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Following both social and economic upheaval in England during the 1970s, disenfranchised youth responded by initiating chaos on the concert stage. The result was the beginning of the infamous British punk movement. One of the most significant groups to evolve from this genre was undoubtedly theatrical rabble-rousers the Damned. Birthed from the same notorious scene as the Sex Pistols and the Clash, The Damned stood their ground by presenting a mesh of music with dynamic performances topped with an intriguing gothic flair. They were the first British punk group to release a single and the first ambitious enough to perform in America. Most notably, however, The Damned have managed to maintain the attitude and spontaneity of punk rock without being limited by its combustible tag. The group's ability to sustain an audience for over two decades is a feat few groups have been able to accomplish.

The Damned was formed in London, England, in 1976. The group's members found each other while performing in an assortment of short-lived outfits during punk's initial days. Drummer Rat Scabies met bassist Captain Sensible in 1974 while they were both employed at Croydon Fairfield Halls cleaning toilets and working at the shows held there. Two years later Brian James and Scabies were playing in London S.S., a group that included future members of the Clash. Singer Dave Vanian had been previously acquainted with Scabies through another band they had played in together. The aspiring musicians finally merged to form an unnamed group, a precursor to The Damned. The line up included future Pretender Chrissie Hynde on guitar, Sensible on bass, and Scabies on drums. Vanian, who at the time was employed as a gravedigger, became one of their new singers. He nabbed the position mainly because he looked the part but also because Sex Pistol Sid Vicious, who was also set to audition, never showed up. The group never quite made it past the rehearsal stage, but it was obvious to most of the members that they had something special together. Hynde left the group, and Brian James was added on guitar. James christened the group the Damned after a 1969 movie of the same name. It was also a name said to be descriptive of the band's hapless state of affairs at the time.

To date, the Damned have released nine full-length studio albums, their latest release being 2008’s So, Who’s Paranoid? Twenty-five years after their inception, the Damned remains one of the most inspired groups in punk rock. The latest line up of Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Monty Oxy Moron, Stu West and Pinch will be performing live at Manchester Academy 2 on Saturday 5th June.