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$ October 30 - November 6, 2019 Vol. 3 -50 NEWSSTAND PRICE: 2.00 WEIRD NJ HALLOWEEN 2019 HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM With more from SAVES THE DAY, STEVE GORMAN of TRIGGER HIPPY and The Black Crowes, NEIL YOUNG with CRAZY HORSE, $$22..000 and highlights from TRIBUTES to STIV BATORS & JOHNNY THUNDERS at BOWERY ELECTRIC plus GLOBAL CITIZEN 2019! PHOTO BY GULLICK e r u t a e HAPPY HALLOWEEN f from by Katherine Yeske Taylor nice to see a band at, but a bit The Damned singer Dave “When we started, we didn’t think of it as a movement. soulless.” Still, he’s glad he had Vanian, calling from a London the chance to perform there, rehearsal studio, sounds I think we just saw ourselves as a band that was a finally: “I can tick that one off, that remarkably relaxed for a man I’ve actually played there, which who is about to put on one of the continuation of that sixties American sound that came is lovely. Everybody in the past, most elaborate (and hotly from Jimi Hendrix to the Beatles anticipated) rock shows of the out with The Doors, and then later, MC5 and the Stooges. and Elton John has done it.” year on October 28—just five At this point, there’s no question days from now—at the legendary Before it was coined punk, it didn’t have a name for that The Damned deserve to join London Palladium. that list of iconic performers, “This is a big one,” he says thanks to their long and legendary of “Night of a Thousand a few months. We were just a band, [but] I guess we history. “We’re coming up to 44 Vampires,” a show that promises years [together], which is to blend a Damned concert with had the whole [punk] attitude and the stance.” ridiculous,” Vanian says, amused. extravagant theatrics from He may joke a little about it, collaborators Hammer House of that runs through the thing.” something in a room with a lot of a bit more special about it.” but there’s no doubt that he and Horror, the famed film production However, only the audience people and then you’re the only Speaking of playing to a lot of his bandmates take well-deserved company. He is careful not to members at the sold-out show people who’ve ever had that people, The Damned recently pride in their work. They will reveal too much about the will get to enjoy this spectacle, experience. There was something performed at New York City’s release Black is the Night , a 39- show—but he does disclose that as there are no plans fabled Madison Square track “definitive anthology” that it will include “an 8-piece string to live stream it or Garden (sharing the bill will be released on November section, a strange aerial act, and record it for later with The Original Misfits). 1—and unlike with previous some songs we’ve never, ever release. In other Vanian was, apparently, compilations, this time the band played [live].” It will also, he says, words, as he says, it equally unflappable members themselves chose be unabashedly dramatic might be “one of those about that show. “I went which tracks to include. There is because “I love old theater and things where, if you’re onstage with the same also one new track, the majestic that kind of magic. It’s something lucky enough to see mindset I would have in “Black Is the Night,” which was I’ve always wanted to do. it, you see it, and if you a club with 200 people, included “so you’ve got a track “I’m hoping, if it works out well don’t, you just hear to be honest,” he says, that’s completely new and fresh, enough, I might try and bring about it.” He is fine with adding, “I prefer slightly and hopefully shows we’re still it to the States, but each show keeping this event smaller venues, I must relevant and not just a bunch of will be totally different, it will exclusive to the admit, although that old farts!” Vanian says, laughing. never be the same. Eventually, performers and the [MSG show] was fun to “Hopefully people will be happy I’d like to expand it into an people right in front of do. I like old gothic with the whole thing,” he says, immersive experience, with them. “I miss when you theaters, rather than the explaining how they chose to actors—and maybe even a play used to experience big stadiums, which are group the songs by style type, PHOTO BY GULLICK LISTEN TO “BLACK IS THE NIGHT” BY THE DAMNED NOW ON ALL STREAMING PLATFORMS. BLACK IS THE NIGHT: THE DEFINITIVE ANTHOLOGY IS AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 1 VIA BMG AS A 4 X LP/2 X CD SET WHEREVER MUSIC IS SOLD. 10 ARTS WEEKLY OCTOBER 30, 2019 www.theaquarian.com rather than chronologically, because a computer and plug in and bam, you’ve that they were doing something special. think, ‘Well, I can play “New Rose” and something there that’s interesting. You “That’s how you used to play records, got a good tune, hopefully. I think “All I really knew is, I loved what I heard “Neat Neat Neat” and “Smash It Up,” may not like something, but someone you always had your favorites when technology is great, but it does make when I was first in a rehearsal room and then that’s great.’ I actually prefer might have put their life blood into that. you were getting ready to go out for the people a little lazy sometimes, because with Brian [James, the band’s original it when you do a gig and no one knows That might be their whole existence, night, the uptempo numbers that would it’s so easy: ‘Oh, I need this,’ and you guitarist and songwriter]. I thought, what the hell they’re going to get, and that piece of music. So, I can put worth get you in the mood—and then another just press a button. I think sometimes ‘This is great! ’ I was blown away by it. you don’t know what the reaction is on things even if I don’t like the music.” [style] for when you’re more relaxed. the fun is in not only trying to find the But to be honest, you didn’t have a lot going to be. I like it when there’s this Vanian says that they’re still so driven I think it works really well.” sounds, but also accidents that happen of time to think about it. We did the frisson in the air, this excitement of, “because we’ve never made it properly It certainly showcases just how that you never expect, and they sound [debut] album in a week, basically, and ‘They may hate you,’ and you’ve got to yet, so we’re still blindly bludgeoning diverse The Damned has been over better than the idea you had, maybe. it was all very much on the cheap. prove your worth. You can only do that our way through, thinking it might the years. “We don’t just do one song Whereas, if you have a machine, you Everything was very fast. You didn’t by challenging things a little bit with happen this time!” He laughs, then that sounds like the next one. We’re all want seagulls, you press a button and have time to analyze it, but you had new material. grows more serious. “Forget all the very varied in our musical tastes, and there it is.” time to enjoy it.” “It’s what we’ve always done. We did crazy antics and who we were and it all goes in a massive melting pot, and He certainly knows what he’s talking However quickly they attained fame, it first with ‘Curtain Call.’ It was a what we did—it’s always been the we mold it until it becomes a Damned about when it comes to creating songs the band have certainly paid their dues, ridiculous thing for a band that were music that binds us together. That’s song. It shouldn’t work, because none that will stand the test of time. In fact, particularly in the early years. “Things famous for writing three-minute songs the important thing that’s kept us of us listen to the same kind of music, The Damned inarguably made history happened to us,” Vanian says. “Like, to suddenly do one piece of music that going—wanting to make music, and and we’ve all got different attitudes right from the start of their career: their when we first came out to America, we is really quite overblown and 18-minutes not just make it to fulfill a contract. to it all, but I suppose we’re quite debut single, “New Rose,” was the very were supposed to support Television, long. It was kind of, ‘Ah, hell with it, we “I’d like to make some money, too. democratic, so it works out OK. We first punk song ever released. But, and that fell through and we were stuck like it, let’s see what happens.’ It was One day, maybe,” he laughs. “I mean, appreciate each other’s strengths and Vanian says, they initially had no idea in California with no money, no gigs, the same thing with “Eloise”—it’s one we’ve never lied about that, right from weaknesses, and cover whatever you that what they were doing was so and we all slept on the floor of another of those that the diehard fans were, the beginning.