The Film In Review
DETROIT: Who in their right mind would ever think that the UK PUNK band, The Damned, would still be around in 2020. Whoever thought they would even be relevant and still performing? Now I was lucky to have seen them perform six times over the years. They have been around since 1976 and were the first punk band to be signed onto a record label. The Damned was unique in the fact that they made only a couple of Punk albums. The rest of the albums were influenced by garage rock and shock horror films.

The Damned originally had four members, Captain Sensible, Dave Vanian, Brian James and Rat Scabies. They were loud, obnoxious sounding and unlike most of the Punk bands at the time could play their instruments. The Damned had excellent musicianship when compared to other acts which included The Sex Pistols, The Adverts, The Buzzcocks, and Slaughter and the Dogs. The idea initially was to revolt against the recording industry and create something of a disruption. Nobody ever dreamed that these bands were going to set a new standard of music and create a brand new genre. The Damned was signed onto Stiff Records and was the first Punk band to put out an album. They beat the Sex Pistols to the record shops by a matter of months.

I didn't know much about their music other than what I heard with my very own ears. They were the first UK Punk band to play CBGB's in New York City. The subjects of the songs on the first album may be up for speculation but the idea of the band's first single, "New Rose" is explained. This song is commonly thought to be written about a new love interest in bloom. But in fact, this song is really about something completely different. The new rose in question is not a woman but the Punk scene itself. It is this outrageous love and admiration for a throbbing, pulsating musical movement. The euphoria in this song encapsulates the manic energy of this musical movement.

Each band member is given his chance to set the story straight and to add to the legend. It is somewhat of a surprise to hear the opinion of drummer Rat Scabies. He wasn't particularly interested in revisiting the past because it was so long ago. Scabies wanted to move on and focus on doing the absolute basics in life and that means just surviving. There is a long list of band members who filled in over the years. You can get a full list of them in two places. One is by looking inside the linear notes of, "Light At The End Of The Tunnel" which is a best of compilation album. The other way to get it is to log onto Wikipedia. There has always been a bit of comedy with them, Goth influences, and even psychedelia. They were never a straight up Punk band and would often go off on tangents with their musical style and delivery. No two albums are quite the same. There is a lot of variety in their sound.

The uplifting news here is that you could really make albums on your own terms. Punk music cames from a time when the record industry had serious lines drawn in the sand. There were rules in place and there was a stadium element and a superstar status that separated the kids from the bands. Punk in that regard was the great equalizer and it leveled the playing field and carried the message, "Anyone could do this". But unlike other bands of the time The Damned could really play their instruments. Lead guitarist Captain Sensible actually flaunted his ability to not only play but do incredible solos, breaks and carry a tremendous sense of musicianship. Other bands scoffed at the idea of really needing to play their instruments and would shy away from the idea of performing well. The Damned never bothered to let this worry them and continued to make great records.

The problem with them had nothing to do with their musical ability but the trouble they seemed to attract whenever they played. In 1976 a tour was put together to showcase the, "Anarchy in the U.K." tour. The idea was to put together the most outrageous bands of the Punk movement together on the same stage. This included Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, The Clash and the Sex Pistols. There was violence from the audience and fights broke out freely. Somewhere around this time a girl lost her eye after a glass beer mug hit a support beam near the stage. This type of negative press put on immediate red flags on gig locations. Many of them did cancel and would not allow these bands to play.

The Damned created a winning album with, "Machine Gun Ettiquette" and this allowed them to tour the U.S. By this time heavy drugs entered into the picture namely cocaine. They were armed with a very strong album and all of the songs were tight. Along the way they go through a whole slew of bass players. Two of these bass players ended up getting cancer around the same time. Was it a result of the crazy life style or was it from being around a constant negative environment? It appears that rock and roll is not all fun and games but there are some pretty heavy prices to pay for this type of stardom.

I was able to catch up with the Damned in 1989 in New York City when they played at the Ritz. This club was featured a lot of MTV and was pretty well known. Back in Punk Rock's heyday this particular club was the hang out for Sex Pistol bassist Sid Vicious.The band was touring with all the original members and they decided to come out and play at midnight which worked out brilliantly for them. I recall them doing their entire first album in completion. This type of performance is commonplace now but back then it was really quite an event. There was a comedic quality to them and lead singer Dave Vanian came out dressed up like a vampire. Captain Sensible did his encore in the nude to the Beatles, "Day Tripper". In this music documentary, he asks why he is not taken more seriously. The answer to that may certainly have something to do with the fact that he is playing buck naked in public. These sort of stunts did put pressure with the other band mates. Sensible is constantly clowning around. He introduces one of the songs on stage and gives full credit not to songwriter Brian James but to Guns and Roses. This brings things to a head and in 1991 the original members never play together on the same stage again.

This is a pretty revealing documentary and some of the important questions do come up. Where was the fleeting fame and where has it gone? How come there was no real record company praise for what this band did? Why did they only become number one with their most obscure audience and fans? Rat Scabies talks about some of this at length and is at a loss for words. He tears up and the scene has to cut off because he cannot bring himself to speak. Later in the film he is seen running away from the camera and he does not want to discuss it any further. Songwriter Brian James also does not want to be part of any reunion for any reason.

There is still something captivating about this band and they continue to grab attention and the imagination. They are seen as an icon in Punk's blurry mess of history. There is an untamed mania that has carried over for years from album to album. Even keyboardist Oxy Moron feels it. In fact, he gets so revved up during a live performance that he forgets all about playing the keyboards and launches into spasmodic dancing. Dave Vanian takes a break from his serious Goth look and enters the stage wearing a rack of toilet tissue wrapped around his head. The core of the Damned is still intact and that is that the band is not entirely serious. Captain Sensible admits near the film's end that he is not a mature adult. His claim is that he stopped growing up after the band formed and that he is mentally 17 years old.

These are entertainers who earn their money quick and fast and are broke the next week after as Sensible tells it. The Damned is filled with excitement, manic energy and explosive musical talent. They do not compromise and their legacy has endured. The fans of the Damned and Punk Rocks unyielding spirit will really like this film. Now, for the first time on film you will get to hear the history of the band from the original members. It is miraculous in itself that nobody in this band has died either through reckless behavior or drug related. They have been through a war and have somehow managed to keep it all together. The title of the film comes from a lyric in the song, “Second Time Around”. Its a fast life and one that is filled with many people who have worked to keep the dream alive. Super stardom has escaped them many times and it seems to be just a stones throw ahead. Now they aren’t young boys anymore but have matured in the industry as seasoned entertainers. This film gives you great insight to what they are like and how they have been influenced as musicians.

The end result is good and at times revealing. If there was such a thing as classic Punk Rock these guys would be at the top of the heap. They have given much to their fan base and did not run out of material like The Clash or the Sex Pistols. Yet they did not attain arena rock stardom heights like The Who or even an Alice Cooper. They remained scrappy, insightful and innovative. Most of all they remained at the top of the genre they helped create. The band just celebrated its 40th anniversary just a few years ago. They continue to play in small venues to a worked up crowd. They stayed true to their vision to be up close and personal to their fans. That is a commendable trait and one that is appreciated by the all.

The Damned has also stayed true to their do it yourself fashion sense. Since 1976 they have been in charge of their own fashion and remained unique. This means wearing a pirate shirt now and then with Gothic clothes. Captain Sensible wears anything from a sailor outfit, (at one particular show I attended in Detroit) or a women’s dress or in some cases nothing at all. They are lovable because they are so incredibly odd. They are also incredibly fun to watch. There is a rebelliousness to them. After songwriter Brian James left the band the remaining members reformed the group and unleashed one of their most powerful records of all time with, “Machine Etiquette”. The songs on here are so strong that they have become signatures of The Damned’s overall sound and have become anthems with songs like, “Just Can’t Be Happy Today”, “Ignite” and others.

This film can be seen on Amazon Prime and is available for sale on DVD. If you are a fan of Punk Rock or if you never listened to them before I highly suggest it. In this age of auto tune and Disney radio it is refreshing to hear something homemade and real.

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