Every now and then I get to photograph a legend of sorts. Tonight was one such night: I was able to photograph (and briefly meet) Adam Ant and The Good, The Mad & The Lovely Posse. I cannot claim to be well versed in Adam Ant’s catalog beyond the handful of 80’s radio hits and his new single, Cool Zombie, I really enjoyed the show. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Ant was asked how he classifies the genre of his music, pointing out that he often gets lumped into the new romantic era. He identifies more closely with the post punk era, citing the Sex Pistols as an influence. Tuesday night’s performance certainly was congruent with Ant’s proclaimed punk roots; the band rocked hard: 2 drummers. A bass player wielding a Fender P-bass thumping on a classic Ampeg SVT stack. A guitarist rocking a Fender Telecaster through a Marshal half stack. Eccentric front man dressed like a pirate, belting out pitch perfect vocals. These are the basic ingredients of rock ‘n roll, kids, and Ant did deliver. 80’s post punk is often synth driven and characterized by glossy production that was so popular in the 80’s. Ant’s band breathed contemporary rock life into the songs while doing them historical justice.
