The Damned

Victor Gonzalez
May 21
2 min read

"Is Austin still a great music town?" Captain Sensible shouted between songs, drawing the predictable hometown roar from the sweaty mass at Radio/East.

The Damned came on at around 9:15 PM, but in the middle of May in Texas, it was still miserably hot. That, however, didn't stop the Damned faithful from wearing their signature black punk attire.

Fans were sporting their Damned gear while others wore t-shirts that fit the time period: The Descendents, The Cramps, Black Flag, The Clash. Austin showed up en masse towatch the legendary punk pioneers.

For me, this was different. I fell down The Damned rabbit hole during peak pandemic thanks to the No Dogs in Space podcast, so seeing them wasn't nostalgia—it was like watching history unfold onstage. The holy grail tonight was witnessing Rat Scabies back behind the kit, the band's original drummer who officially rejoined in late 2023 after departing back in 1996.

They hit the ground running with "Love Song" and the title track from 1979's "Machine Gun Etiquette," and holy shit—they were tight. Not "pretty good for their age" tight, but genuinelylocked-in tight. Their precision made it clear they've probably played these songs more timesthan they can remember, but somehow they still attack them like each performance is a freshidea they're excited about.

Dave Vanian was a revelation in his vintage undertaker chic, prowling every inch of that stage with manic energy. Left to right, front to back, the guy never stopped moving—engaging with his bandmates, connecting with the audience, and generally making everyone half his age look lazy by comparison.

For a guy who's been fronting this band since 1976, he performed with the kind of intensity that makes you question your own life choices. How am I out of breath just photographing the band while Vanian is able to deliver a 22-song set with such relentless energy?

As a mid-aughts indie-obsessed fan, I've seen a fair amount of 20/25 year reunion shows in the last few years. Many of these shows have been great, and it's fascinating watching new and old generations come together: parents with their kids, grandparents with their grandchildren.

But this wasn't a reunion show. This wasn't a celebratory show. This was The Damned putting on another show and giving it 100 percent. A 20-year anniversary show? Nah, they were bringing the energy almost 50 years after they first formed as a band.

The Damned are many things. They were the first UK punk band to release a single ("New Rose" in 1976), the first to release an album (Damned Damned Damned in 1977), and the first to tour the US. They've been instrumental in helping create a specific gothic aesthetic in rock music.

But something they're not? They're not done. They're not going away quietly, and if you have the chance, check them out to understand why they sit so high in the punk pantheon.

Find The Damned at the following: Instagram, Facebook, and their own website of