Having just finished the rescheduled, original line-up tour, The Damned have announced another UK tour with the regular line-up alongside current hot biscuit indie-kings The Nightingales, stopping off at Brighton Dome on 17th April 2023.
As one of the founding fathers of British punk, with a number of firsts under their belts such as first single, album and US tour, the band in their first few years gave us numerous classic singles from 1976’s ‘New Rose’ to the goth-infused ‘Grimly Fiendish’. Covers such as ‘Eloise’ and ‘Alone Again Or’ kept them in the charts well into the latter part of the 1980s.
Their live shows remain a highly theatrical experience with singer Dave Vanian twisting and turning around the stage like a vampiric ringmaster as the tongue-in-cheek Captain Sensible plays the fool while delivering scorching guitar solos. Brighton’s own Monty Oxymoron is a hugely talented keyboard player who will often morph into a total fan with his frenetic dancing to ‘New Rose’, while Paul Gray has been playing bass with them on and off for over 40 years. New boy Will Taylor took over from long-standing drummer Pinch earlier this year.
In support are The Nightingales, who became an overnight sensation 40+ years after forming, following the well deserved five-star reviews for Stewart Lee’s documentary, King Rocker about enigmatic frontman Robert Lloyd. They’ve been delivering superb albums for decades and remain a vital force on the live circuit – an excellent choice to warm up the crowd.
Brighton Dome, Monday 17th April 2023
Tickets are available now from the box office or online here
The Damned photo by Gili Dailes
