Hurricane Irma caused plenty of damage when it ripped through Florida last September. Apart from all the physical and structural damage, plenty of entertainers scheduled to have their concert tours roll through the area understandably put a halt to those plans and bypassed the state completely. While many performances suffered the fate of not being rescheduled, one rocker made good on his unfortunate cancellation and rescheduled his trek through the Sunshine State.
On Wednesday, British pop star Adam Ant held true to his word and made good on all the tour stops he was forced to cancel last fall and dazzled a packed house of eager fans at Clearwater’s Capitol Theatre. And boy, was it worth the wait.
Looking trim, youthful, spry and in shape, the 63-year old former leader of new romantic outfit Adam and the Ants showed the boisterous audience exactly what makes him a dazzling showman still to this day. Donning an elegant black jacket, black leather pants, straw bandito hat and an array of scarves and bandanas hanging from his waist and from his head, the always dapper and stylish veteran rocker looked as dashing as ever. Part pirate, part gypsy and ever so dandy, Adam Ant looked like he was ready to strut his stuff.
PLAYLIST
Listen to every song Adam Ant played at Capitol Theatre in Clearwater — 01.31.18
And when the music began, it was obvious that Ant planned on wasting no time at all and packing as much into his performance as he possibly could. Entering the darkened stage as Bizet’s overture from famous opera Carmen blasted through speakers, the intro was the perfect, dramatic opening for Adam and his stellar five-piece band (including two drummers).
While this current tour, dubbed the “Anthems” tour, was formulated as a chance for Adam Ant to showcase the many hit singles he’s amassed, dating back to his early, late 70s punk-inspired tunes on through the more dance-oriented material from the late 80s, it is so much more than that. Sure, all the well-known tunes surfaced throughout the set but, in a daring and bold move, Ant opened the sold-out show with ,of all things, an obscure B-side track from one of those many hit records. “Beat My Guest,” a hard-rocking number about bondage and S&M that dates back to 1981, served as the show’s opening number and got things off to a rollicking start that never really let up. Seemingly pleasing everyone in the audience from the most casual, nostalgic MTV-era fan to his absolute, hardcore, diehard followers, this show and its impressive set list had something for every person in attendance.
As the night continued, Ant and his band seemed to gain more steam, get a little sweatier, get a little raunchier and a whole lot louder. While feedback and microphone issues slightly plagued the one-two punch of “Dog Eat Dog” and “Apollo 9,” Adam worked through the bugs and soldiered on. His signature tribal drum sound dating back to the Ants era was every bit as prevalent as it ever was with his guitarists stepping over to tom toms placed on the stage to savagely beat them while both drummers at the rear of the stage pounded away as well. The title track from his 1982 breakthrough album Friend or Foe gained a ferocious edge thanks to the rumbling from every drum being whacked on stage in unison and elicited spontaneous and spirited dancing in the theater’s rows and in its aisles too.
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Stopping to address the audience a few times, Adam Ant seemed comfortable, poised and good-natured. Thanking the audience multiple times for its rowdy ovations and touching on the weather that made him pull out of his previously scheduled visit to the theater, Adam received another ovation when he remarked about coming back to make good on his unfulfilled appearance.
“That weather was nasty…but we’ve come back to do it!,” he exclaimed as audience members hollered and screamed in elation.
A charming intro for one of his earliest recordings, 1979’s “Car Trouble” from his debut album, added color and character to the presentation and displayed the charisma that resides inside the still devilishly-handsome singer. Dancing, twisting, bending, turning and mugging for the audience are all part of his onstage antics, and he’s perfected all his moves over many decades while exuding his natural charm.
And, sure, when he peeled off his jacket to kick off his 1983 hit “Strip,” the place went nuts. Sporting a black t-shirt with his ant logo emblazoned on it, Adam revealed his sleeved arms adorned with an array of tattoos.
The volume continued to increase, the performances got hotter and Adam seemed to get locked into his groove as the night progressed. By the time the band dove into “Kings of the Wild Frontier,” the title track from the 1980 Ants tour de force, the sheer firepower coming from the stage was intoxicating. A wall of percussion washed over the theater as guitar amps seemed to be revved up to full power load. For the fans who’ve stayed loyal to Adam Ant for decades, the moment was especially gratifying.
An encore that not only included Ant’s most recognizable hit, “Goody Two Shoes” alongside “Lady,” the flip side of Adam and the Ants’ very first single from 1978, reiterated the depth of the set list and proved that there was something for every Ant fan in attendance.
Closing with the slow-burning rocker “Physical (You’re So)” while donning a low-slung Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, Adam Ant looked and sounded every bit the rock star he truly is. The well-paced, two-hour show ended in a whirlwind and proved to be as mighty and powerful as the hurricane that delayed this show by four months.
Irma was a scary, ferocious, phenomenon but, seems pale in comparison to the punch and the wallop Adam Ant still packs. Put the two head-to-head in a grudge match, and my money is on the still dominant and commanding Adam Ant.
Set List:
Beat My Guest
Vive Le Rock
Dog Eat Dog
Apollo 9
Friend or Foe
Antmusic
Room at the Top
Desperate But Not Serious
Car Trouble
Zerox
Young Parisians
Prince Charming
Gotta Be a Sin
Puss 'n Boots
Can't Set Rules About Love
Christian D'or
Strip
Kings of the Wild Frontier
Greta X
B-Side Baby
Stand and Deliver
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Goody Two Shoes
Lady/Fall In
Red Scab
Physical (You're So)
