The Damned | |
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 The Damned on the Evil Spirits Tour 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1976 (1976)–present |
| Labels | |
| Members | |
| Past members |
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| Website | officialdamned |
The Damned are an Englishrock band formed inLondon in 1976 by lead vocalistDave Vanian, guitaristBrian James, bassist (and later guitarist)Captain Sensible and drummerRat Scabies.[2] They were the first punk band from the United Kingdom to release a single, "New Rose" (1976),[6] release a studio album,Damned Damned Damned (1977)[7] and tour the United States.[8] Nine of the band's singles charted within the top 40 on theUK singles chart.[9]
The band briefly dissolved afterMusic for Pleasure (1977), the follow-up to their debut studio album, was critically dismissed.[10] They quickly re-formed without Brian James and releasedMachine Gun Etiquette (1979).[11] In the 1980s, they released four studio albums:The Black Album (1980),Strawberries (1982),Phantasmagoria (1985) andAnything (1986), which saw the band moving toward agothic rock style. The latter two albums did not feature Sensible, who had left the band in 1984.[12] In 1988, James and Sensible rejoined to play a series of reunion gigs, one of which was released the next year as the live albumFinal Damnation (1989).[13] Their fast-driven punk rock has been cited for influencing and shaping the emergence ofhardcore punk in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United Kingdom and the United States.[14]
The Damned again re-formed for a tour in 1991.[2] In 1995, they released a new studio album,Not of This Earth, which was Scabies's last with the band (until the release of their 2026 album,Not Like Everybody Else).[15][16] This was followed byGrave Disorder (2001),So, Who's Paranoid? (2008) andEvil Spirits (2018), their first studio album in theOfficial Charts top-10 list, landing at No. 7.[17][18] Their most recent album,Darkadelic, was released in 2023 and also made it into theOfficial Charts top-10 list, landing at No. 9. Despite experiencing numerous lineup changes, the formation of Vanian, Sensible, keyboardistMonty Oxymoron, drummer Pinch and bassistStu West had been together from 2004 until 2017, when West left the band and former bassistPaul Gray rejoined.[19] In 2019, drummer Pinch left the band, and in February 2022 he was replaced by Will Taylor, who left in November 2023, when Scabies rejoined.
In a 2026 interview with The Guardian, Scabies, Vanian and Sensible admitted "they will always be known as 'punk band the Damned,' despite their not being a punk band since 1978." Their 1980 'The Black Album' featured "prog-psych epic 'Curtain Call'" and "by the mid-'80s, they were major label gothic psychedelic hitmakers."[20]
As one of the firstgothic rock bands, the Damned, featuring lead singer Vanian'sbaritone singing, dark lyrics andvampire-themed costume, were a major influence on thegoth subculture.[21]
Prior to The Damned, Dave Vanian (David Lett), Captain Sensible (Raymond Burns) and Rat Scabies (Chris Millar) had been members of the bandMasters of the Backside, which also included futurePretenders frontwomanChrissie Hynde.[22]Brian James (Brian Robertson) had been a member ofLondon SS, a band that never played live but also included musicians who later found fame inthe Clash andGeneration X. Scabies knew James through a failed audition as the drummer for London SS.[23] When they decided to start their own band, with James on guitar and Scabies on drums, they invitedSid Vicious, later of theSex Pistols, and Dave Vanian to audition to be the singer. However, only Vanian appeared, and he was added to the band.[22] Sensible became the band's bassist, and the four called themselves the Damned.[24] Chrissie Hynde would later write: "Without me, they were probably the most musically accomplished punk outfit in town."[25]
The Damned played their first show on 6 July 1976, supporting the Sex Pistols at the100 Club. Alo-fi recording of the show was later released asLive at the 100 Club (2007).[26] As part of London's burgeoning punk scene, the Damned again played the club on 20 September for the100 Club Punk Festival.[27]
On 22 October, five weeks before the release of the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K.",Stiff Records released the Damned's first single "New Rose", thus making them the first UK punk band to release a single. The single'sB-side was a fast-pacedcover ofthe Beatles' "Help!".[28] "New Rose" was described by critic Ned Raggett as a "deathless anthem of nuclear-strength romanticangst."[29]
When the Sex Pistols released their single, they took the Damned, along with the Clash andJohnny 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 20 scheduled shows taking place. The Damned were expelled from the tour before its end by Sex Pistols managerMalcolm McLaren.[30]
The Damned released their debut studio album,Damned Damned Damned, on 18 February 1977. Produced byNick Lowe, it was the first studio album released by a British punk band and included a new single, "Neat Neat Neat".[31] The band toured to promote the album, in March opening forT. Rex on their final tour beforeMarc Bolan's death that September. Later that spring, they became the first British punk band to tour the United States.[32] According toBrendan Mullen, founder of the Los Angeles clubthe Masque, their first tour of the U.S. found them favouring very fast tempos, helping to inspire the first wave of West Coasthardcore punk.[33] Author Ian Winwood wrote, "In terms of placing boots on the ground, it is The Damned who can be credited as having had the most influence on American punk rock."[34]
That August,Lu Edmonds was added as a second guitarist.[26] Although not yet obvious in their music, the band were heavily inspired bypsychedelic rock.[35] They unsuccessfully tried to recruit the reclusiveSyd Barrett to produce their second studio album.[36] They settled for his formerPink Floyd bandmateNick Mason. In November 1977, the album was released asMusic for Pleasure and was quickly dismissed by critics. Its failure precipitated the band's exit from Stiff Records.[37] Scabies was also displeased with the album and quit the band after the recording. He was replaced by futureCulture Club drummerJon Moss, who played with the Damned until they dissolved in February 1978.[38]
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 Edmonds) that featured Scabies, Vanian, Sensible and bassistLemmy ofHawkwind andMotörhead. The Damned tentatively re-formed with the "Les Punks" lineup in early 1979, but originally performed as "The Doomed" to avoid potential trademark problems. Sensible switched to guitar andkeyboards, and after a brief period with Lemmy on bass for studiodemos and a handful of live appearances[39] and a slightly longer period withHenry Badowski on bass, the bassist position was filled byAlgy Ward, formerly ofthe Saints. During a December 1978 tour of Scotland,Gary Holton substituted for Vanian.[40]
The band officially went by the Damned again, playing their first gig under that name in April 1979 and signing a recording contract withChiswick Records. They returned to the studio and released the charting singles "Love Song" and "Smash It Up", followed by 1979'sMachine Gun Etiquette and then a cover version ofJefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit".[41] Vanian's vocals had by now expanded from the highbaritone of the early records to a smoothercrooning style.[42]
Machine Gun Etiquette (1979) featured a strong 1960sgarage-rock influence with aFarfisa organ on several songs. Recording at London'sWessex Studios at the same time as the Clash were there to recordLondon Calling (1979),Joe Strummer andMick Jones made an uncredited vocal appearance on the title track.Machine Gun Etiquette (1979) received largely positive reviews; Ira Robbins and Jay Pattyn ofTrouser Press described it as "a great record by a band many had already counted out."[43]
Ward left the band in 1980, to be replaced byPaul Gray, formerly ofEddie and the Hot Rods.The Black Album was released later that year, produced by the band themselves apart from one track produced byHans Zimmer, with three sides of thedouble album consisting of studio tracks, including the theatrical 17-minute song "Curtain Call". Side 4 featured a selection of live tracks recorded atShepperton Studios. It was their last album for Chiswick.[citation needed]
In 1981, the Damned releasedFriday 13th, a four-songEP that featured the original tracks "Disco Man", "Billy Bad Breaks", "Limit Club" and a cover version ofthe Rolling Stones song "Citadel".[44]
In 1982, the Damned released their only studio album forBronze Records,Strawberries. The band had now expanded to a quintet with the addition of full-time keyboardistRoman Jugg. At the time, Sensible was splitting his time between the Damned and his own solo career, having reached chart success in the UK with the 1982 number-one hit "Happy Talk". The band's next album, a one-off side project recorded without Sensible, was the soundtrack to an imaginary 1960s movie calledGive Daddy the Knife, Cindy.[45] For this limited-run album of 1960s cover songs, the band was billed asNaz Nomad and the Nightmares.[46]
In 1984, the Damned performed on theBBC Two sitcomThe Young Ones with their song "Nasty", featuring new bassistBryn Merrick (replacing Gray) and both Jugg and Sensible on guitar.[citation needed] Sensible played his last concert with the band atBrockwell Park before leaving to pursue his solo career.[47]
From the earliest days of the band, Vanian had adopted avampire-like appearance onstage, with chalk-white makeup and formal dress.[2][48] With Sensible gone, Vanian's image became more characteristic of the band as a whole. The Damned signed a recording contract with major labelMCA Records, and thePhantasmagoria 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"[49] with a gloomy gothic sound, and the lighter "Is It a Dream?".[50]
In January 1986, the non-album single "Eloise", a cover version of the 1968 hit byBarry Ryan, became a No. 3 chart success in the UK, the band's highest chart placing to date.[41]
Phantasmagoria's December 1986 followupAnything was a commercial disappointment, although MCA included one of its tracks ("In Dulce Decorum") on theMiami Vice II soundtrack release. The cover ofLove's "Alone Again Or" was also released as a single.[citation needed]
Late in 1987, the Damned began to work on a new studio album for MCA, but the output of these sessions remains unreleased as the record contract was dissolved. Two of the new songs ("Gunning for Love" and "The Loveless and the Damned") were later rerecorded by theDave Vanian and the Phantom Chords side project.
In June 1988, James and Sensible rejoined the group temporarily for three live appearances, including a concert at theLondon Town and Country Club that was released the following year as the albumFinal Damnation.[51]
In June 1989, James and Sensible rejoined the group for two UK appearances billed asThe Final Curtain. In July this lineup performed a farewell tour of the U.S. and in December they performed a further five UK gigs advertised as theWe Really Must Be Going Now tour.[52]
Although officially on hiatus, the Damned released "Fun Factory", a song which was recorded in 1982 with the Sensible/Vanian/Scabies/Gray lineup and intended to be released as a single at that time. However, the bankruptcy of their record company prevented the release of the song for nine 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 U.S.[53]
In 1993, the band re-formed with a new lineup featuring Scabies, Vanian, guitaristsKris Dollimore (formerly ofthe Godfathers), Alan Lee Shaw and bassistMoose Harris (formerly ofNew Model Army). Around this time, two prominent rock groups each covered a Damned song:Guns N' Roses recorded "New Rose" for theirThe Spaghetti Incident? 1993 album, whilethe Offspring covered "Smash It Up" for theBatman Foreversoundtrack (1995). Both cover versions enjoyed major-label distribution and created more exposure to the Damned's sound, sometimes to a younger audience unfamiliar with the group.[citation needed]
The re-formed Damned toured regularly for about two years and released a new studio album,Not of This Earth, in November 1995, which was promoted with a series of long tours prior to its release. However, 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 releasingNot of This Earth (1995) without proper authorization.[citation needed]
Sensible rejoined Vanian in 1996 and yet another formation of the Damned appeared. This initially featured bassist Paul Gray, who was later replaced byPatricia Morrison, previously ofBags,the Gun Club andThe Sisters of Mercy.[2]
By February 1999, the Damned consisted of Vanian, Sensible, Morrison and new recruitsMonty Oxymoron on keyboards and Spike T. Smith on drums. Smith later joinedMorrissey's live band and recommended that the Damned recruit Andy (Pinch) Pinching, a founding member ofEnglish Dogs, to replace him on drums. Garrie Dreadful, a recruit from Sensible's solo band, had played drums from 1997 to 1999 before Smith's arrival. In 2001, the band released the albumGrave Disorder onDexter Holland'sNitro Records label and promoted it with continual touring. A spring tour of the U.S. was planned in 2002 supportingRob Zombie. However, the band withdrew after a few shows. Sensible said that "gothic punk was completely lost on the predominantlymetal crowds." In the summer, the band played theVansWarped Tour in the U.S.[54]
Morrison and Vanian married and had a daughter, Emily, born on 9 February 2004. Around this time, Morrison retired from performing with the band, although she remained involved with the Damned as their manager. Her replacement on bass was Stu West.[citation needed]
In 2006, the Damned released the single "Little Miss Disaster" and a liveDVDMGE25 documenting a 2004Manchester concert celebrating the 25th anniversary ofMachine Gun Etiquette (1979). On 21 October 2006,BBC Radio 2 broadcast an hour-longdocumentary titledIs 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 and Chrissie Hynde, the programme discussed the bands and personalities around the scene, particularly theAnarchy in the U.K. tour.[citation needed]
On 28 October 2008, the Damned released their tenth studio album,So, Who's Paranoid?, a digital release, followed by a physical release on the English Channel label on 10 November (UK) and 9 December (U.S.).[55] To promote the album, the band appeared twice on American television, including a visit toThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.[56] The band undertook a 23-date UK tour to promote their new studio album, supported byDevilish Presley and Slicks Kitchen.[57]
In November 2009, the band supported Motörhead on the UK leg of their world tour.[58][59]
Continual touring occurred throughout the UK and Europe over the next few years. In 2012, the Damned played South America for the first time, with dates inSão Paulo andBuenos Aires. They returned to theRhythm 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'sRebellion Festival alongsidethe Exploited,the Casualties and others.[60]
On 7 November 2014, Sensible and Vanian appeared onKen Reid'sTV Guidance Counselor podcast.[61]
In 2015, the Damned were featured in a documentary by director Wes Orshoski titledThe 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, who had played onPhantasmagoria (1985) andAnything (1986), died of throat cancer.[62] At the time of his death, he had been playing in aRamones tribute band called Shamones.[63]
In May 2016, the band played a 40th anniversary show at theRoyal Albert Hall.[64]
In the summer of 2017, "Neat Neat Neat" was prominently featured in the action filmBaby Driver and itssoundtrack.[65] On 11 September 2017, the band announced that Stu West was leaving the band and that former bassist Paul Gray would be returning for the new studio album.[19]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, which was largelycrowdfunded throughPledgeMusic, was recorded in November 2017 inNew York City and was produced byTony Visconti. 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.[66]
On 23 May 2019, the Damned started a tour performing their third studio album,Machine Gun Etiquette (1979), which they had not played in full since its release. The tour included venues such as theHouse of Blues, Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival andRebellion Festival.[67]
On 25 October 2019, Pinch announced his departure after 20 years with the band. His last gig was the Damned's show at theLondon Palladium on 27 October 2019.
On 21 October 2020, the Damned announced that in 2021 the original lineup of Vanian, Sensible, James and Scabies would play a series of shows. This would mark the first time in more than two decades that James and Scabies had played with Vanian and Sensible.[68] However, theCOVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the tour until 2022.
In February 2022, Pinch was replaced by drummer Will Taylor. In February 2023, the band's next studio album,Darkadelic, was announced and it was released on 28 April 2023. The album was preceded by the singles and music videos for "The Invisible Man" on 3 February 2023, "Beware of the Clown" on 10 March 2023 and "You're Gonna Realise" on 21 April 2023. All three music videos were directed byMartin Gooch.[69]
Former bassist Algy Ward, who had played onMachine Gun Etiquette, died on 17 May 2023.[70][71] After leaving the Damned, Ward had formed theNWOBHM bandTank in 1980.
Will Taylor announced his departure as the Damned's drummer in November 2023.[72] Later that month, it was announced that original drummer Scabies had rejoined the band on a permanent basis.[73][74]
Founding member and original guitarist Brian James died on 6 March 2025.[75] After his time with The Damned he co-foundedThe Lords of the New Church, a supergroup with ex-members ofDead Boys,Sham 69 andThe Barracudas, before focusing on a solo career in later years.
In January 2026, with Scabies, they releasedNot Like Everybody Else, a covers album of songs that had inspired them and Brian James their youth, and they embarked on a tour in the UK and Europe.[citation needed]
Current members
while no one was looking, the Damned have become a classic psychedelic pop group
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