Adam Ant and his new band can kick off their second national tour this year with confidence after last night’s warm-up gig at the Cheese and Grain in Frome. They went down a storm.

For those in the audience under 30 - and there were plenty - it was a great introduction to the master of punk/new wave irony. For us oldies (how nice not to be in the minority at a gig) it was a mixture of a pogo down memory lane, a look at some new material and, for some, a realisation that Adam is a great musician.

Now 57, he bounced onto the stage after a rather lengthy sound check - well it was a warm-up gig - in his new trademark hat and frogged coat, a persona which has been rather overtaken by stars since: the glasses make him look a bit like Captain Jack Sparrow’s dad.

The set list proved to be a romp through all his hits, including several you might have forgotton as well as the classics. Deutsch Girls and B-side Baby went down particularly well, and once he had warmed up his cheeky rapport with the audience made for a feelgood evening. Great backing band, with the two-drummer format bringing depth and resonance to every number.

Adam can still sing - tongue-in-cheek it may be, but I love Wonderful - and his many fans took every opportunity to join in their favourites. They were all there, Kings of the Wild Frontier (the lyrics are apparently Adam’s mantra), Prince Charming, Goody Two Shoes and Ant Music. A Bolan medley to round off the first encore was fantastic, with furious driving melodies.

The Cheese and Grain are hoping to get the venue used by more big bands in future, and on this showing should do well, as the place was packed.

The tour opens tonight (Friday) in at the O2 Academy in Bristol. If you can’t get tickets, there are dates at Bournemouth, Oxford and Portsmouth in the next three weeks. It’d be well worth the journey back in time.