Another cold evening and another gig, but one I have been looking forward to ever since it was announced. The Damned always draw in a large crowd and as I alighted the tram, many fans were in high spirits, singing and swigging as they made their was to Albert Hall.
The band have just released a special album of covers titled ‘Not Like Everybody Else’ and is a tribute to founding member of the band the late Brian James. It is an eclectic mix of tracks from acts such as The Kinks, The Yardbirds and The Stooges. This evening we were getting to see the album played out in full. The band are no strangers to covering tracks but this selection of songs I was looking forward to hearing.
The crowd were warmed up by Mr John Robb, who tonight was DJing front of house and I must say was doing a fabulous job. A strong playlist from The New York Dolls to the Rolling Stones ensure that the crowd were suitably ready for the main event.
The band came on stage to rapturous applause and cheers. I get to see a lot of bands in my job and I feel very lucky to do so, but with The Damned they always seem to be having a wonderful time on stage, which can not be said for all groups! This show was a one-off special event so I imagine many felt incredibly lucky to be present at the launch of a new album, and see it played out live!
The first track of the evening was and R.Dean Taylor track ‘There’s a Ghost in my House’. The song was perfect for Dave Vanian’s vocal range. ‘Summer in the City’ was a personal highlight along with The Rolling Stones ‘The Last Time’. The band treated the audience to a generous seven track encore, finishing the evening with The Stooges ‘1970’. A very memorable night indeed, with many fans saying it will be a contender for gig of the year!
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