Adam Ant and Glam Skanks at The Fonda Theater
Adam Ant
Adam Ant, Glam Skanks, The Fonda Theater, February 9, 2017
The Kings Of The Wild Frontier 2017 Tour made it into the wilds of Tinseltown, presenting a sold out show at The Fonda Theater in Hollywood. Presided by the legendary Adam Ant whose presence is still as wickedly glorious as ever, the event would feature a full on rendering of the landmark Kings Of The Wild Frontier magnum opus. Now celebrating its 35th anniversary, Adam Ant and his extraordinary band would play the album live in its entirety, bringing the classic songs to a stunning, ultra-vivid life. From the opening refrains of Dog Eat Dog and merging into the frenetic Ant Music, the new wave manifesto enveloped the room with a rapturous sense of magic and intrigue. Interestingly enough, the cut Feed Me To The Lions had never been played live by Adam Ant until this very tour, and what a tasty treat the song roaring throughout the hallowed walls of the Fonda was indeed. While hearing the many songs from Kings Of The Wild Frontiers within the context of this modern day, and one could see an artist who was clearly ahead of his time. Who could forget the brilliant tunes on the album such as Killer In The Home. The Magnificent Five, Don’t Be Square, and Jolly Roger. When the final songs Making History and The Human Beings were unleashed, Adam and his band had represented the Kings Of The Wild Frontier in a truly epic way!
The Kings Of Wild Frontier may have spun to its captivating grand finale, but the concert presented by Adam Ant and his band was far from over. Opening the second half of the set with Beat My Guests from the B-Side Babies endeavor, it was now time to explore the vast catalogue of this tremendous influential artist. Stand And Deliver and Vive Le Rock sent the room spinning while Desperate But Not Serious remains as rapturous playful as when it was first released. Goody Two Shoes, Prince Charming – the Ant hill of hits just kept on arriving, shining on through with a superb amount of showmanship. In 2017, Adam Ant can sure deliver the goods, complete with a staggering amount of stage presence, charisma, and rock and roll swagger. In addition to a towering performance by the charming Mr. Ant, the tremendous band fired up the songs with a mighty amount of skill and precision. Guitarist William Crewdson has worked with everyone from Tom Jones to The Selector, and delivered up a truly fierce wall of sound. Bassist Joe Holweger supplied a pulsating low end that reverberated throughout the auditorium. And then there was the dual drummer assaults presented on opposite sides of the stage by Andy Woodard and Jola – launching those trademark Adam Ant beats with power and conviction. Adam Ant and his band truly propelled the mystique of Ant Music into the realm of the 21st Century, with an absolutely unforgettable show that is not to be missed!
Glam Skanks
Opening the evening with a sensational set of sassy punk rock anthems were the Glam Skanks from Los Angeles, playing a triumphant hometown show at the Fonda Theater. On the entire Adam Ant Kings Of The Wild Frontier Tour as direct support, these talented lasses clearly won over the early arrivals with their dazzling live show. Opening with the short yet persuasive GLAM and then introducing us to the adventures of the Teenage Drag Queen, the Glam Skanks kicked off the Friday night party with an all-out fiendish glee. One highlight of their show was when the band unveiled a stunning cover of the Shocking Blue classic Send Me A Postcard, giving the vastly underrated song a spiraling punk rock makeover. Original choice cuts such as Tube Tops, Karma and Bad Bitch enraptured the crowd, surely gaining the Glam Skanks a good amount of new fans.
Each and every member of the Glam Skanks exudes a ton of star quality, firing off an artillery of wild infectious songs. Vocalist Ali Cat deliciously purred and vamped her way into the collective hearts of the Fonda Theater attendees. Guitarist Veronica Volume shredded a mighty wall of sound into the atmosphere while bassist Millie and drummer Cassie made for a wondrously tight rhythm section connection. In addition to previously being Cherrie Currie’s backup band, the Glam Skanks has opened for the one and only Alice Cooper! And now with a triumphant run with the legendary Adam Ant, there is no stopping the Glam Skanks as they glitter rock and roll their way across the country and into the stratosphere! Stay tuned, as we are sure to hear a lot more from this massively talented collective in future days and nights ahead. In the meantime, be sure to check out their outstanding debut album Glitter City – now available from Unison Music Group!
(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)
