This weekend the legendaric English punk band The Damned is performing on the Green Island.
The Damned, founded in 1976, released the first ever punk single (the epic New Rose) and the first British punk album ever. They switched band members several times but always survived. They are mainly a punk band, but also experimented with gothic (the darker albums Black Album + Phantasmagoria), glamrock, and pop (the unlikely cover of Eloise, which reached the UK charts nr 3)
Core of the band are David Vanian (the Goth singer who is notorious for his vampire looks and who is the only member who never left The Damned) and Captain Sensible (who re-joined the band after an absence). Also in the band: Vanian's spouse Patricia Morrisson who used to play bass for the Sisters of Mercy.
If you want to hear the most colourful punk band ever live and sing along to epics such as New Rose, Street Of Dreams, Neat Neat Neat, etc. ; they perform in Dublin (Temple Bar Musiccentre, Friday) and Belfast (Empire MusicHall, Saturday) this weekend!
I have my ticket for Belfast ready! If anyone is coming to the Empire on Saturday and wants to say hello to me: I'll be at front row!
WE'VE BEEN THE HAUNTED MEN, BUT WE WILL HOLD OUR HEADS UP WHEN WE WALK DOWN THE STREET OF DREAMS!
Great band. Great great band!!!
Rat Scabies is a great drummer too. Is he still playing with them.
I'e been singing their cover of Eloise in my head since I read this post.
Can't believe it's (nearly) 20 years since they did that.
Follow up LP with 'Anything' was very good too.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
No Scabies anymore. The only two original members are Dave (God) Vanian and Captain Sensible.
Rat Scabies is a great drummer (that pounding intro of New Rose is brilliant) but a big d*ck. He left the band and stole a bunch of royalties from the other members via a mean trick. And saying Scabies was the one writing "Stab in the back" ; how ironic can you get?After what he did to Dave and the others, I don't think he will be back with The Damned ever.
Eloise is such a bizarre cover: a vampiristic singer and a bunch of punkers covering the 'uncoolest' song of the sixties. But it's so damn catchy! They play it every time in the goth pub I am going to, and everyone just dances and sings along. Superb cover!
I saw the playlist for their English shows. If they play the same songs tomorrow in Belfast I'll be very glad. They do all the classics (Neat Neat Neat, New Rose, etc), some newer work, and some songs they didn't do for many years (such as the brilliant Street Of Dreams)
I just hope they'll add Wait For The BlackOut tomorrow. Such a goth anthem!
One more night of sleep... I'll be dreaming about Dave Vanian tonight (handsome guy by the way
)
And with all the respect to The Clash, The Ramones, etc, but if one song set the tone for what became punk it is New Rose. A short powerful song full of energy, just slightly chaotic. Brilliant stunning song!
Less than 24 hours from now... After the gig we'll hit the town with all Goths (there'll be a lot to see Vanian live). We'll turn Belfast into a Gothic refuge tomorrow!
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