). ▁The ▁title ▁referenced ▁D irk ▁Bog arde . ▁The ▁album ▁was ▁somewhat ▁dark , ▁with ▁post - p unk ▁r iffs ▁and ▁some ▁v estig es ▁of ▁gl am ▁rock , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁attempts ▁to ▁f use ▁this ▁sound ▁with ▁fun k ▁and ▁soul . ▁L yr ically ▁it ▁addressed ▁subjects ▁such ▁as ▁fet ish ism , ▁historical ▁figures ▁like ▁Adolf ▁Hitler , ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁and ▁Cle op atra , ▁and ▁art ▁history , ▁particularly ▁the ▁Fut ur ism ▁movement . ▁It ▁gained ▁a ▁cult ▁following ▁rather ▁than ▁commercial ▁success , ▁leading ▁a ▁fr ustr ated ▁Adam ▁to ▁h ire ▁Mal col m ▁Mc L aren , ▁former ▁manager ▁of ▁the ▁Sex ▁P ist ols , ▁in ▁the ▁hope ▁of ▁gain ing ▁more ▁w ides p read ▁recognition . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 6 ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁Mc L aren ▁convinced ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁band ▁– ▁then ▁compr ising ▁guitar ist ▁Matthew ▁Ash man , ▁bass ist ▁Le igh ▁G orm an ▁( who ▁had ▁replaced ▁Warren ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 7 9 ) ▁and ▁drum mer ▁Dave ▁Bar be ▁– ▁to ▁leave ▁Adam ▁and ▁the ▁An ts ▁and ▁form ▁Bow ▁W ow ▁W ow , ▁front ed ▁by ▁Ann abel la ▁L win . ▁ ▁Kings ▁of ▁the ▁Wild ▁Front ier ▁ ▁Between ▁February ▁and ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁a ▁new ▁version ▁of ▁Adam ▁and ▁the ▁An ts ▁was ▁formed ▁with ▁Marco ▁Pir ron i ▁( an ▁ex -