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  • The Damned

    Location: London, UK
    Active: 1976-current

    Part of the initial wave of the UK punk explosion amidst bands like the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Generation X and The Dark, The Damned are especially relevant to deathrock for their inclusion of brooding atmosphere, tongue-in-cheek dark humor and horror movie chic. The Damned remain in a class of their own as a punk band, often crossing over into goth and deathrock waters, be it in stand alone songs or the entire ‘Phantasmagoria’ and ‘Anything’ albums. Also central to their attribution to the gothic and deathrock moniker are frontman Dave Vanian’s iconic Bela Lugosi / Victorian vampire attire and makeup. The Damned are credited with the first UK punk record release, preceding the Sex Pistols by weeks in 1976. 

    Despite periods of inactivity, the Damned have never stayed split for long, and remain to be active to the current day. Dave Vanian also fronted Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords. Founding member and songwriter of the Damned’s first two albums, Brian James left in 1977 and eventually worked with Iggy Pop. In 1981, James joined Stiv Bators (Dead Boys) to form Lords of the New Church. Captain Sensible departed The Damned prior to Phantasmagoria to develop his solo career, though he would eventually reunite with the band. During his initial absence, a release under the name Naz Nomad and the Nightmares was actually the Damned without Sensible in 1984 covering 1960s songs and original material in similar style. Dave Vanian contributed the track Tenterhooks to the gothic compilation LP ‘The Whip’ at this time alongside bands like Blood and Roses, Play Dead, Brigandage, the post-UK Decay/Furyo interim song “Slave Drive”, and Sex Gang Children.

    The 1996 era of The Damned saw Patricia Morrison (Bags, Gun Club, Sisters of Mercy) join the group, she also wed Dave Vanian. Captain Sensible also reunited with the band at this time. In 2000, ‘Grave Disorder’ was released, and as far as this writer is concerned, presented a refreshing, revitalized incarnation and sound that reintroduced The Damned as a major factor in gothic punk sound.

    Trivia: Glenn Danzig Wrote the the song Archangel for Dave Vanian who chose not to perform it. Instead, Danzig recorded the song himself on Samhain’s first album ‘Initium’.

    Related: Dave Vanian And The Phantom Chords, Naz Nomad and the Nightmares, Lords of the New Church, Captain Sensible, Brian James

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  • The Gun Club

    Location: Los Angeles
    Active: 1979-1996

    Fusing elements of punk, blues, voodoo, horror comics and a western atmosphere, Jeffrey Lee Pierce and Kid Congo Powers co-founded The Gun Club in Los Angeles in 1979 as Creeping Ritual until adopting the new name by early 1980. Their membership fluctuated on a regular basis around Pierce’s wild behavior, with Kid Congo joining The Cramps later that year. Their early lineups saw Terry Graham, Rob Ritter (45 Grave), both formerly of The Bags and Ward Dotson (Der Stab). Patricia Morrison, also a former Bag, would join in 1982.   

    After touring as support with Siouxsie and the Banshees and another headline tour with support band Sisters of Mercy, The Gun Club split up in 1985, leading Morrisson and Desi Desperate to form the band Fur Bible, while Pierce went on a solo career. They would reform in 1986 with Kid Congo Powers (then with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) back on guitar. Lineup changes continued to occur during their next few albums. Jeffrey Lee Pierce died March 31, 1996 of a brain hemorrhage, leaving behind a legacy that his peers and new generations of musicians continue to revere.

    Related: 45 Grave, The Cramps, Tex & The Horseheads, The Bags, Patricia Morrison

    Links:

    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gun_Club
    Discogs.com: https://www.discogs.com/artist/270779-The-Gun-Club

    This profile is in development. Contributions?