Adam and the Ants were a British rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The group, which lasted from 1977 to 1982, became notable as a cult band during the transition from the punk rock era to the post-punk and new wave era and were noted for their high camp and overtly sexualised stage performances and use of Burundi drums. One lineup of musicians – Dave Barbarossa, Matthew Ashman and Leigh Gorman – left the band in January 1980 at the suggestion of then-de facto manager Malcolm McLaren, to form the instrumentalist personnel of the controversial Bow Wow Wow.
The next incarnation of Adam and the Ants featured guitarist Marco Pirroni and drummer/record producer Chris Hughes and lasted from February 1980 to March 1982 and achieved major commercial success in the UK and abroad.