The Sex Pistols may have gotten more headlines thanks to the publicity-savvy machinations of manager Malcolm McLaren, but British contemporaries The Damned were actually the first UK punk band to issue both a single and a full-length record and the first to tour the United States.
Formed by guitarist Brian James (who had played in proto-punk outfit London SS) and drummer Rat Scabies (aka Chris Millar), the initial line-up of the band was filled out by singer Dave Vanian (born David Letts), and then bassist Captain Sensible (aka Raymond Burns). The quartet played its first show supporting the Pistols at the legendary 100 Club in July of 1976, but beat the band into record stores with the October release of their debut single on Stiff Records of their classic anthem "New Rose."
The Damned would join the Sex Pistols along with the Clash and former New York Doll Johnny Thunders and his band the Heartbreakers on the notorious "Anarchy Tour of the UK" in December of 1976 that found a majority of the dates canceled by promoters or authorities. The Damned issued their proper debut album Damned Damned Damned in February of 1977.
Produced by pub rock veteran Nick Lowe, the album featured a raw set of blistering future punk classics like "Neat Neat Neat," "Born to Kill" and "Messed Up." The band's maiden voyage to the U.S. that spring was marked by a tendency to ramp up the already fast tempos, a move that's credited for inspiring early bands of the West Coast hardcore punk scene.
The band's follow-up effort Music For Pleasure found the band making the unusual choice of Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason as producer after mentally fractured Floyd founder Syd Barrett was unavailable. Though now considered another classic, at the time it was dismissed by critics and fans. The group split up, but eventually reformed without James to record a string of influential '80s albums that branched out into psychedelia and early gothic punk.
The band split up again in 1988 after a farewell concert, but it didn't take long for Vanian and Scabies to reunite and tour with new recruits the following decade (Captain Sensible returned to the fold in 1996). The Damned have only issued three studio albums in the past two decades, but has toured regularly and remained a fixture of punk festivals on both sides of the Atlantic.
More recently, the group was the subject of a racous new documentary, by director Wes Orshoski entitled The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead. Vanian and Sensible return to San Francisco with the group's current line-up to headline the Great American Music Hall as the band celebrates its 4oth anniversary with a visit to California to play the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival the next two weekends. The Damned are joined by experimental Long Beach pop-punk outfit Tijuana Panthers at the Great American Music Hall.
The Damned
Thursday, April 14, 8 p.m. $30-$32
Great American Music Hall
