After the cancellation of last years tour some in the circle of Ants fans were approaching this tour with a little trepidation. Would Adam Ant still be able to pull off a show as good as those they remembered? Tonight in Stockton all worries were put to bed and we were treated to a superb evening of songs from across his lengthy career.
But first let’s talk about the support band. Yee Loi (meaning ‘Two Girls’) are young, full of fury, full of energy, full of fun and make you realise without any doubt that so long as bands like this exist then punk rock will continue to agitate, to inspire the youth of today and (hopefully) move mindsets away from the tedious drivel that so often clogs up the charts and mainstream radio playlists. Yee Loi are siblings. Sisters Rose (guitar) and Matilda (drums & vocals) who, along with brother Don Don on bass, play with an attitude and maturity that belies their age. Strolling on stage they open with the slicing guitar of ‘Dad’s Money’, a perfect, raucous, singalong, pop-punk banger that within seconds hooks you in and has those of us lucky enough to be on our feet bouncing along. Rose leaps high, struts around the stage, oozing confidence as her guitar work slams into us. On the other side of the stage Don Don pummels his bass, hair covering his face, pure Ramones stage presence. Centre stage Matilda hammers her drums whilst joyfully singing, all smiles.
Yee Loi melt together the sounds of those early greats – think Ramones, Clash, Blondie, B52’s, The Runaways. Think noise, real punk rock, all with incredibly catchy melodies, choruses that grab you hard and urge you to join in. ‘Mystery Train’ brings a real touch of garage rock n roll whilst ‘Oh Marilyn’ pays a bouncing homage to the blonde icon. Add in a great cover of MC5’s Ramblin’ Rose and it’s easy to see where the influences come from. They also admit to being huge Beatles fans.
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.
Anyone going to any of the remaining tour dates where Yee Loi are support really should be there to catch this lot.
Adam Ant rarely disappoints. Tonight was no exception. His career has seen plenty of rises and a few falls but it’s a guarantee that anyone over a certain age with even a tiny bit of interest in music will be able to name, and sing, at least one of the many hits he’s had as either a solo artist or with Adam and The Ants. Inside Stockton’s Globe Theatre there’s a real buzz. And whilst it’s a predominantly middle-aged crowd there’s certainly a few youngsters here. One or two have gone all out to dress for the occasion – frilly white shirt, swashbuckling jacket, there’s even one white stripe painted across a face amongst those here.
Adam Ant needs no introduction. From the early days of punk rock, mega-stardom in the early 80’s, massive album sales, a lengthy period completely away from the musical spotlight after 1995’s Wonderful album until his 2012 comeback with ‘Adam Ant Is The Blueback Hussar Marrying The Gunners Daughter’. This evening focuses heavily on Adam and The Ants material, a glorious run through of those huge hits from the unmistakable rolling double drum beats of set opener ‘Dog Eat Dog’, the huge chants of ‘Antmusic’ and ‘Kings Of The Wild Frontier’ and the huge singalong that is ‘Prince Charming’. And those early punk classics have lost none of their impact – ‘Cartrouble’, ‘Zerox’, ‘Young Parisians’ and ‘Never Trust A Man With Egg On His Face’ taking this reviewer right back to his earliest record buying days and the excitement of a new genre of music that was changing attitudes across the country.
Chuck in some of the best b-sides you’re likely to hear by anyone – ‘Lady’, ‘Fall In’, ‘Beat My Guest’, ‘Red Scab’ and this really was a set aimed to please fans of every part of Adam Ant’s output. Songs from across his solo career remind us just how many big hits and instantly recognisable songs he delivered. ‘Vive le Rock’, ‘Wonderful’, ‘Desperate But Not Serious’ and, of course, main set closer ‘Goody Two Shoes’.
In a couple of days Adam Ant will be 71. The stage moves might have slowed down a little but his presence hasn’t diminished one bit. Still a captivating performer, that mischievous twinkle in his eyes and cheeky grin has lost none of it’s charm over the years. Backed by a powerful band with those rolling twin drums and the brilliant guitar work of Will Crewdson the musicianship is faultless and, while Ant’s voice is arguably not quite what it once was (who’s is at 70 years of age), this was a show that hit all the right spots.
Adam Ant returns to the stage for just one glorious encore. An encore that has every person on their feet, every person singing along. ‘Stand and Deliver’ was, and still is, absolutely massive and sends everyone home on a real high from a gig where the main performer certainly seemed to enjoy being back on stage and appreciating the response from the crowd. The vast majority of us need to retire at some point and that’s also true for musicians. But let’s hope that ANTMUSIC25 isn’t the last we see of Adam Ant.
But, and this is a purely personal point of view, why all seated? 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.
Photos/words: Steve White. No use of images without permission.
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