Saturday 29 October 2022.

Saturday 29 October 2022. THE DAMNED live at Hammersmith Apollo. Saturday: Special guests - Rezillos + TV Smith & The Bored Teenagers + Smalltown Tigers. The atmosphere didn't seem as good as the opening first night of the tour last night. Last night was full, but a couple of rear corner blocks in the balcony were unsold tonight. Again, nice to see so many punk rock chums here that i know. Hardcore Damned fan Kevin Shepherd (has seen The Damned over 600 times) is collecting signatures for a petition for the band to appear on The Graham Norton Show. GLEN MATLOCK was here...also GAYE BLACK ex The Adverts. Also Jenny the lead singer in cool girl band THE PRISCILLAS. Again , the march stands selling t-shirts are doing a roaring trade. SMALLTOWN TIGERS arrived on stage at 6.30pm for a short 20 mins set. Italian female trio playing some catchy pop punk tunes. --------- TV SMITH & THE BORED TEENAGERS on at 7.10pm for his 30 mins set. He played the same set as last night, so always good to hear those gems from The Adverts including "No Time to Be 21" , "Gary Gilmores Eyes" , "Bored Teenagers" and "One Chord Wonders". --------- THE REZILLOS arrived on stage at 8pm for their 45 mins set. Really good to see The Rezillos play a nice best of set. Having said that, I did prefer The Skids yesterday to The Rezillos. Full REZILLOS setlist played tonight... Destination Venus Flying Saucer Attack Do the Mutilation (The Revillos cover) Sorry About Tomorrow Top of the Pops (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked in Tonight --------- THE DAMNED again arrived on stage at 9.20pm for their 70 mins set. The same setlist and pretty much everything the same. The Guardian gave the first show a tame three star review and Captain Sensible read some of the review on stage " gloriously amateurish "....and he totally was happy with that. Guitarist Brian James is reminding me of the current situation with Mick Mars from Motley Crue who due to ill-health will not be touring with them anymore. Brian plays the guitar well, but is stationary and wooden throughout the set. Captain Sensible has that great bass sound as he plays the bass like a lead guitar. A fan jumped on stage near the end, the security wrestled him to the ground, but Dave Vanian told security to let him go, and the fan did some wild dancing with the band. Classics like "Neat , Neat, Neat" and "New Rose" are the obvious highlights, but it was again great to see them playing all the old songs like in 1976 /1977 when I first saw them. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Friday 28 October 2022. THE DAMNED live at Hammersmith Apollo. This will be the punk event of the decade...since The Sex Pistols last reunion tour in 2007/2008. By coincidence Sex Pistols NMTB album was released 45 years ago , on The Damned first night. THE DAMNED original line-up has reunited for a short UK tour featuring all four founding members Dave Vanian, Rat Scabies, Captain Sensible and Brian James. They will be joined on tour by the following guests: Friday : Special guests - Skids + TV Smith & The Bored Teenagers + Small Town Tigers The greatest surviving British punk band THE DAMNED formed in 1976, releasing the first ever UK punk single ‘New Rose’ over forty years ago. Considered one of the greatest songs from this period, THE DAMNED’s ‘New Rose’ brought focus on the burgeoning punk scene but efore any other group. On their up-coming tour they will celebrate the iconic single’s 45th anniversary, as well as perform tracks from the first two albums, B-sides and covers that the original line-up played. I have seen The Damned around 50 times since 1976 when they played The 100 Club Punk Rock Festival. I also saw them 10 times in 1977 alone, during the heyday year of punk rock. I have seen them three times at this venue when it was called Hammersmith Odeon (1980,1982,1986). SPECIAL REDUCED PRICE TICKET OFFER FROM VIVE LE ROCK MAGAZINE. From 10 Oct buy tix for only £19.76 via www.vivelerock.net and use the code newrose You can buy a live cd of the show from merch straight after the band finish their set, on both nights. ----------- The venue looks pretty full tonight, so around 5000 folks here, which includes stalls standing. Great to see and chat to so many of my punk rock chums here. PAUL COOK from SEX PISTOLS /THE PROFESSIONALS was here but left after 30 mins of The Damned. QUIREBOYS singer SPIKE was here. It was an excellent evening with all three bands playing great sets. TV SMITH & THE BORED TEENAGERS arrived on stage at 7.10pm for their 30 mins set. The lead singer of original punk band The Adverts whizzed through a great set their greatest hits. Full TV SMITH setlist played tonight... No Time to Be 21 (The Adverts cover) Safety in Numbers (The Adverts cover) We Who Wait (The Adverts cover) Newboys (The Adverts cover) On the Roof (The Adverts cover) On Wheels (The Adverts cover) My Place (The Adverts cover) Bombsite Boy (The Adverts cover) Great British Mistake (The Adverts cover) Gary Gilmore's Eyes (The Adverts cover) Bored Teenagers (The Adverts cover) One Chord Wonders (The Adverts cover) -------- THE SKIDS arrived on stage at 8pm and played for 45 mins. Singer Richard Jobson is still doing his great energetic dancing style as he sings. Scottish punk legends played all greatest hits tonight as well as a Clash classic from their covers album that they released last year. Full SKIDS setlist played tonight... Of One Skin The Saints Are Coming Charade Working for the Yankee Dollar Out of Town Masquerade Circus Games Into the Valley TV Stars Complete Control (The Clash cover) -------- THE DAMNED arrived on stage at 9.20pm and played for 70 mins. There are over 15 photographers in the pit as it is the first night of their reunion tour. Lots of lights but no big screen or any type of backdrop. Singer Dave Vanian looks gothly ghoulish as usual, and Rat Scabies has a nice big drum kit. The overall sound is nice and loud and there is lots of moshing & pogoing at front of stage. Guitarist Brian James still looks to be suffering from his health problem, as he is much more static on stage , compared to Captain Sensible on bass. Their first two singles "New Rose" and "Neat Neat Neat" still sound as mega as usual. "Smash It Up" and "Love Song" among tracks not played as not part of the original line-up. A couple of the album tracks were a bit average, but overall a great show. Full DAMNED setlist playing tonight... I Feel Alright (The Stooges cover) You Take My Money Help! (The Beatles cover) Born to Kill Stretcher Case Baby Feel the Pain I Fall Fan Club Alone Fish 1 of the 2 Problem Child Neat Neat Neat Stab Yor Back Sick of Being Sick See Her Tonite You Know So Messed Up Encore: New Rose Pills (Bo Diddley cover) The Last Time (The Rolling Stones cover)

Posted 29th October 2022