Heartbreaker. Hussar. Pirate. War-painted dandy of imagined frontiers. Mental health advocate. In five decades of making music while looking like an asylum-escapee Napoleon impersonator, Adam Ant has managed an enviable career that eluded many of his peers from the eras of first wave British punk, New Wave/New Romantics and post-punk.
The dreamy heartthrob, born Stuart Goddard, owes a lot of this longevity to the merit of his musical capabilities and keen sense of theatrics. With a luddite’s zeal, Ant’s lifelong appreciation of history has informed his work, elevating it from seemingly cartoonish punk origins to bona fide pop glory. He’s endured without becoming a relic or a pastiche of his past while earning his cultural impact with hard work.
Though it might not seem that he’s been particularly “hard at work” musically, Ant’s now 40-odd year struggle with bipolar disorder being much to blame for periods of inactivity, he has however taken up the mantle of advocacy and turned sporadically to work in theatrical and small screen productions.
In 2010, Ant experienced a resurgence in his musical work, brought on by Michael Jackson’s passing, and has maintained a steady touring schedule since while releasing 2013’s “Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner’s Daughter” and announced another, “Bravest of the Brave,” slated for a 2020 release.
2017’s tour focused on a live rendition of 1980’s “Kings of the Wild Frontier” and this year, he’ll be finalizing his tour of 1982’s “Friend or Foe,” his first break into the American charts, at the iconic Fillmore Miami Beach. Antmaniacs can expect somewhat faithful renditions of “Goody Two Shoes,” “Desperate but Not Serious,” and the title track as early tour reviews indicate the absence of a brass section but the inclusion of multiple percussionists.
Does it matter though? Ant’s stage presence is the real show and his concerts tend to go on the long side well beyond “Friend or Foe”; he’ll be rocking hits and rarities from his large catalogue. Your challenge will be to stay still or even worse: Decide between one long white line across the nose or multicolor swaths on just one cheek.
Adam Ant performs 8pm Tuesday October 1 at the Fillmore Miami Beach. adam-ant.com ~ Abel Folgar
