Marking half a century since The Damned ignited the fuse of the British punk explosion, original members Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies, Paul Gray, and Monty Oxymoron return for a final UK tour this November, with Australian punk pioneers The Saints ‘73-’78.
“Half a century on and who’d have thought we would still be upright and breathing? We never thought we’d make it this far and neither did you! But here we are, a finely tuned engine. The Damned still has the power and finesse to excite, entertain and accelerate into our 50th year.” – Rat Scabies
In 1977, The Damned released their first single ‘New Rose’, a month before ‘Anarchy in the U.K.’ by the Sex Pistols, making ‘New Rose’ widely recognised as the very first commercial single by a British punk band. “Is she really going out with him?”, the opening line borrowed from The Shangri-Las’ “Leader of the Pack” 1964 hit became one of the most recognisable intro’s to date.
After thirteen studio albums, spanning raw punk to goth, post-punk, and alternative rock, The Damned continue to flesh out their back-catalogue out across twenty-five songs over 3 sets near enough each night. “With 50 years of catalogue to choose from, only the best songs from our chequered history will be performed, and with the passion and commitment all good music lovers deserve. You know we won’t disappoint.” – Captain Sensible
Joining The Damned on their ‘Final Damnation’ tour is The Saints ’73-’78. Formed in 1973, in Brisbane, Queensland, The Saints released their debut single ‘(I’m) Stranded’ in September 1976 – becoming the first punk band outside the US to release a record, ahead of the first UK punk releases from the Damned, the Sex Pistols and The Clash.
Founding members, guitarists Ed Kuepper and drummer Ivor Hay invite Mick Harvey (The Birthday Party/The Bad Seeds) and Jim White (Dirty Three), alongside Mark Arm (Mudhoney) on vocals. Together as The Saints ’73-’78, they will be performing the raw, groundbreaking material from The Saints’ first three fabled albums ((I’m) Stranded, Eternally Yours, and Prehistoric Sounds), marking 50 years since their pioneering explosive debut.
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UK TOUR DATES 2026
Wed 25 Nov, Brighton, Dome
Fri 27 Nov, London, British Airways ARC
Sat 28 Nov, Bristol, Beacon
Mon 30 Nov, Manchester, Academy
Tue 01 Dec, Newcastle, O2 City Hall
Wed 02 Dec, Derby, Vaillant Live
Fri 04 Dec, Watford, Watford Colosseum
Sat 05 Dec, Birmingham, O2 Academy
Ticket Link: aegp.uk/the-damned
Link: https://www.officialdamned.com/
