Ant News

As local media have recently reported, Adam has been taking time out from his hectic London lifestyle to drop by the historic southern seaside city of Portsmouth for the latest leg of guerilla one-man performances.

According to event organiser Nick Courtney, Adam is on the bill for tomorrow night (Monday 10 May) for 'Oasis'* Got Talent - An Evening of Live Entertainment' at Oasis - The Venue, Portsmouth, where he will "play some acoustic songs" in aid of disadvantaged children in the Philipines. At only a fiver admission fee for a charitable cause, it's worth checking out if you're in the Hampshire area. Children welcome.

Find out more on Nick Courtney's event news page here.
Add your RSVP to the event's Facebook page here.

Thanks to Bruce Ashcroft and Suzanne Sumner for putting this event on the Ant Lib Online radar...

*Not that Oasis, obviously.

Adam Ant and his new backing band defied the naysayers to perform a memorable evening of live classic Ant tunes and covers to a sold-out Scala in London last night.

Playing an eighty-one minute live set of punk favourites and pop hits, Adam managed to contradict earlier rumours of a 45 minute show of sixties rock 'n' roll covers, despite worrying fans by being in Portsmouth as late as 5pm on the day - 75 miles from the venue! Thankfully (for the promoters especially), the 1200 Ant fans in attendance weren't disappointed by another no-show, although some may have left the venue a little bemused by Adam's own take on Jackanory at the end...

Adam's set list for Friday 30 April was as follows:
Cock in My Pocket (Iggy Pop cover) / Get It On (T-Rex cover) / Antmusic / Red Scab / Beat My Guest / Vive Le Rock / Goody Two Shoes / Kings of the Wild Frontier / Apollo 9 / Physical. Encore: It Doesn't Matter / Stand & Deliver / Prince Charming / Kick / Shakin' All Over (Johnny Kidd & the Pirates cover).

Watch exclusive highlights from the show...

While Antpeople buff up their leathers in anticipation for this Friday's Scala gig, The Quietus music blog has published its unabridged interview with Adam Ant (pictured right with Joan Collins at the Little Black Gallery, last Thursday) in a warts 'n' all feature by lifelong Ant fan and long-term Ant Lib member Simon Price.

Politicians, David Bowie, Paul Morley, Liam Gallagher and Bono all fall victim the wrath of Ant, with Adam talking candidly - albeit erratically - about his ongoing mental health issues, recent 'guerilla' activities and "taking the piss".

Read the full article here.

As punks, alternatives and Antpeople alike lined Camden High Street yesterday afternoon, members of Adam & the Ants and Bow Wow Wow buried the hatchet and came together to celebrate the colourful life of Malcolm McLaren, who passed away on 8 April 2010.

Marco Pirroni, Dave Barbe, Jordan, Adam Ant and Annabella Lwin (the latter of which are pictured together, right) were all in attendence with the funeral cortège, which included traditional horse drawn hearse plus a reveller-filled doubledecker bus to Nowhere pumping out Sex Pistols and McLaren hits, moving onto a star-studded wake at Proud, Camden Lock.

A new interview with Adam will feature as part of a documentary tribute Malcolm McLaren: Artful Dodger, aired 8.15pm Saturday 24 April on BBC2.

Photo: Dyler Plummer

Adam Ant may have blown out his two regional Glitter Band guest appearances in spectacular style this weekend, but it was the Ant fans who stole the (no)show in Birmingham on Friday night.

With Adam apparently thigh deep in the arrangements for Malcolm McLaren's funeral this coming Thursday*, the entertainment was left to Ant Lib Live! II headliners Mechanical Cabaret with a welcome return of their rather splendid electro techno version of Desperate But Not Serious to their live set, plus Wayne Hibberts - singer with this year's Ant Lib All Dayer headliners Ant Muzic - who joined the Glitter Band for Antmusic, Vive Le Rock and I'm the Leader of the Gang (I am).

Despite being dramatically let down by Adam's no-shows at Eddies in Birmingham and Satan's Hollow in Manchester, Ant fans made the most of both evenings with some excellent performances from the Glitter Band and supporting acts. The exact circumstances surrounding his non-appearance on the Saturday night still remain unclear, with Ant fans speculating more than ever on Adam's ongoing mental health issues.

Watch highlights exclusively edited from Friday night at Eddie's...

*The funeral of former Ants manager Malcolm McLaren will be taking place on Thursday 22 April. For members of the public who would like to pay their last respects to him, the funeral cortege will travel between 1.15pm and 2.15pm through Camden High Street, Chalk Farm Road, Ferdinand Street, Malden Road and Southampton Road en route to his final resting place. For more information, visit www.humanade.org.uk.