As a teen, one of my favourite games was ‘celebrity dad’. I’d gather together with other kids from single mum families and discuss who would make the best father figure. My money was on Timothy Dalton, although if he’d been around then Gordon Ramsey would have been in the running.
After a late night trip to HMV’s music DVD section, I realised who my celebrity dad actually was - Stuart Goddard.
I got into Adam Ant well over a decade after his initial success, but that didn’t stop me using his lyrics as a weird social compass. From him I learnt about social ambition (Friend of Foe), acceptable sexual conduct (Strip), confidence in the face of humiliation (Prince Charming) and of course, interior design (Desperate but not Serious).
Did his lyrics turn me into a promiscuous joker with an attractive home? Yes, but only for a short while. Looking back, I was a little like the obsessive fan in The Mary Whitehouse Experience who takes her favourite singer to court for instructing her to do foolish things, only to call off the lawsuit when he sings at her to do so.
Now, watching the music videos I can’t help but think that if I’d had MTV instead of a vinyl collection, I might not have taken the lyrics so seriously. I’m proud to say, unlike many kids and real dads, I have not grown up to feel embarrassed by him.
The Very Best of Adam & the Ants DVD - available far too cheaply from Amazon.