorbing when he stops, laughs and then goes off on a tangent with an ad-libbed anecdote. We hear about his childhood and schooldays; his mention of a red Dansette record player that his parents had brings back memories of the one I inherited and used to play Adam Ant records on over and over; its a wonder that the rest of the family stayed sane. We hear about the run-ins with Teddy Boys, the first Sex Pistols gig when they were supporting the band Adam was in called Bazooka Joe, and were greeted by silence from the students at St Martins College of Art, and we learn that Siouxsie Sioux caught hepatitis from someone spitting in her mouth at one of her gigs. Adam, once hes relaxed a bit, is actually very entertaining and funny and steps back from the mic often to illustrate or act a point out and puts on different voices to much laughter.
In between reading he moves to the middle mic and plays songs stretching back to his early punk days and Dirk Wears White Sox. He definitely can still sing, as well as yodel and yelp, and I cant tell you how exhilarating it is to hear Young Parisians, Never Trust a Man (with Egg on His Face), Cartrouble and Cleopatra, which Adam describes as their dirtiest song. Thank goodness there were no Parental Advisory stickers back then or Id have never been allowed to buy Dirk Wears White Sox (its too late to check the lyrics now Dad!). For those that only remember his more mainstream, poppier stuff, its worth checking out his early work. Plastic Surgery is punk genius and Physical is still one of my all time favourite songs.
Adam also plays his hits Antmusic and Stand and Deliver, his melodic love song Wonderful, the sexy Desperate but Not Serious (ooh, his voice does still have the goosebump effect) and Vive Le Rock. He sings a couple of covers Perry Comos Catch A Falling Star and Matt Monros Softly As I Leave You. During the songs he dances around the stage and does his little cross-unwind spins and captivating poses as if hes still twenty-something. He receives a long standing ovation at the end of the set, as he had at the beginning, and looks quite moved. The fans who have flown in from America and Australia for this one off gig get an acknowledgement and heartfelt thanks.
The crowd wont leave and Adam comes back for a second encore and has to reprise Never Trust A Man as they havent rehearsed any more songs. The audience sing along with every word.
It is clear that tonight is a momentous occasion for Adam and his proud antpeople - hopefully the warmth of response will inspire and encourage him to do much more.
Set list:
The Young Parisians
Never Trust A Man (With Egg on His Face)
Cleopatra
Catch A Falling Star - Perry Como cover
Cartrouble
Softly As I Leave You - Matt Monro cover
Antmusic
Dog Eat Dog
Stand and Deliver
Desperate But Not Serious
Vive Le Rock
Wonderful
***
Goody Two Shoes
***
Never Trust A Man (With Egg on His Face)
FUTURE GIGS
- date performer venue price
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Thu 23 Oct 2025
Adam Ant
Bournemouth
BIC (& Windsor Hall, & Tregonwell Hall)
[BH2 5BH] £48.00
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Fri 24 Oct 2025
Adam Ant
Cardiff
Cardiff Motorpoint (previously CIA)
[CF10 2EQ] £48.00
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Mon 27 Oct 2025
Adam Ant
Glasgow
Royal Concert Hall
[G2 3NY] £48.00
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Wed 29 Oct 2025
Adam Ant
Gateshead
The Sage
[NE8 2JR] £45.00
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Thu 30 Oct 2025
Adam Ant
Stockton-on-Tees
Globe Theatre
[TS18 1PL] £48.00
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Sun 2 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
Camden
Roundhouse Theatre
[NW1 8EH] £64.50
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Thu 6 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
Southend-on-Sea
Cliffs Pavilion
[SS0 7RA] £48.00
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Mon 10 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
Bristol
Bristol Beacon
[BS1 5AR] £45.00
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Wed 12 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
Nottingham
The Royal Centre (Royal Concert Hall + Theatre Royal)
[NG1 5ND] £48.00
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Sat 15 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
Birmingham
Symphony Hall
[B1 2EA] £45.00
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Sun 16 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
Liverpool
Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room
[L1 9BP] £45.00
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Mon 17 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
Cambridge
Corn Exchange
[CB2 3QB] £47.50
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Wed 19 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
York
Barbican Centre (York)
[YO10 4NT] £45.00
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Thu 20 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
Leicester
De Montfort Hall
[LE1 7RU] £48.00
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Fri 21 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
Manchester
Bridgewater Hall
[M2 3WS] £45.00
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Sun 23 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
Sheffield
City Hall
[S1 2JA] £45.00
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Mon 24 Nov 2025
Adam Ant
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes Theatre
[MK9 3NZ] £48.00
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