On Wednesday evening, 70s punk legends The Damned returned to York to play their first gig at the new Fibbers venue. The Londoners have quite a reputation under their belt, and with support from Louise Distras, the night was bound to be a wild success.
Acoustic singer Louise Distras was up first and she warmed up the crowd perfectly with her folk punk tunes. The numbers gathered for her, entranced by her music and the sentiment behind it. Her voice was reminiscent of singer Brody Dalle,formally of the bands The Distillers and Spinnerette. Distras is definitely one to watch for the future, and a welcome change to the usual roster of faceless rock bands that often claim support spots.
The Damned are one of those bands that many modern punk musicians claim to be influenced by. They have almost become a musical institution within the scene as one of the bands that started it all. Still touring after almost 40 years together (the band originally formed in 1976), they proved that they still had the stamina and talent that originally drove them to play and perform. The band opened with Love Song and ran through numerous hits before ending with a five song encore featuring: both parts of Smash It Up.
Louise Distras
The venue was almost full for the majority of the concert with the audience cheering and pogoing from the start. It was obvious that a massive amount of love was felt for the band. Fan favourites were Wait for the Blackout and The History of the World (Part 1), but the audience didn’t let up for a second. The Damned themselves appeared to be having a fun time on stage. Guitarist Captain Sensible and lead singer Dave Vanian exchanged colourful onstage jests about each other and other musicians such a Johnny Rotten (who just so happens to be playing Fibbers with band Public Image Limited next week).
The Damned are a band that have in the past claimed their love for playing Fibbers and visiting York in general. So, be sure to catch them next time they come to town and you won’t be disappointed!
Louise Distras and The Damned played at Fibbers on Wednesday 16 September 2015