Toyah is a real pocket rocket and connected really well with the Glasgow audience throughout, which made for an entertaining watch, but her vocals were equally impressive. Of course, we got the big hits - ‘Thunder In The Mountains’, ‘It’s A Mystery’ and ‘I Want To Be Free’ - but most enjoyable for me were the lesser known tracks ‘Neon Womb’ and ‘Ieya’, with the latter dedicated to a delighted member of the crowd who had been eagerly shouting for it. All in, it was a really enjoyable and fun set. My only gripe was that the cymbals and toms on the drummers electronic kit were largely inaudible at times.
The Royal Concert Hall is normally a fully seated venue, but very occasionally the seats in the front section of the stalls are removed to create a standing area, which really helps the atmosphere at gigs. Sadly I had a seated ticket, but I knew standing was the place to be so, I chanced my arm and managed to sneak past security just in time for the lights going out.
The setting was impressive with two drum kits sitting high and prominently on stage, which was ideal for the opener ‘Dog Eat Dog’, a song very much driven by the drums. A few bars in and Adam joined the band onstage to a hero’s welcome, decked in a familiar Hussar outfit and looking fantastic for a man now in his early 70s.
Of course, tonight’s 23 song set included most of the hits which saw Adam & The Ants, and then Adam solo, a constant in the charts in the early to mid-80s. But this was well balanced set which also included plenty of Adam’s punkier early material and album tracks, such as‚ ‘Zerøx‘‚ ‘Fall-In’, ‘Los Rancheros’ and ‘Ant Invasion’.
A nice surprise on this tour is the inclusion of the playful debut single ‘Young Parisians’ which he hadn’t played live in many years. The excellent B-side ‘Lady’ - which really should have been the A-side - also made the setlist.
Adam is always going to be the centre of attention, but the rest of the band played their part in making it a special night. Drummers Jola and Dave Green combined to great effect throughout, with an obvious highlight being ‘Kings of the Wild Frontier’. Why don’t more bands have two drummers? Jon Poole from The Wildhearts on bass and backing vocals was solid, and is clearly enjoying being on the tour. In contrast, long-term guitarist Will Crewdson cuts a more serious figure, instead bringing the energy through his playing, which is a key part of the band’s sound.
‘Goody Two Shoes’ ended the main set, but we all knew he’d have to return for ‘Stand and Deliver’ and he duly obliged, with the audience enthusiastically belting out the chorus. The perfect end to to a great night.