Adam Ant live in Bournemouth

Adam Ant at Bournemouth International Centre (23.10.2025) with Toyah supporting.

I’ve been to 40 gigs this year and this was the most disappointing to date. I felt old. The audience looked old and tired and Adam Ant’s voice was in a sorry state. I was pleased to be there but I felt I was watching the end and that was pretty sad.

I’d only seen Adam Ant once before and that was recent, four years ago at Let’s Rock the 80s, in Exeter. I enjoyed that, have been picking up a lot of Ant used vinyl and hence booked for what was supposed to be a show last year at the slightly smaller Pavilion Theatre. The tour was cancelled due to Adam’s health. The BIC was bigger, colder and the no standing area or tolerance of standing had a dampening effect.

I don’t know if Adam now has a temporary illness or this was first night of the tour wobbles or if his voice has just gone, but this became a hard watch. It started reasonably well and the band including the double drummers were sharp – great guitar and that classic Ant stick work to give the Antmusic sound.

I particularly enjoyed hearing early album tracks like Vive Le Rock, Xerox and Car Trouble. The setlist was an imaginative mix of new and old, solo and Ants… but I felt it all started to unravel mid-set. Earlier on there seemed to be other technical sound issues that a man in an unusually smart jacket for stage surroundings was pacing about between stage side and mix desk to check out.

Adam Ant spent a lot of time looking at the floor – I presumed at lyrics – and not much was said beyond the post song thank yous. He moved around the stage, jigged about and looked the part, never more so than with one foot up on a monitor.

Desperate but Not Serious was a highlight and maybe because it suited the current Adam voice. Five or six songs of the second half really exposed the vocal demise and that wasn’t helped by them being lesser known tracks. I could see various walk outs from those who decided this wasn’t for them. One extremely rude man left gesticulating and ranting at the stage as he walked along the front row – no need for that. Most were there to appreciate what they could and I assume like me they stayed as a show of support for what I am really sorry to say was a sad sight… well sad sound.

Last song of the main set, Goody Two Shoes, lifted moods as that irrepressible chorus hooked in: “Don’t drink, don’t smoke, what do ya do?”…as Adam skipped in his boots.

The audience finally got to its feet and no stewards came rushing to object. Sufficient clapping and appreciation – for a lifetime I suspect and not tonight’s performance – was given for more. The single encore of Stand and Deliver had us all remembering the glory days of this swaggering dandy highwayman.

Toyah was supporting. An excellent choice, not just because of their original eras but Toyah was able to comment on those links she had with early Adam and the Ants in the beginning.

With hair punked up, Toyah had selected some early material to complement the Antmusic to come. The excellent Neon Womb and of course, It’s a Mystery. Ieya  was buoyant as she recalled rioting in the students’ unions whenever she played it.

Toyah’s sound was a little problematic. Some very loud keyboards dominated a bit too much. Perfection for support bands’ sound is rare but this was probably just the beginning of an unprofessional evening where the only winners were Toyah and the box office takings.

I do hope I read of better experiences later on the tour. Maybe with this one I was not obsessed enough to be deluded…but still it was live entertainment.