The Damned – Peel Sessions (1976/1977)

Foreword

This may be neither the time nor the place to admit that I never got to see the Sex Pistols play. I did drive to Derby one night to catch them on tour but upon arriving at the venue found only a hand-written note stuck to the door announcing that the gig was off. In a strange way, I wasn’t disappointed – a cancelled gig seemed decidedly more Punk than one that went ahead. I never saw The Clash either, although I almost saw them at one of those 100 Club gigs on London’s Oxford Street but had to leave to do my radio programme before they came on. I did just catch Birmingham’s Nightingales though and thought their song, “VD”, which consisted of little but a second or two of wild-eyed strumming and the shouted words “I’ve got VD” – as fine as anything I heard in all of that astonishing Punk year. It remains one of the few songs I can sing in its entirety.

On the plus side, I did see and hear the subjects of this present volume. The first time I caught The Damned in impressively violent action was at an almost formal concert they played at a theatre in Victoria. That’s Victoria, London. My memories of the event are hazy now (my memories of this morning aren’t too good so bear with me) but I seem to remember the other bands on the bill were Eddie & The Hot Rods and Graham Parker & The Rumour (both these ensembles, but especially the Hot Rods – played their part in unlocking the door that the Punks were about to kick down and they don’t get enough credit for it). I had imagined that The Damned would see me, the compère and a man blatantly working for the BBC, as a tool of an oppressive regime and would, more than likely, give me a bit of a well-deserved kicking before running, snarling like wild dogs, to inflict further mayhem elsewhere. In the event (and they may well hate me for saying this) they were quite amiable, hardly spat at me at all, played a blinder and were quickly booked for the first of seven sessions for the programme (They also did two for Mike Read and one apiece for Janice Long and Saturday Live. They did an In Concert too. Blimey). In a funny way, I thought The Damned caught the true spirit of Punk, as understood by Punks, better than their rivals. They devoted less time to striking attitudes and never forgot, as many historians have, that Punk could be quite funny as well as exciting. I mean, “Stab Yer Back”? Come on.

As a footnote and by a genuine and astonishing coincidence, this morning’s post brought me a CD by a band called Slipper. The EP is called “Earworms” and features, at the drums, Rat Scabies. The beat goes on.

John Peel – 29/05/02.

A very strong twin 12” EP set, recorded live in the studio at BBC Maida Vale in late 1976 and early ’77. The Damned were at their peak and some versions here are as good as, if not better, than the originals. "Neat, Neat, Neat," "New Rose," "I Fall," and most of the other songs that make up their debut are here. The band proves its versatility, going from the raging punk of "So Messed Up," which is as menacing as anything the Sex Pistols ever recorded, to the very Doors-ish "Feel the Pain." A highly recommended listen that proves the Damned were a step above the majority of their punk brethren.

Ripped from the original 12" singles to MP3

The Damned; Peel Sessions 12"s

Recorded 30th November 1976 First transmission 10th December 1976

A1.  Stab Your Back

A2.  Neat, Neat, Neat

A3.  New Rose

B1.  So Messed Up

B2.  I Fall

Recorded 10th May 1977 First transmission 16th May 1977

A1.  Sick Of Being Sick

A2.  Stretcher Case Baby

B1.  Fan Club

B2.  Feel The Pain