The Damned are an English punk rock band formed in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1976 by lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist (and later guitarist) Captain Sensible, and drummer Rat Scabies. They were the first punk band from the United Kingdom to release a single, " New Rose" (1976), release a studio album, '' Damned Damned Damned'' (1977), and tour the United States. They have nine singles that charted on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...

. The band briefly broke up after '' Music for Pleasure'' (1977), the follow-up to their debut studio album, was critically dismissed. They quickly reformed without Brian James, and released ''

Machine Gun Etiquette ''Machine Gun Etiquette'' is the third studio album by English punk rock band the Damned, released on 2 November 1979 by Chiswick Records. Background The album was the group's first since reforming with Dave Vanian on vocals, Captain Sensib ...

'' (1979). In the 1980s they released four studio albums, '' The Black Album'' (1980), ''

Strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...

'' (1982), '' Phantasmagoria'' (1985), and '' Anything'' (1986), which saw the band moving towards a

gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie ...

style. The latter two albums did not feature Captain Sensible, who had left the band in 1984. In 1988, James and Sensible rejoined to play a series of reunion gigs, one of which was released the next year as the live album '' Final Damnation'' (1989). Their fast-driven punk rock has been cited for influencing and shaping the emergence of

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United Kingdom and the United States. The Damned again reformed for a tour in 1991. In 1995, they released a new studio album, '' Not of This Earth'', which was Scabies's last with the band. This was followed by ''

Grave Disorder ''Grave Disorder'' is the ninth studio album from the punk rock band The Damned, released in August 2001. It was their first release since signing to Nitro Records and only studio album with Patricia Morrison. Style The album is musically si ...

'' (2001), '' So, Who's Paranoid?'' (2008), and '' Evil Spirits'' (2018) their first studio album in the United Kingdom's Official Charts' top 10 list, landing at No. 7. Despite going through numerous line-up changes, the formation of Vanian, Sensible, keyboardist

Monty Oxymoron Monty Oxymoron (born Laurence Burrow, 27 September 1961 in Cambridge, England) is a keyboardist for the English punk rock group the Damned. Biography His previous bands include Punk Floyd and Dr. Spacetoad Experience, with Captain Sensible. H ...

, drummer Pinch and bassist

Stu West Stu West (born 24 December 1964, Lincolnshire, England) was the bassist for the English punk band the Damned from 2004 to September 2017. He joined in 2004, when the past bassist, Patricia Morrison Patricia Anne Rainone (born January 14, 1 ...

had been together from 2004 until 2017, when West left the band and former bassist Paul Gray rejoined. In 2019 drummer Pinch left the band and in February 2022 was replaced by new drummer Will Taylor. As one of the first

bands, the Damned, featuring lead singer Vanian's

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the ...

singing, dark lyrics and

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

-themed costume, were a major influence on the

goth subculture Goth is a music-based subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of Gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. The name ''Goth'' was derived directly from the genre. Notable post-pu ...

History

Formation and Stiff years (1976–1978)

Dave Vanian (David Lett), Captain Sensible (Raymond Burns) and Rat Scabies (Chris Millar) had been members of the band

Masters of the Backside Masters of the Backside was an early British punk rock group. They never released a recording or performed beyond practice sessions, but the group's members went on to greater success: Chrissie Hynde later fronted The Pretenders, and Dave Vania ...

, which also included future Pretenders frontwoman

Chrissie Hynde Christine Ellen Hynde (born September 7, 1951) is an American musician. She is a founding member and the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band the Pretenders, and one of the band's two remaining original members alon ...

. Brian James (Brian Robertson) had been a member of

London SS The London SS is a British rock group founded in March 1975 by drummer Geir Wade, bassist John Brown, guitarist Mick Jones, and guitarist Eunan Brady (formerly of the Hollywood Brats). They later became associated with the then new punk rock s ...

, who never played live, but in addition to James included musicians who later found fame in

the Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

and

Generation X Generation X (or Gen X for short) is the Western demographic cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the millennials. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1960s as starting birth years and the late 1970s to early 1980s ...

. Scabies knew James through a failed audition as drummer for London SS. When the two decided to start their own band, with James on guitar and Scabies on drums, they invited Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols and Dave Vanian to audition to be the singer. Only Vanian showed up, and got the part. Sensible became the band's bassist, and the four called themselves the Damned. Chrissie Hynde would later write that "Without me, they were probably the most musically accomplished punk outfit in town". The Damned played their first show on 6 July 1976, supporting the Sex Pistols at the

100 Club The 100 Club is a music venue located at 100 Oxford Street, London, England, where it has been hosting live music since 24 October 1942. It was originally called the Feldman Swing Club, but changed its name when the father of the current owner ...

. A

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...

recording of the show was later released as '' Live at the 100 Club'' (2007). As part of London's burgeoning punk scene, the Damned again played the club on 20 September, for the 100 Club Punk Festival. On 22 October, five weeks before the release of the Sex Pistols' "

Anarchy in the U.K. "Anarchy in the U.K." is a song by English punk rock band the Sex Pistols. It was released as the band's debut single on 26 November 1976 and was later featured on their album ''Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols''. "Anarchy in th ...

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London, England, by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the punk rock boom, Stiff ...

put out the Damned's first single, " New Rose", thus making them the first UK punk band to release a single. The single's

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

was a fast-paced cover of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' " Help!". "New Rose" was described by critic Ned Raggett as a "deathless anthem of nuclear-strength romantic angst". When the Sex Pistols released their single, they took the Damned, along with the Clash and Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers, as openers for their December "Anarchy Tour of the UK". Many of the tour dates were cancelled by organizers or local authorities, with only seven of approximately twenty scheduled shows taking place. The Damned were kicked off the tour before it ended by Sex Pistols manager

Malcolm McLaren Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren (22 January 1946 – 8 April 2010) was an English impresario, visual artist, singer, songwriter, musician, clothes designer and boutique owner, notable for combining these activities in an inventive and provo ...

. The Damned released their debut studio album, '' Damned Damned Damned'', on 18 February 1977. Produced by

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave,Neat Neat Neat". The band went on tour to promote the album, in March opening for T. Rex on their final tour before Marc Bolan's death that September. Later that spring, they became the first British punk band to tour the United States. According to Brendan Mullen, founder of the Los Angeles club The Masque, their first tour of the U.S. found them favouring very fast tempos, helping to inspire the first wave of west coast

. That August, Lu Edmonds was added as a second guitarist. This expanded line-up unsuccessfully tried to recruit the reclusive

Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...

to produce their second studio album. Unable to get Barrett, they settled for his former

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...

bandmate, Nick Mason. In November, this album was released as '' Music for Pleasure'' (1977), and was quickly dismissed by critics. Its failure led to the band being dropped from Stiff Records. Scabies was also displeased with the album, and quit the band after the recording. He was replaced by future

Culture Club Culture Club are an English pop band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George (lead vocals), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), Mikey Craig (bass guitar) and formerly included Jon Moss (drums and percussion). Emerging in the New ...

drummer

Jon Moss Jonathan Aubrey Moss (born 11 September 1957) is an English drummer, best known as a member of the 1980s new wave group Culture Club. He has also played with other bands, including London, the Nips, the Damned and Adam and the Ants. Early ...

, who played with the Damned until they decided to break up in February 1978.

Reformation and ''Machine Gun Etiquette'' (1978–1979)

The former members of the band worked on a series of brief side projects and solo recordings, all making little commercial impact. Scabies formed a one-off band called "Les Punks" for a late 1978 gig: Les Punks was a quasi-reunion of the Damned (without Brian James or Lu) that featured Scabies, Vanian, Sensible and bassist

Lemmy Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was an English musician. He was the founder, lead singer, bassist and primary songwriter of the rock band Motörhead, of which he wa ...

of Hawkwind and

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a prec ...

. The Damned tentatively reformed with the "Les Punks" line-up in early 1979, but originally performed as "the Doomed" to avoid potential trademark problems. Captain Sensible switched to guitar and

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mu ...

s, and after a brief period with Lemmy on bass for studio

demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * plural for Demo (computer programming) ...

and a handful of live appearances, and a slightly longer period with

Henry Badowski Henry Badowski (born October 1958) is a British multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer, who was a member of several punk rock bands in the 1970s before embarking on a solo career. Career Badowski's apprenticeship started in several U ...

on bass, the bassist position was filled by

Algy Ward Alasdair Mackie "Algy" Ward (born 11 July 1959) is an English heavy metal bass guitarist and singer. He founded Tank, a part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. He also played with the Damned and before that the Saints. Career ...

, formerly of the Saints. During a December 1978 tour of Scotland,

Gary Holton Gary Frederick Holton (22 September 1953 – 25 October 1985) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and actor from London. He was the frontman of the band Heavy Metal Kids (1972–1977), worked with Casino Steel (1981–1984), and played ...

filled in for Vanian. The band officially went by the Damned again, playing their first gig under that name in April 1979, and signing a

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

with Chiswick Records. They went back to the studio and released the charting singles, " Love Song" and "

Smash It Up "Smash It Up" is a song by English punk rock band the Damned, released as a single on 12 October 1979 by Chiswick Records. It is considered the band's unofficial anthem. The single was the second release from the band's third studio '' Machin ...

", followed by 1979's ''

'', and then a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...

Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to ach ...

's " White Rabbit". Vanian's vocals had by now expanded from the high-

of the early records to a smoother

crooning Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...

style. ''Machine Gun Etiquette'' (1979) featured a strong 1960s

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

influence, with Farfisa organ on several songs. Recording at London's Wessex Studios at the same time as the Clash were there to record ''

London Calling ''London Calling'' is the third studio album by English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records. Th ...

'' (1979),

Joe Strummer John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002), known professionally as Joe Strummer, was a British singer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of punk rock band the Clash, f ...

and Mick Jones made an uncredited vocal appearance on the title track. Fans and critics were pleasantly surprised, and ''Machine Gun Etiquette'' (1979) received largely positive reviews; Ira Robbins and Jay Pattyn of ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' described it as "a great record by a band many had already counted out".

Shift towards gothic rock (1980–1987)

Ward left the band in 1980, to be replaced by Paul Gray, formerly of Eddie and the Hot Rods. '' The Black Album'' was released later that year, produced by the band themselves apart from one track produced by Hans Zimmer, with three sides of the

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

consisting of studio tracks, including the theatrical 17-minute song "Curtain Call". Side 4 featured a selection of live tracks recorded at

Shepperton Studios Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England, with a history dating back to 1931. It is now part of the Pinewood Studios Group. During its early existence, the studio was branded as Sound City (not to be confused ...

. It was their last album for Chiswick. In 1981, the Damned released '' Friday 13th'', a four-song EP on which featured original tracks "Disco Man", "Billy Bad Breaks", "Limit Club", and a cover version of

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

song "

Citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. In ...

". In 1982, the Damned released their only studio album for

Bronze Records Bronze Records was an independent English record label founded in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron on Oxford Street in London, eventually relocating to Chalk Farm. History Bron had been producing Uriah Heep for Vertigo Records, and he set up ...

, ''

''. The band had now expanded to a quintet, with the addition of new full-time keyboardist

Roman Jugg Roman Jugg (born 25 July 1957 in Caerphilly, South Wales) is a keyboard player and guitarist. He began his career in the Welsh punk band Victimize in the late 1970s. An acquaintance of Paul Gray, Jugg was originally hired in late 1981, recordi ...

. At this time, Sensible was splitting his time between the Damned and his own solo career, which had seen success in the UK with the number one hit "

Happy Talk Happy talk, also called banter, is the additional and often meaningless commentary interspersed into television news programs by news anchors and others on set. It may consist of simple jokes or simply a modified wording in asking a question ...

" in 1982. Consequently, the band's next album was a one-off side project recorded without the unavailable Sensible: a soundtrack to an imaginary 1960s movie called ''Give Daddy the Knife, Cindy''. This limited-run album of 1960s cover songs had the band billed as Naz Nomad and the Nightmares. In 1984, the Damned made a live performance on the

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...

sitcom '' The Young Ones'' performing their song "Nasty", featuring new bassist

Bryn Merrick Bryn Merrick (12 October 1958 – 12 September 2015) was a bassist who was a member of Cardiff-based punk band Victimize. He later joined the Damned between 1983 and 1989, replacing Paul Gray, who had left for UFO. Merrick's first release wit ...

(replacing Gray) and both Jugg and Sensible on guitar. Sensible played a last concert with the band at Brockwell Park, before leaving to pursue his solo career. DavidVanianatExeter

From the beginnings of the band, Vanian had adopted a

-like appearance onstage, with chalk-white makeup and formal dress. With Sensible gone, Vanian's image became more characteristic of the band as a whole. The Damned signed a recording contract with major label

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

, and the '' Phantasmagoria'' album followed in July 1985, preceded by the UK No. 21 single " Grimly Fiendish". Other hits from the same album were " The Shadow of Love" with its gloomy gothic sound, and the lighter " Is It A Dream?". In January 1986, the non-album single " Eloise", a cover version of the 1968 hit by Barry Ryan, was a No. 3 chart success in the UK, the band's highest chart placing to date. However, ''Phantasmagorias December 1986 follow-up, '' Anything'', was a commercial failure, although MCA did include one of its tracks (" In Dulce Decorum") on the '' Miami Vice II'' soundtrack release. The cover of

Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

's "

Alone Again Or "Alone Again Or" is a song originally recorded in 1967 by the rock group Love and written by band member Bryan MacLean. It appears on the album ''Forever Changes'', and was released as a single in the USA, UK, Australia, France and the Netherlan ...

" was also released as a single. Late in 1987, the Damned began to work on a new studio album for MCA, but the result of these sessions remain unreleased as the record contract was dissolved. Two of the new songs ("Gunning for Love" and "The Loveless and the Damned") were later re-recorded by the Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords side project.

Reunion and farewell tours (1988–89)

In June 1988, James and Sensible rejoined the group temporarily for three live appearances, including a concert at the London Town and Country Club which was released the following year as the album '' Final Damnation''. In June 1989, James and Sensible again rejoined the group for two UK appearances billed as ''The Final Curtain''. In July this line-up performed a farewell tour of the US and in December they performed a further five UK gigs advertised as the ''We Really Must Be Going Now'' tour.

Second and third reformations (1990–1995)

Although officially on hiatus, the band issued two singles in 1990. The first, " Fun Factory", was a song recorded in 1982 by the Sensible/Vanian/Scabies/Gray line-up; intended for single release at the time, the bankruptcy of their record company prevented the issue of the record for 9 years. The year's second single, " Prokofiev", was recorded by Scabies, Vanian and Brian James, and was sold on a 1991 reunion tour of the US. In 1993 the band reformed again with a new line-up featuring Scabies, Vanian, guitarists

Kris Dollimore Kris Dollimore (born 2 January 1966) is an English rock guitarist, who is best known for being a founding member of the Godfathers as well as a member of the Damned and Del Amitri. He also performs and records as a solo artist. Biography Kri ...

(formerly of

the Godfathers The Godfathers are an English rock band from London, England, with strong influences from R&B and punk. Career The Godfathers were formed by Peter and Chris Coyne (vocals and bass, respectively) after the demise of The Sid Presley Experienc ...

), Alan Lee Shaw, and bassist

Moose Harris Moose Harris is a British bass guitarist, who was known as Jason James Harris until June 2001, when he legally changed his name to reflect his former nickname and adopted professional alias of "Moose". Biography Although born in Devizes (Wilt ...

(formerly of

New Model Army The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Th ...

). Around this time, two prominent modern rock groups each covered a Damned song:

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff ...

recorded "New Rose" for their '' "The Spaghetti Incident?"'' (1993), while the Offspring covered "

" for the '' Batman Forever''

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...

(1995). Both cover versions enjoyed major label distribution and created more exposure to the Damned sound, sometimes to a younger audience unfamiliar with the group. The reformed Damned toured regularly for about two years and released a new studio album, '' Not of This Earth'' in November 1995. Promoted with a series of long tours prior to its release, by the time the album was released the Damned had yet again split, partly as the result of legal battles: Vanian and Sensible accused Scabies of releasing ''Not of This Earth'' (1995) without proper authorization.

Return of Captain Sensible and new line-up (1996–2003)

Sensible rejoined Vanian in 1996 and yet another formation of the Damned appeared. This initially featured bassist Paul Gray, who was later replaced by

Patricia Morrison Patricia Anne Rainone (born January 14, 1962), better known by her stage name Patricia Morrison, is an American bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. She has worked with Bags, The Gun Club, Fur Bible, The Sisters of Mercy, and the Damned. Bio ...

, previously of Bags, the Gun Club and

the Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is an English rock band, formed in 1980 in Leeds. After achieving early underground fame there, the band had their commercial breakthrough in the mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasi ...

. By February 1999, the Damned consisted of Vanian, Sensible, Morrison and new recruits

on keyboards and Spike T. Smith on drums. Spike would later that year go on to join

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since th ...

's live band and on Spike's recommendation the band recruited Andy (Pinch) Pinching, a founding member of English Dogs, to replace him on drums. Garrie Dreadful, another recruit from Sensible's solo band, played drums from 1997 to 1999 then gave way to Spike. In 2001, the band released the album ''

'', on Dexter Holland's

Nitro Records Nitro Records was an American independent record label, founded in 1994 and operated by The Offspring's Dexter Holland and Greg K. Nitro is famous for being an incubator for punk rock artists who have subsequently become successful, most nota ...

label and promoted it with continual touring. A spring tour of the United States was planned in 2002 supporting Rob Zombie. However, the band dropped off after a few shows with Captain Sensible saying, "gothic punk was completely lost on the predominantly

metal A metal (from ancient Greek, Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, e ...

crowds". In the summer they played the Vans

Warped Tour The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touri ...

in the US.

Line-up change, 40th anniversary, and new album (2004–2019)

Morrison and Vanian married and had a daughter, Emily, born on 9 February 2004. Around this time, Morrison 'retired' from performing with the band, though she remained involved with the Damned as the band's manager. Her replacement on bass was Stu West. In 2006, the Damned released the single " Little Miss Disaster", and a live DVD ''MGE25'' documenting a 2004

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of ''Machine Gun Etiquette'' (1979). On 21 October 2006,

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

broadcast an hour-long documentary titled ''Is She Really Going Out with Him?'' concerning the recording of the Damned's first single "New Rose" and the group's place in the 1976 London punk scene. Featuring interviews with James, Sensible, Scabies, Glen Matlock,

Don Letts Donovan "Don" Letts (born 10 January 1956) is a British film director, disc jockey (DJ) and musician. Letts first came to prominence as the videographer for the Clash, directing several of their music videos. In 1984, Letts co-founded the band B ...

and Chrissie Hynde, the programme discussed the bands and personalities around the scene, particularly the

tour. On 28 October 2008, the Damned released for download their tenth studio album, '' So, Who's Paranoid?'', followed by a physical release on the English Channel label on 10 November (UK) and 9 December (US). To promote the album, the band made back-to-back appearances performing on the CBS network TV broadcasts in the US on

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

eve and Halloween on ''

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the The Late Late Show (American talk show), ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airing ...

''. The band undertook a 23-date UK tour to promote their new studio album, supported by

Devilish Presley Devilish Presley are an English gothabilly band from London, England. History A gothabilly band that formed in East London in 2002, they released six albums on their own label November Tenth Records and toured constantly for eleven years buil ...

and Slicks Kitchen. The band then played a set and conducted a short interview on the Cherry Blossom Clinic on WFMU on 16 May 2009. In November 2009, the band supported Motörhead on the UK leg of their world tour. Continual touring occurred throughout the UK and Europe over the next few years. In 2012, they played South America for the first time, with dates in

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaW ...

(Brazil) and

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

(Argentina). They returned to the Rhythm Festival, one of only four headline acts to return over the festival's seven-year history. In 2012, the Damned announced that they would return for 2013's

Rebellion Festival The Rebellion Festival, formerly Holidays in the Sun and the Wasted Festival is a British punk rock festival first held in 1996. The festival has attracted mainstream press coverage from such sources as The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily ...

alongside the Exploited, the Casualties and others. On 7 November 2014 Sensible and Vanian appeared on Ken Reid's ''TV Guidance Counselor'' Podcast. In 2015, the Damned were featured in a documentary by director Wes Orshoski called '' The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead''. The documentary charts the history of the band against a backdrop of archival footage, new interviews and tour footage from 2011 to 2014. After the release of the film, on 12 September 2015, former bassist Bryn Merrick died of throat cancer. Merrick had played on ''Phantasmagoria'' (1985) and ''Anything'' (1986). At the time of his death he had been playing in a

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tribute band, the Shamones. In May 2016 the band played a 40th anniversary show at the

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. In the summer of 2017 "Neat Neat Neat" was prominently featured in the action film ''

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'' and its

. On 11 September 2017, the band announced that Stu West was leaving the band and former bassist Paul Gray would be returning for the new studio album. '' Evil Spirits'', the band's eleventh album and first in ten years, was released on 13 April 2018. It peaked at No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart, their highest ever chart position, topping their previous high of No. 11 in 1985 (''Phantasmagoria''). The album was recorded in November 2017 in

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and produced by

Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...

who is best known for his work with

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

. To get the album made, it was largely crowdfunded through PledgeMusic. The album was preceded by the first single, "Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow" in January 2018 along with the singles "Devil in Disguise" and "Look Left" in March 2018 and "Procrastination" in April 2018. On 23 May 2019, the Damned started a tour performing their third studio album, ''Machine Gun Etiquette'' (1979), which they hadn't played in full since its release. The tour included such venues as the House of Blues, Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival, and

Departure of Pinch, original line-up reunion and new drummer (2019–present)

On 25 October 2019, Pinch announced that he would be departing the band after 20 years. His last gig was the Damned's show at the London Palladium on 27 October 2019. On 21 October 2020, the Damned announced that in 2021 the original line up of Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Brian James and Rat Scabies would play a series of shows. This would mark the first time in over two decades that James and Scabies have played with Vanian and Sensible. Due to COVID concerns, it was later announced that the tour, while still featuring the same line-up, was postponed until 2022. As of February 2022, Pinch has been replaced by Will Taylor.

Discography

*'' Damned Damned Damned'' (1977) *'' Music for Pleasure'' (1977) *''

'' (1979) *'' The Black Album'' (1980) *''

'' (1982) *'' Phantasmagoria'' (1985) *'' Anything'' (1986) *'' Not of This Earth'' (1995) *''

'' (2001) *'' So, Who's Paranoid?'' (2008) *'' Evil Spirits'' (2018)

Members

Current members * Dave Vanian (David Lett) – lead vocals * Captain Sensible (Raymond Burns) – guitar, backing vocals , keyboards , bass * Paul Gray – bass, backing vocals *

(Laurence Burrow) – keyboards, backing vocals *Will Taylor – drums Live members for 2022 reunion tour * Brian James (Brian Robertson) – guitar, backing vocals * Rat Scabies (Christopher Millar) – drums, backing vocals

References

External links

*
Captain Sensible Interview
(and video of interview and 35th anniversary tour), Rocker Magazine, 2011. * * * *

article by Chris Hunt, published in Q Magazine, 2003.
Review of 2006 BBC radio prog "''Is she really going out with him?''"

Review of The Damned – The Phoenix, Exeter 19/05/10
{{DEFAULTSORT:Damned, The English punk rock groups English gothic rock groups English post-punk music groups English new wave musical groups Musical groups from London Musical groups established in 1976 Stiff Records artists I.R.S. Records artists Bronze Records artists MCA Records artists 1976 establishments in England