The UK in the late 70s produced some iconic punk rock bands. The Sex Pistols and the Clash came and went. The Damned released the UK’s first punk single, “New Rose”, and has been rolling along producing new music ever since. Their lineup has shifted from time to time but no matter who is instrumentally backing up frontman Dave Vanian, they have been true to the punk rock spirit that spawned The Damned back in London in 1976.
Madness Magazine caught up with the Damned’s tour’s stop at Hindley Street Music Hall. The venue was packed to near sellout numbers, not bad for a Sunday night show. Most of the concertgoers were long in the tooth but it was good to see a few youngsters looking to pay tribute to these legends of punk rock.
Opening the show was the veteran Aussie punk rock band, Hard-Ons. Formed in New South Wales in 1982, the band disbanded for a few years to pursue individual musical interests. Reforming in ’97, they’ve undergone some lineup changes but are still putting out great music. Lead singer Tim Rogers took over the vocal reigns from original singer Keish de Silva and has certainly gained the support of the band’s long-time fans. He has a powerful stage presence that raised the level of anticipation for the show yet to come.
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This run through the land down under is billed as The Final Australian Tour of The Damned. As the band has said, they wanted to do this tour while they are still able to physically do this as time is marching on. It’s a shame because they are still relevant and full of punk-fueled energy. However, touring Australia is a difficult proposition for UK bands due to the distance from home not to mention the distance between large cities.
The present lineup sees Vanian joined by his long-standing guitarist (and former bassist) Captain Sensible. Original member, Rat Scabies takes up the drumming duties, and their 80s bassist, Paul Gray rounds out the hard-driving rhythm section. This is the first time that this classic 80’s lineup has hit the road since 1989. Rounding out the iconic lineup is keyboardist Monty Oxymoron who has been with the band for almost 30 years.
The set list for the evening was identical to all of the prior tour sets. It wasn’t merely a greatest hits package which was refreshing for a farewell tour. The Damned covered the whole range of their history with most of the older classics filling out the tail end of the set. Midway through the set, the crowd was treated to a rarity as Captain Sensible took lead vocals on 1982’s “Life Goes On”. The band showed a sense of ironic humor during 2023’s political warning, “Beware of the Clown” when Vanian and Sensible donned red clown noses. The show was closed out with a cover of MC5’s “Looking at You”. Vanian reminded the crowd that without pioneers MC5, there would be no Damned.
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After they leave Australia, The Damned heads to the US at the End of May and some shows, 2 in Portland, Oregon for example, are already sold out! Don’t wait to get tickets if you still can. There’s no telling how long these icons of punk rock will be touring. You do NOT want to miss witnessing part of punk history!
Set List Hindley Street Music Hall Adelaide, South Australia 24 March, 2024
