The Damned: Still Smashing It Up, 40 Years Later

After the Sex Pistols and the Clash, and possibly somewhere between the Buzzcocks and the Jam, there was the Damned. The Damned were the first punk band to put out a single — “New Rose,” in October ’76 — and the first punk band to issue a full album with Damned Damned Damned in February ’77, before the Pistols and the Clash. While enjoying the ride, the Damned’s two original active members, singer Dave Vanian and guitarist Captain Sensible, are in reflective moods while being looked after by Andrew “Pinch” Pinching, the band’s drummer/road manager, who’s been sitting in for original drummer Rat Scabies since 1999.