The Damned at Chicago’s House of Blues on April 23, 2017
On April 23, legendary English rockers The Damned stopped by the House of Blues in Chicago to celebrate 40 years of influential punk music. Their 1977 debut, Damned Damned Damned, which was the first ever full-length album released by a UK punk band, is as raw and relevant as ever and fans couldn’t get enough of the group’s seminal sound.
Keyboardist Monty Oxymoron started the set off with an extended solo crescendoing into a noise-filled jam as Stu West (bass), Andrew “Pinch” Pinching (drums) and the one-and-only Captain Sensible (guitar) took the stage one by one. After the perfect amount of suspense to send fans into a fury, Dave Vanian blasted into the spotlight as the group dove into the blistering Machine Gun Etiquette track, “Melody Lee.”
“We’re here to save you from sh*t music,” Captain Sensible proclaimed early in the night. “Disco Man” revealed one such especially foul genre as chants of “Disco Sucks” ascended from the crowd. The good captain was nice enough to elaborate on his “sh*t music” opinions encouraging fans not to forget about Mumford [and Sons] “those wankers.”
A pair of “Love” songs seized on the energy pulsing through the House of Blues as The Damned’s cover of “Alone Again Or” erupted into an explosion of sound which provoked a giant mosh pit in the center of the floor before their 1979 single, “Love Song,” induced absolute mayhem. Vanian surveyed the stage, slithering from end to end with unsettling confidence as Captain Sensible wailed out yet another face melting guitar solo. Crowd surfer after crowd surfer emerged from the endless sea of thrashing fans as “Second Time Around” incited a thunderous moment of call and response.
The Damned at Chicago’s House of Blues on April 23, 2017
Unbridled energy – both from fans and The Damned – dominated the entire set as Vanian’s melodic howls pierced through the chaos. “Neat Neat Neat,” “I Just Can’t Be Happy Today” and, the song that helped shape the punk genre for generations, “New Rose,” all proved to be highlights of the incredible night.
Earlier in the evening, Bleached shared their Riot Grrrl grunge sounds with an opening set full of hair flips, fuzzy guitars, sultry basslines and infectious melodies. Songs from their 2016 release, Welcome the Worms, which dominated the setlist, evolved into modern punk at its pop-infused best.
Bleached at Chicago’s House of Blues on April 23, 2017
The Damned are set to continue to tour North America throughout May and they are currently working on their long-awaited follow-up to So, Who’s Paranoid?, which is available for pre-order on Pledge Music. Head over to www.OfficialDamned.com for more information about all of their upcoming projects.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)