Rat Scabies & Brian James RE-IGNITE:"DAMNED DAMNED DAMNED"
For one historic night at London's 100 Club by performing the first punk rock album ever released!

Over 30 years ago, the biggest tour in punk rock was announced and featured the Sex Pistols, Clash, and The Damned. The Damned were considered the anti-Beatles, and consisted of the only local punks who could actually play their instruments. Today the founding members of the Damned, Rat Scabies and Brian James, are announcing the 30-year anniversary of the release of their debut album "Damned Damned Damned" and will be performing the album in its entirety at the legendary 100 Club in London. And what's more, they've decided that Casey Chaos from Amen will be the lead singer for the evening.

RAT SCABIES- "Brian and I were quite adamant to have Casey do this gig- there were no other names above his. Amen is the only band I've seen in the last 10 years who are truly punk rock. We dont know what will happen when Casey gets onstage with us- and thats the way we like it."

Since the original lineup of The Damned disbanded, Rat penned a fictional biography called "Rat Scabies and the Holy Grail" which became a top seller for the drummer previously known as "the Keith Moon of Punk." Guitarist Brian James formed The Lords Of The New Church with Stiv Bators of The Dead Boys. Meanwhile a young rebellious punk rocker named Casey Chaos was watching and listening to their every move.

CASEY CHAOS- "To share the stage with Rat And Brian on this night will be engraved into my epitaph as The Most Important Show Of My Life! -- "Damned Damned Damned" changed my life as well as musical history. I'm gonna treat this with the utmost respect for them and their fans. I want to do everything I can to do it justice and make Rat, Brian, Captain, Vanian, Algy and everyone else proud of what they have achieved and celebrate their contribution to punk rock and the legacy that they left . To say that I am humbled and honored is inappropriate. I am ready to slash my throat at the altar of The Damned in dedication to all the lives they changed. I am ready to destroy."

This show will be at London's 100 Club on July 6th, 2006 - click here for AFTERSHOW REVIEW

RAT: "The reason Brian & I are playing is because it's been 30 years of us managing to be musicians - Also we see it as a chance for us to reflect on where we began (and where we've ended up). I for one am quite happy to be playing this show. There are no long term career moves being planned, and 6th July is meant only as Me & BJ's party, not a cheap shot at replacing Sensible & Vanians current careers - We are more than capable of starting over rather than resting on our laurels, and lets face it, we would of taken that route years ago if what we wanted in life was to still be in a band called the Damned. We do however have a slight dilemma in that we are famous for being in the Damned - but as it was OUR band that took to the stage 30 years ago, Sensible being hired help & Vanian being the only singer that bothered to turn up - we don't see why we should be denied the chance of celebrating OUR success.
And for all you cynics crying that it's not the Damned without DV & CS let me take the time out to tell you that there was a very serious attempt at a Damned reunion. Almost 150 shows were being scheduled for 2006 - all 4 original members sat in the same room and agreed that we should reform for one year - As is common with the Damned this was blown out of the water after a several months of insecurity and snotty Emails, leaving some of us the only option but to celebrate on our own. Casey and Mani are Great musicians, and fully understand the ethic that made the songs Brian & I recorded back then into such icons of the day, and I am willing to bet that they're interpretation will make the songs sound like a force still to be reckoned with - I would'nt even bother to get out of bed if I didn't have 110% confidence in that alone. If there are still any 2 bob comments and cheap shots, lets have it, my motives are pure and all I want to do is go and have a nostalgic night out with some old friends and some loud guitars....
The rest of you can fuck off and die - it's quite obviously not for you, so you know what - don't buy a ticket, stay at home and listen to gay Disorder instead and you can save your 20 quid to go and but a "new" DvD of the current line up still playing New Rose. For those of you with a brain, thanks for reading, but for some that pretend to be anonymous members of the public, and others who have nothing to do except to try and fuck up some one else's good time, I hope you have achieved the dissent you so desperately crave, but you know what? We're going to play anyway."

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AFTERSHOW REVIEW:

Could it possibly be true that the high school dropout voted "most unlikely to succeed", the man-you-love-to-hate Casey Chaos, just jumped on an airplane, flew halfway around the world to London, England, got onstage with undeniably true punk rock legends, rocked out a set of the first UK punk album ever released, had two pints of lager and a packet of crisps w/his UK friends and flew back home in 72 hours? Goddamn right, he did. Casey Chaos delivers once again-- another night to remember in the unbelievable career of that misfit punk kid from Melbourne, Florida...

Now, I know that this wasnt the current Vanian/Sensible Damned, but lets take a look at who it was...

Rat Scabies- Not only did he change the face of music with the first punk rock album ever released in the UK, "Damned Damned Damned", but he single-handedly changed the face of DRUMMING for all punk rock drummers to follow. I can vividly remember the day I listened to Rat's drumming on "The Damned- Live at Shepperton" picture-disc album and realized that Rat made it OK to play the drums like a madman, like his hero Keith Moon did. Big set of balls on this guy Rat Scabies. No one played drums like he did back then. No one.

Brian James- co-founded The Damned with Rat Scabies and co-wrote nearly every song on the first 2 albums. Lets not forget that he continued on to form The Wanderers with members of Sham 69 and Stiv Bators of the legendary Dead Boys-- a band which later evolved into The Lords of the New Church (named after a TV Smith/Adverts song). He co-wrote all the songs on both Lords' albums as well. He is one of those musicians who really knows how to assemble a group. I mean lets face it, he assembled The Damned AND The Lords. That in itself is Hall Of Fame material....

Mani - Originally from The Stone Roses, then went on to Primal Scream- who were "one of only three other bands [he] would ever consider joining" (the others were later revealed as the Jesus & Mary Chain and Oasis). But moreso he was also known as an "intimidating thug" to the rest of the musicians in his area...

AND Mr. Chaos goes out of his way to make sure that ANOTHER legend, TV Smith of The Adverts, is there to play another heart-wrenching acoustic set of songs of protest which he has been writing his entire life. It was not only another gig to Casey Chaos, Rat, Brian, and Mani. It was a moment to remind us all of exactly when music changed from stuff your parents liked, to stuff your parents hated. And apparently the show went so well that the owner of Stiff Records who originally signed The Damned in 1974 remarked, “This is the best version of The Damned I’ve seen since back in the day!” And there is now talk of a few more shows as a result of the evening...

Here are some pictures from the event:

Opening Set: TV Smith (The Adverts)

The Main Event: Damned Damned Damned A Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the first punk rock album ever released in the UK-- "The Damned's "Damned Damned Damned." Rat Scabies: drums Brian James: guitar Mani: bass Casey Chaos: vocals July 6th, 2006 @ London's legendary 100 Club, UK

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