Rock Regeneration

Nov12

Adam Ant The Good The Bad And The Lovely Posse

on November 12th, 2012 at 20:35

O2, Bournemouth

It’s Sunday night in the O2 Bournemouth, and the Dandy Highwayman is back in town. I say back, it’s their 3rd visit in a year! They’ll be residents soon!!

Anyway, about the show. I arrive too late to catch support act “Georgie Girl and her Poussez Posse”. I’m informed by a punter she looked amazing though! And so at 9 o’clock Adam Ant arrives onstage. Backed by The Good, The Mad and’ The Lovely Posse he wastes no time launching straight into “Press Darlings” before the excellent “Dog Eat Dog”. One of my favourite tracks “Beat My Guest” really tests Adam’s vocal tonight, but he really finds his range after this.

The venue is only half full but this crowd show their adulation throughout. As with his comeback tour that stopped off at Mr. Kyps last year, tonight’s set features songs from his extensive back catalogue. For those of us old enough to remember, it’s good to hear pre-“Kings” material. Adam is energetic again tonight,resplendant in his stage attire as he uses every inch of the stage. Georgie to his right looks fantastic as she busts some raunchy moves, while adding some subtle additional vocals. Occasional banter is exchanged along with stories of song origins. “Cartrouble” and “Kick” are well received while Adam stays with the songs of his early career including the excellent “Whip In My Valise”, describing it as the closest thing he has written to a love song.

Adam Ant 1–2–3–4–5–6–7–8

If there’s one “downer” for me in the show its new single “Cool Zombie”. Unless it’s just me it doesn’t have comeback single written all over it. However, I’m in the minority as it is very well received. “Desperate, But Not Serious” catches a few out tonight with its extended mid-song break but remains a set highlight. Adam dedicates “Cleopatra” to Elizabeth Taylor before really letting go on the seriously underrated “Vive le Rock”.

Adam revives a memory of his days on set for the film Jubilee; and how he discovered a lady naked as he ventured upstairs, then launches into “Lady” and set closer “Fall In”. It’s now that we really get the wall of sound created by this 6 piece. One could forgive them for not doing an encore if they so chose – the venue is half empty and the “encore” shouts are sparse. However, the band come back for another 4 songs. Of those 4 songs is the interesting “Rubber People”, which has all the Punk energy and anger of some of his earlier material. Adam appears to be really enjoying singing it with its fetishistic lyrics. They leave us on “Physical, (You’re So)” to rapturous applause. The band take a bow then exit stage right for the last time. All in all another triumphant show in Bournemouth. 1 hour 40 minutes of pure nostalgia and entertainment. On this showing we’ll all be there again in April at a “local” venue to be confirmed…..

Setlist
1.Press Darlings
2.Dog Eat Dog
3.Beat My Guest
4.Kick
5.Cartrouble
6.Ants Invasion
7.Deutscher Girls
8.Room At The Top
9.Kings Of The Wild Frontier
10.Room At The Top
11.Whip In My Valise
12.Vince Taylor
13.Strip
14.Cool Zombie
15.Desperate,But Not Serious
16.Cleopatra
17.Never Trust A Man,(With Egg On His Face)
18.Xerox
19.Vive Le Rock
20.Antmusic
21.Goody Two Shoes
22.Lady/Fall In