As the most powerful storm of the season hit on Friday, Feb 17th, it didn’t deter fans from attending a sold out show of Adam Ant’s Kings of the Wild Frontier at The Observatory in Santa Ana. After parking their cars, fans walked over planks of wood created as a bridge due to flooding and headed to the concert venue.
I have never attended an Adam Ant concert so I was pretty stoked to see him perform after more than 30 years from when I first purchased his vinyl album. I was about 12 or 13 years young back then.
The Kings of the Wild Frontier is the second album released in 1980 by the new wave band Adam and the Ants and was recently remastered in its entirety on the North American Tour.
As soon as the four-piece band appeared on stage anchored by two groovy drummers (one lady and one gentleman) and two remarkable guitarists the energy in the room was palpable. Adam Ant appeared and the crowd got giddy. Adam won over fans with his magnetism, stage presence and his signature dance moves that every crowd was diggin’. Yes, the 62-year-old danced up a storm like he was still in his 30’s. Clad in his Napoleonic headgear, leather pants, and a colonial/military inspired look it was signature Ant. I loved the look with his hussar jacket, and scarf in his back pocket I believe Adam is the only one that can pull it off.
The crowd waiting to get inside The Observatory
Judy and Christopher at the Adam Ant concert 2017
The rocker’s first song was “Dog Eat Dog”, followed by one of my favorites, “AntMusic“. Then come “Feed the Lions” which from I heard was the first time that Adam playing the track live at his concert. For complete set list see below.
As I said before, I’ve never seen him live but after hearing his voice, it was faithful to my original vinyl record. His voice sounded crisp, and he belted high notes with little effort. The crowd was swept along the tidal wave of his hard rocking persona. He gave the audience a show they will always remember.
What the fans are saying:
“I had a work conference in Florida to attend and the dates coincided with Adam Ant touring the US if i took some long service leave. Adam has never performed in New Zealand and I had never seen him live, though been a fan since 1980/81 when I first heard his music. I drew down the mortgage on the house to fund the personal aspects of the trip and my 16-year-old son accompanied me. The day of the Dallas concert, Adam announced his first ever tour to New Zealand – Murphy’s law! I brought on pre-sales a ticket to the NZ show 10 minutes from my house, and three dates in Australia where I will catch up with family and friends as well as attend the shows. I bought my cousin a ticket for Sydney. So, I will have gone from never seeing Adam Ant live, to seeing him 8 times in three countries in 2017.
At The Observatory, Santa Ana:
He was very close, looked exactly the way I expected, and I found myself unable to stop breaking into a grin to keep thinking he was standing (dancing) just a few feet in front of my eyes. If I thought I was keen on his music before, I must say, watching it ‘performed’ was stunning. His energy and continuous attention to the crowd without a moment’s break in focus was greatly impressive. Plus, even my son (who is there because he’s good son and accompanying his old Mum to stuff I like and being my photographer) volunteered that Adam Ant was ‘entertaining’ and had more charisma on stage.” – Kylie Ann from New Zealand
“It was beyond amazing. The venue was like a sardine can, filled to the brim with people. If you went to the restroom just forget about getting your spot back. Everyone wanted to get as close as they could to experience the legend Adam Ant! Beginning to end Adam Ant did not fail. Whenever he comes into town you must go. Such an amazing night!” – Kelly Cotter, Costa Mesa
“My best friend from college and I braved the biggest storm of the season to see our beloved Adam Ant! His energy, style and performancenexceeded every expectation we had. He played most of our favorites, but we wish he included a couple favorites like ‘Strip’ and ‘Apollo 9’. – Lucy, San Clemente
Lucy from San Clemente
“Adam opened the show with Dog Eat which was full of energy. He looked really healthy and was interacting with the crowd.
It was such a fun night to relive my teenage years with all these great songs. The songs from Kings of the Wild Frontier hold up 37 years after they were first released. There really was nothing like Adam and the Ants. They had a very distinct sound and why these songs still sound fresh and amazing. After the show we saw Joe walking about and were able to get a photo with him.” – Gina Campbell
Adam Ant’s guitarist and Gina
Set List
DOG EAT DOG
ANTMUSIC
FEED ME TO THE LIONS (This tour is the first time that Adam is playing this track live)
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
Adam continues with some of his favorite selections:
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
Adam Ant’s Kings of the Wild Frontier 2017 North American Tour:
- Monday, January 23, Washington DC, Lincoln Theatre, SOLD OUT
- Tuesday, January 24, Boston, MA, The Wilbur Theatre SOLD OUT
- Sunday, January 29, Toronto, ON, The Danforth Music Hall SOLD OUT
- Tuesday, January 31, Chicago, IL, Vic Theatre SOLD OUT
- Thursday, February 2, Portland, OR, Revolution Hall, SOLD OUT
- Friday, February 3, Seattle, WA, Neptune Theatre, SOLD OUT
- Saturday, February 4, Vancouver, BC, Vogue Theatre
- Tuesday, February 7, San Francisco, CA, The Fillmore, SOLD OUT
- Thursday, February 9, Los Angeles, CA, The Fonda Theatre, SOLD OUT
- Friday, February 10, Las Vegas, NV, Brooklyn Bowl
- Saturday, February 11, Tucson, AZ, The Rialto Theatre SOLD OUT
- Tuesday, February 14, Dallas, TX, The Majestic Theatre
- Wednesday, February 15, San Antonio, TX, The Empire Theatre, SOLD OUT
- Friday, February 17, Santa Ana, CA, The Observatory, SOLD OUT
- Saturday, February 18, San Diego, CA, The Observatory North Park, SOLD OUT
- Tuesday, February 21, Philadelphia, PA, The Keswick Theatre SOLD OUT
- Wednesday, February 22, New York City, Webster Hall SOLD OUT
Sounds like it was a blast. Great review, well done!
Thank you maiphamuniverse. Yes, he was awesome.