The future of punk seemed healthy in the shape of Yee Loi—two English girls, Rose and Matilda, and their brother, Don Don, on bass— as they opened up for Adam Ant on his current tour at York Barbican. The name of the Liverpool-based band means “two girls” in Cantonese. The energetic three-piece kick-started the night with a youthful energy, with guitarist Rose possessing all the classic rock poses you could wish for, Don Don with his bass guitar slung low and Maltida on drums and lead vocals.

Their short set was fast, furious, and fastidious, with most songs—like all good punk tracks—under the three-minute mark, with Be Like Johnny and Go to Vegas being highlights from a group that deserves to play on bigger stages. They were on the mark when introducing their version of the Elvis Presley classic Mystery Train; “Elvis never did it like this,” they shared. Of course, he didn’t, as Yee Loi put their own stamp on the track, in the process shaking it up in style.

Fifty years ago, Adam Ant was one of punk rock’s early pioneers. When he discovered a more commercial route in the early eighties, many of his fans accused the singer of betraying his roots – the punk pioneer became a pirate buccaneer instead and gained in the process a younger teenage audience. Those fans are now in their late fifties and sixties, which probably explains why tonight’s venue was all seated.

As the Burundi beat emanating from the two drummers resounded around the Barbican, it welcomed the arrival of one of the biggest pop acts of the early eighties. The first thing that became clear was that this is Adam Ant in 2025, not 1981; anyone expecting him to hit the high notes would have been disappointed. His movements on stage too were more relaxed as opposed to energetic, with the swagger reduced; however, for those present tonight, it did not seem to matter – this for many was a nostalgia trip that took them back to their youth. Having reached seventy-one years of age recently, it would be wrong to expect him to try to replicate how he was forty-five years ago.

Some tracks worked better than others; Cartrouble was faithful to the original, Prince Charming lost the impact of the song and became more of a dirge and a diligence than the 1981 number one hit. As the show moved on, he seemed to relax more and became more animated with the fans – his charisma was still there.

The set was a mix of fan favourites combined with a selection of album tracks that have not been performed for years, though it was the versions of two tracks towards the end of the gig that showed such a wide contrast: Goody Two Shoes still sparkled and hit the right balance between pop perfection and punk attitude; Stand and Deliver, however, didn’t quite hit the mark, with the vocals from the band saving the track.

Whether this is his last stand was unclear; if the admiration and respect present tonight from the York audience is anything to go by, Antmusic will never go out of fashion.