The Night We Saw 'The Damned'

Only a couple of weeks in and already it's my second blog with 'The Damned' in the title. And bearing in mind that once i've finished writing this I'm going to sit down and watch 'The Damned United' a distinct pattern may be forming.

I'm normally spot on with dates, but this is a bit vague, I just know that it was early 1984 or very late 1983, but anyway, The Damned were playing at my all time favourite venue, The Marquee in Wardour Street, and myself Ed and Si were going.

We met on the platform of Harrow On The Hill station, and got the tube down to Leicester Square. As we queued up outside the venue, a few 'skins' on their way to see Peter & The Test Tube Babies playing somewhere nearby walked up and down the queue giving it the 'lend us ten pence, mate' routine to us all, but (my pathological fear of early 80s skinheads and general cowardice aside) I managed to get away with no eye contact, a shrug, and a 'nah, mate' with no reciprocal violence, although of course looking back I would have loved to have had the balls to say something like 'certainly young man, but first let's agree upon a mutually convenient repayment programme'

Because it was the early 80s and rock and roll tribalism was still very much alive and well, you had a mixed bunch in the venue (indeed of the three of us that went Ed was a rocker, full beard and leathers and love of ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynrd, Si was punk in the style of early Capt Sensible and Jello Biafra and I was - ha ha ha - a 'Psychedelic Mod') with a creditable turn out of part time punks in tartan bum flaps and comedy safety pins. The atmosphere was exactly how I remember a packed Marquee at its best - sweaty, claustrophobic and smelling strangely of TCP - and there wasn't so much as a sniff of violence or unrest, even when Scabies invaded the pre show DJ's booth and said 'God, you lot are a bunch of ugly fuckers'

The Damned line up was one of the best ever and not far removed (only Brian James missing and long since gone from the band) from the original; Dave Vanian singing, Capt Sensible on guitar, Rat Scabies on drums, Paul Grey on bass and a guy on keyboards who was possibly Roman Jugg.

Although it had been released about 18 months earlier,they played quite a bit of their latest album at that time (the brilliant 'Strawberries' from 1982) mixed in with a crowd pleasing 'Vegas' set of hits. We watched most of the set from the back of the crowd, and slowly edged our way forward for 'Love Song' 'New Rose' and of course 'Smash It Up'

Vanian did his crooning Dracula thing excellently (his slicked back Ray Reardon hair dripping with spit from the good old boys at the front as he was gobbed at for most of the show), Sensible was de-bagged by some strategically placed naughty nuns, but best of all was when Rat Scabies interrupted our rousing chant of 'Scabies is a wanker, Scabies is a wanker, la la laaa la' to shout 'I don't know why you're calling me a wanker, I'm not the one that released Happy Talk!'

Both band and audience played the whole thing out as pure pantomime punk rock and it was a brilliant night. Although only six or seven years on from their debut and the 'punk explosion' of 1976-77, even in the early 80s punk was already nostalgia but thankfully (and perhaps in spite of their constant break ups, line up changes and turbulence in their recording arrangements) The Damned rarely took themselves too seriously and gave us a great show that was one of the best and most memorable gigs I have ever been to.

It would only be a year or two later when the band (without the much needed pop sensibilities - pun intended - of Capt Sensible) would enjoy greater commercial success as they became for a year or two the kings of the late 80s 'goth' scene, even more reason for me to be glad I got to see them (along with two top Geezers I am still good friends with to this day) on such great form and in such a small venue too.

Early last year I caught up with their back catalogue via download and whilst waiting to be interviewed for the job I'm still hanging on to a year later, I listened to 'Machine Gun Etiquette' for inspiration, energy and confidence.

Nibbled to death by an Okapi
Nibbled to death by an Okapi
Nibbled to death by an Okapi

Col