Captain Sensible was a whirlwind of psychedelic mischief, his guitar solos teetering between chaos and cosmic exploration. Meanwhile, Dave Vanian, ever the gothic crooner, embodied cool menace with his slicked-back hair, shades, and buttoned-down style. Scabies, clearly thrilled to be back, hammered the kit with ferocity—and yes, even threw in a drum solo, because the Damned have long since transcended punk's "rules." Paul Gray’s thunderous bass lines rumbled like a freight train, punctuated by rock-star swagger, while Monty Oxymoron added his quirky touch with bursts of retro ’50s-style keyboards.
For all their antics, there’s one thing this band doesn’t kid around about: the music. From the raw punch of Neat Neat Neat and New Rose to the widescreen melodrama of Plan 9 Channel 7 and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the set was a masterclass in reinvention and rebellion. They even delivered Smash It Up—both parts, of course—with enough energy to shake the building’s foundations.
It was loud. It was cheeky. It was pure, unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll debauchery, delivered by a band still determined to remind us why they’re legends. Punk’s not dead, and neither are the Damned.
