Features
Return Of The Damned
Coinciding with the U.S. release of their new album, Grave Disorder, they play London on August 21 and then cross the Atlantic to hit Vancouver, B.C., September 21. They’ll hang out on the West Coast for a total of five dates, concluding October 7.
This tour brings back infamous guitarist/vocalist Captain Sensible, known for his not-so-sensible but highly entertaining take on stardom. Notably absent from the lineup is longtime drummer Rat Scabies, who parted ways with the band in the ‘90s.
The Damned have been testing their new material and members in Europe. In May, they participated in a Joey Ramone tribute concert held at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom.
Now in their third decade, the band has survived a number of membership changes, more than a few break-ups and farewell tours, plus exploding drum kits and copious onstage nudity.
From their not-so-humble beginnings (their first show was with the Sex Pistols) the group quickly set themselves apart from their punk peers. They’re noted for having the first U.K. hit punk single, “New Rose,” which came from their 1976 debut Damned Damned Damned.
The Damned have always taken the lyric less traveled. Instead of a political and social angst, they proved that leather-clad, eyeliner-wearing guys just want to have fun and gave their fans the most entertaining shows possible.
The release of The Damned’s new Grave Disorder album marks the first new material they’ve produced since 1986’s Anything.