Proving that they’re as relevant now as they’ve ever been, The Damned are back at the O2 Academy with their regular touring band and an album’s worth of new material to share.
The Damned, ranked number three amongst Britain’s punk bands, after The Sex Pistols and The Clash, were the prime movers on the London scene in 1976 as they released the UK’s first punk single, New Rose and its first album, Damned Damned Damned.
Their continued relevance is in no small part down to their ability to continue to make good music. This tour is to promote the new album ‘Darkadelic’, a title that encapsulates both that hint of Goth and Psychedelia.
The Damned hit the stage. Monty Oxymoron and Paul Gray are followed by Will Taylor and Captain Sensible, dressed as always in trademark red and black striped top and red beret. The band kick into ‘Street of Dreams’ as singer Dave Vanian makes his usual theatrical entrance. They spread their catalogue across the evening, but concentrate early on a high percentage of new tracks from their new album including already released singles ‘The Invisible Man’ and ‘Beware of the Clowns’.
They proceed to play most of the new album, with no familiar tunes to break it up which is a bold move by the band and one they just about got away with… I get that this tour is to promote the new album so they have to play it but more of the older songs would’ve went down well especially with the older generation of fans.
The fact that they seem to have lost none of their enthusiasm is remarkable but perhaps not surprising given the personalities that make up this most enduring of acts.
Vanian commanded the stage with grace and charm and throughout the night his theatrics were countered by his ludicrously outlandish band mate Captain Sensible.
Monty Oxymoron is a hugely talented keyboard player who will often morph into a total fan with his frenetic dancing to ‘New Rose’, while Paul Gray has been playing bass with them on and off for over 40 years. New boy Will Taylor took over from long-standing drummer Pinch earlier this year.
They head off stage but are soon back for an encore of ‘Elouise’ and ‘Smash it Up’ before disappearing again. The lights don’t come up though, and no music kicks in….woohoo a second encore….
The Damned may not have the rawness they had in their pre-gothic days, but as the crowd go for it one final time to the final song ‘New Rose’, it’s hard to argue with the fact that they are still a fantastic live act.
All in all a very entertaining evening and possibly the last chance to see a truly legendary band who prove that age is no barrier to producing great music.
Words & pictures: Stuart Stott @stuarty33