Almost always the first thing you read in a biography about The Damned is that they were the first punk band
to do a lot of firsts. The first to get a record contract and release a punk single, New Rose, in November 1976.
Also the first to release an album, the first to get into the charts, first to find their mugs on the cover of
the music press, first to tour America in April 1979 and the first to split up and get back together.
Most think of the Sex Pistols when they imagine the beginnings of punk. Indeed they did expose punk to the
greater public eye via their antics, but they don't totally encompass what it was all about and all the other
bands that existed at that time. The Damned were a collective of unique and completely different personalities
that had the makings for something deeper.
Drummer Rat Scabies (Chris Millar) and Captain Sensible (Ray Burns) met in December 1974 while working at the
Croydon Fairfield Hall. Both ended up sacked but their mutual love for music and hijinx had endeared them to
each other. Both had been in some bands that went nowhere but always stayed in touch. Rat then met guitarist
Brian James at an audition for Malcolm McLaren's new band called London SS. Two rehearsals later Brian and
Rat decided to split and form their own band. They met David Vanian (David Letts) and auditioned him shortly
after. A fitting front man with an incredible voice. Captain was called in by Rat and was convinced to switch to bass.
James took over guitar and song writing and The Damned were born.
Their first single, New Rose, released November 1976 and was a smash hit. They then became part of the ill
fated Anarchy Tour with The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Heartbreakers. Various problems ended it after only
one show. T. Rex hired them to support their tour and earned The Damned recognition as the first UK punk band
to end up on a major tour. After such a hit single Stiff Records signed them and recording started for the first
studio release called Damned Damned Damned at Pathway Studios. The entire LP was completed on an 8-track in 10
days over a few weeks. It was released in 1977.
Promotion for the new LP was a stint in April 1977 to the US to play CBGB's in New York and the Starwood Club in
California. This again earned them another first. The first UK punk band to play in America. Then it was back to
the UK to play the now famous "Captain's Birthday Party at The Roundhouse" on April 24th. May and June in 1977
brought them to France for a quick tour with The Adverts.
Late August 1977 work began on their second album. Brian added another guitarist named Robert "Lu" Edmunds. For
producer they wanted the reclusive Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd fame, but settled for drummer Nick Mason. Music For
Pleasure failed commercially. Internal problems caused Rat Scabies to leave during their European tour at
the end of September 1977 and John Moss (future Culture Club drummer) filled in on drums. Stiff Records
decided to dump them and the group threw in the collective towel. A last gig was done at the Rainbow on April
8, 1978.
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While on hiatus the original members tried other ventures but eventually got back together. Everyone except Brian
James. When they rejoined Captain switched back from bass to lead guitar. For a while in 1978, while working on
rights to the name The Damned, they played under the name The Doomed with Henry Badowski on bass. Badowski ended
up leaving October 1978. Rat's Dad finally secured the legal rights to The Damned name in early 1979 for the band.
Algy Ward, then 19, was hired on bass and they released the single, Love Song, for Chiswick with an option for an
LP. Love Song was another hit and a major bounce back from the Music For Pleasure disaster and Chiswick signed
them for their third studio album, Machine Gun Etiquette released in 1979. The singles Love Song made it to No.
20 and I Just Can't Be Happy Today made No 46. The single Smash It Up was banned by the BBC because of the title
but reached No. 35 without airplay then dropped off. The album itself reached No. 31 which is a good sign when
Music For Pleasure didn't chart at all. They toured the UK in November and December of 1979, it would be the last
tour for Algy. Unhappy with his playing and discord between him and Rat the band let him go.
Paul Gray left Eddie & The Hot Rods to join The Damned and finished out their short tour of Italy with them at the
beginning of 1980. Their next single The History of the World Part 1 was their next single for Chiswick and
released September 1980. They self produced and recorded the double LP The Black Album at Rockfield Studios
in Monmouth, Wales. It consisted of live and studio tracks and reached No. 29 on the charts. Their last single
for Chiswick was released in November 1980 called "There Ain't No Sanity Clause". Even though Chiswick decided
to drop them they were still under contract which meant they could only play live. The first half of 1981 was
spent looking for another label willing to buy them out of their Chiswick contract.
A deal was struck with NEMS and Chiswick to release an EP called "Friday the 13th". It was at this time that
keyboardist Roman Jugg was recruited for small jobs here and there. NEMS went bankrupt in 1982 and since no
contract was ever signed the band were still under Chiswick. A deal with Bronze was eventually struck and the
band were out from under Chiswick. Preparations for the next album began.
Strawberries was released in September 1982 and reached #15 and the "Nuns' Tour" began. Captain Sensible was also
enjoying solo fame with his cover version of Happy Talk after signing a solo deal with A&M. After a few years The
Damned found themselves starting to fall apart again. Captain's solo project had caused tension. He now
overshadowed the band and had less time for Damned gigs and rehearsals. Paul Gray decided to call it quits
February 1983 and Bryn Merrick quickly joined to replace Paul for their March 1983 club tour. Captain leaves
and plays a last gig at Brockwell Park August 4, 1983. Roman Jugg takes over Captains role on guitar.
Bronze, their current label, financially collapses and releases the band from their contract. Once again they
are on the hunt for a new contract. After much wrangling they get a new contract with MCA Records and start
recording for their next LP in Eel Pie Studios 1984, their most commercial album to date Phantasmagoria.
It releases July of 1985 and reaches No. 11 in the charts, the highest ever. The single Eloise, original
Barry Ryan cover, became a huge UK hit reaching No. 2. By now the only founding members were Vanian and
Scabies. Roman Jugg replaced Captain and Bryn Merrick replaced a long time gone Brian James.
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After the success of Phantasmagoria and under the pressure of MCA the band headed to Denmark in mid 1986 to start recording
a new LP. The intense touring had not given the band any time to come up with new material and the band just couldn't seem
to be in the studio all at the same time. Problems with producer Jon Kelly made the atmosphere worse.
Anything was released December 1986 to the disappointment of fans and even the band. But the singles Gigolo and Alone Again
Or did manage to make it into the charts.
Farewell tours ensued with both James and Captain returning to say goodbye. There was a "Final Damnation" show in 1988
and a final "We Really Must Be Going" UK tour in 1989 with the original lineup finally ending The Damned. But not really.
In 1991 Paul Gray rejoined for the "I Didn't Say It" tour. More touring in 1992 until the band again disappeared until the
end of 1993 when they re-emerged with only Scabies and Vanian as original members. New members Kris Dollimore and Alan Lee
Shaw handled guitars and Moose on bass. Most set lists during the 90's were songs from their early years and no real new
stuff.
The next two years they toured Japan and Europe while recording demos that Vanian planned to include in a reunited original
member album. But Scabies released those demos on an album in 1995 called Not Of This Earth. Tension over this caused
Vanian and Scabies to split for good and Vanian to reunite with Captain. Claiming The Damned name for themselves, Vanian
and Captain recruited a new lineup of one time member Paul Gray on bass, drummer Garrie Dreadful and keyboardist Monty.
Gray was replaced in 1996 by Patricia Morrison of Sisters of Mercy and Gun Club fame. And currently Vanian's wife. Scabies
threatened lawsuits over the name but The Damned name now legally rests in the hands of Vanian and Captain. Dreadful ended
up leaving in 1998 and the drums were eventually taken over by Pinch in 1999.
In 2001 The Damned released Grave Disorder on Nitro Records with their newest lineup; Vanian on vocals, Captain on guitar,
Patricia Morrison on bass, Pinch on drums and Monty on keyboards. 2003 brought a US tour as part of Fiendfest playing
small clubs with bands like Agnostic Front and the Misfits. The word lately has been that The Damned were unhappy with
promotion of "Grave Disorder" and may end up leaving Nitro. From there only time will tell what happens next.
Note:
One could easily fill a novel with the amount of drama, changes and turmoil The Damned has survived. I tried to
lay out some of the main events above and it is by no means the entire story. There were a plethora of singles, side
projects and numerous other ventures not included.
Go to the links page
for other fan websites with history information.
Or try to get your hands on these books. They're hard to find but ebay is a good source:
 The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
by Carol Clerk
The History Of The Damned - Part 1
The History Of The Damned - Part 2
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