The Damned

[runcible]

An easy target for many. Has beens, old punkers, flogging a dead horse etc.

The Damned were my first music obsession. I sold my record collection in about 1980 and bought collectable Damned singles instead. Until relatively recently they were the only band I'd seen more than Spiritualized. The last time I saw them was something like 1994 or so supporting The Ramones. I saw them again tonight in Leeds as friends recommended the last album (So Who's Paranoid, which is very enjoyable). It wasn't like the old days of total pantomime/audience participation/chaos, but I really enjoyed myself, as did the group I was with this evening. The most important thing to say here is Captain Sensible's guitar playing was quite incredible - the stuff he was doing was absolutely fantastic and note perfect for the solos and riffs. Of course the guy has been at it for over 30 years plus he's a huge psychedelic fan, and that was very apparent tonight... Machine Gun Etiquette (still one of my favourite ever albums) has psychedelia running all over it and that record came out in 1979 when the very idea of some spiky haired urchin praising psych was a total no-no. One listen of the magnificent Plan 9 Channel 7 is enough to show how advanced they were from being mere punk (which is enough for me but The Damned occupied their own area). It'll never be the same without Rat Scabies but it was pretty good tonight.

A trip down memory lane and a very enjoyable one. My admiration for Sensible as a guitar player is higher than ever and I'm predicting a lot of old Damned stuff occupying my playlist for the next few days.

[ononist]

...and playing a free gig in my town (also being their hometown) in July I discovered not 60 seconds ago!

[BzaInSpace]

Nice one.

I first heard the Damned off this double-album compilation that came out in the mid nineties, on Virgin, called "The Greatest Punk Album In The World...Ever!" ("...turning rebellion into money...") and despite the omission of the Clash this served as my post Nirvana primer for original punk rock.

The point is, second track on it was 'New Rose' by The Damned, which even now is just amazing! I can now recognise big Stooges energy in there, and I believe its meant to be the first punk single(?)

It's just great - what a tune! The album also featured 'Neat Neat Neat', and I would say thsoe two songs are way better than 95% of the rest on there.

They strike me as being way underated.

[BVCP206]

They strike me as being way underated.

Massively so

Like Runcible they were my first real obsession musically and they are way way more than just a punk band. I hadn't seen them live for years before last night and was a bit wary, but my doubts were unfounded. Great setlist (including one of my personal faves Limit Club) and Capt. was in sparkling form

I urge anybody to checkout their back catalogue.

[shalloboi]

the damned are definitely underrated. when i was in high school everyone listened to real watered-down over-produced schlocky pop punk, so i'd always thought that i hated punk until i heard the damned when i was college (my roommates played some real punk for me- the circle jerks, the germs, the damned, the stooges, the cramps, etc.). whenever that first record comes on i can't shut up about how great it is.

[runcible]

'New Rose' was the first punk single if we are looking at the British punk scene. Also 'Damned Damned Damned' was the first punk album. The Damned were the first British punk band to tour the US. They were also the first to split up and then reform successfully.

'Neat Neat Neat' and the Sex Pistols 'Pretty Vacant' are probably the greatest punk singles I can think of. In Brian James The Damned had an incredible guitarist and song-writer - listen to almost anything of that first album and his playing is so vicious and wild. How they managed to get it together after the split and reform without him with Captain Sensible on lead guitar is astonishing. No one could have been prepared for the guitar Sensible played on the come-back album Machine Gun Etiquette and I've heard several respected guitarists name-check him for the solos and riffs he produced on that record. I played it again today and there are absolutely mind-blowing moments all the way through. As I said before lots of it is really psychedelic - Plan 9 Channel 7, Antipope, Looking At You, I Just Can't Be Happy Today. I got into that album when I was about 15 and 30 years later I still play it - that's a mark of quality.

[niamhm]

'New Rose' was the first punk single if we are looking at the British punk scene. Also 'Damned Damned Damned' was the first punk album. The Damned were the first British punk band to tour the US. They were also the first to split up and the first to reform.

'Neat Neat Neat' and the Sex Pistols 'Pretty Vacant' are probably the greatest punk singles I can think of. In Brian James The Damned had an incredible guitarist and song-writer - listen to almost anything of that first album and his playing is so vicious and wild. How they managed to get it together after the split and reform without him with Captain Sensible on lead guitar is astonishing. No one could have been prepared for the guitar Sensible played on the come-back album Machine Gun Etiquette and I've heard several respected guitarists name-check him for the solos and riffs he produced on that record. I played it again today and there are absolutely mind-blowing moments all the way through. As I said before lots of it is really psychedelic - Plan 9 Channel 7, Antipope, Looking At You, I Just Can't Be Happy Today. I got into that album when I was about 15 and 30 years later I still play it - that's a mark of quality.

Couldn`t agree more , Machine Gun seriously underrated,I believe The Damned recorded it at the same time and studios as The Clash worked on Londing Calling ,for me its easily its equal ,and I dig both bands but could never understand why the critics looked down their noses so at The Damned ,the Captains swich to lead guitar on Machine Gun is indeed astonishing,love his psychedelic sensibilities ,the version of Looking At You was my introduction to the MC5 and if I`m honest I still prefer it to the MC5`s,
the next album,The Black album is probably my fav. Damned album an incredible work for a so called punk band,and again unjustly ignored in the greater scheme of things except to those in the know,

glad you enjoyed the show and I may see them later this year,my brother and myself have been talking about catching them again for 2 yrs now and almost went to see them with Motorhead last Xmas,we used to see them pretty regular back in the 80`s,I aslo was quietly impressed with most of So Whose Paranoid Now.

[Mark Refoy]

The Damned were the first proper band I saw, Feb 1977 at Northampton Cricket Club. I was 14. I had to plead with my folks to let me go. They were fantastic, I didn't know any of the songs but they didn't let up. Captain Sensible wore cricket pads and the place was full of longhairs standing still and looking bemused. Two solitary punks pogoed frantically at the front. I was wide eyed soaking it up looking at these exotic creatures from another planet. Northampton had seen nothing like it. With my next pocket money I walked into town (10 miles round trip) to Spinadisc our local record shop and bought their first album from the tiny section earmarked "Punk". I remember looking at the sleeve while walking home, wondering what it would sound like. It didn't disappoint, I still listen to it today.
A couple of months ago Rat Scabies and Brian James played one of their duo shows at Northampton Labour Club. They did an amazing set and afterwards I plucked up the courage (cos in many ways I felt 14 again) to approach them and say "Fantastic set, do you remember playing the Cricket Club here about 30 odd years ago?" Brian James said "I don't but I think he does", pointing to Rat.
It didn't matter if they remembered or not, two great nights separated by a generation or two. Not so long a gap next time I hope though guys?

[runcible]

Couldn`t agree more , Machine Gun seriously underrated,I believe The Damned recorded it at the same time and studios as The Clash worked on Londing Calling ,for me its easily its equal ,and I dig both bands but could never understand why the critics looked down their noses so at The Damned ,the Captains swich to lead guitar on Machine Gun is indeed astonishing,love his psychedelic sensibilities ,the version of Looking At You was my introduction to the MC5 and if I`m honest I still prefer it to the MC5`s,
the next album,The Black album is probably my fav. Damned album an incredible work for a so called punk band,and again unjustly ignored in the greater scheme of things except to those in the know,

That's true - in fact the hand claps on Antipope were provided by The Clash as they were quite good buddies back then.

The Black Album is less consistent than Machine Gun Etiquette but does indeed include some truly incredible moments. Twisted Nerve is bizarre - I didn't get it back then but marvel at it now. What about 13th Floor Vendetta? A punk band doing a track in tribute to the Elevators?! And what an extraordinary song it is - so unexpected and totally tripped out.

How nice it is to see people here like The Damned. They will always occupy a place in my heart and I find myself playing them loads today. Also fantastic to see Mark Refoy's praise. I would have loved to have seen them back then - it took til 1981 for my first Damned gig but I've seen getting on for 30 now. My claim to fame is the use of my photos on that Live In Newcastle picture disc. What a buzz that was!

[nickh]

I’d like to chip in here too.

Around the age of 11 or 12 I got into the whole Two Tone thing, there were a gang of us where I grew up who had a pretty big collection of 7” singles that HAD to have the paper label instead of the silver one. We spent all our paper round money on these records and due to the light fingers of one my friends and the lack of CCTV in Woolworths, we filled in the gaps in our collections nefariously.

I began to tire of that whole scene after a while, I think Ghost Town and the split of The Specials probably drew a line underneath it all and I was on the look out for something different and a little more exotic. In the nick of time a guy from school made me a cassette of Machine Gun Etiquette and the Best of the Damned. I was a little too young to be caught up in the initial punk thing and around 82, 83 the guys I knew that liked punk were into these horrible bands like Discharge and Conflict and The Adicts. This cassette was a revelation though, this wasn’t just crappy three chord thrash and to the ears of a 12 year old who was still looking for tunes as well as something quite different to what I had been listening to until then, The Damned ticked a lot of boxes. I think the reason that the Damned really came into my consciousness though was Captain Sensible singing Happy Talk on Top of the Pops!

I picked up the Black album which I really liked, Therapy especially and I seem to remember there was a picture disc of Live at Shepperton that did the rounds too. I also picked up the Naz Nomad and the Nightmares EP at a jumble sale and unbelievably this was the first version of White Rabbit I ever heard, I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night too. I finally got to see The Damned at Hammersmith Palais in 1985 (another gig we were both at Mark) which I think was around the time of Eloise, my friend got Dave Vanian to sign his Sid Vicious T-shirt.

I probably haven’t listened to the Damned since that night, just moved on I guess but grateful that I had that tape made for me all those years ago. Their cover versions informed me of the MC5, Electric Prunes and White Rabbit (a song I still love). I saw Rat Scabies drumming for Thee Hypnotics a few years later at ULU and occasionally see him around Twickenham and Richmond.

It is nice to know that they do still occupy a place in people’s hearts, it seems more so than their contemporaries.

[Mark Refoy]

Great review/appreciation here in The Quietus of their first album

http://thequietus.com/articles/02777-th ... bum-review

[runcible]

...the guys I knew that liked punk were into these horrible bands like Discharge and Conflict and The Adicts.

Discharge were fucking brilliant! I loved that band for a while. They had a massive influence on the US hardcore scene and then the speed metal scene after. Metallica often name-check them as being a crucial part of their make up. OK I may not like Metallica but Discharge's presence was very important for a lot of bands.

I saw Rat Scabies drumming for Thee Hypnotics a few years later at ULU and occasionally see him around Twickenham and Richmond.

Fucking hell - that's another gig I was at Nick! Rat lives in Brentford - really nice bloke. Another claim to fame for me - I was his wedding photographer (bizarre but true!).

That's a great review Mark and sums up my feelings towards Damned Damned Damned. It remains a brilliant record - clocking in at almost exactly 30 minutes it's intensity never lets up. The drums and guitar are what stands out and my admiration for Rat and Brian is as bright as ever.

[niamhm]

S`funny you bring up Rat drumming for the Thee Hypnotics, seem to remember they were involved in a road accident and lost the use of their drummer ,went to see them in Edinburgh and saw them getting out of a van and though f8ck me thats Rat Scabies ,their was maybe 50 people their that night and even though they were winging it a bit it was still a great little gig,

interesting you took the picture on Live At Newcastle Runcible ,how did that come about?

[toomilk]

I recently saw something in Spin magazine about Rat Scabies. Supposedly his job now is "Grail Hunter." For some reason, I picture him dressed up in knight's armor walking next to someone clicking coconut shells together....

[nickh]

S`funny you bring up Rat drumming for the Thee Hypnotics, seem to remember they were involved in a road accident and lost the use of their drummer ,went to see them in Edinburgh and saw them getting out of a van and though f8ck me thats Rat Scabies ,their was maybe 50 people their that night and even though they were winging it a bit it was still a great little gig,

The Darkside were the support that night, the only time I ever saw them. Thee Hypnotics equipment kept packing up and the bass player played a couple of songs with Pete Baine’s guitar.

I remember walking through the bar to be confronted by Rat with a tray of drinks and he stepped aside to let me pass, what a gent!

Good job I was practically tee-total back then, I wouldn’t have remembered any of this!!!

[niamhm]

As I say the band were kinda winging it the night I saw ,understandable with a new drummer and that , but I remember the guitarist ,Will Peppar I think, leading Rat back in after a lead break in a song giving it a 1 2 3 with his guitar head an on 4 Rat had the fag out his mouth and flicked it at the guitarist and was a way leaving Will to dodge the fag and miss his own cue ,real trooper the Rat,leathered me at pool before the the gig and gentleman enough to take a drink of a slightly star struck punter .

[runcible]

S`funny you bring up Rat drumming for the Thee Hypnotics, seem to remember they were involved in a road accident and lost the use of their drummer ,went to see them in Edinburgh and saw them getting out of a van and though f8ck me thats Rat Scabies ,their was maybe 50 people their that night and even though they were winging it a bit it was still a great little gig,

interesting you took the picture on Live At Newcastle Runcible ,how did that come about?

That's it - their drummer got very badly hurt in that crash so Rat took over as he liked the music. In 1982-3 I got to know Rat as the Damned's fan club 'The Flashman Society' was in a mess. Rat's dad John was managing the band at the time and I'd written to them and he'd written back and we'd talked about the fan club as it had drifted into chaos. One day I came home and there was a note outside my bedroom from my mum - 'Rat from The Damned phoned - please call him on this number'. I almost wet my pants. Went to his place, hung out a bit and tried to plan a way of sorting out the fan club. We ended up quite good mates and used to see a lot of each other - then he got me back stage at a few gigs to take pictures. One day I was at his place and some guy rang with an offer to stick a live album out and split the money and did Rat know anyone with good photos of the band. Hey presto - no money in it and I just said 'please can you give me a credit' and so, apart from the track listing, that's about all there is on both the sleeve and the picture disc. The shot of the audience - sweaty intense punk faces - on the back of the picture disc (taken at Brixton Academy, then called Ace) is probably the best photo I ever took. They used a load of my shots in the Phantasmagoria tour programme too. I did some portraits of Rat at home which I have somewhere. I speak to him occasionally but haven't seen him for ages. Lovely bloke. I met Sensible and Vanian a couple of times but the other guy I got to know well was Roman Jugg who took over on guitar when Sensible left - he was one of the nicest people I can ever remember. I also did all the stills for the 'Is It A Dream' rock video and MCA ripped me off on the photos - bastards.

The Darkside were the support that night, the only time I ever saw them. Thee Hypnotics equipment kept packing up and the bass player played a couple of songs with Pete Baine’s guitar.

Well remembered - it was that lovely blue tulip bass Pete had. At the end Thee Hypnotic's guitarist Ray Hansen (fuck me what a player that guy was) got fed up with all the technical problems and started smashing some of the gear. I remember looking at Pete's bass and thinking 'Christ - I hope they don't trash that thing!'.

[niamhm]

Sounds like some good times Runcible ,good times in deed ,after checking in a box of odds and ends ,I still have the Phantasmagoria programme,some nice shots ... s`funny that bands sold programmes ,do any bands still do that.

[heyman]

They're @ the Duchess in York in August I think, there's quite alot of folk talking about it, hopefully gonna go if my shift pattern will let me!!!

[Vindaloo]

...and playing a free gig in my town (also being their hometown) in July I discovered not 60 seconds ago!

So that must mean you're from the same place as me Who would have thought that there would be two Croydon geezers on these boards....

I'll see you there this weekend!

[Chris Barrus]

"Wait For The Blackout" was one of the first songs I learned how to play on guitar and I still love it as much now as I did back then. I just wish I got to see them live more - only time I saw them was on the 1989 "farewell tour" (the Dave, Captain, Rat, Paul lineup)

BTW, the "Rat Scabies & The Holy Grail" book is outstanding. Well worth tracking down.

[ononist]

I'll be there Vindaloo. Do we know each other?

[davedecay]

Great band, always enjoyed them. Gotta post a great painting hanging above our kitchen table, painted by a friend of ours...

in the meantime, here's some live sets for your pleasure...

http://www.eggcityradio.com/?p=454

[runcible]

All good stuff. I'd love to hear more of the Etiquette period live. Sensible's playing style was a combination of punk and psychedelia - pretty unique at that time.

[laid back in the sun]

looking forward to seeing them at solfest at the end of the month

[davedecay]

[n1alist]

Solfest you say. I'll be there too.

[olan]

Love the Peel Session Cd by The Damned. Has been a favourite for years now, one of my most regularly played bits of plastic.

I hung and operated the lights for The Damned when they played at Reading University in 1991 or 1992. Rat Scabies called me a c*nt during the soundcheck (as in "Move that f*cking ladder, you c*nt") which still makes me smile as I was 15 foot up in the air on said ladder at the time. Didn't really bother with the focus after that. Plonked shitloads of spots under the drum kit though and lit him up like an Xmas tree. He was a bit hot and bothered after the show, but really, really friendly. Even handed out beers to the impoverished students doing the load out.

Great gig though...