After a bit of a break from music throughout the ’00s, eccentric, eclectic British glam rock icon Adam Ant mounted a comeback a few years ago, complete with the release of his sixth solo album and first in almost two decades, Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner’s Daughter, in 2013. Since then, the former frontman of late ’70s/early ’80s new wave/post-punk trailblazers Adam and the Ants has been rising once again in recognition, and this fall he’s touring the globe for a run focused entirely on the hits. Dubbed “Anthems: The Singles Tour,” the U.S. leg of the trek will see Ant’s over the top live show return to Nashville tonight, Sept. 24 at War Memorial Auditorium with Glam Skanks, following an outing at Cannery Ballroom in 2013, which, itself, was the singer’s first stop in Music City in decades. Tickets are available here, so secure your spot and read more about the show!
ADAM ANT
Born Stuart Goddard in London, Adam Ant formed punk band The Ants in 1977, soon pivoting towards a more new wave and post-punk sound and rebranding as Adam and the Ants, before breaking through at the turn of the decade and going through two lineup incarnations (the first were famously poached and turned into Bow Wow Wow), then prematurely calling it quits by 1982. The band received mixed initial success, but went on to garner critical acclaim and cult fandom with their later records, and despite their short run, which produced only three full-length releases, their influence has endured, inspiring artists through many diverse and unexpected genres in the decades since. Following the group’s breakup, Adam managed to cultivate a prolific and celebrated solo career of his own, beginning with 1982 debut Friend or Foe, retaining members of the Ants like guitarist and co-writer Marco Pirroni.
After a string of hits and prominent appearances, Adam opted to step away from performing for several years in the mid-’80s, instead focusing on his budding acting career, something he’d been exploring since the early days, but continued to make music intermittently, and had ramped back up in activity by the mid-’90s. The ’00s once again marked a retreat from his art, with some false starts, and were plagued by personal and legal struggles, but, by the beginning of this decade, Ant was once again active in music, and has managed to mount a spectacular career reinvention, capitalizing on the goodwill and critically positive legacy of his early days, and he’s continued to tour the world, make new music, and settle into his role as something of a legend. An unrivaled live force, Adam Ant is the best he’s been in decades, and with a focus on the highlights of his impressive legacy, this is both a great introduction for new fans, and a lean, no-filler celebration for those who’ve followed him all along.
GLAM SKANKS
As you might be able to glean from their name, Los Angeles based Glam Skanks are a callback to the age of Bowie, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, and T. Rex, taking a fun and high-energy approach to funneling retro rock influences and showmanship into modern sensibilities. Their eclectic influences and engaging live show make them a great compliment to Adam Ant, so be sure to show up early!
Adam Ant and Glam Skanks will perform tonight, Sept. 24 at War Memorial Auditorium. The show is all ages, begins at 8 p.m., and tickets are available to purchase for $35.