Entering their 41st year as a band, UK punk rock innovators The Damned returned to Melbourne for the first time in five years. While the band’s original punk rock and proto-goth edge may have softened over the years, as most men pushing 60 do, the musical performance and energy was in top form.
Free of stage props and gimmicks, the set dived straight into classic after classic. Drawing heavily from their debut album Damned, Damned, Damned and fan-favourite Machine Gun Etiquette, the timelessness of the band’s songwriting and influence transcended any limitation of age and fatigue after playing for so long.
While frontman Dave Vanian may no longer wear his iconic white face makeup and black eye shadow, his new look of a beard and black gloves worked perfectly with his finely aged proto-Danzig howl. Balancing the dark and serious side of the band with a level of comic relief was lead guitarist and co-vocalist Captain Sensible, donned in a red beret, transition lens glasses and a multi-coloured patchwork jacket. The Flavor Flav to Vanian’s Chuck D, Sensible took on most of the stage banter and crowd interaction with jokes and a recurring rant on the poor quality of Kurt Vile’s set the previous day at Golden Plains.
With punk rock approaching the 40 year mark of its breakthrough, the value of being able to witness such an iconic band still in great form is something to be treasured. Regardless of how long The Eagles or whatever other dinosaur relic act can somehow tour eternally, the face that good quality music from a generation ago, for some fans, is still readily available.
Make the most of it folks, because before too long you’ll be the middle aged responsible adult that can say they’ve seen the true originators of UK punk rock smashing it up
Words by Joe Hansen
Image by Ian Laidlaw
