Not on display

Rock and Pop Costume

1982 (worn)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

While attending Hornsey College of Art on a graphic design course Adam Ant (born Stuart Leslie Goddard) joined ‘50s influenced pub band Bazooka Joe as bass player. The band headlined the first concert played by the Sex Pistols and this new raw sound appealed to Adam Ant. He afterwards formed the band Adam and the Ants which failed to win favour with the British music press, despite that they toured the UK extensively. Around this time Adam appeared in Derek Jarman’s film Jubilee and caught the acting bug.

Adam and the band asked Malcolm McLaren to manage them, which soon led to the separation of Adam and the band. With a change of line up, the Ants returned with a new sound and look and became one of the most successful British acts of the early 1980s. After a string of hits, Adam dissolved the band and continued with a solo music career, interspersed with acting rolls on TV, film, and stage. Adam then started touring his new music, followed by a world tour showcasing his hit albums.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Purple trousers with red polkadot ribbon and patch. Worn in the video for Desperate But Not Serious, possibly by Cha Burns. Adam Ant collection.
Physical description
Purple trousers with red polkadot ribbon and patch.
Style
Credit line
Given by Stuart Leslie Goddard (Adam Ant)
Subject depicted
Association
Summary
While attending Hornsey College of Art on a graphic design course Adam Ant (born Stuart Leslie Goddard) joined ‘50s influenced pub band Bazooka Joe as bass player. The band headlined the first concert played by the Sex Pistols and this new raw sound appealed to Adam Ant. He afterwards formed the band Adam and the Ants which failed to win favour with the British music press, despite that they toured the UK extensively. Around this time Adam appeared in Derek Jarman’s film Jubilee and caught the acting bug.

Adam and the band asked Malcolm McLaren to manage them, which soon led to the separation of Adam and the band. With a change of line up, the Ants returned with a new sound and look and became one of the most successful British acts of the early 1980s. After a string of hits, Adam dissolved the band and continued with a solo music career, interspersed with acting rolls on TV, film, and stage. Adam then started touring his new music, followed by a world tour showcasing his hit albums.
Collection
Accession number
S.184-1983

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Record createdAugust 22, 2019
Record URL
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