British punk pioneers The Damned are currently on their Final Damnation 50 farewell tour, marking five decades since the band formed. Still, this is unlikely to be their final curtain call. The lineup featuring original members, Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies and later additions Paul Gray and Monty Oxymoron, are in their late sixties and early 70’s. Although they were among punk’s more accomplished musicians, they failed to secure a major-label deal and unfortunately did not achieve the commercial success enjoyed by some of their less talented contemporaries.
US garage-psych, rock group The Darts are warming up young and old punks, goths and music fans at their first ever Melbourne show. “It’s been amazing. You bought all our merch,” exclaims front woman Nicole Laurenne. “We bought T-shirts from Kmart and are marking them with the setlist and our logo. They’ll be one of a kind.” “My Heart is a Graveyard,” the first song Laurenne ever wrote for the band is replete with distorted fuzzy guitar, fast paced drumming and draws cheers from the throng.
Charismatic frontman Rob Younger leads the charge in the New Christs, the garage band he formed in 1980. He also co-founded Radio Birdman in 1974, one of Australia’s first punk bands. Younger is a powerhouse, his flamboyant stage antics winning over the punters in the crowd. With bassist Jim Dickson, guitarist Dave Kettley, guitarist and keyboardist Brent Williams, and drummer Dave Kettley, the band is a formidable force. Energetic, guitar-driven numbers such as “We Have Landed” and “Another Sin” are lapped up by the audience.
The Damned take to the stage before a backdrop emblazoned with their logo as a sequence of images unfolds in time with the setlist throughout the evening. They open with “Street of Dreams” from Phantasmagoria; Dave Vanian, clad in sunglasses, a three-piece suit and fedora, croons into a vintage microphone in his rich baritone, while Captain Sensible—wearing his signature red beret—tears through the guitar parts at breakneck speed. “The History of the World (Part 1),” from The Black Album, is a standout, driven by Rat Scabies’powerful drumming and Paul Gray’s solid basslines. Monty Oxymoron showcases his eerie organ style keyboard in “I Just Can’t be Happy Today.”
The set spans the band’s rich 50-year catalogue, from their early punk roots to gothic rock and psychedelia. The visuals enhance rather than distract from the performance: during “Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” a clip from the 1941 classic starring Spencer Tracy captures the moment of his transformation. It is mesmerising.
As Vanian sings the Barry Ryan cover “Eloise,” the video of the band in their heyday is playing in the backdrop, highlighting the passage of time. Vanian informs us that the inspiration for the song, was an exotic dancer in Soho.
There are a multitude of highlights throughout tonight’s set including frenetic punk gem “Neat, Neat, Neat,” and later for the encore “Curtain Call,” their first release “New Rose,” a glorious cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit,” and a searing rendition of “Smash it Up,” for the explosive finale.
The Damned put on a performance full of humour, playful antics, passion, and nostalgia, and let’s hope it’s not the last time they tour.
Set List
1.Street of Dreams
2. Wake the Dead
3. The History of the World (Part 1)
4. Stranger on the Town
5.Alone Again Or (Love cover)
6.Shadow of Love
7. I Just Can’t be Happy Today
8. Life Goes On
9. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
10.Is it a Dream
11. Eloise (Barry Ryan cover)
12.Nasty
13. Making Time (Creation cover)
14.Ignite
15. Love Song
16. Machine Gun Etiquette
17.Neat Neat Neat with snippet of ‘Break on Through’ by The Doors
Encore:
18. Curtain Call
19. Drum Solo (Rat Scabies)
20. New Rose
21. White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane cover)
22. Smash it Up (Part 1)
23. Smash it Up (Part 2)
