With Rat Scabies now back at his rightful place on the drum stool, the 2024 version of The Damned has reunited the line-up that had recorded two of their most notable early 80’s albums, The Black Album and Strawberries. Scabies joined Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Paul Gray and the long serving Monty Oxymoron for a set that covered the length and breadth of their vast back catalogue, from their early hits ‘New Rose’ and ‘Neat Neat Neat’, to the melodrama of ‘Eloise’ and continuing through to a couple of songs from 2023’s Darkadelic. There was a huge chorus of approval when Scabies appeared on stage and counted the band into ‘Love Song’, and evidently his return has gone over well with the Damned faithful. With the Captain in his signature red beret and the always sharply dressed Dave in terrific voice, this was a solid performance from the punk pioneers turned Goth favourites.

Even though they might be going on close to half a century as a band, there were no signs that The Damned are starting to slow down. With his vampiric cool persona Vanian still has the qualities that make him an enigmatic frontman, and his voice still sounded incredible on the likes of ‘Stranger on the Town’ and ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. Always ready to engage in some banter, Sensible made some scathing comments about our politicians which served as the introduction to ‘Beware of the Clown’ and got his turn at the mic with a terrific rendition of ‘Life Goes On’. ‘The Invisible Man’, taken from the exceptional Darkadelic, proved that even in the twilight of their careers The Damned still have plenty to offer and, after the front rows had been unusually subdued for an hour or so, there was plenty of good natured pogoing around as they launched into the thumping ‘Neat Neat Neat’.

Both band and audience have clearly lost none of their enthusiasm for nights like this and the encore began with the understated ‘Curtain Call’, Scabies then taking over with a drum solo before they kicked  into ‘New Rose’. After an eclectic ninety minutes or so we were then being invited to ‘Smash It Up’ one more time and the set came to a close in emphatic style. The Damned have recently been confirmed on the bill of the brand new Forever Now festival taking place at Milton Keynes Bowl next summer. For the full line-up and more information head over to https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/event/forever-now-festival/

Set list:-

Love Song
Machine Gun Etiquette
Wait for the Blackout
Lively Arts
The History of the World (Part 1)
Plan 9 Channel 7
Stranger on the Town
Gun Fury (of Riot Forces)
I Just Can’t Be Happy Today
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Beware of the Clown
Eloise
Life Goes On
The Invisible Man
Ignite
Neat Neat Neat

Encore: –
Curtain Call
Drum Solo
New Rose

Encore 2: – 
There Ain’t No Sanity Clause
Smash It Up Part 1 & 2