Adam Ant has recently made a resurgence in music and stopped by the Fillmore last night to rekindle the excitement of one of his most influential records “Kings of the Wild Frontier.” The sold out show follows a string of others from the charismatic flamboyent post-punk singer that’s bouncing in and out of the music spotlight for much of his career.
Well, he’s returned to the stage and was quoted a few years ago as saying in a Rolling Stone article that at this stage of his life the pressure to be successful is different. “There’s always the welcome pressure of a certain competitiveness, but there wasn’t the kind of incessant chart pressure – “This week, you’re number three,” or number two. I’m behind that now, and I feel comfortable.”
The lack of pressure certainly paid off last night, as the singer was in full energy-mode and was oozing in charisma, channeling influences from the New Romantic movement that he and his bandmates started back in the 70s and early 80s. It was especially nice to see Ant in such fine form considering that his guitarist and musical director, Tom Edwards, died of suspected heart failure a couple of weeks. After canceling two performances he decided the show had to go on and last night’s audience couldn’t have been more appreciative.
The mostly mature audience was ecstatic to be in the presence of their 80s idol back on stage singing songs that combined such a wide breadth of influences inclusing ska, punk and funk, to the beat of not one, but two drummers playing crescendos of afro-beats tirelessly throughout the night. He started strong with the bombastic “Dog Eat Dog” but the highlights had to be the “Antmusic” and the iconic “We Are Family.”
Adam and the Ants have had a major influence on so many artists throughout the years, most notably Nine Inch Nails who covered “Physical” on their EP “Broken.” Seeing so many of his fans congregate to the legendary venue and pay homage to one of their once-fallen hero was a testament to how much his music has resonated and stayed with them through all these years. The now 62 year-old Ant is still in great shape, with a voice and a sound that still holds up, so it would come as no surprise if this was not his nostalgia tour, but rather a brand new beginning.
Set List
Dog eat dog
Antmusic
Feed me to the lions
Los rancheros
Ants invasion
Killer in the home
Kings of the wild frontier
The magnificent five
Don’t be square
Jolly roger
Making history
The human beings
Beat my guest
Christian dior
Stand and deliver
Vive le rock
Cartrouble
Desperate but not serious
Zerox
Never trust a man (with egg on his face)
Lady/fall in
Goody two shoes
Prince charming
Red scab
Get it on by marc bolan (cover)
Physical
Photos by Louis Raphael Photography
