Review: The Damned, O2 Academy

The Damned are back with a Tony Visconti produced LP in the can (Evil Spirits, out in April), their first in a decade and they made a welcome return to a hot, sweaty and boisterous reception. Before they unleashed their Bash Street Kids meets Hammer Horror musical assault the crowd was entertained by Slim Jim Phantom. Joined by James Walbourne, guitar and Nick Wilkinson, double bass (the pair recently in town with their other band at the Colston) the trio delivered a sinewy collection of tunes with effortless cool and rockin’ pizzazz.

Opening with Rumble in Brighton (repurposed as Rumble in Bristol), the Phantom trio played a scorching set of lean rockabilly tunes. Phantom’s vocals were more than passable; his voice not overly distinctive but sufficient as this was all about the music. Driven by his relentless drumming – like a lanky bequiffed metronome – the set was smoking: Phantom an engaging frontman, name checking the much loved Locarno and affably entertaining in-between numbers. Mixing Stray Cats tunes with rock n roll classics was a bravura move, but the mix worked and the band aced each of them.

Walbourne filled the room with stinging lead and hot rod riffs, effortlessly peeling off solos whilst Wilkinson held a rock steady beat, seismically melodic and meshed in with both Walbourne and Phantom. A languidly rocking C’mon Everybody had the crowd singing along, That’s All Right sounded feral and a reimagined It’s All Over Now was a delightful surprise. Needless to say Runaway Boy was greeted with enthusiasm and closing the set with an apposite Rock This Town left the crowd hollering for more. Hopefully a return visit is on the cards for a headline spot.

Taking to the stage to the strains of Holst’s Mars, Bringer of War reminded us that The Damned are releasing music into an arguably more perilous world than both when they formed and when they last released a record (and also reminded some of us of Diamond Head). The threat of a knuckle-dragging, mouth breathing megalomaniac despot (Or Kim Il Sung) initiating nuclear doom was more than offset however by the return of Paul Gray. The band have two very engaging fellas upfront but Gray gave them a bloody good run for their money throughout the set, prowling the stage, striking poses and laying down the most commanding, the most thunderously supple bass since Lemmy (RIP) last graced a yokel stage. Seriously, the guy looked like he’d never been gone and owned every tune.

Meanwhile the Captain was as entertaining as always, between song banter disjointed, cack-handed, surreal and hilarious with guitar fully cranked up in the mix – arguably upping his game to compete with Gray. His playing really was worth paying attention to, sure he can crank out the one-two-three-four ’77 riffs, but he’s an accomplished soloist and dexterous player, especially on the deeper cuts (the set opened with the first three cuts from The Black Album, plenty of scope for six string excellence). Dave Vanian was effortlessly cool, his voice stronger than ever, all over the stage – seemingly without actually moving, doing that Christopher Lee vampire glide thing.

Meanwhile the new boys (well not so new really – Monty has been at the keys since ’96 and Pinch on the drums since ’99) may have been necessarily static but musically as dynamic as their more mobile bandmates. Monty and his Sideshow Bob hair more than fleshed out the tunes with his keys, and Pinch thundered through the set: inventive, solid he didn’t miss a beat all night.

The set was judiciously selected, the tunes building up momentum as the crowd gradually lost their inhibitions. The first tune from the new record came early and Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow really is a classic in the making, a twangy sci-fi surfing earworm with escape the earth lyrics and glorious gang vocals. Meanwhile, as you’d expect, Love Song and New Rose really got the crowd moving but Devil in Disguise kicked off the biggest frenzy in the pit, surprising for a tune not even officially available and yet it struck a chord. Eloise naturally had the biggest singalong, and with Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde ably demonstrated the breadth of the band’s sound as did Stranger in Town with its faultless Motown vibe.

The band really did evolve after Brian James left and really don’t get the credit they deserve for pushing the boundaries of what a punk band could or should do. The set closed with a breathless rush after Devil in Disguise: Ignite and Dozen Girls generating a rumpus before Neat Neat Neat brought the show to a calamitous climax.

The encore opened with Seagulls, Gray relishing the melancholy opening riff before the band kicked in to gear with a Sensible led wig out. The Monty led Generals got the crowd moving and singing again whilst the final new cut Evil Spirits kept them in a state of perpetual motion. But of course the opening notes of Smash It Up Part 1, played with grinning relish by Sensible & Gray, ensured the night would end with bedlam. And yes, the place went bat-shit crazy for Part 2. Even the burly bare-chested pit bully with the thousand yard stare who’d barged his way through the night with gimlet eyes and a thousand yard stare cracked a slight twinge of a smile as he lashed around like a bear with a beehive up its arse.

Although Smash It Up felt final, the band (less Vanian) returned for a splendidly ramshackle Jet Boy, Jet Girl that topped off the evening in splendid fashion. A chaotic come down from the bedlam that closed the main encore. The Damned really are on hot streak, the current line-up has totally coalesced and if the rest of the LP matches the quality of the three songs played tonight then they are on the verge of releasing a classic to match the best of their back catalogue.

The Damned: The O2 Academy, Saturday 10th February 2018.