MUSIC

Cheese and Grain, Frome (Thurs 10 Nov)

Christmas is coming, and trip down memory lane tours courtesy of all manner of 'legends' from decades gone by flogging yet another Greatest Hits collection are set to dominate venues up and down the country before the pantomimes proper set in. While it would no doubt have been easy for Adam Ant – the dandy highwayman who held the charts to hostage during the early 1980s – to rely solely on Britain's appetite for rose-tinted nostalgia in order to line the pockets of his vintage frock coat, it's refreshingly heartwarming to see a man largely remembered for his camp, flamboyant Prince Charming persona returning to the spotlight as a right here, right now icon in the most literal sense.

Many people (including at least half the audience who crammed into Frome's Cheese and Grain tonight) probably don't realise that Adam Ant's roots and inspirations are pure punk; as a result, a set that opens with a wiry revisitation of 1977 cult hit 'Plastic Surgery' rather than an immediate call to 'Stand and Deliver' may bemuse those who prefer their memories sanitised and unchallenging. But then again, the original 'Ant people' (and their numbers are legion) will breathe a sigh of relief: for Adam, the past is not a different country... but, like most rock stars in their late 50s, he does things slightly differently now.

Having said that, it's hard to believe that the charismatic, sparky frontman of brand new band of young hipsters (The Good, The Mad and The Lovely Posse) is a middle-aged former misfit. Throughout the gig he's a man of few words, but there's a subtle confidence about him that lets us all know how comfortable he is in his own skin. Theatrically cocksure and not in the least bit coy about getting his Jack Sparrow-inspired kit off when the going gets steamy, he rifles through a set list that brings the past bang up to date with just the right amount of healthy arrogance fitting for a charismatic character of his reputation. Interspersing early hits that most of us will have bought in limited edition, vinyl format ('Zerox'; 'Physical (You're So)'; 'Christian D'Or') with former anthems as famous for their epic, sumptuous videos as they are for their memorable refrains ('Antmusic', 'Kings of the Wild Frontier'; 'Goody Two Shoes'; 'Prince Charming' – yay!), the pin up boy responsible for stealing hearts, revamping the charts and fusing punk rock with performing art charms, thrills and totally, utterly impresses in equal measure. A couple of tracks from forthcoming new album 'Adam Ant is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter' (yes, really) get an airing alongside a revisitation of the title track of 1995 album 'Wonderful', and an Ant-typical version of Marc Bolan's 'Get It On' glamrocks the crowd at the finale. That posse, meanwhile, never miss a single (Burundi) beat: two drumkits/drummers (of course), a suitably insouciant guitarist and a couple of backing singers (including, trivia fans, a certain Georgina Baillie – remember Sachsgate?) who define the point where 1950s Soho nightclub hostesses meet today's generation of FHM coverstars add bite, kick and flourish to a thoroughly exhilarating show; Viva Le Rock indeed. (Melissa Blease)

Copright Melissa Blease 2011

Pic: Hannah Domagala