The Damned are an English punk rock band from London. Formed in June 1976, the group originally consisted of vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist Raymond "Captain Sensible" Burns and drummer Christopher "Rat Scabies" Millar. The band's current lineup includes Vanian, Sensible (on guitar; from 1976 to 1984, 1988 to 1992, and since 1996), Millar (who left in 1996 and rejoined in 2023) bassist Paul Gray (from 1980 to 1983, 1989 to 1992, in 1996, and since 2017) and keyboardist Laurence "Monty Oxymoron" Burrow (since 1996).
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History
edit1976–1989
editThe Damned were formed by Dave Vanian, Brian James, Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies in June 1976.[1] After the release of their debut album Damned Damned Damned, Robert "Lu" Edmonds was added as a second guitarist in August 1977.[2] This lineup recorded Music for Pleasure, although Scabies had left the band by the time it was released.[3] After a handful of shows with temporary substitute Dave Berk,[4] the band replaced Scabies for a European tour the following month with Jon Moss.[5] Music for Pleasure was a commercial failure, which led to the Damned being dropped by their label Stiff Records and breaking up in early 1978.[6] In the following months, Vanian, Sensible (on guitar) and Scabies performed a handful of shows initially as Les Punks, with Motörhead frontman Lemmy filling in on bass at the Electric Ballroom, Camden on 5/9/1978 , then as The Doomed with Henry Badowski.
In January 1979, the Damned officially reformed with Alasdair "Algy" Ward (formerly of Australian band the Saints) taking over the vacated bass role.[7] Machine Gun Etiquette was issued later in the year, before Ward was replaced by Paul Gray in early 1980.[8] After the release of The Black Album, the band added Paul Scott as their first live keyboardist.[9] He was replaced in July 1981 by Pete Saunders,[10] who subsequently made way for Roman Jugg in November, after Saunders's initially chosen replacement Tosh was unable to join.[11] As a five-piece lineup for the first time, the group issued Friday 13th in 1981,[12] Strawberries in 1982,[13] and Live at Newcastle in 1983.[14] In March 1983, however, Gray left to join UFO, with Bryn Merrick (a former bandmate of Jugg's in the group Victimize) taking his place.[15]
Before a show on 24 August 1984, Captain Sensible left the Damned to focus on his solo career, with Jugg taking over as lead guitarist and Steve McGuire of Doctor and the Medics temporarily filling in on keyboards.[16] The group subsequently continued as a four-piece, with the addition of Paul "Shirley" Shepley as touring keyboardist.[17] After the release of Phantasmagoria and Anything, the Damned were dropped by MCA Records.[18] The band continued performing live, before the original quartet reformed for part of a special show in June 1988 which was later issued as Final Damnation.[19] Sensible and James continued to tour with the existing lineup (with Gray in place of Bryn),[20] performing select songs at shows during 1989.[21] After a final farewell tour in the UK and US, the group disbanded later in the year.[22]
1991 onward
editThe Damned's breakup was short-lived, however, as they embarked on a reunion tour just two years later.[20] After a few shows into the September 1991 run, Brian James left the band suddenly following an argument with Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies, and the remaining members continued as a four-piece.[23] The Damned essentially disbanded again after a short run of European shows in 1992, before Dave Vanian and Scabies introduced a new incarnation of the group in December 1993 featuring guitarists Kris Dollimore and Alan Lee Shaw, and bassist Jason "Moose" Harris.[20] Shortly after the release of Not of This Earth in late 1995, Scabies left the Damned and Vanian reunited with Captain Sensible and his solo band – bassist Paul Gray, drummer Garrie Dreadful and keyboardist Monty Oxymoron.[24]
Gray was replaced by Vanian's wife Patricia Morrison in time for a Japanese tour starting in September 1996, after he sustained an injury during a show.[25] After three years of sustained touring, Dreadful was replaced in early 1999 by Spike Smith, who made way just a few months later for former English Dogs drummer Andrew "Pinch" Pinching.[24] The group released their first studio album in six years, Grave Disorder, in 2001, before Morrison left the Damned after giving birth to daughter Emily on 9 February 2004.[26] She was replaced by Stu West, a former bandmate of Pinch's in English Dogs.[27] The addition of West began a long period of stability for the Damned, who released their tenth studio album So, Who's Paranoid? in 2008 and a series of live albums in subsequent years.[20]
In September 2017, it was announced that Paul Gray had returned to the band for the upcoming album Evil Spirits and all future tour dates.[28] Following the album's touring cycle, Pinch left in October 2019.[29]
In early February 2022, The Damned announced their new drummer was Will Taylor and that they were working on a new studio album, set for release in late 2022. In early November 2023, Taylor announced on Facebook that his time with the Damned was over.[30] Later that month the band announced that Rat Scabies had rejoined for festivals and tour dates in 2024.[31][32]
Members
editCurrent
edit| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Vanian (David Lett) |
1976–present | lead vocals | all the Damned releases | |
| Captain Sensible (Raymond Burns) |
|
|
| |
| Rat Scabies (Christopher Millar) |
|
|
| |
| Paul Gray |
|
|
| |
| Monty Oxymoron (Laurence Burrow) |
1996–present |
|
all the Damned releases from Grave Disorder (2001) onward, except Live at the 100 Club 6/7/76 (2007) |
Former
edit| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian James (Brian Robertson) |
|
|
| |
| Robert "Lu" Edmonds | 1977–1978 | Music For Pleasure (1977) "The Captains Birthday Party" (1986) & "Not The Captains Birthday Party" (1986) | ||
| Jon Moss | drums | "The Captains Birthday Party" (1986) & "Not The Captains Birthday Party" (1986) | ||
| Alasdair "Algy" Ward | 1978–1980 (died 2023) |
|
| |
| Roman Jugg | 1982–1989 (session/touring 1981–1982) |
|
| |
| Bryn Merrick |
|
|
| |
| Jason "Moose" Harris | 1993–1996 |
| ||
| Kris Dollimore |
| |||
| Alan Lee Shaw | ||||
| Garrie Dreadful (Gary Priest) |
1996–1999 | drums | none | |
| Patricia Morrison (Patricia Rainone) |
1996–2004 |
|
| |
| Spike Smith | 1999 | drums | none | |
| Andrew "Pinch" Pinching | 1999–2019 |
|
all the Damned releases from Grave Disorder (2001) to The Rockfield Files (2020), except Live at the 100 Club 6/7/76 (2007) | |
| Stu West | 2004–2017 | bass | all Damned releases from MGE25: Machine Gun Etiquette 25 Tour (2006) to 40th Anniversary Tour: Live in Margate (2017), except Live at the 100 Club 6/7/76 (2007) | |
| Will Taylor | 2022–2023 |
|
Darkadelic (2023) |
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Touring
edit| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Berk | 1977 | drums | Berk temporarily toured with the Damned after the departure of Rat Scabies, before the arrival of Jon Moss.[4] | |
| Lemmy (Ian Kilmister) |
1978 (died 2015) | bass | Motörhead frontman Lemmy performed bass at the Electric Ballroom on 5/9/1978 at which the band was dubbed "Les Punks", following their breakup.[33] | |
| Henry Badowski | 1978 | Henry Badowski played from September to October 1978 during the period when the band was going under the name The Doomed. | ||
| Gary Holton | 1978 (died 1985) | lead vocals | Heavy Metal Kids singer Holton temporarily substituted for regular vocalist Dave Vanian during a tour of Scotland in December 1978.[34] | |
| Paul "Astroturf" Scott | 1980–1981 | keyboards | Scott joined the Damned as their first live keyboardist in late 1980 for the tour in promotion of The Black Album.[9] | |
| Pete Saunders | 1981 | After Scott was unable to commit to future shows, he was replaced in the touring lineup by Saunders in July 1981.[10] | ||
| Tosh | A keyboardist called Tosh was initially recruited to take over from Saunders, however he was unable to join.[11] | |||
| Steve McGuire | 1984 | After the departure of Captain Sensible, Roman Jugg switched to guitar and McGuire filled in on keyboards.[16] | ||
| Paul "Shirley" Shepley | 1985–1989 | Shepley took over as live keyboardist after Captain Sensible's departure and Roman Jugg's switch to guitar.[17] | ||
| Warren Renfrow | 2002 | bass | Renfrow temporarily replaced Patricia Morrison for a tour in 2002, after she left to "deal with a family illness".[35] | |
| Jon Priestley | 2018 | Priestley temporarily replaced Paul Gray starting with the Vive Le Rock awards show and later tour dates.[36] | ||
| Dave Ruffy | drums | Ruffy replaced Pinch, who was unavailable at the time, at the Vive Le Rock awards show on 28 March 2018.[36] | ||
| Troy Van Leeuwen | 2022 | guitar | Van Leeuwen replaced Captain Sensible, who was unavailable due to travel restrictions, on the band's North American tour in 2022.[37] |
Timeline
edit
Lineups
edit| Period | Members | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| June 1976 – August 1977 |
|
|
| July – October 1977 |
|
|
| October – November 1977 |
|
none |
| November 1977 – April 1978 |
| |
| Band inactive April – September 1978 | ||
| 5 September 1978
(as Les Punks) |
|
|
| September – October 1978
(as The Doomed) |
|
|
| November 1978 – February 1980
(as The Doomed until December 1978) |
|
|
| February 1980 – November 1981 |
|
|
| November 1981 – March 1983 |
|
|
| March 1983 – August 1984 |
|
|
| August 1984 – May 1988 |
|
|
| May 1988 – June 1989 |
|
|
| June – December 1989 |
|
none |
| Band inactive December 1989 – September 1991 | ||
| September 1991 |
|
|
| September 1991 – June 1992 |
|
none |
| June – July 1992 |
| |
| Band inactive July 1992 – December 1993 | ||
| December 1993 – January 1996 |
|
|
| February – September 1996 |
|
none |
| September 1996 – March 1999 |
| |
| March – August 1999 |
| |
| September 1999 – February 2004 |
|
|
| February 2004 – September 2017 |
|
|
| September 2017 – October 2019 |
|
|
| February 2022 – November 2023 |
|
|
| October – November 2022
(Live 'original line-up' reunion shows) |
|
|
| November 2023 – present |
|
none to date |
Bibliography
edit- Hutchinson, Barry (22 July 2017a), After the Lights Go Out: A Biography of the Phantom Chords, Lulu.com, ISBN 978-0244321048
- Hutchinson, Barry (22 July 2017b), The Damned: The Chaos Years – An Unofficial Biography, Lulu.com, ISBN 978-0244921552
References
edit- ^ Hutchinson 2017b, p. 17
- ^ Harrington, Jon. "The Damned - Damned Damned Damned Expanded Edition". Record Collector. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ Silverton, Peter (15 October 1977). "Top Drummers Get Itchy Feet Dept.: Why I Quit the Damned by Rat Scabies". Sounds. London, England: United Newspapers. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (27 May 2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. London, England: Omnibus Press. p. 493. ISBN 978-0857125958. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ^ Rowley, Scott (26 October 2017). "The Damned: an epic tale of fast living and faster music". Classic Rock. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "Music for Pleasure - The Damned: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "The Damned's Smash It Up: "It's about frothy lager... hardly a call to revolution"". Uncut. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ Lynch, Joe (14 September 2015). "Former The Damned Bassist Bryn Merrick Dies at 56". Billboard. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ a b Hutchinson 2017b, p. 156
- ^ a b Hutchinson 2017b, p. 170
- ^ a b Hutchinson 2017b, p. 180
- ^ "Friday the 13th - The Damned: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ Raggett, Ned. "Strawberries - The Damned: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "Live at Newcastle - The Damned: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ Hutchinson 2017b, pp. 209–210
- ^ a b Hutchinson 2017b, p. 235
- ^ a b Hutchinson 2017b, p. 248
- ^ Cooper, Mike (27 May 1988). "Music Now!" (PDF). The Hard Report. No. 80. Medina Lakes, New Jersey: The Hard Report. p. 39. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ^ Raggett, Ned. "Final Damnation - The Damned: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d Deming, Mark. "The Damned: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ Bertram, Colin (21 July 2012). Drum Solos, Bottles & Bands: Memories of a Concert-Goer 1981–1999. Colin Bertram. p. 74. ISBN 978-1291015799. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ^ Hutchinson 2017b, pp. 307–210
- ^ Gray, Paul. "Paul Gray bass, archives & stories part 6". Paul Gray. Archived from the original on 27 December 2002. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ a b Hutchinson 2017a, p. 38
- ^ Gray, Paul. "Paul Gray bass, archives & stories part 7". Paul Gray. Archived from the original on 27 December 2002. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "Emily Vanian born Feb 9th at 8:20 pm". The Damned. 19 February 2004. Archived from the original on 29 February 2004. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "Bassist announced". The Damned. 28 February 2004. Archived from the original on 29 February 2004. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "The Damned Announce David Bowie's Tony Visconti To Produce New LP & With Paul Gray". Pressparty. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ Gentile, John (25 October 2019). "Pinch to leave the Damned". Punknews.org. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "Will Taylor Drums on Facebook". www.facebook.com. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ @thedamned (17 November 2023). "RAT'S BACK!!! We're excited to announce that Mr. Scabies has rejoined the band for tours, festivals and more in 2024!" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 November 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ "RAT'S BACK!!! LEGENDARY DRUMMER REJOINS THE DAMNED PERMANENTLY!!!!!". Vive Le Rock. 17 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ Grow, Kory (14 April 2017). "The Damned Talk 40 Years of Shapeshifting Punk". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ Dahlin, Ted (22 April 2012). "Gary Holton, actor and Heavy Metal Kid. A look back at a cult figure". Louder Than War. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "Damned Bassist Takes Leave". Metal Underground. 1 March 2002. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ a b "The Damned At the Vive le Rock Awards 2018". The Damned. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "Queens Of The Stone Age's Troy Van Leeuwen To Fill-in For The Damned During May Shows". thePRP.com. Retrieved 11 May 2023.