Music > Live Reviews

The Damned

The Nick Rayns LCR, UEA

22/11/18

It’s been two years since The Damned played their 40th anniversary shows, and thinking back to their sold out Waterfront gig from 2016 it was hard to imagine them bettering that night. Two things gave this year’s tour an extra edge of anticipation – firstly they are promoting their first new album in 10 years Evil Spirits, and secondly bassist Paul Gray has re-joined the band, having initially spent three successful years with them starting in 1980.

Support for the tour is Johnny Moped, a pub rock/punk band who’ve been plying their trade for over 40 years now, and who once featured Captain Sensible in their ranks. Fronted by Mr. Moped himself, a fragile looking character, but with a decent set of pipes on him, the band managed to veer from excellent to shockingly average within the space of just a few songs. Overall though they were entertaining and remarkably still feature three original members. Not to be taken too seriously, they provided the ideal start to the evening.

The Damned are one of the finest bands to have emerged from the punk era but have never received the credit and recognition that a band of their stature should have. So much of their music is overlooked, yet what they have produced is at times an inspired mix of punk, garage rock, Motown, prog, psych and a myriad of other influences. Getting the legendary Tony Visconti to produce their excellent new record was an inspired move, resulting in the first top ten album of their career, and pleasingly this higher profile has translated into ticket sales, the band back at the bigger LCR, rather than the Waterfront where they have played on their past two visits to the city.

Paul Gray immediately caught my attention, no disrespect to recently departed bassist Stu West but Paul definitely added to the performance of the whole band. He is a great musician, but also a strong stage presence, who along with Captain Sensible & Dave Vanian, means we now have a three pronged attack. I really felt like I was a seeing a big band last night, the bigger stage, the new album backdrop and light show giving them the platform they deserve. The set mixed material from throughout their career, the new album being well represented, and they appeared to be energised having new material to play, with Standing On The Edge Of Tomorrow and I Don’t Care working especially well. Vanian’s voice is pure baritone brilliance and the Captain is guitar hero par excellence, with every note he plays in service of the song. They didn’t play a duff track all night – hearing Curtain Call, albeit in truncated form, is always going to be a highlight and Wait For The Blackout, Lively Arts & Silly Kids Games recreated the opening three tracks off The Black Album. Rarely played festive single There Ain’t No Sanity Clause gave the band an excuse to wear their Santa hats and beards, before we all went crazy to Smash It Up.
In a year where I have all too frequently felt uninspired by many of the gigs I’ve been to, this one stands tall as the best I’ve seen so far. The crowd were alive, not the all too frequent lack of involvement from a Norwich audience; we danced, we sang, we drank. They are one of my all-time favourite live bands, the Captain one of my all-time favourite guitarists. I knew this was going to be a good night, The Damned never let me down, but a combination of Paul Gray, the new songs, the bigger venue and enthusiastic punters means this is a night that will live long in my memory.