The Damned on TV (1977)

[slosh77]

wow great job glen danzig.........oh wait i mean david vanian

[WyngraveAsylum]

There seems to be a few comments about the identitiy of the drummer on this video..it would appear that the drummer is not Rat but Dave Berk

[MsVitoU]

I meant Neat Neat Neat. Ha, they never played Problem Child, sadly...

[MsVitoU]

I just saw them play and they were incredibly amazing live. I walked in when this song was playing and felt like I wanted to run into the crowd immediately..but..I had heels on, so best left to the others. Adoration is an understatement.

[bapplefloss]

Do you think punks would argue about what punk is or even contemplate what qualifies as punk?

[PIERRECLARY]

@bapplefloss Want to go into philosophical debate? First things first: define the terms. Who are the punks?

Don't start except if you have a long long long evening to waste (for people living in the arctic circle) or if you have a thesis to write to get a phd in youth subcultures or rock'n'roll history ...

[bapplefloss]

@PIERRECLARY it's my birthday!

[matman17]

pretty fun to listen live I would live to see them.

[TheRealCritique]

I hate to puss out on my statement, but I can't let it go since I love the Clash, and Never Mind the Bullocks is a musical landmark. John Lydon DID have a pole up his ass, but was fucked by managment, but its a shame the Pistols stopped so early. The Clash put out two punk rock albums, and then went studio, but they did stay political.

I was not questioning the greatness of these bands. It's just that the Damned were more everyday than the others. The Buzzcocks as well. They were epic.

[WafflesandWhales]

@TheRealCritique The Clash never went studio. They simply tried different sounds. I've yet to hear a track like "Straight to Hell". Argh. I'm not writing in order but whatever. Even though the Clash didn't stick to a punk sound quotient like the Damned (who are incredible and vastly influential), does that mean they're not "punk"? I mean, think about this philosophically: What is punk? I'll let y'all sleep on that because I have no clue. I can only make a distinction between good and bad music.

[jing479]

Best band I ever saw live.

[jamesserpo]

Greatest band ever. Fuck the haters...you don't know shit.

[Proxylfc]

still play the damneds first album now and again. crank the volume up to annoy the neighbours. fantastic stuff

[marvanme]

I cringe and laugh at the same time when all these jerks and arseholes say that they don't like this and that ie the Captain, Brain James, The Pistols etc. What do these kiddies know. THE Pistols, The Clash and THE DAMNED was the spearhead of Punk all had their place so FUCK OFF IF YOU CAN'T SEE OR KNOW THAT or don't like. 'Snotty aholes' what a idiot who said that about Pistols obviously a jerk. Anyhow loved the Damned and piss off to the one who said stupid band and idiots who don't get it.

[neverfrisco]

@marvanme The Pistols had one decent musician (Glen Matlock) and they dumped him in favor of Sid Vicious, so not just aholes, but stupid, too. They only had one album in them (thankfully) and it sucked hard core; don't own it and never will. The Clash were punk for about a week, then went reggae on us, so that leaves The Damned. First UK punk single, first punk album, first punk song to hit the UK charts, first to tour America, first to break up and then reform, and still rockin' in 2011. Boo-ya

[JESCO58]

@neverfrisco You're right about the Clash, but to dismiss Jones, Cook and Lydon like you do is a gross understatement of their songs and their talent, their English wit, and most of all their balls.

[MightyScenester]

stupid band, the damned

[dzyanist]

when I first heard their music it changed my life !! and they are STILL my favorite band !!! Truly original , and that's sayin' somethin' . . ."I just can't be happy today" is STILL my favorite song . . .I Love the Damned . .I always will . ROCK ON !!!

[chit599]

All know Scabbies WAnker

[PIERRECLARY]

@chit599

maybe but he's a drummer. (excuse #1)

he's a musician and all musicians are tossers,(excuse #2)

i don't care about his personality i don't know him i just love his drumming (excuse #3)

[RebelSpiritof77]

Damned good band!!

[NotStoked1]

i love the damned i got to see them live when motorhead were touring it was legendary

[smirkbot]

Brian James is totally ignored. Fuck Captain Senseless.

[postyesterdayman]

@smirkbot Brian James is one of the best guitarists ever (least w/ the Damned, fuck the Lords) but Sensible is pretty fucking good too!

[redslider10]

this song makes me want to read comic books haha

[RedBryn]

Jon Moss' drumming on this is well fucking decent, compared to him hoofing it on the 'Not The Captain's Bithday Party' LP. No one's a match for Scabies though.

[gary99099]

the best thing about the damned is they weren't out to try to change the world. it was all about having a good time!

[fatpigiam]

Brian James

[yelldagain]

The Damned were ahead of the game and of course the first Punk album to be released by a UK punk band was by the Damned and a great album it was too!

They must have influenced a lot of the Punk bands to come.

[Percy1916]

Superb! I saw them supporting T.Rex in March '77, and they blew Bolan away. Saw them again that year with the Adverts - definitely the best gig I ever saw. There was a great atmosphere at their gigs (I saw them four more times), and the Vaudeville tag they got was undeserved. "No crime if there ain't no law" is a more astute anarchist slogan than the strutting tosh MacLaren's clotheshorses put out. The second album suffered from having a hippy produce it. The first album's real punk.

[RedBryn]

@Percy1916 I wholeheartedly concur with everthing you said, my good man!

[ropetherapy]

SWEET

[Wehategod]

Rat Scabies is my favorite drummer of all time Nothing But Bashing the shit out your Symbols and really making Chaos!!!!!

[kidcalabria]

Thanks for the post, great footage. The early Damned with Brian James defined Punk Rock

[Wehategod]

@kidcalabria I see Lu in the background too on Guitar. I prefer the classic Brain James Rat Scabies David Vanian and Captain Sensible line up

[geoffhutch]

Steve Jones? Ha Ha, No- Brian James!

[ellycat]

Classic Damned. saw them at The Russel Club in Hulme, Manchester. Had to attend the 'kiddies' afternoon show as I was only 13 at the time. Tried to get in the night show but was turned away :(

Always remembered Dave Vanian diving into the crowd with his undies on :)

[Angusismyhero]

@ellycat Wow! If that happened to me... <3

[scoopys]

BLACKFACE ? Who gives a sh** you morons ! It F**kin make-up.ITS ABOUT SHOCK VALUE !!!

[booboobazooka]

That's Rat Scabies on Drums,that john moss could never in his dream's play drums Like That.......Look at 4.40.....Mr scabies with his ox blood doc's...Thank you...!

[TheRealCritique]

Sometimes when I listen to the Damned, I think this is what punk rock was actually supposed to be - fast, and ballsy. The pistols were snotty aholes, the Clash were hard but soft, but the Damned seemed a like the guys next door on speed, playing gtr, drinking beers, and banging groupies. They play fucking fast, but arent dumb speedcore. Totally underappreciated band...

[taplin21]

That's why McCaren and got them booted off the Anarchy tour. They we're mile's better, faster, harder, than the Pistols or the Clash... The Damned will alway be great - but uncool.

[pw342]

@TheRealCritique

absolutely spot on.

the damned were the most exciting punk group bar none.

the pistols were fantastic too but the damned had a fucking incredible sound, never heard before. sends shivers down my back seeing this

[rabsmiff]

@TheRealCritique Dave might have got the punkette's skin-tight PVC panties down, but I ain't so sure about Sense or Scabies...they were too bleedin' ugly.

[Triplesod]

@TheRealCritique I agree. If we are talking about their first, eponymous album, I agree, definitely.

[PIERRECLARY]

@TheRealCritique

good heavens! i though i was a lone lunatic!

[PIERRECLARY]

Respond to this video... that version of FAN CLUB is the most rabid ever... my favorite Damned song (now, which one will it be in a day or an hour, i got no idea) 

[Kelly14UK]

@PIERRECLARY Do you think the May 77 Peel Sessions Fan Club is better than the album's cos I do.

[PIERRECLARY]

@Kelly14UK

i remember the vinyl of the Peel Sessions was more often out than the studio album... and Fan Club was one of my favorite pieces of torture as i tried to do the guitar riff properly... In most cases the Peel Sessions are more exciting... so i'll say YES I DO TOO!

[vonsmitty1313]

Don't get me wrong,I'm not offended by it,but does anyone know why the hell 2nd guitarist Lu is wearing blackface here? I think blackface wasn't considered as offensive at the time in the U.K.,as I've seen British comedy acts,such as Benny Hill,do blackface. Just can't figure why Lu thought it was "punk rock" to do it...

[frankiecheezoli]

... because he knew decades later it would offend pretentious, politically correct, thin-skinned 'mericans.

[primate1234]

ha ha ha

[barnowl01292]

Anything to shock and disgrace at that time,my cousins mate who is black bleached her hair blonde at the time,just to say 'Fuck you' to the system.

There's nothing racist about things done by real punks.

[mhofkp]

nevermind the sexpistols, heres the damned!

[badluckcity]

THANK YOU to the person who posted this video. AHHH SO GOOD.

[dadswizz]

boy Georges boy friend on drums prior to scabies , great video. just about sums it all up for me

[SteveRessel]

30+ years on... and they just don;t make'm like this any more. D3 and MGE were brilliant albums that don't age. The peak of punk.

[77doriella]

Jon Moss from punk band London on drums.

[gervasiomendez]

la sangre esta en ti....ejejejejje¡

[teedotmc]

Damned Damned Damned

[gamera84]

Definitely the best era in the Damned. Nice video!

[the1mills]

I prefer their mid to late 80s pop goth rock music

[dortyhoor]

lol.

[BromptonCocktail12]

YEAH ! YEAH ! YEAH ! NO ! :L

i love the cap !

[neworldorder65]

30 years later and this song still kicks ass.

[Dittoner]

This is my fave damned line up,the album was a classic.Even saying the line up they have these days is really good and well worth making the effort to go and see live.The Damned are dead, long live The Damned.

[fernandopinzas]

where did u get it ?

[johnnybgoode2007]

Nice performance of Neat Neat Neat. But why do I have to the volume knob way up to hear everything?

[AmericanOriginals]

the singer looks like siouxsie sioux meets johnny depp.

[Hendrixstrato]

Dave Vanian pretty much started that whole "goth" look

[AmericanOriginals]

That's pretty cool, then, that means they copied him. HEY what's with the -3 in red, He does look almost exactly that way.

[kennethmccorkell]

gerard way

[psychodamned]

Is cack !

[jamierourketen]

first time i saw them they were support act to t,rex!

[Bowwowwow2]

Dave looks damn fine!!

[salvadorsalvona]

i didnt say he wasnt!

[oramikleepunk]

THEY NEVER SOLDOUT!

[berniemcginn]

awesome.  even faster than on record!

[justifieddamage88]

damn cool band , classic punk

[myrrh64]

Horrible muck! But I like it!