STAND AND DELIVER (An Intimate Evening with Adam Ant)
Bloomsbury Theatre, Monday 24th September

Ostensibly a small event to tie in with the paperback release of his autobiography, I doubt anyone could have predicted the unfolding of events which surrounded the performance. The tickets sold out within days of release, completely through word of mouth as news of the event was passed from Antfan to Antfan via SMS texts and internet forums, and any spare tickets were exchanged or passed between forum members as they shuffled their seats to get nearer to the front. On my way into the theatre I heard a poor soul outside vainly offering anyone £400 for a ticket. It was a futile exercise amongst fans who had waited 11 years to see Adam stand before a microphone again, and many who had flown in from all over Europe, the States and Australia, dressed in their finery (and only a handful of white stripes).

The atmosphere beforehand was almost palpable, excitement mingled with concern – the last public appearance had been book signings 12 months previous and Adam had been looking fragile and haunted, despite the obvious pleasure of seeing so many fans turn up to meet-and-greet him. Every one of us was aware of the illness he had battled with, and although desperate to see him perform we didnt want to find it was too much, too soon. 

The performance had been advertised as a low key affair – readings from the autobiography, with about 6 songs performed acoustically, accompanied by his old friend Dave Pash, and it was estimated that the show would last aproximately 75 mins. Speculation mounted about which songs would be included, a couple of cover versions had been mentioned, and the fever began to mount as if it was 1981 all over again.....

The Bloomsbury was a perfect venue – even the back rows are close enough to give a sense of intimacy and close enough to the stage and audience for performer and audience to develope a real rapport.

And What a f ANT astic show...(excuse the pun)

My other half had been worried about going, on paper he felt it could have gone badly wrong - think he was concerned about him breaking down halfway through reading a particularly harrowing episode in the book...

We didnt need to worry at all - Adam looked absolutely fantastic, had obviously been getting himself back into shape, and not far removed from the man who graced our screens 20 odd years ago - (amazing considering how alot of 80's reunion types really look their age, old and jaded) - still stunning, and a man dressed head to toe in black, topped with a bandana and trilby, and just enough make-up to set every woman in the audience’s heart racing.

The show developed into a mixture of stand up and song, the readings seemed to be a safety net to fall back on if the nerves got the better of him, but as he relaxed they acted as a springboard for a anecdote, or a little banter with Dave - it was hard to tell whether their chatting was rehursed, tho I personally felt that it was the kind of comfortable ribbing that developes between good friends. Another couple of old school/college friends were in the audience, and they too joined in the chat, which gave the whole show a much more personal feel.

And he was funny, I think that was something that not alot of people expected – he was sharp and witty, heckling the audience, and coming back at them when they called out – perfect timing in story telling and impressions.

The atmosphere was amazing, he recieved a standing ovation as he walked onto stage, he seemed humbled by this, looked cheekily at the audience and announced “Thank you. And goodnight!”, and proceeded to make to walk off again. 

Acoustically he didnt make things easy on himself - Dog eat Dog, Antmusic and Stand and Deliver were particularly difficult to attempt without the burundi tribal beat or band, but he pulled it off spectacularly. If voice or guitar wandered slightly at any point, I dont think people generally noticed or cared, what mattered was that he was there and doing what we all loved. Dave Pash is a classically trained guitarist, and how he managed to produce sound from a single instrument which encompassed a whole band I will never know. Most of the songs recieved a standing ovation, and Wonderful was accompanied by tears from many members of the audience. 

At one point he got us all to sing, and commented "It’s nice when you sing", to which someone replied "It’s nice when YOU sing" That earned a round of applause.

And he danced like a demon...... 

And as for only 75 mins..... he excelled at nearly 2 hours – a set including 12 songs and 2 encores – the second of which had not been expected or rehearsed, and so he had to do one of the earlier ones again, but this time with about 90% of the audience on their feet and joining in.

He Stood and he Delivered - far, far more than we ever could have dreamed for.

Set List

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