THE DAMNED....... + Fisted Sister Temple bar music centre friday 6th of december 730pm 20 euro Tickets available from sound cellar,comet records,meros and TBMC box office or directly from Toxic. The Damned Anarchy, chaos and destruction: it's an old saying, an apt, but insufficient description of this ever innovative and legendary band. The Damned is all of that, but also a band that continues to evolve—still drawing its old fans while courting the new; pounding out punk rock standards, but writing music for the new century. Punk was always about rebelliousness--for The Damned, it is progressiveness and ability to change that makes the band's career endure and keep true to its punk rock roots. It was over two decades ago when the world first got a glimpse of The Damned's unique concept of punk rock music, nearly 25 years (actually July 6th, 1976 with the Sex Pistols) since the insane antics of Captain Sensible and partner-in-crime Dave Vanian were showcased at the now legendary 100 Club in London, England. Now 24 years have passed, with over 20 different band members and what seems like even more record labels. The Damned was the first British punk band to release an album, as well as the first to cross the Atlantic and tour the United States. Good old Malcolm McLaren and his Pistol-whipped boys soon followed, but it was The Damned that was the innovator, not the imitator. The band is to popular music what Monty Python is to comedy: creative, witty, insane, intellectual, and one of a kind. If there is one thing that can be said about this band, it is its continuous and unorthodox approach to live performance and recordings. Despite The Damned's cult-like following, it is perhaps the music industry's best-kept secret. In the old days, The Damned competed with the likes of the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Buzzcocks, Motorhead, and the Dead Boys for the crown in London's punk rock kingdom; now they compete with no one. The original members Vanian, Rat Scabies, Sensible, and Brian James, were always musically one step ahead of their contemporaries. The Damned became more and more complex as the band advanced the sounds first heard in its early Stiff Records releases. The members learned how to play their instruments instead of just smashing them up. Albums to take note of: Machine Gun Etiquette ('78), The Black Album ('80), and Strawberries ('82). Today, The Damned holds the stature of legend, with the likes of Green Day, Nirvana and The Offspring all citing The Damned as an influence. In the late 1990s the band unveiled its most cohesive lineup in years, featuring the additions of Patricia Morrison (Sisters of Mercy, Gun Club, The Bags) on bass, Pinch on drums (English Dogs, Janus Stark), and Monty Oxy Moron on keyboards. With this lineup, Vanian and Sensible had enlisted new, solid members with whom to combine their own brilliant songwriting skills, ensuring that The Damned's best days are still to come. Riding the proverbial wave, the band entered the studio in London in early 2000 and recorded eight new songs, leading to a recording contract with Nitro Records (which, incidentally, is owned by Dexter Holland, the lifelong fan whose own band The Offspring covered the Damned classic Smash It Up for the Batman Forever soundtrack). The new material was written between March and May of 2000 and marks the first time that David Vanian and Captain Sensible have collaborated since Frankie Goes to Hollywood was polluting our airwaves. Rumors spread like wildfire that these sessions delivered some of the strongest new material from The Damned since "Strawberries" was released back in 1982. Since the band inked the deal with Nitro it has just finished its first American recording, produced by Grammy award winner David Bianco (Tom Petty, Teenage Fan Club, Del Amitri, Rollins Band, Buffalo Tom, and Afghan Whigs). The Damned's Nitro records debut GRAVE DISORDER is set for release in october 2001. A world tour is set to follow. Stay tuned for more. Stay Damned. www.officialdamned.com ===== John Foley , Toxic Promotions , Suite 2 , 3 Blessington Street , Dublin 7 , Ireland. Phone: 00353 (1) 8601250 ,(mobile) 00353 87 6988381 , Fax: 00353 (1) 8602744. Email: toxicpromo@yahoo.com Toxic Website:http://www.hardcore-times.com/toxic ---------------------------------------------------------- A 24 track punk/metal compilation CD featuring the best sounds from the irish underground "inTOXICated" plus COLDWAR's debut album "Whore bred And Hell Raised" are now available to buy or trade from TOXIC Records.