Adam Ant at Webster Hall
Photo by Greg Cristman

Adam Ant brought 'Kings of the Wild Frontier' to Webster Hall (pics, setlist, video)

It’s really the dual drummers. That’s what makes the classic Adam and The Ants sound, entirely crucial to their 1980 album Kings of the Wild Frontier, and seeing it and hearing it live, thundering and plundering. It’s still a thrill. The new wave heartthrob, now a spry 62 but looking much younger in requisite pirate gear, brought his Kings of the Wild Frontier tour to NYC’s Webster Hall last night (2/22) and packed house ate it up.

While Adam was the only “Ant” on stage, his currently band had the Ants sound down — a bit of surf, a bit of glam, a bit of goth. The group’s new guitarist, who had to fill in when his longtime musical director Tom Edwards died at the start of the tour (this was a makeup date), knew all the Marco Pironni licks. For fans, who were screaming like it was 1980 all over again when they weren’t singing along, the setlist was just about everything you could want, with pretty much every Kings song a classic (“Dog Eat Dog,” “Antmusic,” “”Jolly Roger,” “Feed Me to the Lions,” the title track), plus a second set of ’80s era favorites including “Stand and Deliver,” “Beat My Guest,” “Desperate But Not Serious,” “Prince Charming,” and “Vive Le Rock.” (“Young Parisians” and solo hit “Strip” were the only obvious omissions.) Setlist is below. Adam still has that gleeful glint in his eye, and still rocks a pirate waistcoat like few others. They should’ve sold them at the merch table. Setlist and video from the show are below.

The Glam Skanks opened the night. Pictures of their set, and lots more of Adam Ant’s, in the gallery above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d__BITiJW_U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5wRGxPh1_8

SETLIST: Adam Ant @ Webster Hall 2/22/2017
Kings of the Wild Frontier
Dog Eat Dog
Antmusic
Feed Me to the Lions
Los Rancheros
Ants Invasion
Killer in the Home
Kings of the Wild Frontier
The Magnificent Five
Don’t Be Square (Be There)
Jolly Roger
Making History
The Human Beings
More Ant Music

Beat My Guest
Christian D’or
Stand and Deliver
Vive Le Rock
Cartrouble
Desperate But Not Serious
Zerox
Never Trust a Man (With Egg on His Face)
Lady/Fall In
Goody Two Shoes
Prince Charming

Red Scab
Get It On (T. Rex)
Physical (You’re So)

photos by Greg Cristman