Damned - Damned
by Alan Taylor-Shearer
published: 26 / 11 / 2011

intro
Alan Taylor-Shearer photographs punk survivors the Damned at a show in Norwich on their 35th anniversary tour
Original punk survivors the Damned recently celebrated their 35th anniversary by playing an eleven date tour of Britain. The group were in October 1976 the first punk band to release a single with the Nick Lowe-produced ‘New Rose’. They have since then never been afraid to push musical boundaries, and the years since then have seen them mix up their initial brash sound with whatever areas of prog rock, pop, goth rock and psychedelia have taken their fancy. The recent tour saw them returning to their beginnings, and playing back to back two of their earliest albums, their spit ‘n’ sawdust 1977 debut, ‘Damned, Damned, Damned’, and their more experimental and darkly psychedelic fourth album, ‘The Black Album’. The group’s only continuous member has their singer, the vampiric Dave Vanian. Their only other current original member is their madcap guitarist Captain Sensible, who left and rejoined the band several times in their first two decades, but has been back permanently since 1996. These photographs of Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible were taken by Alan Taylor-Shearer for Pennyblackmusic at a show at the University of East Anglia in Norwich on the 14th November.
Band Links:-
http://www.officialdamned.com/https://en-gb.facebook.com/OfficialDamned/
https://twitter.com/damnedtwits
live reviews |
Hydro, Glasgow, 19/6/2018 |
![]() |
John Clarkson at the Hydro in Glasgow watches punk legends the Damned in a set in support of the Hollywood Vampires play a set of their classic singles and songs. |
Sheffield Leadmill, 30/6/2002 |
features |
Every Album, Every Song by Morgan Brown (2021) |
![]() |
In her 'Raging Pages' book column Lisa Torem finds that in a new book about British punk act, The Damned, by Morgan Brown, the author/musician chronicles the band’s studio history with solid research and humour. |
digital downloads
most viewed articles
current edition
Sarah Cracknell - InterviewDouglas MacIntyre - Interview
Jann Klose - Sugar My
Jimmy Webb - (With support from Ashley Campbell and Thor Jenson), Cadogan Hall, London. 27/5/2022
Jarvis Cocker - Good Pop Bad Pop - An Exhibition of Objects and Keepsakes of Jarvis Cocker
Tom Newman - Interview
Loop - Interview
Rolling Stones - Anfield, Liverpool, 9/6/2022
Simply Red - La Marina, Valencia, Spain, 7/6/2022
Dwina Gibb - Interview
previous editions
Stewart Copeland - Police Deranged For Orchestra - Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 11/9/2021World Party - Interview
Music Festivals - Profile 2022
Sam Brown - Interview 2008
Cliff Richard - Vs Elvis Presley
Cathal Coughlan - Interview
Gypsy Dave Mills - Interview
Ruskin Arms - The Image That Made Me Weep
Dire Straits Legacy - Interview
Jimmy Nail - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Def Leppard - Diamond Star HalosLucky Ones - Slow Dance, Square Dance, Barn Dance
Various - Heroes & Villains – The Sound Of Los Angeles 1965-1968,
Dave Stewart - Ebony McQueen
Bonnie Raitt - Just Like That...
Gabi Garbutt and the Illuminations - Cockerel
Girls At Our Best! - Pleasure
Emile Sande - Let's Say For Instance
Soup Review - Go and See
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me: 20th Anniversary Edition
related articles |
Rat Scabies: Interview (2018 |
![]() |
Former Damned drummer Rat Scabies elaborates on the making of his debut solo album, 'P.H.D. (Prison, Hospital, Debt)', his forthcoming new album with the Mutants and offers his perspective on the legacy of the Damned. |
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart